Peak WA transport body, the Western Roads Federation (WRF), has added its voice to a growing cohort of business groups concerned about the impacts of the proposed Nature Positive laws.
Labor says it’s working to fix Australia’s environmental laws “so they better protect the environment while supporting sensible development”.
But in a recent media release to industry, WRF CEO Cam Dumesny, said the new laws place at risk nearly $112 billion of new projects in Western Australia alone, $66 billion in Queensland and $20 billion in the Northern Territory.
“The transport and logistics industry in Western Australia is highly dependent on new projects both to support them during construction and to sustain the projects once in operation,” Dumesny said.
“It will also negatively impact east coast businesses and transport companies that also support these projects.”
Dumesny contends that the new laws were prepared with no consultation or transparency and no consideration of all the impacts of the changes.
He said a short-lived proposal for a 40km/h dusk-to-dawn speed limit on some parts of regional highways across Australia highlights why industry should be concerned.
“Following a media leak the federal minister scurried to say the speed limit would not be included.
“But that should not be taken as a rock-solid guarantee, as minor parties appear committed to the proposal and based on current polling it’s highly likely in a few months we could have a Labour/Greens coalition government. And that inevitably will mean the speed limit will be back on the table.”
Dumesny said that to get the proposed new laws passed the government will need to negotiate with the Senate crossbench.
“Many on the Senate crossbench don’t believe the laws go far enough and want a climate trigger placed in the new Act, requiring every project approval to take into account climate change.
“That could pose a real threat to projects with a road freight benefit.
“The concern is based on the new laws if passed being administered and executed by a reported 4000 to 5000 new Canberra bureaucrats, many of whom will be culturally and economically disconnected from the lived reality of most Australians and our industry who supports them.”
Dumesny said it is obvious that the federal government and the Senate crossbench supporting the new laws are very nervous about industry backlash, as evidenced by the fact only one public hearing on the new laws was held, last week in Canberra.
“If they were truly confident that the new laws were beneficial, they would be travelling around Australia for public hearings. Clearly, they know that these laws will be nature positive but economically destructive.
“The prime minister must intervene. We need a pragmatic approach that balances the competing needs of environmental protection and economic growth.”