A key hallmark of a new Country Liberal Party Government will be getting out of the way of Territorians wanting to have a go, by easing the regulatory burden on business and industry allowing them to get on with creating and selling their products and services, and in the process have them invest and generate new jobs and economic activity.
In the CLP, we know that unless you embrace business, entrepreneurship and encourage risk taking for businesses you will never realise the potential economic and job creation rewards.
Under the Labor Government, regulatory approvals are proving costly and time consuming, leading many Territory businesses to not proceed with or even cancel investment and spending in potential projects and business developments, costing jobs. Our processing timeframes and red tape are also a major deterrent on interstate and international business and industry working in the Territory.
If elected, a CLP Government will create a can-do Approvals Fast-Track Taskforce whose focus will be reducing approval timeframes and streamlining processes across government.
Whether it’s supplying industrial building materials, serving coffee or looking to invest millions of dollars, all local businesses have to deal with government approvals processes at some point, and for some repeatedly.
The CLP doesn’t believe businesses and industry should wait longer than necessary for government to provide approvals. Approval applications shouldn’t be held up on desks inside government while businesses are ready to go. Under a CLP Government they won’t be.
To help speed up approvals and ease the regulatory burden on business, a CLP Government will:
Create an Approvals Fast-Track Taskforce (AFT) to sit within the Department of Chief Minister that will focus on halving approval wait times across government, streamlining process and perform a range of specific functions, which will include:
- Within six months of a CLP Government, develop a detailed list of legislative and regulatory repeals and amendments that will streamline approvals processes across all NTG departments and agencies and have it presented to Cabinet for consideration.
- Perform regular spot checks of application waitlists to identify approvals impediments within various government processes.Work within government agencies to streamline processes, forms and decision making.
- Require CEOs to implement recommendations approved by Cabinet.
- Remove duplication of processes between departments.
- Report directly to the Chief Minister on impediment issues every quarter.
The team will be made up of technical and legal experts sourced from across government and will work collaboratively with an external volunteer advisory board of business and industry – the Approvals Fast-Track Taskforce Advisory Board (AFTAB).
The CEO of the Department of Chief Minister will be responsible for reporting to Cabinet and the taskforce will be built on the momentum of the Government’s response to COVID-19.
A new CLP Government will form the AFT and call for board nominations immediately after Government is formed.