2013-2014-2015

 

The Parliament of the

Commonwealth of Australia

 

THE SENATE

 

 

 

 

Presented and read a first time

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Landholders’ Right to Refuse (Gas and Coal) Bill 2015

 

No.      , 2015

 

(Senator Waters)

 

 

 

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

   

   

   

Contents

Part 1—Preliminary                                                                                                              1

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

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

3............ Simplified outline of this Act.............................................................. 2

4............ Definitions.......................................................................................... 2

5............ Meaning of ownership interest ........................................................... 4

6............ Act binds the Crown........................................................................... 4

7............ Extension to external Territories.......................................................... 4

8............ Relationship to State and Territory laws.............................................. 4

Part 2—Gas or coal mining                                                                                               5

Division 1—Gas or coal mining without prior written authorisation from landholders is unlawful      5

9............ Application of this Division................................................................ 5

10.......... Gas or coal mining without prior written authorisation from landholders is unlawful              5

11.......... Action for gas or coal mining without prior written authorisation from landholders                6

Division 2—Prior written authorisations for gas or coal mining          7

12.......... Obtaining prior written authorisation.................................................. 7

Division 3—Remedies                                                                                                    9

13.......... Remedies in actions for gas or coal mining on without prior written authorisation  9

Part 3—Hydraulic fracturing operations ban                                                     10

Division 1—Hydraulic fracturing operations ban                                       10

14.......... Hydraulic fracturing operations by constitutional corporation is unlawful               10

Division 2—Injunctions                                                                                              11

15.......... Injunctions for contravention of hydraulic fracturing ban................. 11

16.......... Discharge of injunctions................................................................... 13

17.......... Certain considerations for granting injunctions not relevant.............. 13

18.......... Powers conferred are in addition to other powers of the Court......... 14

Division 3—Civil penalties                                                                                        15

Subdivision A—Obtaining an order for a civil penalty                                   15

19.......... Federal Court may order person to pay pecuniary penalty for contravening civil penalty provision         15

20.......... Contravening a civil penalty provision is not an offence................... 15

21.......... Recovery of a pecuniary penalty....................................................... 16

Subdivision B—Civil penalty proceedings and criminal proceedings        16

22.......... Civil proceedings after criminal proceedings..................................... 16

23.......... Criminal proceedings during civil proceedings................................. 16

24.......... Criminal proceedings after civil proceedings..................................... 16

25.......... Evidence given in proceedings for penalty not admissible in criminal proceedings  17

Subdivision C—Miscellaneous                                                                               17

26.......... Persons involved in contravening civil penalty provision................. 17

27.......... Civil penalty provisions contravened by employees, agents or officers 18

Part 4—Miscellaneous                                                                                                        19

28.......... Application of this Act to joint ventures and partnerships................. 19

29.......... Regulations....................................................................................... 19

 

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

The Parliament of Australia enacts: