APPEA – the peak body representing the nation’s upstream oil and gas industry – said it welcomed the establishment of PACU - a result of recommendations from the Keating Review into the Project Development Approvals System.

“However, as far as APPEA is concerned, the jury is still out on WA’s approvals process system because it will be quite some time before our members can be aware of the actual benefits expected from the new Unit,” APPEA’s Director for WA and the NT, Don Sanders, said today.

“APPEA and its members sincerely hope that the extra staff being deployed will have the necessary skills and experience to deliver the promise of a more efficient system with reduced approvals times,” Mr Sanders said.

“Unless the staff charged with moving approvals smoothly through the system is up to the job, unreasonable and expensive delays will continue to be experienced by project proponents.

“The last thing our industry needs is an enormous leap back into the same current outdated system.”

Sanders said PACU was certainly a good start to the desperately needed process of simplifying and streamlining the project approvals process in WA.

“But, it must be remembered that since April 2002 – when Dr Keating provided 56 recommendations for change in his Review of the Project Development Approvals System – industry has not seen any evidence of improvements to an unwieldy and outmoded process,” he said.

“The announcement of the formation of PACU, and its role in overseeing the project scoping phase, is the first real evidence that improvements may be on the way.”