Queensland landholders affected by resources activities and their direct neighbours will retain the right to object to low-impact mining proposals under legislation passed through Queensland Parliament this week. Mines Minister Andrew Cripps said the Mineral and Energy Resources (Common Provisions) Act 2014 included amendments to the notification and objection process for mining lease applications and environmental authorities. Landholders whose properties share a boundary with a site directly affected by a proposed resource project will have the same notification and objection rights as those who own or lease the site of the proposal. “The Queensland Government is implementing a more streamlined, efficient mining lease notification and objection process to reduce red tape and provide greater certainty to both landholders and resources companies,” Cripps said. “We have listened to the concerns of landholders and have amended the Bill to ensure adjoining landholders are notified of an application for a mining lease and will continue to have a right to object to that application.
“The amendments ensure that a mining project is subject to objection and notification processes that take into account the size, risk and impact of the proposed operation. The additional notification requirements strike the right balance between resources sector growth, landholder rights and environmental protection.”
The legislation also amends the requirement for public notification of environmental authority (EA) applications for mining leases.
Cripps said the Queensland Government had reduced red tape for the resources sector by ensuring low-impact mines, which meet certain eligibility criteria, will no longer be subject to notification requirements or potential objections to an EA. “Too often we see alarmist green groups submit deliberately distorted and misrepresented objections to proposals in attempt to shut down the resources sector and the tens of thousands of jobs it supports,” Cripps said.
“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.
“Our common sense approach means smaller mining operations, which make up the majority of all mining leases in Queensland and have little impact on landholders or the environment, do not have to follow the same process as large-scale projects.
“With large scale mines all notification rights are preserved and the broader public will retain their right to have their say.” Cripps said objection rights were also preserved for any person who has made a submission on a site-specific application for an EA, either through the notification process for that EA or an associated Environmental Impact Statement process.
“Environmental authorities for mines with potential impacts on the wider community and the environment will always be publicly notified, so anyone, including landholders, councils and the community, can lodge a submission for that proposal,” he said.
The Act also includes amendments to clearly identify the Land Court’s jurisdiction to ensure any issues considered by the Court relate to impacts of the proposed mine on those more directly impacted by the proposed mining lease application.
