Strong and Sustainable Resource Communities Bill 2016 (Qld)

An Act to provide for matters that will benefit residents of communities in the vicinity of large resource projects during their operation, and to amend this Act, the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 and the Mineral Resources Act 1989 for particular purposes The Parliament of Queensland enacts—

Part 1 Preliminary

1 Short title This Act may be cited as the Strong and Sustainable Resource Communities Act 2016 .

2 Commencement This Act, other than part 3, division 3, commences on a day to be fixed by proclamation.

3 Object of Act (1) The object of this Act is to ensure that residents of communities in the vicinity of large resource projects benefit from the operation of the projects. (2) The object is mainly achieved by requiring the owners of, or proponents for, large resource projects— (a) to prepare a social impact assessment for the projects; and (b) to employ people from nearby regional communities; and (c) not to discriminate against residents from nearby regional communities when employing for the projects.

4 Act binds all persons (1) This Act binds all persons, including the State. (2) However, nothing in this Act makes the State liable to be prosecuted for an offence.

5 Definitions The dictionary in schedule 1 defines particular words used in this Act.

Part 2 Provisions for the benefit of residents of communities in the vicinity of large resource projects

6 Prohibition on 100% fly-in fly-out workers for large resource projects (1) This section applies to the owner of a large resource project that has a nearby regional community for which either of the following happens— (a) a proponent makes a public notification about the draft EIS for the project under the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971, section 33(1); (b) a proponent publishes an EIS notice for the project under the Environmental Protection Act 1994, section 51(2)(b). (2) The owner must not employ a workforce for the operational phase of the project that comprises 100% of workers who are fly-in fly-out workers. (3) The owner is taken to contravene subsection (2) whether it is the owner, a related body corporate of the owner, or an agent of the owner or related body corporate, that employs the workforce for the project.