The head of a construction services company about to start works on a $15 million dollar development on the outskirts of Perth says businesses are being hamstrung and the economy is missing out, due to the arduous approvals process.
Civil works are due to begin on Instant Products Group newest site in Chittering, in Perth’s far north-east, after spending more than seven years securing relevant approvals.
Company founder and Managing Director, Scott Rawson, says the 200-acre site is in the perfect location, situated on industrial-zoned land and along the North Link corridor, and yet the approvals process was lengthy, frustrating and cost his company hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“We are a local company looking to expand and create jobs and opportunities for the local area and the state more broadly, but the process is set up in such a way that it’s difficult for businesses to develop and grow.”
“From submitting the planning approval first to local government, to then having to seek environmental approvals on a state and federal level and all of the various steps in between, none of the layers involved seem to communicate with each other, and it’s up to businesses to try and navigate what is a clunky, broken system.”
The site will house the company’s portable solutions operations, including the manufacture of transportable offices, ablutions and custom designs.
Mr Rawson expects to employ at least 70 staff at the site when fully operational.
“That’s a significant number of potential local jobs. Not to mention all the jobs created throughout the construction process.”
“Yes, our company stands to benefit, but the ripple effect is much broader. We’re providing local jobs to an area that is rapidly expanding and investing money back into the domestic economy.”
Mr Rawson says it’s not his first experience trying to secure developmental approval, with the company recently opening new facilities in Wangara.
“Securing the relevant approvals for that site took so long that by the time we were finally operational, we’d already outgrown it.”
“In fact, we could see how long the process was taking, so we started seeking approval for the bigger site before Wangara was even finalised, as we knew it was going to take literally years.”
The State Government last month passed new environmental approvals reforms through Parliament, in a bid to speed up the approvals process.
Mr Rawson says while it’s welcome, more can be done;
- Address Inefficiencies: By having to submit various paperwork across three layers of Government, approvals are double handled and the same information re-submitted numerous times. Mr Rawson says improved communication between the various levels of Government would assist in speeding up the process.
- Improved Resources for Councils: As Perth continues to grow, smaller councils on the outskirts are dealing with more complex developmental submissions, more often. Councils should be better supported to ensure they have the skills and resources to address such submissions in a timely manner.
- Rules and Regulations: Mr Rawson says he’s not against regulation, but rather he’s against the idea of regulation for the sake of it. “The goal posts keep shifting. Securing various approvals takes so long, that by the time you’ve gone through one hoop, new rules and regulations have been created which you then have to meet.”
Mr Rawson says the attitude in Australia differs greatly from that in the United States, for example, where he also has business interests.
“In the US the attitude from Government is ‘how can we help you develop, grow and contribute to our economy?’ Yet here in Australia businesses are dealing with constant pushbacks and being told no, rather than ‘hang on, this might be an opportunity for positive development’.”
Despite the arduous process, Mr Rawson says he was determined to see the project through.
“I could have given up years ago, but I truly believed this project was right for our company and would provide benefits to the local community and WA economy.”
