Greentape Reduction Bill to simplify environmental process in Queensland

By Gail Owen, Partner

Background

In May this year the Queensland Government introduced the Environmental Protection (Greentape Reduction) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2012 (the Bill).

The Bill is the culmination of the Greentape Reduction Project commenced in 2010 and set up by the Queensland Government to investigate government, community and corporate concerns about the unduly complex regulatory process that has developed over time under the Environmental Protection Act 1994.
The Explanatory Notes to the Bill state that the objectives of the Bill are to simplify and improve the licensing processes under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 to:

• introduce a licensing model proportionate to environmental risk;