Article in AFR “latest news “ 15.6 20 Environmental approvals...

Article in AFR “latest news “ 15.6 20

Environmental approvals for big projects should be cut to 30 days, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said, pre-empting the findings of a review.
Launching his plans for deregulation, which he says is necessary to help the economy rebuild, Mr Morrison has also charged the Productivity Commission with helping to advise the national cabinet on red-tape reduction.
In a speech on Monday to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia, Mr Morrison said the aim of a statutory review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 being conducted by Graeme Samuel was to cut approval times for big projects from the current 40 days to 30 days by the end of this year.
"Ultimately, our objective is the streamlining of Commonwealth and state processes to a point of single-touch approvals,'' he said.
"The national cabinet has had early discussions on how we can achieve this objective, and there is already a high level of agreement."

Mr Morrison listed 15 major projects he wanted to be expedited, including the inland rail from Melbourne to Brisbane and the Marinus interconnector from Tasmania.
More broadly on deregulation, Mr Morrison said he was moving the previously established Deregulation Taskforce into the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and bringing in the Productivity Commission.
Break from regulations

He is keen to maintain the momentum from the coronavirus crisis, during which regulations were swept aside.
"Shop trading hours were deregulated in Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia so people didn’t have to spend so long in queues,'' he said.
"Trucks were allowed to resupply along roads and during hours where they were previously banned. And the sun came up the next day.
"Steps were taken to ensure unnecessary professional requirements did not block nurses coming back into the workforce.
"At the Commonwealth level, we fast-tracked approvals for drug trials. Changes were made to the medical benefits scheme to promote the use of telehealth. We cut red tape to allow companies to use overseas standards for hand sanitiser."
He said Productivity Commission chairman Michael Brennan had been asked to brief the next national cabinet meeting on priority areas "where we can work together to unlock investment and create jobs''.
Mr Morrison's championing of deregulation received a mixed response. There are concerns among inner-city residents that allowing supermarket trucks to keep using suburban streets at night to resupply will cause noise pollution.
Local Government NSW president Linda Scott told The Sydney Morning Herald her organisation supported the temporary lifting of truck movement curfews during the pandemic, but not beyond it.
Australian Trucking Association chairman David Smith disagreed.
“The Queensland government has extended the curfew-free period. It should become permanent; we urge other states and territories to follow suit,