Streamlining Commonwealth project approvals - the 'one-stop shop' in New South Wales

摘要

The Commonwealth and NSW governments are well on the way to delivering on their proposal to streamline Commonwealth environmental assessments and approvals in New South Wales. The proposed "one-stop shop" for project approvals under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act) should provide valuable time and cost savings for project proponents and should improve consistency and certainty in the project assessment, determination and implementation phases. However, not all benefits of the one-stop shop will apply to some projects, Commonwealth government involvement will continue, and New South Wales will need to satisfy several important Commonwealth requirements to make the one-stop shop work.