Proposed Queensland legislation would significantly curtail the public’s ability to challenge mining projects, including coal developments, prompting accusations that the state government is dismantling democratic and environmental safeguards.
The bill, tabled on Tuesday by Natural Resources Minister Dale Last, stipulates that objections to mining leases will no longer be automatically referred to the Land Court for independent review. Instead, the Resources Minister—or the Director-General of the Environment Department for environmental approvals—will hold discretion over whether an objection proceeds to court. Furthermore, standing to object would be restricted to property owners within a 125-kilometre radius of a proposed project.
Minister Last described the changes as necessary for “streamlining approvals and making faster decisions,” arguing that activists based thousands of kilometres away and groups funded by foreign entities should not dictate project timelines. He cited the protracted 11-year legal battle over the New Acland coal mine expansion as evidence that the current process requires reform.
Critics, however, contend the reforms effectively “gut” community rights. The Queensland Conservation Council warned the legislation allows the government to “pick and choose which community objections get heard in open court, and which mines get waved through without that scrutiny.” Acting Director Anthony Gough noted that historical objections—often lodged by local landholders and groups protecting agricultural land, water resources, and habitats—were instrumental in halting sand mining on the World Heritage-listed K’gari (Fraser Island).
Ellen Roberts, National Coordinator for Lock the Gate Alliance, labelled the move “corrupt,” asserting the government is “tearing up democratic and environmental protections just to make life easier for mining companies.” The Oakey Coal Action Alliance, which fought the New Acland expansion for over a decade, argued the new laws are designed to prevent future challenges from those concerned about the climate crisis.
The legislation follows the government’s cancellation of an independent review by the Queensland Law Reform Commission last year, replacing it with a cabinet sub-committee inquiry. It also coincides with recent laws expanding objection rights for wind farm planning approvals and permitting compulsory land acquisition for coal mining.
Queensland remains Australia’s largest coal producer and second-largest mining jurisdiction, with the highest pollution levels nationally due to its reliance on coal-fired energy.