Mining legislation 'deeply concerning'

Basin Sustainability Alliance chairwoman Lyn Nicholson described the bill as a step too far for landholders.

"I'm not sure that he quite appreciated the difficulties or the difference between things in Queen Street and what it's actually like to be here on the ground as a landholder," she said.

"Landholders have been telling us since the bill came down that they are extremely concerned about the loss of their rights."

Ms Nicholson was one of the attendees at a private meeting with Natural Resources and Mines Minister Andrew Cripps in Dalby last Wednesday. A meeting was also held at Cecil Plains later that afternoon.

LNP candidate for Condamine Pat Weir urged Mr Cripps to meet with landholders and concerned groups in his potential electorate after receiving complaints about the act.

"Everyone felt as if they had their chance to voice their concerns with the act," he said.

"The minister gave his interpretation and believes by and large they are addressed by the act."

BSA member and Dalby-based lawyer Peter Shannon said it was hard to envisage any legislation more comprehensive in the past 30 years.

He said the last minute changes were deeply concerning and a worry for anyone who cares about democratic processes.

"The last amendment was certainly snuck through and that was an enormous change," he said.

"In effect what they mean is on large state coordinated projects and whatever other projects the Coordinator-General decides that he wants jurisdiction over – he is it.

"He is the absolute determiner of all Environmental Authority conditions."

Mr Shannon commended the minister for coming up and giving them a good hearing, however he noted that hearing and listening were not always the same thing.

Many of the issues raised in the meeting had been raised in BSA's public submission and at the Toowoomba hearing.

"We were able to touch on broader concerns that we have in relation to make-good and tight gas, direction drilling and other things," he said.

"But really the core of the meeting was the removal of the right to object and the significant change that's come about by this bill."

Barry Broe was appointed Coordinator-General in 2012 and previously worked as head of infrastructure for the Brisbane City Council.

Mr Cripps said the Coordinator-General was obliged to consider public submissions to an EIS when determining any environmental conditions to be placed on a project.

"The Coordinator-General has always had the role of having the responsibility for determining conditions on an Environmental Authority for these very large coordinated projects," he said.

Mr Cripps solution to address community concerns was more effective communication.

He said the provisions of the bill had been considered very carefully before it was introduced.

Mr Cripps said he did not see that taking away the right to object to small scale mines was inhibiting freedom of speech.

"In terms of the opportunities to be notified and object to small scale mines that only applies in very specific circumstances. The project or proposed project needs to be less than 10 hectares in size and the project has to have less than 20 employees," he said.

""The risks are small-scale, which is the reason why it only applies to small scale mines and the right to object is maintained for the landowners, neighbours and local council.

"The assessed risk of that project is such that we believe we can cover off on that risk with an Environmental Authority with the standard conditions."

Agriculture, Resources and Environment Committee (AREC) and Labor Member for South Brisbane Jackie Trad described the parliamentary committee process as a sham.

"It was very clear from all of the submissions that over 90 per cent of people felt that these laws were so extreme and really did take away fundamental rights," she said.

"Every single member of the LNP government sold out their constituents on that day.

"They sold out their rural communities and not one of them spoke in support of their communities and spoke out regarding the concerns of their communities. Not one."

Ms Trad said there was no need to rush the legislation or to sneak in last minute amendments.

When asked by Queensland Country Life why so few recommendations were made, Ms Trad said her dissenting report spoke for itself.

"I know that there were some very good recommendations included in my dissenting report that should have been adopted by the parliamentary committee," she said.

"The fact that the minister introduced 70 pages of significant last minute amendments just goes to prove not only are they not interested in listening to Queenslanders they also want to take away their right to have a say."