WA announces legislation to drive industry investment

The WA Government has announced it is introducing legislation to fast-track approvals for major strategic projects around the state.

The legislation aims to cut red tape and accelerate investment in the WA economy, and is said to be the biggest reform to the State Development framework since 1952. Approvals for strategically significant precincts and projects will be streamlined, and the Bill also aims to unlock major clean energy and defence opportunities.

The State Development Bill 2025 aims to establish a modern and agile framework to attract investment, industry facilitation and regulation.

The Bill is a key response to discussions at the Trade and Economic Resilience roundtable convened by the Premier in May this year. It builds upon the government’s recent commitment to establish a WA Productivity Commission, as well as the nation-leading planning and environmental approvals reforms delivered during the last term of government.

The Bill aims to future-proof WA’s regulatory system, ensuring the state’s high standards of protection are maintained while streamlining complex and time-sensitive processes.

The Bill will allow the Premier to declare State Development Areas and Priority Projects, supported by the Coordinator General, who will be delegated statutory powers to coordinate across agencies and facilitate regulatory processes.

The Coordinator General will be provided with tools, including information notices, timeframe notices, due regard notices, joint decision notices and modification orders, all designed to ensure major strategic opportunities are delivered in an investment-friendly timeframe.

The new laws are designed to help WA secure major new economic diversification opportunities in support of the government’s Made in WA agenda, including:

• getting out of coal-fired power generation faster;
• supporting WA’s major trading partners to decarbonise, with critical minerals and clean downstream products, like green iron;
• becoming the largest naval shipbuilding and maintenance hub in the southern hemisphere.
   

“Becoming a global leader in investment attraction, industry facilitation and regulation is a key part of our strategy to keep WA the strongest economy in the nation,” said Premier Roger Cook. “Our system of State Agreements has served WA well, and developed resources projects over 70 years, but we need a modernised, more agile system if we are to secure investment in a more competitive, time-sensitive global investment environment.

“The State Development Bill will give us the powers necessary to secure investment in major clean energy and defence manufacturing projects, which have the ability to transform the WA economy in the years ahead.”

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