A trio of WA Government reforms to simplify and speed up mining assessments came into effect this week in important progress welcomed by the Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA (CME).
Following a successful trial, the Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration (DMPE) has committed to a broader rollout of the Eligible Mining Activity (EMA) framework, which streamlines assessment for low-risk activities to free up resources to focus on more complex applications.
The Mining Development and Closure Proposal (MDCP) - which combines the previous Mining Proposal and Mine Closure Plan into a single document - also came into effect this week.
Finally, the DMPE has now also released its Approval Statement, a single source of truth for all approved mining activities across tenements.
CME Director Policy and Advocacy Anita Logiudice said each of the initiatives illustrated it was possible to reduce the administrative burden for both proponents and regulators without compromising on protections.
"The goal of all assessment reform should be to make it faster and easier to get to a decision while maintaining the rigour and independence of regulators," Ms Logiudice said.
"The introduction of these new processes will hopefully bring down assessment timeframes and encourage investment in exploration and the new projects we need to sustain jobs and economic growth.
"Competition for international capital is only getting fiercer. For WA to really capitalise on the opportunities presented by the energy transition it is vital the government maintains a laser-like focus on assessment efficiencies and leveraging technological advances.
"CME looks forward to working with DMPE to support the implementation of each of these new initiatives and identify further opportunities for improvements."
