Minister of Energy and Clean Economy Jobs Mick de Brenni, said Queensland was leading the way when it came to coexistence in this regard. Image: CarlosBarquero/ stock.adobe.com
The Queensland Government has passed legislation that is designed to strengthen coexistence between agriculture, resources, and renewable sectors. Food & Beverage Industry News reports.
Queensland parliament has passed legislation that will strengthen coexistence between the state’s resources, agriculture and renewable energy industries.
As part of the changes, The GasFields Commission Queensland will now be called Coexistence Queensland with a new and expanded remit and the Office of Groundwater Impact Assessment and Land Access Ombudsman will have expanded roles.
Coexistence Queensland’s expanded role will be to provide enhanced information, engagement and education services to the community and industry on land access and coexistence issues across the resources and renewable energy sectors. Previously this institution’s focus was just on the onshore gas industry.
Image: PhotoPhantom/ stock.adobe.com
Other coexistence reforms include:
Expanding the remit of the Office of Groundwater Impact Assessment (OGIA) to provide advice, on request, to government entities on subsurface impacts from petroleum and gas activities.
Expanding the role of the Land Access Ombudsman (LAO) to provide support to stakeholders on a broader range of land access disputes through an alternative dispute resolution pathway.
The legislation also includes amendments that are improving processes for assessing and administering resource authorities and reducing the state’s financial risk from resource companies failing to comply with their environmental or rehabilitation obligations.
“Queensland’s coexistence framework has been strong, but we have never compromised on our efforts to making it stronger,” said Resources and Critical Minerals Minister Scott Stewart.
“This reform process started more than 18 months ago, and I want to thank everyone for working with us on these reforms.
“The expanded roles and responsibilities of Coexistence Queensland, the Land Access Ombudsman and the Office of Groundwater Impact Assessment are especially important, because it means any gaps or duplication of services have now been addressed.”
The reforms will build stronger relationships between resources, agriculture and other land uses and align with key focus areas outlined in the Queensland Resources Industry Development Plan.
The Queensland Resources Industry Development Plan (QRIDP) is a strategic initiative by the Queensland Government to support and grow the resources sector in Queensland, Australia.
Overall, the Queensland Resources Industry Development Plan is designed to provide a framework for the sustainable growth of the resources sector in Queensland while balancing economic, social, and environmental considerations.
“Because of its previous focus dealing with land access issues relating to the onshore gas industry, Coexistence Queensland is well placed to provide support to landholders engaging with renewable energy companies, and other types of resources companies, that are seeking access to their land,” said Stewart.
“The decision has also been made to do more consultation on the subsidence management framework to ensure stakeholders can provide more feedback.”
Meanwhile, Minister of Energy and Clean Economy Jobs Mick de Brenni, said Queensland was leading the way when it came to coexistence in this regard.
“Working with communities is at the heart of our clean economy transition, and the Miles Government is committed to ensuring we listen and work with locals and landholders,” he said.
“Coexistence Queensland is an expansion of our highly successful GasFields Commission and will be a trusted independent body to support the valuable partnerships between the state’s resources, agriculture, and renewable energy industries.
“The clean energy transition presents a once in a generation opportunity for landholders, and agriculture and resource businesses.
“By working together, we can achieve fantastic outcomes for all.”
Coexistence Queensland CEO Warwick Squire was also left optimistic by the developments.
“We’re excited our remit will expand to address coexistence matters across the broader energy and resources under our new name Coexistence Queensland,” he said.
“Coexistence Queensland will play a key role in connecting landholders, community, industry and government to work and thrive together.
“It’s about ensuring industry development occurs in a socially responsible and sustainable way, with the interests of community at its core.”
Squire said it was fitting to expand the organisation’s remit to address coexistence matters across the State’s broader resources and renewable energy sectors given industry’s growth.
“The energy landscape is rapidly transforming, which brings about the emergence of new coexistence challenges and opportunities,” Squire said.
“The Commission’s experience as an independent organisation makes us well placed to assist industry and communities to navigate challenges and harness opportunities.
“For over a decade, the GasFields Commission has been widely respected for helping bridge coexistence challenges between the Queensland onshore gas sector, and landholders and communities.”
GasFields Commission Chair, John Anderson, said coexistence has been woven into the fabric of shared landscapes for thousands of years.
“The concept of coexistence is not new – our ancestors understood the delicate balance between using and preserving natural systems and resources through passing on traditions of stewardship between generations,” said Anderson.
“We safeguarded the longevity and integrity of our shared landscapes that are central and essential to our being.
“Our shared goal should be clear – to achieve balanced outcomes that meet community and industry needs by way of understanding and respecting the intricate relationships between people and place, and progress and preservation.”
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