Mining bill a “kick in the guts” for farmers

FARMERS FURIOUS

Mining bill enters parliament without consultation

FARMERS were surprised and angered when the state government moved to change South Australia’s mining laws last Thursday, August 2.

Minister for Energy and Mining Dan van Holst Pellekaan introduced The Statute Amendment (Mineral Resources) Bill, saying the changes would encourage greater investment in mining and improve landowner rights.

Yorke Peninsula Land Owners’ Group, representing local farmers, is outraged the government had not consulted farmers before introducing the bill.

“Once again farmers find themselves on the back foot and there is certainly quite a bit of anger out there,” YPLOG chairperson Joy Wundersitz said.

“Based on our preliminary assessment of the bill we find there are miniscule changes to that proposed by the previous Labor government, which was strongly opposed by the agricultural sector.”

YORKE Peninsula Land Owners’ Group chairperson Joy Wundersitz said the new bill was totally weighted in favour of the mining industry. “ There is no strengthening of farmers’ rights to protect their land, and no other way to describe it other than another kick in the guts for landowners,” she said.

Mrs Wundersitz said the group found it staggering the Liberals had only made 20 amendments to Labor’s complex mining bill from last year. “Only one of those makes any attempt to address our concerns,” she said.

“While retaining the term ‘exempt land’ rather than Labor’s proposed ‘restricted land’, this is a symbolic gesture only and has no practical bearing whatsoever on how the bill will affect farmers in their fight to protect their land against entry by exploration and mining companies. “Most importantly, it fails to remove exploration and mining companies’ right to take farmers to court if they refuse to allow miners on their land.

“This means that although cropping land is technically off limits, this exemption can be easily overturned. “This was the single most important change the Liberals could have made to protect agricultural land and farmers’ rights.” The government has ensured public consultation can still occur even though the bill has been introduced. “This in no way makes up for the government’s failure to undertake community consultation before tabling the bill and therefore breaking a pre-election promise,” Mrs Wundersitz said. “The fact the bill has now been tabled in parliament means we have a more difficult task ahead to achieve any changes or amendments. “However, based on the reactions YPLOG has received farmers will not take this lying down.”