Queensland Land Access Ombudsman Bill 2017

Wednesday 24 May 2017 @ 11.57 a.m. | Legal Research

The Queensland Parliament has introduced a Bill for the creation of a Land Access Ombudsman who would facilitate the resolution of disputes about conduct and compensation agreements and make-good agreements. The Land Access Ombudsman Bill 2017 came as a result of Mr Robert Scott’s government commissioned review of the Gasfields Commission Queensland. The Bill also contains provisions to save existing provisions contained in the Mineral and Energy Resources (Common Provisions) Transitional Regulation 2016 which is set to expire in September 2017.

Background

Under Queensland’s current land access legal framework, resource companies seeking to conduct mining activities are required to enter into a conduct and compensation agreement with landholders prior to entering land and carrying out advanced activities. These agreements would specify the activities that may be undertaken on the land as well as the negotiated compensation arrangements made between the parties. Further to this, in 2010 the government introduced a framework requiring petroleum tenure holders to monitor and manage the impacts caused by the exercise of underground water rights on water bores. This would include the making of make-good agreements to compensate private bore owners for any impairment caused.

Land Access Ombudsman

The Land Access Ombudsman will be created under the Bill as an independent statutory office whose primary function will be to help resolve disputes between landholders and resource companies that are parties to conduct and compensation and make-good agreements. According to the Queensland Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Anthony Lynham:

“The idea is to have a relatively simple, cost-free process to nip the problem in the bud so that all parties can quickly resolve the dispute and get on with their lives and their jobs…The primary function of the Land Access Ombudsman will be to investigate disputes about existing conduct and compensation and make-good agreements and to facilitate the resolution of these disputes. A party to a conduct and compensation or make-good agreement will be entitled to refer a dispute to the Land Access Ombudsman without having to first exhaust the dispute resolution mechanisms contained in their agreement. Access to the Land Access Ombudsman will be free to both parties.”

The Ombudsman will not be an alternative to the Courts or other processes of arbitration as the Ombudsman will not have the power to make binding decisions on the parties. However, the Ombudsman will have the power to compel documents and information from parties in order to ensure that they have access to relevant information to facilitate the dispute. The Land Access Ombudsman will also be able to identify systemic issues arising out of disputes and provide advice to government about these issues.

Ideally, once the Bill passes, the Ombudsman will give parties to these agreements a trusted, easily accessible and independent person to help resolve problems before it further escalates into legal actions. 

TimeBase is an independent, privately owned Australian legal publisher specialising in the online delivery of accurate, comprehensive and innovative legislation research tools including LawOne and unique Point-in-Time Products. Nothing on this website should be construed as legal advice and does not substitute for the advice of competent legal counsel.

Sources:

Land Access Ombudsman Bill 2017, Bill, Explanatory Notes and Speech as published on LawOne

Related Articles: