Aquaculture Regulatory Mapping and Reform
Terms of Reference
21 June 2016
Overview
The Aquaculture Regulatory Mapping and Reform project aims to reduce the regulatory burden and
barriers to investment in aquaculture in Western Australia. The project will map regulatory
requirements governing the establishment and operation of aquaculture enterprises, identify the
main ‘pain points’ and roadblocks, and provide practical recommendations to reduce these barriers
and improve regulatory outcomes.
Identified as a priority area within the Government’s Plan for Reinvigorating Regulatory Reform, the
project will be led by the Department of Finance in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries
and other agencies responsible for regulating aquaculture in Western Australia, industry groups, and
community organisations.
Background
Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing primary sectors in Australia and globally, and is expected
to continue to expand substantially into the future, most notably in Asia. The Liberal-National
Government of Western Australia, through the Department of Fisheries, has recently issued a
Statement of Commitment (Statement) that acknowledges the prominence of aquaculture as a
strategically important sector and seeks to improve the efficiency and transparency of regulatory
processes to support industry development.
Specific objectives of the Statement include:
•
Managing environmental concerns through enterprise-level Management and Environmental
Monitoring Plans (MEMP).
•
Managing designated aquaculture zones within an integrated management framework.
•
Increasing regulatory efficiency by integrating licencing, environmental and biosecurity
frameworks.
•
Increasing opportunities for self-regulation through recognised Codes of Practice.
•
Providing greater licencing certainty through longer terms and the alignment of lease terms and
conditions.
Department of Finance | Economic Reform
1
Aquaculture Regulatory Mapping and Reform
Outputs
The primary outputs of this project will include:
•
Identification of regulatory requirements governing aquaculture in Western Australia, including
any interactions between Commonwealth, state and local regulations.
•
Mapping of the regulations and processes required to establish and operate an aquaculture
enterprise.
•
Specific identification of unnecessarily burdensome, inefficient or redundant regulations that
may be targeted for review or repeal.
•
Identifying practical and achievable recommendations in consultation with relevant agencies
that will reduce the burden of regulation and promote the development of aquaculture in
Western Australia.
Scope
The project will cover marine and inland aquaculture and focus on achieving immediate regulatory
and process improvements, while also including recommendations for relevant legislative
amendments that may be addressed over a longer period of time.
Issues to be explored include:
•
Examining the identification and approvals process required to establish and expand designated
Aquaculture Development Zones, and how this process may impede enterprise and industry
expansion.
•
Reviewing and mapping licence and lease applications and approvals processes within marinebased aquaculture development zones, outside marine aquaculture development zones, and
inland operations.
•
Reviewing the management and environmental monitoring plan (MEMP) process for applicants
within aquaculture development zones, in particular where consistent information deficiencies
are found to impede the progress of applications.
•
Removing duplicate licence and transport requirements for marron farming.
•
Examining whether graduated licencing and lease conditions may encourage innovation
through small scale and experimental operations.
•
Examining the concurrency of licence and lease conditions, particularly in locations governed by
multiple agencies such as port authorities and Fisheries.
Additional issues and focus points identified during consultations will also be addressed. The review
will also consider issues and findings emerging from the Productivity Commission inquiry into Marine
Fisheries and Aquaculture, and other relevant reports. However it is stressed that this is not a major
legislative review, with a new Aquatic Resources Management Act currently before Parliament.
Department of Finance | Economic Reform
2
Aquaculture Regulatory Mapping and Reform
Collaboration
The project will be conducted as a collaborative engagement with government agencies responsible
for oversight and administration of the aquaculture sector, industry bodies, regional development
commissions, and individual producers.
Led by the Department of Finance in close collaboration with the Department of Fisheries, other
agencies and industry bodies will include:
Government
•
Department of Agriculture and Food
•
Department of Water
•
Department of Transport
•
Department of Environmental Regulation
•
Environment Protection Agency
•
Department of Parks and Wildlife
•
Department for Regional Development
Industry
•
Aquaculture Council of Western Australia
•
Abalone Growers Association
•
Marron Growers Association
•
Pearling Producers Australia
•
Marine Fish Farmers Association
Proposed timeline
The project will formally commence as a 90-day project on 1 July 2016, with key milestones as
proposed:
Milestone
Date
Project launch
1 July 2016
Consultations and workshops
Throughout July
Internal draft report completed
Mid-August
Stakeholder comment and review period
Late August – early September
Advice to Minister
30 September 2016
Department of Finance | Economic Reform
3
Aquaculture Regulatory Mapping and Reform
Contact
Jeremy Cross
Assistant Director – Regulatory Mapping and Reform
Department of Finance
Level 1, Albert Facey House, 469 Wellington Street, Perth WA 6000
[email protected] | 08 6551 4712 | www.finance.wa.gov.au
Department of Finance | Economic Reform
4