1. Purpose
Established by the Western Australian Premier, and reporting to the Public Sector Reform CEO Steering Committee, the Streamline WA Steering Committee provides a public-private peak collaborative forum for modernising and streamlining regulation, regulatory practices and timeframes.
The Streamline WA Steering Committee also fosters, supports and oversees strategic partnerships across the public sector, the community and business to promote regulatory reform practices that reduce barriers and costs of doing business in Western Australia while still supporting better regulation that protects the public interest.
2. Key Responsibilities
Oversee regulatory reform implementation
- Provide opportunity for business and the community representatives to contribute ideas and issues, and to work with government to co-design business regulation reforms.
- Drive cross-sector systemic and cultural reforms to regulatory practices, alignment with other government priorities and collaborative implementation of projects and allocation of resources.
- Establish appropriate working groups consisting of government, industry and community representatives to explore regulatory pain points and to enable co-design and collaboration in the identification, prioritisation and progression of regulatory reform projects.
- Recommend to JED major new reform proposals to be considered, including essential budget supplementation where relevant.
- Action recommendations referred to the Steering Committee from Cabinet and the Treasurer on related and pre-existing regulatory reform priorities.
- Refer approved reforms to lead public sector agencies to work collaboratively with industry, business and community to develop solutions and for implementation.
- Consider advice received from independent bodies including the Office of the Auditor General and the Economic Regulation Authority.
Monitor and report on progress
- Contribute towards informing JED about the current programs of regulatory reform in place across the public sector.
- Monitor and report progress to JED on the development and implementation of major new reforms.
- Inform the Public Sector Reform CEO Steering Committee on progress with Streamline WA and its alignment with the principles of the Public Sector Reform Program.
- Align with national regulatory reform initiatives where they impact on Western Australia and are in Western Australia’s interests.
- Contribute to the Treasurer’s Annual Economic Reform Statement to Parliament, via a portfolio Minister, on progress towards streamlining business regulation.
3. Chairperson
Meetings are co-chaired by the Director General Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS); and the Director General Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER).
In the event the relevant Director General is unavailable, the alternate Director General will Chair that meeting.
4. Membership
The membership of the Steering Committee comprises:
- the two co-Chairs;
- three members from across industry/business/community sectors.
Other persons may be appointed for a nominated period as approved by the co-Chairs.
In the event of a member being unable to attend meetings, the co-Chairs will consider, on individual merits, whether a proxy can attend on their behalf.
Current membership is listed in Appendix A.
5. Expectations of members
Members have an obligation to:
- act honestly and to exercise powers for their proper purposes;
- constructively contribute and provide an informed perspective on matters discussed;
- respect confidentiality requirements;
- manage conflicts of interest;
- act in good faith; and
- advise when an organisation perspective is being expressed.
6. Term of office
A government member is appointed to the Steering Committee for the term of their appointment to their agency position.
Members, other than government members, are appointed by the Treasurer. Subject to approval, these members are eligible for reappointment by the Treasurer for a further term. Participation in the Steering Committee is on a voluntary basis.
7. Observers and presenters
Observers nominated by a member may attend a meeting of the Steering Committee, subject to the approval of the co-Chair.
A person, either internal or external to the public sector, can make a presentation to a meeting of the Steering Committee, if invited or approved by the co-Chair of that meeting in advance of the meeting.
8. Decision making
Decisions of the Steering Committee are to be made by members by consensus with the co-Chairs each having member status.
Where consensus cannot be reached by the members, the co-Chairs, as the accountable authority, form the decision.
Observers and presenters do not have any decision making powers.
Proxies, if approved by the co-Chairs, will have the same decision-making powers as that of the member they represent.
9. Quorum
Meetings require a quorum of three members, including at least one of the co-Chairs.
10. Confidentiality
Members, observers and presenters must operate in a legislative and public policy environment for the benefit of the public sector, the community and business. All electronic and written information, and discussed matters and opinions, are considered confidential unless the co-Chairs expressly communicate their release external to the Steering Committee.
11. Meetings
Meetings are held quarterly with additional meetings called by the co-Chairs as necessary.
Late agenda items can be included for a meeting by approval of the meeting co-Chair.
Issues raised by members under Other Business at a meeting of the Steering Committee are considered for discussion if the co-Chair considers it appropriate and as time permits, otherwise the matter is deferred to the next meeting or
out-of-session.
The minutes of the meeting are recorded by the Secretariat, and provided to members for approval at subsequent meetings.
12. Secretariat support
DMIRS provides secretariat and governance support to both co-Chairs and the Steering Committee, comprising the following duties:
- Confirm and advise members of meeting dates, including a future meeting plan.
- Call for agenda items, using an agreed format, with supporting papers due at least one week in advance.
- Prepare and distribute the agenda and supporting papers for each meeting at least three working days prior to the meeting.
- Record the meeting outcomes and distribute minutes to members, with an updated action plan and timeframes for delivery.
- Coordinate and facilitate completion of actions to ensure the maximum effectiveness of subsequent meetings.
- Maintain communication networks with secretariats of JED, the Public Sector Reform CEO Steering Committee, project teams and, where relevant, sector lead agencies to ensure the timely flow of actions across Streamline WA.
- Manage, in conjunction with the Department of Treasury, the membership of the Steering Committee, including new and reappointments.
DMIRS and DWER provide policy advice, and development of papers in support of agenda items as determined by the co-Chair and the issues arising from the agenda.
The Secretariat to the Steering Committee will be provided by DMIRS, irrespective of whether DMIRS or DWER is Co-chair.
13. Review
The Steering Committee has the opportunity to review the Terms of Reference on an annual basis to provide optimal effectiveness.