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LNP demands Gasfields Land and Water Authority
The urgent formation of an independent authority to oversee the coal seam gas industry has been demanded by the State Opposition as part of an overhaul of State laws to protect water resources and land in the Surat and Bowen Basins. I strongly opposed the Bligh government’s amendments to the Water and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2010 in Parliament last week appointing the Water Commission to oversee underground water issues in the gasfields. Protection of underground water is critical and needs to be totally independent from the government.
We pushed the Minister to see reason for a Gasfields Land and Water Authority that would comprise leaders from local landholder groups and councils to ensure that communities across the gasfields could have absolute confidence in the administration of new laws being introduced to regulate the CSG industry.
Unfortunately Minister Robertson ignored the call, but the LNP will continue to push the Bligh government to see reason.
Local community leaders know the area better than anyone else. They know the issues and they should be involved in overseeing the rapid expansion of this industry.
Independent scrutiny is the only way we can have any confidence in the regulations and we are not going to get that from a water commission based in Brisbane.
Minister Robertson had no argument on five key points demanded by the LNP and all-but agreed to see amendments (to the Water and Other Legislation Bill 2010) brought in when Parliament resumed next year.
LNP Members strongly argued and moved 14 amendments to the WOLA Bill and the Bligh government had no arguments against key points covering:
· Better access to information for landholders;
· Baseline yield assessments for water bores including sustainable yield; and
· Strengthening the position of landholders in regards to gas companies reporting impacts on water bores and meeting their ‘make-good’ obligations.
NB : FIVE SPECIFIC AMENDMENTS THAT THE LNP WILL BE PUSHING FOR WHEN PARLIAMENT RESUMES
(1) Clause 187 – LNP opposed appointing the Water Commission to the role of oversight of the underground water issues in the gas fields. We believe this oversight role needs to be seen to be independent from government, and have said that a Gasfields Land and Water Authority should be set up as a statutory authority to oversee land and water regulations in the Surat and Bowen Basins.
· However given that the clause will stand as part of the legislation, Jeff Seeney asked the Minister for an assurance that the Water Commission will engage as closely as possible with the community in a formal engagement process (community reference panel).
· Minister’s response – In August announced that landholders will have a voice on new high-level consultative committees being established to progress CSG related issues. Will give consideration to whether those consultative bodies should receive recognition in legislation to give them a status that gives confidence to the community that they are not just being set up for the short term.
(2) Amendments – Extending the requirements for an underground water impact report to include information about the level and quality of the water in each bore in the area and the sustainable yield of each bore; Inserting a requirement for a tenure holder to make a plan to minimise the amount of water extracted as a consequence of resource extraction activities and to avoid pollution or damage to any aquifer.
· Minister gave a commitment that, in addition to containing sustainable yield as part of a guideline or practice note, he would be prepared to put an amendment such as LNP was proposing to the department for analysis and recommendation in the development of WOLA next year.
(3) Amendment – Requiring a baseline assessment to include a measurement of the sustainable yield of a bore and identification of the installed infrastructure at the bore, both established and new and extending this requirement to provide a baseline assessment to the Commission, the Chief Executive and the bore owner.
· Minsiter will give consideration to these. (4) Amendment – Amending the definition for the obligation to make a general agreement about water bores by shifting the onus of reasonable belief from the tenure holder to the bore owner. The amendment would mean that a tenure holder would be obligated to enter into an agreement if the bore owner had a reasonable belief that the bore had suffered an impaired capacity because of the resource tenure holder’s activities.
· Minister – “... will receive very serious consideration in the next iteration of WOLA. As the member for Callide said, it makes sense that a bore owner should be able to lodge a complaint or a concern about the possible impact on his or her bore by a holder of a tenement and make those concerns known to that holder... I will support the principle and we will look at that very seriously.”
(5) Amending the definition for the term ‘impaired capacity’ to ensure it includes measures of both quality and quantity.
· The Minister committed again to giving further consideration to this.
