Make a submission: Mining Act Amendments Exposure Draft
Send your submission to [email protected] by 21 January
Regional NSW is seeking public comment on a raft of amendments to the NSW Mining Act 1992.
Among these amendments are measures to create a Royalties for Rejuvenation Fund, the purpose of which is “to alleviate detrimental economic impacts in affected coal mining regions caused by a transition away from coal mining by supporting other economic development in those regions, including by the funding of infrastructure, services, programs and other activities.”
The establishment of this Fund will be a crucial first step towards investing in a just transition for the Hunter and other coal mining regions of New South Wales.
The proposed Bill also provides for the establishment of Expert Panels in mining regions to advise the Minister for Regional NSW on allocating spending from the Fund. An interim Expert Panel for the Hunter is already in the process of being established. The Government has promised $25 million a year already to the Fund, but much more support than that will be needed in the long term.
Legislation to create the Fund and establish the Expert Panels is expected to be introduced into parliament in the first half of 2022. Before that happens, important changes need to be made to ensure the Fund is transparent and money is spent for the public interest, for the long-term resilience and sustainability of communities in coal mining regions.
Getting the first step right will put the Hunter on the path to renewal, so please help us improve the Bill by making a quick submission. Here are some points we encourage you to make:
- I commend the government for taking this important initial step to provide investment and planning for the future of coal mining regions. This is urgent and necessary.
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I support the purpose of the Royalties for Rejuvenation Fund, however, money from the Fund should not be restricted to supporting economic activities, but should be able to support broader community and wellbeing initiatives.
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Spending from the Fund will be at the Minister’s discretion, after he or she has considered advice by the Secretary. There’s no requirement in the Draft Bill that the Minister consider advice from any relevant Expert Panel prior to allocating Funds, and no stipulation that spending decisions should be in the public interest. It is crucial that this Fund be ready and seen from the outset as being for the public interest and that there be clear requirements for this written into the Act. Otherwise, there’s a risk the Fund will be used politically or ineffectively.
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The Bill needs to make clear that before spending money from the Fund, the Minister must seek advice from any Expert Panel established for the coal affected region where the money is proposed to be spent and must consider any advice provided by that Expert Panel.
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The Bill should also stipulate that before allocating money from the Fund, the Minister should be satisfied that this spending is in the public interest.
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There’s no requirement in the Draft Bill that plans be prepared for each coal affected region, informed by public consultation and that spending should be consistent with such plans. Transition is complex. For the public to be confident it will be managed well in the long term, we need a plan and we all need to have input into it.
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There’s only minimal reporting and transparency written into the Draft Bill. There should be a public register of measures supported by the Fund, a regular review mechanism to report on the effectiveness of the spending.