22 November, 2013
Public interest test and revocation of mining exploration licences is a step in the right direction
Nature Conservation Council of NSW has welcomed the Mining and Petroleum Legislation Amendment (Public Interest) Act which empowers the government to cancel or refuse mining and petroleum licences on public interest grounds, and enable the revocation of mining exploration licences found by ICAC to have been issued corruptly.
“This is a welcome move,” NCC Campaigns Director Kate Smolski said. “Licences to explore the Doyles Creek and Mt Penny coal leases were granted under corrupt terms and should be revoked.
“Communities across Australia are standing up against coal and gas projects. The granting of exploration titles against a robust public interest test is a common-sense move that could help restore public confidence in a system currently skewed towards the coal and gas industries.
“While this is a welcomed first step, much more needs to be done to restore balance when granting coal and gas licences.
“Mining companies are given exploration leases before any studies have been done to assess the social, environmental, and economic impacts of opening up a new area for mining.
"We call on the NSW Government to build on this new law and ensure that research into the environmental, social and economic impacts of mining in a new area are considered before granting new licences, and use this new power to revoke licences granted corruptly behind closed doors.”
Background
The Mining and Petroleum Legislation Amendment (Public Interest) Act allows the government to refuse or cancel mining and petroleum licences on public interest grounds.
Premier Barry O’Farrell said the amendments were designed to allow the government to cancel the Doyles Creek and Mt Penny coal exploration licences, which were found by the Independent Commission Against Corruption to have been issued corruptly.
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Federal environmental laws
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