Ontario and Canada have signed a “one project, one review” agreement to coordinate federal and provincial environmental and impact assessments, targeting long-delayed mining and infrastructure schemes in the Ring of Fire and other critical mineral districts. The deal dovetails with Ontario’s One Project, One Process (1P1P) framework, which aims to cut mine approval timelines from up to 15 years to a maximum of two years, with Frontier Lithium’s PAK project the first pilot. For geotechnical and mining teams, the move signals materially shorter permitting horizons for cobalt, lithium, nickel and copper projects backed by a C$500 million processing fund.

The Planning and Infrastructure Act has received Royal Assent, bringing into force a wide package of reforms aimed at accelerating housing delivery and major infrastructure consenting across the UK. Measures include streamlining Development Consent Order processes for nationally significant projects and tightening statutory timescales for planning decisions, with the intention of reducing multi‑year delays on large transport, energy and water schemes. For engineers, the changes signal pressure to front‑load design, environmental assessment and geotechnical risk work to meet shorter pre‑construction and examination windows.

Quarry operators warn that proposed revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework published on 16 December strip out references to maintaining a “steady and adequate supply” of aggregates and no longer describe mineral supply as “essential”. The Mineral Products Association says this weakens long‑standing minerals policy just as permitted aggregate reserves are already in long‑term decline despite historically low sales. Executive director Mark Russell argues the NPPF should include a clear national statement of need for construction aggregates, industrial sands and building stone, with consultation running until March 2026.