The Northern Territory government is proposing to completely overhaul how the law deals with the environmental impacts of mining in the Territory. There are currently two Bills before the Territory Parliament, the Environment Protection Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 (EP Mining Bill) and the Legacy Mines Remediation Bill 2023 (Legacy Mines Bill) which are scheduled for debate in the 28-30 November Parliament sittings.
Whilst the Bills include some changes in response to stakeholder feedback, including the EDO submissions on the Exposure Drafts, the EDO remains concerned that key issues have not been dealt with in the Bills. This Briefing Note and the supporting Appendix summarise key issues with the Bills and suggest changes which can be made to ensure the new scheme is fit-for-purpose.
