The Northern Territory Government has passed reforms to the Environment Protection Act 2019, strengthening the territory’s environmental regulation and management of mining activities.
The Environmental Protection Legislation Amendment (Mining) Bill 2023 reforms include:
- a new three-tier risk-based licencing system to manage mining activities
- extending existing compliance and enforcement powers under the Environmental Protection Act
- providing for incorporation of impacts previously managed through multiple regulatory approvals, under the one overarching environmental mining licence.
“These reforms ensure we have streamlined environmental assessments system that will give greater certainty to the mining industry and streamline processes to faster approvals,” NT Mining and Industry Minister Nicole Manison said.
“These changes will help make the Northern Territory a more attractive place for mining investment with a modernised environmental system. These changes mean Territorians can have confidence that mining can take place in a sustainable way with strong environmental protections in place.”
To coincide with the Environmental Protection Legislation Amendment (Mining) Bill 2023 passing, the NT Government also passed the Legacy Mines Remediation Bill 2023.
The Legacy Mines Remediation Bill 2023 will provide a new regulatory framework for the Mining Remediation Fund and the payment of the mining remediation levy to underpin the NT Government’s commitment to the remediation of legacy mines.
“Mining needs to be sustainable and ecologically viable. These reforms will give the industry more certainty around what their environmental responsibilities are,” NT Environment, Climate Change and Water Security Minister Kate Worden said.
“The new legislative framework will increase transparency and accountability of the regulator and mining operators, delivering stronger environmental outcomes in the regulation of mining activities.”
With both bills passed, the NT now has the most contemporary environmental framework for mine management and legacy mines in Australia.
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