SMH: New South Wales freezes coal and gas exploration licences

The state of New South Wales in Australia announced on Friday a 60-day freeze on new exploration licences for coal, coal seam gas and petroleum in a push to resolve the escalating conflict between farmers, miners and conservationists over land use.

The need for a moratorium was questioned by the state’s mining industry, which said billions of dollars in investment were at stake, but it said it broadly supported the development of a new approach to avoid conflict over valuable land.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports:

“Under transitional arrangements, exploration licence applications after the moratorium will need to be exhibited for public comment for the first time and applications for extraction licences must be accompanied by an agricultural impact statement.”