Environment Protection Authority

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (15:11): My question is to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation. Will the minister inform the chamber about how the Environment Protection Authority is working with industry and other regulators to improve environmental outcomes and how this will benefit small and medium businesses?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (15:12): I thank the honourable member for his very important question. The Environment Protection Authority does a fantastic job, I think most of us would agree, protecting, restoring and improving the environment by regulating pollution, waste, noise and radiation.

The EPA understands that achieving good environmental management is fundamental to our way of life in South Australia. We know that modern and well-implemented regulations can stimulate the economy and result in broader community prosperity. This is why the EPA works closely with industry and the community and other government agencies to ensure that it gets the right balance of protecting the environment and also supporting sustainability, growth and prosperity for our state.

The EPA licenses more than 2,200 businesses, I am advised, in our state. In May 2015, the EPA, in partnership with Business SA and the Australian Industry Group, launched a landmark statement of agreement in recognition that good environmental regulation leads to better long-term economic prosperity. This agreement underpins the EPA's commitment to working with business and industry to encourage growth while maintaining high regulatory standards.

In particular, and in recognition of the importance of the sector to the South Australian economy, the EPA has made a commitment to working closely with small to medium businesses to streamline regulation and enable and reward good environmental practice. An example of this was the highly successful Change@SouthAustralia 90-Day Project that began in 2013. It involved the EPA, Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA) and the Australian Southern Bluefin Tuna Industry Association.

The South Australian aquaculture industry is one of the largest primary production sectors in this state, with a production value, I am advised, of $243 million in 2012-13. The tuna industry accounts for over half the state's gross value aquaculture production as well as being a significant export industry for the state. In 2013, the tuna industry raised concerns about government processes being out of line with farming cycles, as well as duplication of processes within agencies and unclear accountability for decision-making. The aim of the project then was to change the processes so that they were better and they better complemented the annual fishing and farming cycle.

Some of the outcomes of the project include: streamlining the licensing system, reducing duplication of legislative processes, improving information sharing among agencies to minimise delay and maximise a benefit to our customers, significantly refining referral processes between PIRSA and the EPA, and also streamlining chemical usage protocols. These recommendations have been implemented, I am advised, with the changes in respect to licence and chemical use application processes implemented in preparation for the 2014-15 tuna season.

The benefits to the tuna industry have been quite significant. They include: removing unnecessary or inefficient regulatory requirements leading to improved relationships between the state government and the seafood sector, and a more effective and efficient use of chemicals in the aquaculture sector. The industry estimates that the new arrangements could save it up to $700,000 a year by cutting the time it takes to apply for a tuna licence by half and reducing costs by 20 per cent.

Such great results have been achieved because all parties were committed and willing to cooperate, and because the industry was closely involved in all aspects of the project, including being a part of the project team. I would like to commend everyone involved for their contribution in ensuring the project's success. This project and the lessons learned will have a flow-on effect for other industries and small to medium businesses, I hope. The EPA will continue to identify ways to improve its regulatory and licensing processes, to ensure that the environment is protected in the most effective way, and to encourage innovative solutions and promote broader prosperity outcomes.

To this end, the theme of the EPA's 2016 summit on Wednesday 27 April will be 'Better environmental regulation generating jobs of the future'. This will put a spotlight on how the EPA can better support SME innovation, growth and job creation through relevant and best-practice regulation.