Committee to oversee QLD’s land access reform ‘Action Plan’ announced

21 February, 2013
As promised after the state election in 2012, the Queensland Government has confirmed the details of the committee that will advise them on the issues identified in the Six Point Action Plan to reform the state’s land access laws. The seven member committee will be chaired by Dr David Watson, and will provide a forum … Read more

Mining blog recap for 2012

28 November, 2012
2012 saw the merger between Herbert Smith and Freehills, creating one of the world’s most experienced energy and resources firms. As it draws to a close, we pause to reflect on some of the key developments in the mining industry. This year we saw several regulatory and legislative changes take place in the mining sector: … Read more

Victoria declares ban on fraccing

28 August, 2012
The Victorian Government has declared bans on: approvals to undertake hydraulic fracturing or “fraccing” as part of onshore gas exploration; and the issue of new exploration licences for coal seam gas (CSG). This move follows the ban on fraccing by the New South Wales Government, which has been in place since July 2011. The measures … Read more

CSG: The state of play in Victoria

13 June, 2012
In recent weeks, the approach to coal seam gas (CSG) mining in Victoria has been explored and debated both in the Victorian Parliament and out in the farming lands of the State. Recent Developments In moves to understand how better to develop and regulate Victoria’s CSG potential the Victorian Parliament’s Economic Development and Infrastructure Committee … Read more

NSW inquiry plugs CSG

08 May, 2012
Last week the NSW Upper House tabled its inquiry into the environmental, economic and social impacts of mining coal seam gas (CSG), highlighting that this pipeline of regulation for CSG will be a prevalent issue. As with any future regulation law makers must consider the trade off between clearing the fog of uncertainty vis-à-vis stifling … Read more