22nd Sep 2014, 1:32 PM – Senate Omnibus Repeal Day (Autumn 2014) Bill 2014 - in Committee - Independent study before grant of mining licences

The majority voted in favour of a motion that schedule 5 "stand as printed" (i.e. that schedule 5 remain unchanged). Schedule 5 contained environmental provisions, including the repeal of section 255AA of the Water Act 2007, which "requires an independent study to be undertaken before the grant of mining licences on floodplains in the Murray-Darling system". (Read more about Schedule 5 and this particular provision in the bills digest.)

This motion was put in response to an amendment introduced by Greens Senator Larissa Waters, which called for schedule 5 to be opposed. Senator Waters explained that with this schedule, the government is proposing "to allow companies to proceed with mining of gold, silver, copper—a whole host of mines that can have subsidence impacts—without doing the independent study on groundwater that existing section 255AA of the Water Act requires them to do" (see Senator Waters' full explanation here).

Background to the bill

The bill was introduced to "reduce regulatory burden for business, individuals and the community sector" (see the explanatory memorandum) and to repeal redundant provisions that are either duplications or have ceased to have effect. The provisions of the bill that make material changes have been identified and discussed in the bills digest.