Key Points:
The amended bilateral bolsters the language of the
previous agreement to reinforce its purpose to remove duplication
and have the parties acting in a spirit of co-operation and
consultation.
An amended bilateral agreement between the Federal and
Queensland Governments aims to clarify their respective roles and
introduce a project management approach to the approvals
process.
Following a public dispute over the assessment of the $6.4
billion Alpha coal project, the Federal and Queensland Governments
entered into the agreement under the Environment Protection and
Biodiversity Conservation Act, effective June 14.
The amendments also came after the Council of Australian
Governments (COAG) meeting in April, where six priority areas for
major reform were identified. These include addressing duplicative
and cumbersome environmental regulation; streamlining the process
for approvals of major projects; improving assessment processes for
low risk, low
