Ellis Mining amendments success in Upper House for likely death knell in Lower House

The successful passage of clause amendments to the Statutes Amendment (Energy and Mining Reforms) Bill in the Upper House yesterday is reportedly likely to lead to the Government pulling the Bill entirely in the Lower House either today or tomorrow.

Two of the clause amendments were first proposed by the Member for Narungga Fraser Ellis in the Lower House on 12 November, and whilst they were lost there on a 13-21 vote he is very pleased the Upper House adopted them successfully.

“I am pleased that the Upper House adopted my amendments and am glad that the Minister is likely to now pull the Bill in its current form”, Mr Ellis said.

“The Bill being pulled means farmers dealing with mining companies know they will not be subject to indefinite extension of the exploration licence. This will limit the business uncertainty and real personal stress they are experiencing and not face any possibility of exploration licences being extended very five years for another five years”, Mr Ellis said.  

“I was compelled to fight against the legislation changes put by the government, that provide absolute discretion capacity to any Minister for Mining to extend exploration licences as he or she see fit, and also remain so very disappointed that no recommendations from the multi-partisan Land Access Select Committee report done four years ago with extensive community input made it into the reform presented.

“This hurdle for the government now provides an opportunity for this oversight to be corrected.

“Any reform process cannot primarily be to facilitate new mining activity and ignore South Australia’s agricultural industry”, Mr Ellis said.