According to the not-for-profit group, which is tasked with making Australian industry competitive on a domestic and international scale, environmental approvals processes are currently bedevilled by delays and duplication.

“The excessive bureaucracy and the blockages around development approvals act as a break on growth and a break on business opportunities,” an Ai group statement said.

“Removing the overlap between the Commonwealth and the states and territories would be a major step forward.

“We also welcome and support the efforts the opposition will take to extend the one-stop-shop proposal to include local government. This would remove another layer of cost and complexity,” it said.

This article first appeared in ILN's sister publication ConstructionIndustryNews.net.