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About the Bill

On 10 October 2017, the Hon Dr Anthony Lynham MP, Minister for State Development and Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, introduced the Land, Explosives and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2017.

The Bill was referred to the infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources Committee for consideration.

In accordance with Standing Order 131 of the Standing Rules and Orders of the Legislative Assembly, the Bill was referred to the Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources Committee (the committee) for detailed consideration. The committee was required to report by 23 November 2017.

The policy objective of the Bill is to streamline and ensure the effectiveness of key regulatory frameworks within the Natural Resources and Mines portfolio, enhance worker and community safety and security in the explosives and gas sectors, and support the protection and cooperative management of cultural and natural values of Cape York Peninsula.

The Bill will:

• amend the Aboriginal Land Act 1991, and Torres Strait Islander Act 1991, to:
  • provide the option of granting land to a Registered Native Title Body Corporate (RNTBC) outside of their determined native title area;
  • allow the setting by agreement of sale prices for social housing on Indigenous land;
• protect the cultural and natural values of the Shelburne and Bromley properties on Cape York Peninsula;
• improve security, safety and transportation requirements under the Explosives Act 1999;
• amend the definitions of who meets the criteria for notifying the State under the Foreign Ownership of Land Register Act 1988, so that those definitions are consistent with other state legislation (i.e. the Duties Act 2001);
• provide for contemporary compliance powers in the Land Act 1994;
• further enhance rolling term lease provisions on regulated islands by enabling marine term leases to become rolling term leases where they are tied by covenant to, and provide infrastructure which supports a rolling term, or perpetual, tourism lease;
• enable the State to rapidly deal with dangerous structures on state land that pose a risk to public safety, and to address poorly maintained, unsafe and inappropriate buildings and structures on lease or permit to occupy state land. The amendments also enable the State to recover any removal and remediation costs if necessary;
• further facilitate the take-up of online conveyancing by:
  • amending the Land Title Act 1994 to eliminate the need for remaining duplicate paper certificates of title; and
  • updating, and clarifying certain titling provisions;
• address minor issues associated with the overlapping tenure framework for coal and coal seam gas (overlapping tenure framework);
• amend the Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004 to resolve operational deficiencies in the Act, streamline regulatory requirements and make the overall gas safety legislation more contemporary. These amendments clarify and improve operational safety outcomes for workers in the gas sector and users of gas plant and appliances by:
  • revising safety reporting requirements for operating plant so they are real time and support effective gas safety regulation;
  • confirming an operator of operating plant can be a corporation or an individual;
  • establishing a transparent process for appointing approving authorities for gas devices;
  • rationalising safety requirements for all fuel gas delivery networks; and
  • aligning other safety provisions with Queensland’s mining safety legislation and general work place laws;
• introduce a framework to manage abandoned operating plant; and
• make minor amendments to correct errors and omissions in the Aboriginal Land Act 1991, Land Act 1994, Land Title Act 1994, Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004, and the Torres Strait Islander Land Act 1991.

Call for submissions

Submissions closed Thursday 26 October 2017. 

Public department briefing and hearing

The committee held a public briefing with officers from the Department of Natural Resources and Mines on Wednesday 25 October 2017 in Brisbane.

The transcript from the briefing is available here.

Timeline