PERTH, Wednesday, 3 December 2025 — Greenpeace Australia Pacific has slammed the WA State Government’s State Development Bill’ as a ‘complete shemozzle’, and urged Parliament to fix critical flaws in the bill before it is passed.
The Cook Government’s ‘State Development Bill’, which was hoped could accelerate responsible renewable energy development in WA, has been drafted so broadly that it risks approving destructive fossil fuel projects without proper scrutiny.
David Ritter, CEO at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: “Quite frankly, they’ve stuffed this one up. The botched drafting of this Bill is like doing surgery with a sledgehammer instead of a scalpel. Prioritising clean energy projects through due process approvals is one thing, but this perverse shemozzle could allow polluting projects to cut corners on important, independent processes that are there to protect communities and nature.
“The Government has framed this legislation as critical to assist with a faster build out of renewable energy in WA. Now we can see that the loose drafting of this bill actually risks fast-tracking fossil fuel projects.
“Less than a week ago, we saw how different parties can work together to secure strong legislation that protects nature while paving the way for responsible development, when Labor and the Greens collaborated to pass nature law reforms through Federal Parliament.
“The WA Parliament needs to heed the example set by its Federal counterparts, and prioritise legislation that actually achieves the energy transformation needed in WA while also safeguarding WA's ecosystems and communities.
“As it stands, this Bill is not fit for purpose and should not pass in its current form. Amendments must be made to ensure it has appropriate constraints. WA’s policymakers need to refer this Bill to a Committee for review, undertake broad consultation and make sensible amendments that ensure the integrity of independent assessments and avoid misuse in the future.”
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