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This is a Bill, not an Act. For current law, see the Acts databases.


COAL SEAM GAS MORATORIUM BILL 2011





                                 New South Wales




Coal Seam Gas Moratorium Bill 2011


Contents

                                                                                    Page
Part 1         Preliminary
                   1   Name of Act                                                      2
                   2   Commencement                                                     2
                   3   Definitions                                                      2

Part 2         Prohibition on petroleum prospecting and mining
               operations relating to coal seam gas in protected
               area
                   4   Permanent prohibition on petroleum prospecting and mining
                       operations relating to coal seam gas in protected area           4
                   5   Cancellation of certain petroleum titles relating to coal seam
                       gas in protected area                                            4
                   6   Permanent prohibition on grant of petroleum titles relating to
                       coal seam gas in protected area                                  4
                   7   Permanent prohibition on renewal of certain petroleum titles
                       relating to coal seam gas in protected area                      4

b2011-054-11.d20
Coal Seam Gas Moratorium Bill 2011

Contents

                                                                            Page
Part 3      Moratorium on petroleum prospecting and mining
            operations relating to coal seam gas outside
            protected area
              8    Moratorium on petroleum prospecting and mining operations
                   relating to coal seam gas outside protected area             5
              9    Suspension of certain petroleum titles relating to coal seam
                   gas outside protected area                                   5
             10    Moratorium on grant of certain petroleum titles relating to
                   coal seam gas outside protected area                         5

Part 4       Miscellaneous
             11    Operation of Act                                            6
             12    Proceedings for offences                                    6




Contents page 2
                            New South Wales




Coal Seam Gas Moratorium Bill 2011
No     , 2011


A Bill for

An Act to impose a moratorium on the granting of exploration licences for, and the
production of, coal seam gas; and for other purposes.
Clause 1          Coal Seam Gas Moratorium Bill 2011

Part 1            Preliminary




The Legislature of New South Wales enacts:                                                 1


Part 1         Preliminary                                                                 2

  1      Name of Act                                                                       3

               This Act is the Coal Seam Gas Moratorium Act 2011.                          4

  2      Commencement                                                                      5

               This Act commences on the date of assent to this Act.                       6

  3      Definitions                                                                       7

         (1)   In this Act:                                                                8
               moratorium period means the 12-month period commencing on the               9
               date of assent to this Act.                                                10
               petroleum title relating to coal seam gas means any of the following:      11
                (a) an exploration licence under the Petroleum (Onshore) Act 1991         12
                      granting the holder the exclusive right to prospect for coal seam   13
                      gas on the land comprised in the licence,                           14
               (b) an assessment lease under that Act granting the holder the             15
                      exclusive right to prospect for coal seam gas and to assess any     16
                      coal seam gas deposit on the land comprised in the lease,           17
                (c) a production lease under that Act granting the holder the             18
                      exclusive right to conduct petroleum mining operations for coal     19
                      seam gas in and on the land included in the lease,                  20
               (d) a special prospecting authority under that Act granting the holder     21
                      the exclusive right to conduct speculative geological,              22
                      geophysical or geochemical surveys or scientific investigations     23
                      in relation to coal seam gas on and in respect of the land          24
                      comprised in the authority.                                         25
               protected area means:                                                      26
                (a) an area of land declared to be a special area under section 44 of     27
                      the Sydney Water Catchment Management Act 1998, and                 28
               (b) the Sydney metropolitan region.                                        29
               Sydney metropolitan region means the local government areas of City        30
               of Sydney, Ashfield, Auburn, Bankstown, Blacktown, Blue Mountains,         31
               Botany Bay, Burwood, Camden, Campbelltown, Canada Bay,                     32
               Canterbury, Fairfield, Hawkesbury, Holroyd, Hornsby, Hunters Hill,         33
               Hurstville, Kogarah, Ku-ring-gai, Lane Cove, Leichhardt, Liverpool,        34
               Manly, Marrickville, Mosman, North Sydney, Parramatta, Penrith,            35
               Pittwater, Randwick, Rockdale, Ryde, Strathfield, Sutherland Shire,        36




Page 2
Coal Seam Gas Moratorium Bill 2011                                  Clause 3

Preliminary                                                         Part 1




              The Hills Shire, Warringah, Waverley, Willoughby, Wollondilly and     1
              Woollahra.                                                            2

       (2)    Words and expressions used in this Act, that are defined in the       3
              Petroleum (Onshore) Act 1991, have the same meaning as in that Act.   4




