May 24, 2016
Green groups barred from lodging objections to most mining projects have had a win, with the State Government restoring rights removed by the previous LNP government.
Mine Minister Dr Anthony Lynham told Parliament on Tuesday that the “Mineral and Other Legislation Amendment Bill” fulfiled commitments to restore community objection rights to proposed mining projects, as well as protecting key agricultural infrastructure.
“As per our commitments, we have re-established the right for anyone to object to a proposed mining project on broad grounds,” he said.
“Landholders will also have the right to say ‘no’ to resource activities beside their key infrastructure.”
The legislation reinstates rights to object which were removed by the previous State Government.
In 2014, the LNP Government passed legislation stopping third parties from objecting to proposed mines.
“Too often we see alarmist green groups submit deliberately distorted and misrepresented objections to proposals in an attempt to shut down the resources sector and the tens of thousands of jobs it supports,” then-Mines Minister Andrew Cripps said at the time.
“These types of objections stall the application process, hinder economic development and deny Queenslanders potentially billions of dollars of royalties that could be put back into building hospitals, schools and road infrastructure.”
Under the LNP legislation, only landholders directly affected by resources activities, and neighbours who shared a common boundary, had the right to object to most mining proposals. The broader public retained a right to have a say with large-scale mines.
Under the legislation passed on Tuesday, landholders will retain:
- A minimum 50 metre protection zone around key agricultural infrastructure such as principal stockyards, bores and artesian wells, dams and artificial water storages connected to a water supply
- The right to prevent any mining lease being granted over restricted land without the consent of the owner
- The security of knowing Ministers cannot extinguish restricted status for their land
Community members will have the right to have a say on mining lease and environmental authority applications for mining projects.
Any proposed mining projects would also need to be advertised in newspapers.
Dr Lynham said the resource sector would benefit from the Queensland Land Court having a new power to strike out any frivolous or vexatious objections.
The changes will take effect on September 27.
They follow the State Government’s move in July last year to restore community objection rights around large-scale mining projects assessed through the Coordinator-General.
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