EYRE PENINSULA LAND USE SUPPORT PROGRAM

The Hon. M. PARNELL (15:09): Will the Eyre Peninsula Land Use Support project provide advice to landholders as to how they can deal with mining companies, including their right to object to mining or exploration on their land? In particular, will the project provide advice to landholders on how they can legally challenge unreasonable demands made by mining companies in the Environment, Resources and Development Court?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:10): I thank the honourable member for his most important supplementary question. Indeed, the objective of this program is to ensure that not only landholders but also mining interests are all very clear and are provided with thorough information around not only their responsibilities but also the opportunities they might have before them.

In terms of providing them with legal advice, I believe that is beyond the purview of this particular project. If any landholders voice concerns, they would be advised to seek their own legal counsel. Nevertheless, this will provide a wide range of information to be available to landholders so that they go ahead in an informed way, knowing where the pitfalls are and where there are opportunities for improvement, understanding what their rights are and also their obligations.

We are working very hard on this and we have been very fortunate in this state with mining interests and exploration mainly occurring in the Far North where there is little conflict over land use opportunities. We are mindful that, as these exploration opportunities are moving further south, the potential for similar challenges that have occurred in other jurisdictions could occur here. We have a strong legislative advantage. We have ensured that our landholders are in a much stronger position than some other jurisdictions, so I think we will avoid many of the pitfalls that the other states have had to face.

We hope that this program will assist landholders in particular to be able to work with mining opportunities and exploration opportunities to their mutual advantage so that it ends up being a win-win for everybody.