The WA state government has committed to modernising the safety legislation covering mining, petroleum and major hazard facilities (MHFs) in Western Australia.
With legislation for all three areas undergoing reform, there is an opportunity to review the legislative structure and consider consolidation of the current Acts and regulations.
Department of Mines and Petroleum resources safety executive director Simon Ridge said the department was seeking stakeholder input into the process.
“There are five options regarding how we can structure the safety aspects of mining, petroleum and MHF legislation,” Ridge said.
“These options range from consolidating all resources safety elements into one unified act, partially consolidating the current safety acts or leaving the acts as they are.”
Legislated safety obligations for industries in the resources sector are currently contained within six different parliamentary acts and associated regulations.
Mr Ridge said the initial focus of the consultation was only on the structure of the Acts.
“This is one of the first steps as we look to reform safety legislation in WA’s resources industry,” he said.
“Once this has been finalised, we will then consult separately on proposed changes to the content of the legislation.”
The department has engaged Marsden Jacob Associates to conduct the independent consultation process.
The consultation paper and further information about how you can contribute to the process are available on the Marsden Jacobs website.
Submissions must be directed to Marsden Jacob Associates by 5pm WST on Friday, 19 December 2014.