NSW farmers withdraw from land access agreement template

New South Wales Farmers has withdrawn support for a joint template Land Access Arrangement for Minerals Exploration, effectively ending over 18 months of negotiations with the NSW Minerals Council.

The template was launched in 2010 to assist in successful negotiations between industry employers and landowners to establish land access agreements for exploration activities.

According to NSW Farmers president Fiona Simson, the decision follows allegations that one company had amended the template content before consulting with either the NSW Minerals Council or NSW Farmers.

“It is unfortunate that we have to withdraw endorsement for the template, but the protection of our members’ rights is of paramount importance to us and this was the only option available to us,” Ms Simson said.

“We realise the offending company is not indicative of all mining companies, but we are not being knee-jerk, rather just taking precautionary action.”

The NSW Minerals Council released a statement expressing disappointing in the NSW Farmers’ decision, noting it will cause ‘uncertainty in many regional communities for both farmers and miners’.