Small-scale miners in Queensland will continue to operate mining claims as a package of recommendations to assist miners has been put forward.
Resources Minister Scott Stewart said mining claims would remain subject to Queensland’s mining regulations, and the moratorium on new claims would terminate on 24 November as planned.
“The 12-month moratorium has served its purpose and allowed government to talk to communities, landholders and small-scale miners about the best way forward. I would particularly like to acknowledge the valuable contribution that Mayor Kerry Hayes and the Central Highlands Regional Council have made through this process,” Minister Stewart stated.
According to Minister Stewart, they’re putting together a list of potential adjustments based on the discussions over the past 12 months.
“Queensland has a long history of small-scale mining, particularly for opals, sapphires, and other gemstones in central and western Queensland,” the Minister added.
Minister Stewart said the suggestions seek to support local miners while benefiting everyone involved in small-scale mining, including landowners, local communities, and local businesses.
“The proposed changes also aim to address issues for local communities, such as claim holders building permanent structures and living on claims rather than mining them and holders abandoning sites, leaving them for the taxpayer to clean up,” the Minister stated.
The proposed revisions can be found in the discussion document that was recently posted.
The discussion paper also seeks feedback on how a transition would affect miners who already have mining claims.
Queensland has around 200 mining claims, the majority of which are for manual mining and roughly 14 per cent for mechanised mining. The Central Queensland gemfields account for approximately 80 per cent of all claims.
The Queensland Government has also been collaborating with the Central Highlands Regional Council on a collaborative planning study for the Gemfields region over the last year.
The consultation period for the discussion paper is open through 24 February.
