Latest news with #ReeceWhitby
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
WA business owners are being frustrated by butt-covering bureaucracy
WA Energy Minister Reece Whitby raised some eyebrows back in February when he said he suspected 'there's a nerdy little bureaucrat in an agency in Canberra somewhere who's trying to cover his butt'. The issue at hand was Woodside's North West Shelf expansion, which after going through a six-year approvals process with the WA regulator (in addition to being subject to numerous, lengthy legal challenges) was subject to a further game of federal political football. The Woodside experience of delay, disruption, duplicative and cumbersome approvals processes does not help Western Australia, or Australia, attract the investment dollars which companies will otherwise put to use developing resources and creating jobs elsewhere in the world. But it's not just about Woodside and other large companies who are, relatively speaking, more able to deal with this kind of costly (and sometimes vexatious) dithering and delay. As the WA Liberal spokesperson for deregulation and public sector reform, I've heard firsthand how excessive legislation and red tape is stifling free enterprise and entrepreneurship. From farmers in the Wheatbelt to retail shopkeepers in Perth, West Australians who want to run a business and build a future for their family and their community are frustrated. They are frustrated by the very same kind of 'butt-covering bureaucracies' that Whitby described. They are frustrated not only by the constantly expanding rules and costs placed on them by government, but by the time it takes to obtain permission to do anything. And by the fact that they are part of the ever-shrinking tax base asked to pay the salaries of those who dream up new rules and fail to deliver a reasonable level of service to those asked to comply with them.
The Age
2 days ago
- Business
- The Age
WA business owners are being frustrated by butt-covering bureaucracy
WA Energy Minister Reece Whitby raised some eyebrows back in February when he said he suspected 'there's a nerdy little bureaucrat in an agency in Canberra somewhere who's trying to cover his butt'. The issue at hand was Woodside's North West Shelf expansion, which after going through a six-year approvals process with the WA regulator (in addition to being subject to numerous, lengthy legal challenges) was subject to a further game of federal political football. The Woodside experience of delay, disruption, duplicative and cumbersome approvals processes does not help Western Australia, or Australia, attract the investment dollars which companies will otherwise put to use developing resources and creating jobs elsewhere in the world. But it's not just about Woodside and other large companies who are, relatively speaking, more able to deal with this kind of costly (and sometimes vexatious) dithering and delay. As the WA Liberal spokesperson for deregulation and public sector reform, I've heard firsthand how excessive legislation and red tape is stifling free enterprise and entrepreneurship. From farmers in the Wheatbelt to retail shopkeepers in Perth, West Australians who want to run a business and build a future for their family and their community are frustrated. They are frustrated by the very same kind of 'butt-covering bureaucracies' that Whitby described. They are frustrated not only by the constantly expanding rules and costs placed on them by government, but by the time it takes to obtain permission to do anything. And by the fact that they are part of the ever-shrinking tax base asked to pay the salaries of those who dream up new rules and fail to deliver a reasonable level of service to those asked to comply with them.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Police minister says other states looking to copy Cook government's hardline WA gun laws
Western Australia's police minister says the state government is entertaining approaches from other jurisdictions keen to copy the state's tough new gun laws. The laws, billed as the "strictest in the country", took effect in March and include caps on firearm ownership numbers, mandatory health assessments, and a voluntary buyback scheme. Other states and territories have remained coy on the matter, but Police Minister Reece Whitby suggested some are considering adopting similar measures. "Although it's not easy and straightforward, it's good practice, it's a good law, it's going to put us in a good place, and other states will look at us." Mr Whitby said it was important all Australian states remained open to modernising their laws to keep the community safe. "We all need to align ourselves, so each state is progressively looking at their legislation," he said. Mr Whitby's claims come amid a review of the laws by WA's Legislative Council sparked by numerous issues that have emerged during their implementation. Farmers and professional shooters have flagged repeated failures with the government's online portal, while doctors have raised concerns about their role in the new licensing system. Australian Shooters Union President Graham Park said the review was happening because the laws were deeply flawed. "These reforms are highly discriminatory and are doomed to fail because they are impossible to administer, which is why your upper house has voted for a review, which even the Labor Party accepts," he said. "One example is expecting doctors to sign off on every renewal, every new licence, when the physicians' association in Western Australia has come out strongly and said, no, it doesn't want to do this." Mr Park said he could not understand why any state would want to follow WA's lead. "Some states may be interested in some aspect or another of the laws, but other states are hopefully mystified as to why WA has ditched the entire national firearms agreement that all the other states have agreed to," he said. "It's effectively un-Australian." Gun control groups believe opinions like those of the Australian Shooters Union were in the minority. Alannah and Madeline Foundation spokesperson Stephen Bendle said other state governments would do well to follow WA's example. "We think that there is a great level of support in the community for strong gun laws, but unfortunately, there is an industry which has a commercial interest in the proliferation of firearms," he said. "I think they should certainly consider the reforms — in particular the cap on the number of firearms that one can own. "It's a legal activity — I understand that — and the vast majority of firearm owners are law-abiding people, but firearm use and possession are a privilege in Australia that's conditional on public safety." The ABC approached all states and territories as to whether they would alter their gun laws following the reforms in WA. NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley told the ABC the state had strict checks and balances as well as the NSW Firearms Registry. A spokesperson from the Victorian Government said it regularly consulted on its laws, and last year made it easier for police to seize firearms from criminals. Queensland Police Minister Dan Purdie ruled out changes to his government's laws.
