‘Fossil fuel free-for-all’: Queensland to block ‘activists’ from objecting to mining leases

“Activists” living more than 125 kilometres from proposed mining projects will be blocked from having their say on the plans, under new laws that the Queensland government says are needed to stop delays.

The bill, which would also limit the grounds for objections, comes as Premier David Crisafulli touted his government’s pro-coal and critical minerals stance, with laws already changed to let the government fast-track declared projects .

“It means activists, often based thousands of kilometres away in green groups, many funded by foreign overseas entities, are no longer eligible to have a say,” Natural Resources and Mines Minister Dale Last told parliament on Tuesday.

Last cited the New Acland Coal Mine expansion as an example of why “this process has to change”, saying it had left the mining company and community without certainty over the project’s future for 15 years.

The move has already incensed the Lock the Gate Alliance, one of the groups that fought that expansion, labelling it ironic that such a bill landed on the International Day of Democracy.

“Just a few weeks ago, the LNP government passed sweeping laws giving themselves the power to fast-track mining projects, and they’ve also signalled that they want to remove mining companies’ bond rehabilitation obligations,” national coordinator Ellen Roberts said in a statement.

Maiwar Greens MP Michael Berkman accused the LNP of “stripping away farmers’ rights to challenge big mining corporations that threaten their land and water”, and of signing a “death sentence for our climate” under a “fossil fuel free-for-all”.

Outlining the proposed changes, which will now be opened to public consultation and consideration by committee in the government-controlled parliament, Last said the bill was “about getting a yes or a no [for proponents] faster”.

“We’re replacing the automatic referral of objections to the Land Court with a more targeted and proportional referral process to reduce the number of projects held up in court,” he said.

“Further, the grounds for an objection will need to be based on the decision-making criteria.

“This isn’t about sacrificing environmental conditions, it’s about finding a balance between upholding our strong environmental standards, listening to the concerns of affected persons and local communities, and enhancing Queensland’s investment attractiveness.”

Beyond “affected persons” such as immediate landholders and the relevant local government, Last later clarified that the bill would only accept mining lease objections from landowners or occupiers within 125 kilometres of a proposed mine.

He said environmental impacts would also be removed as a ground for objecting to a mining lease, with such objections able to be raised through the environmental authority process, removing a duplication.

Environmental authority applications can still be subject to a “broad submission” from any person, explanatory notes for the bill state.