Dr Anthony Lynham, Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy has introduced legislation to Parliament to establish an independent safety and health regulatory body funded by a levy on Queensland resources companies.
The UDIA is the peak body for all urban development related issues in Queensland and aims to support the development industry in creating world class communities.
The purpose of the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Qld) (EP Act) is to protect Queensland’s environment and prevent environmental harm. The duties and obligations imposed by the EP Act are significant, and liability for non-compliance attaches to a broad range of potential offenders.
Issues raised in a recently filed class action by Opal Tower residents have highlighted risks for governments and statutory authorities with regards to Public-Private Partnership (PPP) developments.
All Queenslanders have an obligation to manage biosecurity risks under the Biosecurity Act 2014 (Act).
In a split judgment 2:1, the Court of Appeal has confirmed the Planning and Environment Court’s decision that a local government’s planning scheme can make clearing Category X vegetation assessable development. This is despite the Planning Regulation 2017 providing that clearing Category X vegetation is ‘exempt clearing work’.
New reforms to the Mineral and Energy Resources (Common Provisions) Act 2014 have made it clear that Queensland landholders can be reimbursed for out of pocket expenses reasonably and necessarily incurred in preparing and negotiating a conduct and compensation agreement (CCA) regardless of whether an agreement is reached.
A new waste management and resource recovery strategy developed by the Queensland Government will be underpinned by a new waste levy commencing on 1 July 2019. A review of existing waste regulations in Queensland triggered the change to a risk-based approach to managing waste in the State. The Waste Reduction and Recycling (Waste Levy) Amendment Act 2019 (Amending Act) introducing the levy, received royal assent on 21 February 2019 and will amend the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011.
In response to recent fires (in Australia and overseas) linked to combustible cladding materials, new laws will require Queensland building owners to complete a mandatory ‘combustible cladding checklist’.
From 1 July 2018, the Queensland Government is set to increase its additional foreigner acquirer duty rate from 3% to 7%. The rate increase was announced in the mid-year fiscal economic review as part of the response to the 2017/18 budget.
The Planning and Environment Court’s determination in Fairmont Group Pty Ltd v Moreton Bay Regional [2018] QPEC 20, which held that ‘exempt clearing work’ can be made assessable under a planning scheme, is having wide-ranging impacts on all industries including resources, agriculture and development.
Fairmont Group Pty Ltd sought declarations about its right to clear land identified as ‘Category X’ under the Vegetation Management Act 1999 (Qld) (VMA) (land that is not otherwise identified as containing any significant vegetation for the purposes of the VMA).