ABC News
16-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Woodside's North West Shelf extension the focus of another legal challenge
Yet another legal challenge has been lodged against a contentious gas plant extension in WA's north, arguing the state's previous environment minister failed to properly consider the emissions produced by customers burning gas produced at the facility. The North West Shelf project has been processing LNG since the 1980s but needed fresh approvals from the state and federal governments to continue beyond 2030. Then-WA environment minister Reece Whitby completed a six-year-long state approvals process in December last year when he approved the project with a range of conditions. While federal environment minister Murray Watt is now considering the conditions the Commonwealth will impose, the Friends of Australian Rock Art group last week lodged an application in the WA Supreme Court, seeking judicial review of the state approval. A statement by the group said it would argue Mr Whitby did not follow the state's Environmental Protection Act because the assessment his decision was based on "failed to consider the impact of climate change that would result from the project", including scope three emissions. Scope three emissions occur as a consequence of a project, but from sources not owned or controlled by the owner of the project — for example, from a customer burning LNG processed at a particular plant. Analysis by climate science policy institute Climate Analytics released this month estimated about 87 per cent of emissions linked to the North West Shelf between 2024 and 2050 were scope three. The application could represent yet another legal hurdle for the project. Mr Watt is yet to make a final decision, having given Woodside more time to respond to the conditions he is considering imposing. Traditional owner Raelene Cooper said Mr Watt had promised to give her three business days' notice before making a decision, which could allow her to seek an injunction, further delaying his decision. If ultimately granted, those approvals would allow Woodside to go through the separate process of getting approvals to extract gas from the Browse Basin, one of the country's largest untapped resources. While Woodside and both levels of government see those plans as a boost to the WA economy and jobs, climate activists have long argued against the project and what its emissions will mean for a world trying to reach net zero by 2050. Friends of Australian Rock Art co-convenor Judith Hugo said the application was brought because of concerns about the impact of emissions linked to the project on the world's climate, and on rock art at Murujuga. Those petroglyphs are approximately 40,000 years old and are being closely studied to assess whether or not nearby industry, including the North West Shelf, is impacting on their condition. "The North West Shelf Extension will cause pollution equal to 12 coal-fired power stations every year until 2070, however the vast majority of these emissions were ignored by the WA Minister in approving the proposal," Ms Hugo said in a statement, referring to scope three emissions. "Our case aims to require the government to rectify this fundamental omission, so that the impacts of Woodside's carbon pollution can be understood. "We have consistently raised concerns regarding sea level rise, increased wildfires, extreme heat and flooding and coastal erosion on the heritage landscape. "We have also raised concerns about the ongoing use and enjoyment of this landscape by custodians practising cultural traditions, and by researchers and visitors in a heating climate. A spokesperson for current WA Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn said as the matter was before the courts, it was inappropriate for him to comment. A Woodside spokesperson said the company was aware of the case. "We have confidence in the robustness of the state government's comprehensive approval process," the spokesperson said in a statement. Last week Woodside said it recognised the importance of the Commonwealth's proposed environmental approval conditions, "including cultural heritage management and air quality". Tom Hatton, who chaired WA's Environmental Protection Authority between 2014 and 2020, said he never saw it as the agency's role to regulate scope three emissions. "For exported gas, those scope three emissions happen in jurisdictions outside of Australia, so it was never considered something that the state government, on advice from the EPA, would ever feel that they should condition, or put any conditions, on," he said. While Dr Hatton said it "remains to be seen" whether scope one or two emissions, produced directly by projects, were best regulated by state or federal governments, he remained firm on his view on scope three even after leaving the regulator. "It would be a confusing international analysis, international arrangement, for Australia to do that." Curtin University sustainability professor and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report author Peter Newman said addressing global warming needed to be seen as a partnership. "This process of being serious about climate change is not just a matter of who's really responsible for this and who's not, it is a matter of fixing it," he said. "And we have to get serious about fixing it otherwise we're not going to solve this problem and the temperatures are going to get so bad that all of our economies are going to struggle and so many millions of people will be dying from it. "Some part of government needs to take hold of that and run with it and the EPA is as good a place as any."
Perth Now
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Big new electric scooter review underway
The WA government will launch a statewide investigation into the safety of electric bikes and scooters in response to growing community concern. The government will set up a bipartisan Parliamentary Committee to find ways to strengthen the safety and regulation of the 'e-rideables'. The state has had four fatalities involving e-rideables since the start of the year, including that of Perth dad Thahn Phan, who was allegedly hit by a British tourist last week on a rented e-scooter. The rules around hired e-bikes will be examined. Newswire /Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia Following that incident the state government said that it needed to do more. 'We have very strict regulations about the speed of e-scooters,' said Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti. 'But it's obvious we need to do more on compliance.' she said. The committee is set to investigate the expansion of penalties, how the vehicles are rented, how they are used in congested areas and how technology like speed limiting can be used to make them safer. Announcing the new committee, Police and Road Safety Minister Reece Whitby said the government wanted to do 'as much as possible' to keep everyone safe from e-rideables. 'I've become increasingly concerned about safety issues around e-rideables and e-scooters and I'm particularly concerned about the safety and the vulnerability of pedestrians as well as those people who ride these devices,' Mr Whitby said. 'And I think there's a growing community concern also.' Police and Road Safety Minister Reece Whitby announced the Parliamentary Committee. Supplied Credit: Supplied Other measures to be considered by the committee are night-time curfews and the use of e-bikes and e-scooters in entertainment districts. Asked by reporters on Saturday morning, Mr Whitby said a ban of the vehicles on footpaths would 'absolutely' be considered. Mr Whitby said it was important that the state had a bipartisan approach to the reforms, acknowledging that he wanted the community to work together. The committee will deliver its report in September and Mr Whitby said in the meantime the police would need to maintain 'vigilance' in their enforcement. E-bikes have come under fire nationally in recent months as fatalities continue to mount.
