The South Australian Government has a long-standing “one window to Government” regulatory approach for the energy and resources sectors. For industry, the one-window model provides a clear and coordinated regulatory pathway, reducing duplication and the risk of inconsistent requirements. For the community, it ensures strong oversight, transparent environmental objectives and informed decision-making across government.

Under this model, the licensing agency - such as the Department for Energy and Mining (DEM) - coordinates project approvals across government while respecting the authority of other regulators and legislation.

Agency requirements are consolidated through the Statement of Environmental Objectives (SEO), a project-specific document that identifies the legislative obligations that must be met. Relevant government agencies contribute to the development of the SEO to ensure their regulatory requirements are clearly reflected, while existing legislative responsibilities remain unchanged.

This approach helps ensure regulatory decisions are informed by appropriate technical expertise. The lead regulator works closely with other agencies to interpret risks accurately and ensure approval conditions are proportionate, practical and evidence based. While proponents must still obtain licences from relevant agencies, the lead regulator supports those agencies by advising on technically appropriate conditions.

By aligning agencies around shared objectives and a common understanding of risk, the model supports effective environmental management while maintaining regulatory certainty for project proponents. The effectiveness of this approach has been recognised in major reviews of resources regulation, including the 2009 and 2020 Productivity Commission reports on regulatory burden and resources sector regulation.