The commencement of a new act in Australia's Queensland state will allow for a slicker process to start new coal and coal seam gas mining activities and optimize production volumes, the Queensland Resources Council said Tuesday.
The Mineral and Energy Resources (Common Provisions) Act was passed in 2014 but only commenced on September 27, the QRC said.
The act provides for a new coal and coal seam gas overlapping tenure framework, it said.
"This new framework will help unlock areas for optimal co-development and maximize the resources extracted on behalf of the state," QRC chief executive Michael Roche said.
Roche said the new act has a default agreement for where parties could not otherwise come to an agreement.
"Many Queensland tenures are overlapping, including in the resource-rich Bowen Basin and [Tuesday's] commencement of the act will provide a process that reduces delay to get access to the ground and start activities," Roche said in a statement.
It also amends the land access process by placing an obligation on resource companies to register on title conduct and compensation agreements made with landholders, which allows people to be more informed about resource activity on the land, he said.
"The creation of an opt-out agreement is also a welcome initiative, after it was recommended through several previous reviews to offer another choice to parties that seek a flexible approach without removing the existing right to compensate for impacts," he said.
QRC has been working with its members on the new overlapping tenure framework for more than five years.
