Tasmanian Major Projects Approval Agency

Overview of our services

The TMPAA offers three levels of service designed to provide proponents with support that is tailored to the status of their project. All services are free-of-charge, with no obligation on your part and are managed under strict commercial-in-confidence requirements.

LEVEL 1 - Estimated Obligations

If proponents are unsure of their regulatory obligations or would like confirmation on what they understand them to be, the TMPAA can provide a high level assessment of the likely regulatory obligations in the form of a flow chart and accompanying documentation.  This can be provided in a short period of time and requires only basic organizational and project information.

There is no obligation to access Level 2 services.  However, if more detailed information is needed to assist decision making then the TMPAA Level 2 service is available.

LEVEL 2 -·Mapped Obligations

At this level the TMPAA works with projects to prepare a detailed approvals map of their regulatory obligations covering all levels of government – Commonwealth, State and Local.  This Regulatory Approvals Map (RAM) is designed to assist in the successful project management of a development.  More detailed information on the activities undertaken in the development is needed to construct the RAM.

LEVEL 3 -·Agreed Obligations

This level involves the TMPAA working closely with your organisation and all relevant government regulators to reconfirm that all aspects of your regulatory requirements have been identified.  This includes facilitating agreement between the project proponent and regulators about the most efficient and effective approvals pathway.  These activities would typically be conducted when a project has a definite project plan and time schedule.

GENERAL ADVICE

The Agency is also to provide general regulatory advice to proponents and other interested parties on an ad hoc basis.  

Industry developments and investments

The TMPAA has engaged with 49 project proponents across a wide range of industries including ecotourism, energy and resources, agriculture, and infrastructure.  Tourism, resources and agriculture projects have constituted the majority of projects that the TMPAA has engaged with.  Projects have been as varied as a proposal to create an artificial reef using the Australian Navy ship Tobruk when it is decommissioned to constructing a cable car on Mount Wellington.

Current legislation

Examples of Commonwealth legislation that the TMPAA can map in a RAM include:

Benefits to industry and community

The TMPAA benefits both industry and the community by ensuring that all requirements for a development are identified and communicated to the developer.  The TMPAA works to ensure that information and opportunity costs for a project are kept to a minimum.  The services provided by the TMPAA contribute to the business case for locating a major project in Tasmania.

The TMPAA also performs an important policy role by identifying regulatory duplication and requirements that fail the ‘common sense test’.  It communicates this information back into government both directly to the relevant regulators and to the Joint Commonwealth and Tasmanian Economic Council.  The TMPAA has a small Advisory Board and the Chair of that Advisory Board is also a member of the Council.

The TMPAA is an example of successful collaboration between all levels of government to foster a healthy business environment in Tasmania.