2010-2011

The Parliament of the

Commonwealth of Australia

THE SENATE

Presented and read a first time

Landholders’ Right to Refuse (Coal Seam Gas) Bill 2011

No.      , 2011

(Senator Waters)

A Bill for an Act to provide Australian landholders the right to refuse the undertaking of coal seam gas mining activities on their land without prior written authorisation, and for related purposes

Contents

Part 1—Preliminary                                                                                                              1

1............ Short title............................................................................................. 1

2............ Commencement................................................................................... 2

3............ Definitions.......................................................................................... 2

4............ Meaning of ownership interest in food producing land...................... 2

5............ Act binds the Crown........................................................................... 3

6............ Extension to external Territories.......................................................... 3

7............ Relationship to State and Territory laws.............................................. 3

Part 2—Coal seam gas mining on food producing land without prior written authorisation is unlawful                                                                                                                                         4

8............ Application of this Part....................................................................... 4

9............ Coal seam gas mining on food producing land without prior written authorisation is unlawful               4

10.......... Action for coal seam gas mining on food producing land without prior written authorisation 5

Part 3—Prior written authorisations for coal seam gas mining on food producing land               6

11.......... Obtaining prior written authorisation.................................................. 6

Part 4—Remedies                                                                                                                    8

12.......... Remedies in actions for coal seam gas mining on food producing land without prior written authorisation             8

Part 5—Other matters                                                                                                          9

13.......... Application of this Act to joint ventures and partnerships................... 9

14.......... Regulations......................................................................................... 9

A Bill for an Act to provide Australian landholders the right to refuse the undertaking of coal seam gas mining activities on their land without prior written authorisation, and for related purposes

The Parliament of Australia enacts: