Reducing Green Tape for Business Project – Baseline Compliance Cost Estimates

The Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) has engaged Synergies Economic Consulting (Synergies) to assemble and report accurate and defensible information that can be used to inform the development of regulatory improvement options under the Queensland Government´s Reducing Green Tape for Business project. In particular, Synergies is to construct ´baseline´ estimates of the current regulatory burden imposed by environmental regulations.

Scope of review
The Reducing Green Tape for Business project will investigate the costs and impacts to industry arising from the following pieces of legislation:

• Environmental Protection Act 1994
  • Development approvals
  • Environmental authorities
  • Development permits for sites on environmental management register
    
• Environmental Protection (Waste Management) Regulation 2000
  • Waste tracking system for regulated waste
    
• Clean Energy Act 2008
  • Energy audits and energy savings plans
    
• Water Act 2000
  • Water Efficiency Management Plans
    
• State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971
  • Process under Coordinator-General for state-significant projects
    
• Environmental Protection Regulation 2008
  • Reporting requirements under the National Pollutant Inventory

This review is limited to the above State legislation therefore any regulatory/legislative requirements not covered in the list above are not within the scope of this review.

The following industry sectors have been identified as those subject to the above regulatory requirements:

• food and beverage manufacturing
  • food product manufacturing
  • beverage manufacturing
    
• non-food processing and fabrication manufacturing
  • pulp, paper and paperboard manufacturing
  • petroleum and  coal product manufacturing
  • basic chemical and chemical product manufacturing
  • polymer and rubber product
  • non-metallic mineral product manufacturing
  • primary metal and metal product manufacturing
  • fabricated metal product manufacturing
    
• mining
  • coal mining
  • metal ore mining
  • other non-metal mineral mining and quarrying
  • exploration and other mining services
    
• oil and gas extraction
  
• extractive industries
  • quarrying , extraction, screening and dredging
    
• agriculture
  • beef cattle feedlots
  • onshore aquaculture
  • intensive pig farming
    
• timber
  • sawmilling and timber processing
    
• waste
  • waste collection, treatment, recycling, recovery and disposal services
    
• tourism/services
  • private sewerage treatment plants

Through meetings with industry representatives and the distribution of a survey on business compliance costs to industry representatives, Synergies will construct ‘baseline’ estimates of the regulatory burden imposed by the above environmental regulations. The focus of the survey is on business compliance costs. Costs within Government and the broader community are out of the scope of this review.

Also, case studies will be prepared for each identified industry. The case studies will provide more detailed and descriptive information on the impact of the regulation on a business.

Synergies will also prepare a report for DERM which provides general conclusions on the existing regulatory burden and identify any potential improvements to reduce the regulatory burden for industry.

Synergies is expected to deliver its report and case studies to DERM by the end of July 2010.

If you require more information please contact the one of the following DERM representatives.

Lawrie Wade
Manager, Environment Regulation Unit
Department of Environment and Resource Management
Ph:  (07) 3330 5728
lawrie.wade@derm.qld.gov.au

Fiona Norrie
Principal Policy Officer, Environment Regulation Unit
Department of Environment and Resource Management
Ph: (07) 3330 5900
fiona.norrie@derm.qld.gov.au