Decision made on bills looking into mining, zombie PELs in Liverpool Plains

The Coal and Gas Legislation Amendment (Liverpool Plains Prohibition) Bill 2021 and the Petroleum (Onshore) Amendment (Cancellation of Zombie Petroleum Exploration Licences) were introduced in May, but then referred to the committee.

The first of those bills is focused on preventing any further mining operations in the rich agricultural region, and the committee, which is chaired by Shooters, Fishers and Farmer's Mark Banasiak MLC, has decided it should be debated.

"The committee heard evidence for and against the Liverpool Plains prohibition bill during the inquiry," Mr Banasiak said.

"Those who supported the bill emphasised the region's agricultural capacity, as well as its significant Indigenous heritage.

"On the other hand, industry stakeholders noted the importance of mining in NSW and how the bill represents a significant departure from the current policy and regulatory framework.

"The committee therefore recommends that the NSW Government address these issues during debate in the House."

As for the second bill, the committee found it had essentially already been addressed as part of the NSW government's Future of Gas Statement which was released in July.

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It did, however, slam the government for taking so long to address the matter, with many of the PELs being described at 'zombies' given they were revived, in some cases, more than a decade after the licence expired.

"Throughout our inquiry, the committee heard evidence on the government's delay in assessing renewal applications for the zombie petroleum exploration licences, causing uncertainty for the local communities," Mr Banasiak said.

"While the committee welcomes the NSW Government's announcement, it is unacceptable that it took this long to progress this issue when some of the zombie petroleum exploration licences have been expired for up to a decade.

"Going forward, we believe that the government should ensure that petroleum exploration licences, including their renewal applications, are dealt with efficiently and transparently."

The Liverpool Plains Prohibition is set to be a huge point of contention in parliament, with the pro-mining factions set to face off against those pushing for new energy projects to focus on renewables.

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