The streamlining of environmental assessment and approvals may be met with increased scrutiny

Key Points:

As the streamlining of environmental assessment and project approval processes will reduce the opportunities to appeal a decision, there could be increased scrutiny of the assessment and approval processes.

As part of plan the Federal Government's plan to achieve its proposed "one stop shop" for environmental approvals within 12 months, the Commonwealth and Western Australian Governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in December 2013 confirming their co-operative effort to achieve a single environmental approval process.

Under the MoU,:

• Accrediting assessments: the parties agreed to conclude, as soon as practicable in 2014, a comprehensive assessment bilateral agreement to accredit WA to undertake a single assessment process for both Commonwealth (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act)) and WA purposes (Environmental Protection Act 1986 (WA));