In 2017 AgForce data revealed 30 per cent of landholders were not happy with their negotiated CSG mining Conduct and Compensation Agreement.
Many felt overwhelmed by the process but wanted to work through their concerns rather than end up in Land Court.
Knowing our land was part of the route for the GLNG pipeline we, like many landholders, worked hard to educate ourselves, protect our business assets and provide access for this significant economic project.
Years later, after we had transitioned our business to organically certified, we worked even harder to ensure the wording of the conduct aspects of our CCA were specific and detailed. We were the last to sign an agreement in our area and did so only after important clauses were added to our CCA.
For us, cattle is our core business and CSG mining is another enterprise providing relatively minimal returns in comparison. Our focus is on ensuring that the cattle business is not compromised by mining activities and our approach has been careful and considered.
In good faith we have continually highlighted what additional resources are needed to help landowners navigate the laws and why these are important. We willingly contributed to a departmental meeting with landholders identifying the risks and liability concerns that will occur once the mining stops.
Frustratingly, the time and effort put into attending information sessions, forums, combined meetings with the Gasfields Commission and mining representatives to suggest improvements, including workflows that align the CCA to the on-ground activities, now seem wasted.
For years we have waited for outstanding CCA breaches to be addressed and turned to the Office of the Land Access Ombudsman to investigate.
Disappointingly, we learnt that a lack of resources meant no site visit was possible and given the mining company was not prepared to co-operate fully with the process, there was little the Ombudsman could do to resolve the issues.
We then learnt the Department of Environment cannot enforce rehabilitation until 12 months after mining activity has ceased.
As inter-generational farmers we are aware that our actions today form part of our legacy. We have no issues with the people who coexist on our land, or with any landholders welcoming CSG mining on their farms, but in our experience the current system is flawed.
Our concern lies with the failures of the current system to hold miners accountable and how this impacts families, businesses, and communities.
- Brigid Price, Rural Resources
