AGFORCE

Mining on Nature Refuges

Land protected as a nature refuge is not currently exempt from mining – but is afforded some limited protection through legislation.  The following information has been provided by the Department of Environment and Resource Management in this regard:

“Applicants for mining activities in Queensland require approvals under both the Mineral Resources Act 1989 and the Environmental Protection Act 1994.  The Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) must issue an environmental authority before an application for an exploration or mining tenement can be granted.  Through the conditions of the environmental authority, DERM is able to ensure that consideration is given to high value conservation areas.

A nature refuge is classed as a Category C Environmentally Sensitive Area in the DERM Codes of Environmental Compliance which applies to low impact activities. This means that the holder of an environmental authority must consult with DERM prior to conducting activities within a nature refuge. The Code enables extra conditions to be applied to activities in the nature refuge area.  DERM has successfully conditioned exploration on a number of nature refuges.

Companies must report their exploration results to the government. Together with the understanding gained from studies of the environmental and social values of the area, this enables the government to make better informed decisions in the event that a company submits a mining proposal.

Should a major mine or mineral development project be proposed in a nature refuge area, the application is assessed on a case by case basis that may involve an Environmental Impact Statement, and the resulting environmental authority would be conditioned to provide appropriate protection of environmental values of the area as well as rehabilitation requirements and, in some cases, off-set requirements. A nature refuge provides evidence of the area having significant values.”

Approximately 219 Nature Refuges in Queensland currently have some sort of mining exploration or interest over them – and a handful have been subject to exploration. The Bimblebox Nature Refuge is currently under significant threat from long haul and open cut coal mining.

A recent AgForce survey of members with nature refuges indicated that the threat of mining on nature refuges (which are protected in perpetuity) is an issue of concern. The Queensland Government has repeatedly maintained that Nature Refuges are an essential component of the Queensland Government’s commitment to achieve their 20 million hectares of protected area by 2020. The is no simple solution to these conflicts, and mining and resource development on Nature Refuges will be an area that AgForce will be continuing its strong opposition and lobbying in an effort to obtain a suitable resolution.