Resources and Energy Minister Chris Hartcher said the moratorium had allowed for new provisions which would oversee all new coal and coal seam gas applications state wide.
Included under the O’Farrell government’s agenda will be greater public consultation, heavy environmental requirements and an extension of a ban on hydraulic fracturing until the end of the year.
As of tomorrow all new coal and coal seam gas exploration licence applications in NSW will not be able to use evaporative ponds relating to coal seam gas.
Applicants proposing to extract more than 3 megalitres per year from groundwater sources will be required to hold a water access licence.
The moratorium on fraccing has been extended until 31 December this year.
Hartcher said the new provisions were a result of acting on widespread community concern over the actions of coal and coal seam gas developments.
“During our consultation period, the community expressed a number of concerns and we’ve listened,” he said.
Hartcher said the rules aimed to strike a balance between mining and ongoing competing land use issues.
“We understand there needs to be a balance between agriculture land and mining and we are determined to get that balance right,” he said.
All new mining and petroleum applications will need to submit an agriculture impact statement.
Plans are also underway to increase public accessibility to details of coal licence approvals and conditions documents via a new online resource.
Hartcher said the increased level of public access to documents would be ‘unprecedented’
“These communities cannot be expected to come to an informed conclusion about exploration and mining activities unless they have access to accurate scientific facts and information,” he said.
“It’s only fair that communities have access to as much information surrounding the approvals and conditions process as possible.
The NSW Minerals Council said it welcomed the government’s decision to share more information with the community.
NSW Minerals Council CEO Nikki Williams labelled the move to increase public awareness as “a fresh approach”
“The minerals industry is not afraid of transparency,” she said.
“It is the right that the community should be consulted before an exploration licence is granted and we commend the NSW for its fresh approach and plans to make information about exploration more accessible online.”
Under the changes, the government is also considering creating stricter protocols for the review of environmental factors process.
The new conditions for all coal and coal seam gas applications will be applied under the Division of Resources and Energy.
