False

Committee's report

The committee tabled the final report of its inquiry on 12 March 2013.
The report is available for download from the following link: Report No. 18 - Mining and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2012

View: Government Response to the committee's report on the Mining and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2012, tabled by Hon Andrew Cripps MP, Minister for Natural Resources and Mines.

about The Bill

On 28 November 2012, Hon Andrew Cripps MP, Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, introduced the Mining and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2012. 
The Bill was referred to the Agriculture, Resources and Environment Committee in accordance with Standing Order 131. The committee will now examine the policies the Bill seeks to give effect to, the Bill’s lawfulness, and the application of fundamental legislative principles, as set out in section 4 of the Legislative Standards Act 1992.

 The Bill amends the following Acts administered by the Minister for Natural Resources and Mines:

• Mineral Resources Act 1989
• Fossicking Act 1994
• Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004
• Petroleum Act 1923
• Geothermal Energy Act 2010
• Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2009, and 
• Mines Legislation (Streamlining) Amendment Act 2012.

The Bill also amends the:

• Environmental Protection Act 1994
• Environmental Protection (Greentape Reduction) and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2012, and
• Wild Rivers Act 2005.

The primary objectives of the Bill are to:

• Amend the Mineral Resources Act 1989; Mines Legislation (Streamlining) Amendment Act 2012; Environmental Protection Act 1994 and the Environmental Protection (Greentape Reduction) and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2012 to reduce red and green tape for small scale miners of opal and gemstones
• Amend the Fossicking Act 1994 to remove unnecessary regulatory burden on fossickers, and
• Amend the Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004 to allow co-location of infrastructure on pipeline licences that will reduce the impact from, and support, petroleum and gas projects.
• Amend the Mineral Resources Act 1989; Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) 
  Act 2004; Petroleum Act 1923; Geothermal Energy Act 2010; and Greenhouse Gas 
  Storage Act 2009 to remove potential ambiguity in relation to the definition of 
  occupier.
• Make minor amendments to the Mines Legislation (Streamlining) Amendment Act 
  2012 to ensure a consistent approach to prohibited post-grant business transactions 
  and changes of ownership (“dealings”) provisions across all resources legislation.
• Amend the Mineral Resources Act 1989 to achieve consistency with other resources 
  legislation to standardise statutory roles.
• Amend the Mineral Resources Act 1989 for future management of the Aurukun 
  bauxite resource project, by clarifying the process for cancelling a mineral 
  development licence or mining lease for the Aurukun bauxite resource project, and 
  entering into an Aurukun agreement with one or more proponents selected by the 
  State.
• Amend the Mineral Resources Act 1989 and the Petroleum and Gas (Production and 
  Safety) Act 2004 to improve the regime of competitive tendering in the Petroleum and 
  Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004, and to introduce a tendering process for 
  exploration permits for coal and a cash bidding component for highly prospective 
  areas into the Mineral Resources Act 1989.

The Bill, Explanatory Notes and Explanatory Speech are available here:

• Mining and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2012
• Explanatory Notes to the Bill
• The Minister's explanatory speech
• Ministerial Statement - Error in Introductory Speech

Submissions

The committee invited written submissions on the Bill. The submission closing date was 21 January 2013.

Timeline

* Sitting day