Mining and resources
Competition for prime agricultural land
With 80 percent of the state now under exploration permits, there is a continuing need for AgForce to be informed and involved at the interface between Queensland’s two great primary industries of mining and agriculture.
There are many positives for regional communities when resource-rich deposits are discovered and developed, but it is AgForce’s responsibility to balance that with policy discussions and decisions that are in the best interests of agriculture and food production in future.
AgForce policy on a mining moratorium
The AgForce State Council endorsed an AgForce policy on a mining moratorium in May 2010, and has been incorporated into any communication opportunity that AgForce is presented with, including lobbying of Government and our dealing with the stakeholder and representative bodies of the resource sector.
AgForce's current policy is “AgForce seeks, from the Queensland Government, a moratorium on mining and resource development and exploration until the ramifications to not just the agricultural production system on that land is taken into account, but also the environment in which it is situated.”
Land access working group
Through our seat on the Land Access Working Group (LAWG), we are now closer to equitable outcomes for rules of engagement to ensure primary producers are treated appropriately and equitably when exploration activity affects their properties.
The LAWG was formed by government in 2009 in response to AgForce highlighting the increasing issues surrounding the mining and agriculture interface. The group had specific functions to look at levelling the rules of engagement between landholder and resource companies during the exploration phases, with response to issues such as conduct, compensation and planning. These responsibilities were aimed at making compensation arrangements more reasonable and appropriate for diminution of land values, getting compensation inserted into the Mineral Resources Act for exploration and the development of a Code of Conduct for explorers and landholders.
By levelling the rules of engagement between landholder and resource company on issues such as conduct, compensation and access planning – affected producers will have access to standardised information that is enforced by a regulatory head of power. These are significant changes from what has occurred in the past.
The legislative outcomes from this working group are currently being implemented and include compulsory Code of Conduct arrangements and compensation processes.
AgForce reminds landholders to fully educate themselves on the details of these changes when dealing with resource companies so that the best outcome can be achieved.
Members can log in through the top right hand corner of this screen to view AgForce's submission to the Review of the Land Access Framework.
With 80 percent of the state now under exploration permits, there is a continuing need for AgForce to be informed and involved at the interface between Queensland’s two great primary industries of mining and agriculture.
There are many positives for regional communities when resource-rich deposits are discovered and developed, but it is AgForce’s responsibility to balance that with policy discussions and decisions that are in the best interests of agriculture and food production in future.
AgForce policy on a mining moratorium
The AgForce State Council endorsed an AgForce policy on a mining moratorium in May 2010, and has been incorporated into any communication opportunity that AgForce is presented with, including lobbying of Government and our dealing with the stakeholder and representative bodies of the resource sector.
AgForce's current policy is “AgForce seeks, from the Queensland Government, a moratorium on mining and resource development and exploration until the ramifications to not just the agricultural production system on that land is taken into account, but also the environment in which it is situated.”
Land access working group
Through our seat on the Land Access Working Group (LAWG), we are now closer to equitable outcomes for rules of engagement to ensure primary producers are treated appropriately and equitably when exploration activity affects their properties.
The LAWG was formed by government in 2009 in response to AgForce highlighting the increasing issues surrounding the mining and agriculture interface. The group had specific functions to look at levelling the rules of engagement between landholder and resource companies during the exploration phases, with response to issues such as conduct, compensation and planning. These responsibilities were aimed at making compensation arrangements more reasonable and appropriate for diminution of land values, getting compensation inserted into the Mineral Resources Act for exploration and the development of a Code of Conduct for explorers and landholders.
By levelling the rules of engagement between landholder and resource company on issues such as conduct, compensation and access planning – affected producers will have access to standardised information that is enforced by a regulatory head of power. These are significant changes from what has occurred in the past.
The legislative outcomes from this working group are currently being implemented and include compulsory Code of Conduct arrangements and compensation processes.
AgForce reminds landholders to fully educate themselves on the details of these changes when dealing with resource companies so that the best outcome can be achieved.
Members can log in through the top right hand corner of this screen to view AgForce's submission to the Review of the Land Access Framework.