DESPITE a welter of new regulations to better balance competing land uses from mining, farming and conservation, one of the biggest looming threats to prime farmland appears to have slipped the net.
Resources and Energy Minister Anthony Roberts responded to critics of the state's mining and coal seam gas (CSG) regulations with a broad program of reform, which passed into law last week.
The strategic release framework is designed to provide upfront assessment of existing land uses before country is opened up for resources exploration.
Land access laws are also got a shakeup.
"The (laws) provide clearer guidance for communities and industry, help reduce land use conflict, provide upfront community consultation and better recognition of the true value of resources," Mr Roberts said.
However, BHP Billiton's controversial plan to longwall mine coal from underneath the prime farmland on the Liverpool Plains at Caroona would continue, even under the government's new regulations.
The miner, which confirmed this week its project is still on the agenda, has already secured an exploration licence and is working away at an environmental impact statement.
"I do not support any mining on the black soil of the Liverpool Plains and certainly what we saw out of the PAC, they have said the government also needs to look at additional protections in terms of the black soil on the Liverpool Plains," Mr Baird said.
The PAC repeatedly advised government to ban mining on black soil, in its reports on the Shenhua Watermark coal mine, located up the road from Caroona at Breeza.
"I've spoken to the Planning Minister about it and we'll be responding to that (the PAC's recommendations)," Mr Baird said.
Mr Baird's office did not respond to inquiry about what work had been done to fulfill his election promise and directed the inquiry to Planning Minister Rob Stokes.
A spokesman for Mr Stokes said the government is developing new regulations to remove land use conflicts.
"For example, a Strategic Release Framework is being implemented to ensure the presence of strategic agricultural land is considered before any new exploration licences are issued," the spokesman said.
"Strategic agricultural land is also a matter for consideration in the assessment process."
The new regulations might block mining on black soil down the track, but it would appear no new powers are brought to bear on BHP at Caroona.
Mike Foley
Senior journalist for The Land.
Senior journalist for The Land.