                                                                         Page 3
Clause 4          Coal Seam Gas Moratorium Bill 2011

Part 2            Prohibition on petroleum prospecting and mining operations relating to coal
                  seam gas in protected area



Part 2         Prohibition on petroleum prospecting and                                          1
               mining operations relating to coal seam gas in                                    2
               protected area                                                                    3

  4      Permanent prohibition on petroleum prospecting and mining operations                    4
         relating to coal seam gas in protected area                                             5

         (1)   A person must not conduct any petroleum prospecting or petroleum                  6
               mining operations relating to coal seam gas in relation to land in the            7
               protected area.                                                                   8
               Maximum penalty: 200 penalty units or imprisonment for 2 years, or                9
               both.                                                                            10

         (2)   This section applies whether or not the person holds any petroleum title         11
               relating to coal seam gas.                                                       12

  5      Cancellation of certain petroleum titles relating to coal seam gas in                  13
         protected area                                                                         14

               On and from the commencement of this Act:                                        15
               (a) any petroleum title relating to coal seam gas that is in force solely        16
                    in relation to land in the protected area is cancelled and ceases to        17
                    have effect, and                                                            18
               (b) any petroleum title relating to coal seam gas that is in force in            19
                    relation to land that includes land in the protected area ceases to         20
                    have effect in relation to that part of the land that is in the             21
                    protected area.                                                             22

  6      Permanent prohibition on grant of petroleum titles relating to coal seam               23
         gas in protected area                                                                  24

               The Minister administering the Petroleum (Onshore) Act 1991 must not             25
               grant any petroleum title relating to coal seam gas in relation to land in       26
               the protected area.                                                              27

  7      Permanent prohibition on renewal of certain petroleum titles relating to               28
         coal seam gas in protected area                                                        29

               The Minister administering the Petroleum (Onshore) Act 1991 must not             30
               renew any petroleum title relating to coal seam gas in relation to land in       31
               the protected area.                                                              32




Page 4
Coal Seam Gas Moratorium Bill 2011                                           Clause 8

Moratorium on petroleum prospecting and mining operations relating to coal   Part 3
seam gas outside protected area



Part 3        Moratorium on petroleum prospecting and                                        1
              mining operations relating to coal seam gas                                    2
              outside protected area                                                         3

  8    Moratorium on petroleum prospecting and mining operations relating to                 4
       coal seam gas outside protected area                                                  5

       (1)    A person must not, during the moratorium period, conduct any                   6
              petroleum prospecting or petroleum mining operations relating to coal          7
              seam gas in relation to land outside the protected area.                       8
              Maximum penalty: 200 penalty units or imprisonment for 2 years, or             9
              both.                                                                         10

       (2)    This section applies whether or not the person holds any petroleum title      11
              relating to coal seam gas. However, it does not prohibit a person from        12
              conducting petroleum mining operations that are authorised by a               13
              production lease relating to coal seam gas in force immediately before        14
              the commencement of this Act.                                                 15

  9    Suspension of certain petroleum titles relating to coal seam gas outside             16
       protected area                                                                       17

              On and from the commencement of this Act:                                     18
              (a) any petroleum title (other than a production lease) relating to coal      19
                   seam gas that is in force solely in relation to land that is outside     20
                   the protected area is suspended until the end of the moratorium          21
                   period, and                                                              22
              (b) any petroleum title (other than a production lease) relating to coal      23
                   seam gas that is in force in relation to land that is outside the        24
                   protected area ceases to have effect until the end of the                25
                   moratorium period in relation to that part of the land that is           26
                   outside the protected area.                                              27

10     Moratorium on grant of certain petroleum titles relating to coal seam gas            28
       outside protected area                                                               29

              The Minister administering the Petroleum (Onshore) Act 1991 must              30
              not, during the moratorium period, grant or renew any petroleum title         31
              relating to coal seam gas in relation to land that is outside the protected   32
              area.                                                                         33




                                                                                  Page 5
Clause 11        Coal Seam Gas Moratorium Bill 2011

Part 4           Miscellaneous




Part 4        Miscellaneous                                                       1

11       Operation of Act                                                         2

              This Act operates despite any authorisation or approval under the   3
              Petroleum (Onshore) Act 1991.                                       4

12       Proceedings for offences                                                 5

              Proceedings for an offence against this Act are to be dealt with    6
              summarily before the Local Court.                                   7




Page 6


 


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