Foster coexistence and sustainable communities
To ensure the growth of Queensland's resources sector, the industry must work with landholders, communities and other industries in a spirit of sustainable coexistence founded on mutual benefit.
What we want to achieve by 2050
- Queensland’s local communities will have benefited from years of coexistence with resources companies operating in their region.
- Projects in host communities throughout regional Queensland will have left and continue to leave a positive legacy.
- Mine rehabilitation and post operations will be providing local benefit, as sites will have been converted to their highest and best social, economic and environmental use.
What we will do to achieve these goals
Government and industry will work together to foster coexistence and ensure sustainable communities.
Have your say on the proposed actions in the draft Queensland resources industry development plan.
Fostering coexistence
Lead: Department of Resources
When: 2022
Positive working relationships between landholders and resources companies are essential for sustainable development.
The Queensland Government has developed a draft set of principles for strong landholder relationships, which are included in the draft plan for consultation. These principles outline expectations of behaviour for resources companies around coexistence issues.
The government will consider all feedback and publish the final version on the Department of Resources website.
Lead: Department of Resources
When: 2022–23
The Queensland Government will review the land access institutions to ensure they are well aligned, contemporary and efficient.
In particular, the review will investigate the scope and functions of the Land Access Ombudsman and GasFields Commission Queensland, including whether:
- their functions could be expanded to assist in more circumstances
- these entities could perform their functions under the banner of a single entity.
While the focus will be on land access institutions, the government will also review:
- whether roles and responsibilities across agencies and institutions are clear
- whether some roles could be better aligned
- how to reduce duplication and overlap for key coexistence issues, such as water, subsidence and make-good arrangements.
Lead: Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning
When: Ongoing
Some regional plans – set under the Planning Act 2016 – pre-date emerging industry activities like the renewable energy industry. The Queensland Government will ensure that, when updated, the regional plans capture the changing and competing demands for land use.
Sustainable communities
Lead: Office of the Coordinator-General
When: Ongoing
In 2021, the Queensland Government reviewed the effectiveness of the Strong and Sustainable Resource Communities Act 2017 (SSRC). The final report recommends that the government:
- retain the SSRC Act
- review the Act further, particularly the effectiveness of the social impact assessment provisions and enhanced Social Impact Assessment Guideline (2018)
- implement collaborative data collection for the Act
- improve the awareness and understanding of the anti-discrimination provisions among resource communities.
We will continue to implement the SSRC Act and these recommendations over coming years. A future review will occur after 3 large projects have completed the social impact assessment process and been operational for at least 1 year.
Lead: Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning
When: 2022
The Queensland Government has partnered with resources companies through the Queensland Resources Council to deliver the $100 million Resource Community Infrastructure Fund.
The fund is open to not-for-profit organisations and local councils for community infrastructure projects that provide a positive, long-term benefit to the community.
Round 1 of the fund opened in July 2021, with up to $50 million of funding available. The government is considering these applications and will announce successful projects from November 2021.
Applications for Round 2 of the fund will be announced soon.
Last reviewed 25 May 2022
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