Changes to legal representation arrangements on land access welcome

The NSW Minerals Council welcomes the Premier’s announcement today to allow landholders to choose whether they have legal representation during arbitration proceedings for coal and mineral exploration land access.

Currently, legal representation requires the landholder and explorer to agree, and the arbitrator to grant leave.  The changes announced today provide clarity and certainty around legal representation in the rare event that exploration land access negotiations proceed to arbitration.

The vast majority of relationships between explorers and landholders are positive and there are many thousands of land access agreements currently in place, negotiated and agreed in good faith and with little fuss.

Most coal and mineral exploration activities have small, short-term impacts that can be completed with only minor inconvenience to a landholder.

In areas like the Hunter, the New England North West, the Central West and other parts of regional NSW, agriculture, mining and tourism are the three pillars of economic stability.

The NSW mining industry will continue to seek positive relationships with other landholders for the mutual benefit of all parties.

Contact: Lindsay Hermes I lhermes@nswmining.com.au I 0409 758 734