Moves by the State Government to scrap the “600 metre rule” will significantly erode Landholder rights.  The 600 metre rule requires a Landholder to consent to any preliminary activities such as environmental and cultural heritage surveys for proposed CSG activity within 600 metres of a Landholder’s residence. The State Government is currently consulting on a discussion paper it released which proposes to scrap the “600 metre rule.”  The proposal aims to instead introduce a mandatory 200 metre buffer around residences.

Landholders should be very wary of the proposal.  The current requirement to obtain Landholder’s consent before undertaking survey work within 600 metres of a Landholder’s residence is an appropriate safeguard to ensure that Landholders can have a say about where CSG wells and pipelines are located on their
property.  Currently landholders cannot prevent CSG development occurring on most of their land.  Under this change they will not be able to prevent it 200m from their house.  The reform removes one of the very few protections that landholders can control.

P&E Law presented a submission to the State government opposing the changes.

This information provides advice of a general nature only and should not be relied upon as legal advice.

Published 15 April 2014.