Four in five Queenslanders want miners to foot clean-up bills

More than two in three Queenslanders thought mining companies paid too little tax to support regional communities, while almost one-third said they paid about the right amount.

The ReachTel poll surveyed 1860 Queenslanders on Sunday afternoon.

It came as the Queensland Parliament was on Wednesday due to debate a bill to introduce stricter rules to make mining companies clean up their own mines.

Miners would have to pay, according to risk, into a pool of funds that would be used to clean up land.

Last week, state government officials were holding daily talks with the Queensland Resources Council over amendments to the Mineral and Energy Resources (Financial Provisioning) bill.

The mining industry was concerned about whether it would retrospectively affect existing mines and aspects of a public interest test, with the QRC warning jobs were on the line without resources investment.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said “not everyone’s happy” about the amendments.

“We’re not going to make everyone happy when it comes to the amendments to the … bill that is before the Parliament,” she said.

“But I honestly do believe that we have the balance right.

“We have very high expectations, and I think all Queenslanders have high expectations that if miners want to mine resources here that they should restore the mines to a rehabilitated state.”

Loading

Ms Palaszczuk said the reform would not hurt resources investment.

On Monday afternoon, Deputy Premier Jackie Trad said the government had consulted with a range of stakeholders and found the “right balance”.

“There’s been some concessions by all stakeholders, and what we have done is we have unashamedly put Queensland taxpayers ahead of any sectional interests,” she said.

“Queensland taxpayers will no longer be left footing the bill for abandoned mines in this state.”

Ms Trad said the bill would establish a financial badurance scheme.

“[It] will make sure Queensland taxpayers don’t pay for mines that go bust and leave rehabilitation to Queenslanders to fix up,” she said.

“We’re improving the rehabilitation policy in this state to make sure that mines are rehabilitating as they go and that before they close they have a closure plan in place.

“This is so we don’t continue the legacy of what we currently have to deal with, which is essentially thousands of abandoned mines throughout our state.”

Ms Trad said the laws would not be applied retrospectively.

“That has been a commitment that has been rock solid, made public to the resources sector from the outset,” she said.

“If a mine has a current environmental approval, that environmental approval stands.”

On Friday, the QRC and frequent rival, the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union, joined forces to oppose the government’s amendments, writing to cabinet members arguing the bill should be split and aspects delayed until 2019.

The reforms came after it was revealed taxpayers may have to pay up to $40 million in clean-up costs after the collapse of Clive Palmer’s Queensland Nickel refinery in Townsville.

Australian Marine Conservation Society Queensland president Nick Heath said the mining industry should pay the full cost to rehabilitate mine sites.

“They claim to be providing benefits to the community, well if so, why can’t they pay to fix up their mess and pay to rehabilitate their land rather than leaving these eyesores and very high risk sources of pollution to the Great Barrier Reef,” he said.