Govt releases draft Bill to enable A$35bn WPA resources development
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The federal government this week released draft legislation to enable the development of some A$35-billion worth of mineral resources in the Woomera prohibited area (WPA), in South Australia.
The Defence Legislation Amendment Bill provided a framework to regulate access to the area, including the development of significant mineral resources.
Defence Minister Stephen Smith and Resources and Energy Minister Gary Gray said the draft legislation implemented the recommendations of the 'Final Report of the Review of the WPA' and provided greater certainty for the resources sector and clarified user access arrangements.
Gray said the legislation contained provisions relating to user access rights, an access permit scheme, compensation and cost recovery arrangements, enforcement provisions and appeals processes.
“The draft legislation recognises the needs of users in the WPA, including for defence purposes, resource and logistics companies, pastoralists, indigenous groups, the South Australian government and its agencies, environmental groups, tourists, researchers and residents of the WPA and surrounding areas.”
Consistent with the WPA review, the Department of Defence remained the primary user of the WPA, which provided an essential capability for defence testing and evaluation.
The Minister said the government intended to introduce the Bill to Parliament later this month.
The associated rules, which would be jointly agreed by both Ministers, will be released for public consultation following the Bill’s introduction.
The introduction of legislation is a significant milestone in the development of a workable access regime for the WPA.
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