Land and Other Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2023
Bill Story
The journey of this bill through Parliament, including debate and recorded votes.
Referred to Transport and Resources Committee
Vote on a motion
Division appears unrelated to this section content; section contains only a Speaker's ruling on procedural matters and document tabling
The motion was agreed to.
A formal vote on whether to accept a proposal — this could be the bill itself, an amendment, or another motion.
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Ayes (50)
Noes (34)
▸14 members spoke9 support5 mixed
Supported some aspects of the bill such as pastoral lease diversification and mandatory resource company rate payments, but opposed the Place Names Act amendments, arguing they reduce consultation time and enable divisive name changes.
“We will be opposing the clauses in this bill that amend the Place Names Act.”— 2024-04-16View Hansard
As Minister for Resources and Critical Minerals, moved the second reading and outlined how the bill modernises Queensland's land administration framework, supports trustees of reserves, and ensures resource companies pay local government rates.
“This bill updates the Queensland state land administration framework under the Land Act 1994 so that it is contemporary and responsive to meet the emerging needs of Queenslanders.”— 2024-03-21View Hansard
Strongly supported the bill, particularly the Place Names Act amendments, citing examples of offensive place names like 'Black Gin Creek' that memorialise violence against Aboriginal women and need to be changed.
“I think everybody in this House agrees that some of these very offensive and racist placenames represent a certain time in history and a culture that should not be of this time.”— 2024-04-16View Hansard
Supports many elements of the bill including farm-based tourism provisions, coffee carts at community parks, and mandatory payment of local government rates by resource companies, but has significant concerns about lack of consultation and opposes the Place Names Act amendments which reduce consultation periods and politicise the Public Service.
“I will not be supporting the amendments relating to place names, and I call on all members to ensure Queenslanders are heard by doing the same.”— 2024-03-21View Hansard
Supported the bill, particularly the provisions enabling more flexible use of state land, citing the example of Goora Gan Steiner School securing tenure at the Agnes Water surf club building.
“It is a real pleasure to work in a bipartisan way in this place to achieve positive outcomes through legislative reform.”— 2024-04-16View Hansard
As former chair of the Transport and Resources Committee, supports the bill as it reduces administrative complexity, removes regulatory duplication, and ensures resource companies meet their obligations to pay local government rates and charges.
“This bill will cut red tape by reducing duplication in existing decision-making around land use.”— 2024-03-21View Hansard
Supported the bill as a former planner, highlighting the importance of removing offensive place names, enabling reserve flexibility, and linking resource authority renewal to rate payment compliance.
“If you do not pay your rates, you should not have the authority to mine or have that resource authority in Queensland.”— 2024-04-16View Hansard
Supports the need for resource companies to pay local government rates, noting the Quilpie Shire Council example of $6.3 million in arrears, but raises concerns about the Place Names Act amendments and the significant costs of name changes to councils and communities.
“That is clearly unacceptable. For a small shire like Quilpie, with a very poor rate base, that is clearly unacceptable and something needs to happen.”— 2024-03-21View Hansard
Supported some name changes and resource rate payment provisions in principle, but criticised the government for poor consultation and warned about sovereign risk concerns raised by the Queensland Resources Council.
“It should not be done at the whim of a bureaucrat or at the whim of a minister. It should be done with the local community's consultation, support and understanding.”— 2024-04-16View Hansard
Supports the bill's amendments to reduce administrative complexity, remove regulatory duplication, and mandate payment of local government rates by resource authority holders.
“The bill will reduce the regulatory burden associated with the naming of a place and will make the decision-making process more inclusive, flexible, objective and transparent.”— 2024-03-21View Hansard
Supported the bill, highlighting the benefits of more flexible reserve use for community groups and the mandatory payment of local government rates by resource companies.
“If resource companies have not been paying local government rates to the communities they are operating in, this can now be taken into consideration if they make other applications for further mining.”— 2024-04-16View Hansard
Did not oppose the bill but expressed concern about the broadened powers being used to hand public land to corporations like Star Entertainment. Supported the place naming amendments and mandatory resource company rates but argued gas royalties should also be tripled.
“I do not trust in this government, and certainly not those on the opposition benches, to protect and promote the use of public land for purposes that genuinely enrich our local communities.”— 2024-04-16View Hansard
Supported the bill, highlighting the need to change offensive placenames and commending the government's efforts since 2015 to change 15 offensive names across Queensland.
“I had a look at the list of those placenames and, frankly, they were really quite disturbing. It is disturbing that they have remained in place until recently.”— 2024-04-16View Hansard
As minister, delivered the reply speech supporting the bill and tabled a list of 41 offensive placenames to be changed. Emphasised the bill's benefits for local government trustees and resource company rate compliance.
“There are 16 'Black Gin Creeks' that we want to change and there are seven 'Gin Creeks' that we want to change as well as various other names right across regional Queensland.”— 2024-04-16View Hansard
Plain English Summary
Overview
This bill makes wide-ranging changes to how Queensland manages state land, names places, and ensures resource companies pay their local council rates. It streamlines land administration by removing duplicate assessments, makes it easier to change offensive place names and recognise First Nations names, and gives local governments stronger tools to collect rates from petroleum, geothermal, and greenhouse gas companies.
Who it affects
Local councils in resource regions gain stronger rate collection powers. Trustees of state land get more autonomy and pathways to freehold. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities benefit from faster recognition of First Nations place names. Businesses affected by place name changes get transition periods of up to 10 years.
State land administration
The bill removes the requirement for the Department of Resources to assess the 'most appropriate use' of land before allocating tenure, as this duplicates assessments done under the Planning Act. It also allows operational reserves and non-Indigenous deeds of grant in trust to be converted to freehold, and gives trustees more autonomy to use land for purposes beyond the original dedication.
- Removes duplicate 'most appropriate use' assessment, relying on planning framework instead
- Creates pathway for trustees to convert operational reserves and deeds of grant in trust to freehold
- Allows State and statutory body trustees to take actions inconsistent with trust purposes without ministerial approval, if they prepare a management plan
- Removes restrictions preventing grazing leases on conservation land from having additional purposes approved
Place naming reform
The bill modernises Queensland's place naming processes to enable faster removal of offensive or harmful names and better recognition of First Nations place names. It reduces consultation periods, allows Path to Treaty outcomes to inform naming decisions, and provides legal certainty that place name changes don't affect rights under other laws.
- Reduces minimum public consultation period from 2 months to 1 month
- Enables offensive or harmful place names to be removed without extended public consultation
- Allows Path to Treaty outcomes and prior consultation by other authorities to satisfy consultation requirements
- Provides transition periods of up to 5 years (extendable to 10) for businesses to adjust to name changes
- Confirms place name changes don't affect legal rights, contracts, or court proceedings
Resource authority rates compliance
The bill mandates that holders of petroleum, geothermal, and greenhouse gas storage resource authorities must pay their local government rates and charges. This extends requirements that already applied to mining leases under the Mineral Resources Act across all resource sectors, helping regional councils recover unpaid rates.
- Makes payment of local government rates a mandatory condition of petroleum, geothermal, and greenhouse gas storage resource authorities
- Allows the Minister to use security deposits held by the State to pay unpaid rates
- Enables the Minister to consider unpaid rates when deciding renewal applications
- Applies to existing resource authorities, not just new ones
Recreation area renaming
The bill enables recreation areas to be renamed by regulation, supporting the renaming of the Fraser Island Recreation Area to align with the official name change to K'gari.
- Allows recreation area names to be changed by regulation
- Supports alignment with official place name changes like K'gari