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Nats cross floor to support pastoral and mining industries
O'CHEE, SEN BILL
2015HNC10168073
media/pressrel/2015HNC10168073
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MEDIA RELEASE SENATOR BILL O'CHEE
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NATS CROSS FLOOR TO SUPPORT PASTORAL AND
MINING INDUSTRIES
National Party Senators Bill O'Chee, Julian McGauran and Sandy Macdonald crossed the floor of the Senate twice last night to support amendments to the Native Title Bill which would have given more certainty to the pastoral and mining industries. Despite these steps, the amendments failed to pass after the Democrats and Greens voted with other Opposition Senators against the amendments.
The first amendment would have provided more certainty for the rrurung industry by substantially reducing the likelihood of miners having to undergo multiple hearings before an arbitral body before developing a mine when they had already received permission to explore. This amendment, and another to provide for the renewal of existing mining leases (which was withdrawn at the last minute by the Government) were among a number regarded as critical by the Australian Mining Industry Council.
The second amendment was to have provided certainty for pastoralists by allowing the renewal of existing pastoral leases in the event that native title co-existed with the lease. Under the original Mabo High Court decision, native title would not have precluded the renewal of a pastoral lease where the two were found to co-exist. The effect of the Native Title Bill however is to effectively prevent the renewal of existing pastoral leases where co " existence was found to occur.
The failed amendment would have safeguarded these lease renewals, and followed criticisms of the Bill originally voiced by Senator Q'Chee. During the hearings of the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Senator Q'Chee first raised the problem of the renewal of valid and existing pastoral leases in Queensland which are put at jeopardy by the Native Title Bill.
The Government is now left unable to keep its undertakings to industry to guarantee security for existing and future investment. Mr Keating had previously promised to "ensure that the rights of existing land holders were protected."
The National Party Senators had been advised by industry groups that their three votes were all that were needed to assure the passage of these amendments. The Democrats however failed to support the amendments as expected, leaving industry in a worse situation than under the original Mabo decision .
With the Bill now likely to pass the Senate, but with no security for the mining and pastoral industries, Senator Q'Chee said what started out as a bad Bill had clearly become even worse.
"There is now absolutely no guarantee in this legislation for miners and no guarantee for our farmers. We have never supported the Bill, but we were willing to put those safeguards for peoples' existing interests in place.
"The Government must now realise that will tum off the tap on future investment if the Bill is allowed to pass in its current state, and they should take it away to work on over Christmas. If they push on this week, all they will do is waste another $200,000 to bring the House of Representatives back, and saddle the country with nightmare piece of law. "
ENDS 19th December, 1993.
For further information please contact Senator Bill Q'Chee on (06) 2773922 or (018) 886686.