The Bill rests on a small set of statutory concepts introduced or clarified by new and amended provisions in the Coroners Act 2003. These concepts and their statutory anchors are:

• Mining related reportable death (new s 11AAA(3)): a compound concept. It requires that (i) the death already be a reportable death under s 8(3)(b) of the Coroners Act (s 11AAA(3)(a)); (ii) the person dies after receiving a "mining related injury" that caused the death or contributed to it such that without it the person would not have died (s 11AAA(3)(b)); (iii) the injury was received at a coal mine, a mine, or at/in a petroleum and gas site, or during specified activities (s 11AAA(3)(c)); and (iv) the injury was not intentionally self‑inflicted (s 11AAA(3)(d)).

• Mining related injury (new s 11AAA(4)): defined by reference to the source of the injury. The statutory list is explicit: (a) coal mining operations under the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999, schedule 3; (b) operations under the Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act 1999, s 10; (c) data acquisition activities; (d) petroleum tenure activities; and (e) water monitoring activities (s 11AAA(4)). Several of these terms are themselves statutorily defined or sourced to other Acts, which the Bill incorporates by cross‑reference (s 11AAA(5)).

• Coal mine, mine, petroleum and gas site and related terms (new s 11AAA(5)): the Bill supplies working definitions, including that a "coal mine" means a coal mine within the meaning of the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999, s 9, save for certain excluded places, and that a "petroleum and gas site" includes specified lawful or unlawful places where petroleum activities take place and associated administrative or accommodation buildings (s 11AAA(5), paragraphs and subparagraphs).

• Allocation and priority rule (new s 11AAA(1)-(2)): the Bill establishes a categorical investigatory assignment. A mining related reportable death "must be investigated" by the Mining and Resources Coroner, or, if unavailable, by another coroner directed by the State Coroner (s 11AAA(1)). The provision expressly overrides the general provision in s 11(2) (s 11AAA(2)).

• Mining and Resources Coroner (new s 82A): the role is statutory. The Governor in Council appoints "a local coroner as the Mining and Resources Coroner" (s 82A(1)). The Minister must consult the Chief Magistrate and State Coroner prior to making a recommendation for appointment (s 82A(2)). The role's functions and powers include those of a magistrate/coroner and any conferred under this or another Act (s 82A(3)). Resignation, cessation conditions and the connection to Magistrates Act 1991 duties are specified (s 82A(4)-(7)).

• Mandatory inquest inclusion (amendment to s 27(1)(a)): the list of matters for which an inquest "must" be held now includes a mining related reportable death (s 27(1)(a)(iv)). This ties the allocation rule to an obligation to hold an inquest unless other statutory exceptions apply.

• Findings and reporting (new s 47A): findings and comments made in relation to a mining related reportable death must be provided in writing to the Attorney‑General, the CEO under the Resources Safety and Health Queensland Act 2020, and the Minister administering that Act (s 47A(1)-(2)). This links coronial outputs to specific executive and regulatory recipients.

• Transitional mechanics (ss 118-119): the Bill specifies temporal operation of the new rules. Section 118 makes the amendments apply to mining related reportable deaths that happen after commencement, regardless of when the injury occurred. Section 119 prescribes what happens to pre‑commencement mining deaths where investigations are unfinished: reassignment to the Mining and Resources Coroner, application of the amended Act as if the death were a mining related reportable death, preservation of prior State Coroner or District Court orders under s 30, and a mechanism for the Mining and Resources Coroner to decline to hold an inquest if not in the public interest, with consultation and consideration duties in s 119(5)-(6).

Other drafting changes include pluralising certain references to "a Deputy" (eg, s 71(1)(e), s 78, s 79) and clarifying when preliminary examinations may be conducted (amendment to s 11AA(1) text), and renaming and defining "pre‑inquest conference" in Schedule 1 (Schedule 1, items 3 and 7).

These concepts construct a dedicated statutory channel for mining‑related deaths that both centralises investigatory responsibility in a named coroner and formalises the delivery of coronial findings to safety regulators and executive offices.

The Bill changes who undertakes coronial investigations in a defined category of deaths and who receives coronial findings in those matters. The direct legal actors affected are:

• The Mining and Resources Coroner: a local coroner appointed by the Governor in Council under new s 82A(1). The Minister must consult the Chief Magistrate and the State Coroner before recommending appointment (s 82A(2)). The Mining and Resources Coroner will hold investigatory responsibility for the class of deaths defined in s 11AAA(3) and may be required to conduct inquests under amended s 27(1)(a)(iv).

• The State Coroner and Deputy State Coroners: the State Coroner retains supervisory and direction powers, including directing another coroner to investigate if the Mining and Resources Coroner is unavailable (s 11AAA(1)(b)). The Bill also amends multiple provisions to recognise plural Deputy State Coroners (eg, s 71, s 78), affecting appointment and acting arrangements.

• Magistrates: the Mining and Resources Coroner must be a local coroner (a magistrate). The Bill ties the MR Coroner’s duties into the Magistrates Act 1991 by reference; for a magistrate who is the Mining and Resources Coroner, the duties of office under Magistrates Act 1991, s 43(4) include MR Coroner duties (s 82A(7)). Resignation as MR Coroner does not affect the person’s status as a magistrate (s 82A(4)-(5)), and cessation provisions apply if a person is suspended or stops being a magistrate (s 82A(6)).

• Persons and organisations operating in coal mining, mining and quarrying, petroleum and gas activities, data acquisition and water monitoring: the definition of mining related reportable death (s 11AAA(3)-(5)) ties the new coroner role to injuries arising from activities regulated under the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999, the Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act 1999, the Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004 and the Petroleum Act 1923. Employers, operators, tenure holders, contractors and service providers who operate in these regulated fields will therefore be subject to a specific coronial investigatory channel when a death falls within the defined scope.

• Workers and families: individuals who suffer a mining related injury and families of deceased persons are affected operationally. For pre‑commencement deaths reassigned under s 119(2), the Mining and Resources Coroner must consult with and consider the views of a family member if deciding not to hold an inquest (s 119(6)(a)). The mandatory written forwarding of coronial findings (new s 47A) means families may see their case’s findings conveyed to executive and regulatory offices as a prescribed matter of course.

• The Attorney‑General, the CEO under Resources Safety and Health Queensland Act 2020, and the Minister administering that Act: each is a required recipient of coronial findings and comments for mining related reportable deaths (new s 47A(2)(a)-(c)). That creates a statutory reporting pathway from the coronial system directly into the executive and the mining safety regulator.

• The Governor in Council and Minister: the Governor in Council makes the appointment (s 82A(1)), but the Minister has a consultative duty to consult the Chief Magistrate and State Coroner before recommending the appointment (s 82A(2)).

Indirectly affected entities include the Resources Safety and Health Queensland regulator, industry health and safety units, insurers and legal representatives who respond to coronial investigations, and agencies that may need to provide information to coroners. The Bill does not create new private‑law rights or direct duties on employers beyond what pre‑existing reporting and investigative obligations in the Coroners Act or other Acts already impose; rather, it modifies the allocation of investigatory responsibility and reporting recipients.

Financial responsibility for coronial investigations remains with the coronial system as an executive function. The Bill assigns investigatory duty to specific coronial officers (new s 11AAA(1)), which operationally shifts where the State will direct resource and administrative effort in investigating the named category of deaths. The text does not create fee liabilities, new civil liabilities, or criminal offences for industry participants in the provisions presented.

The Bill allocates named duties to coronial officers, sets rights for recipients of findings, and prescribes consultative duties in transitional cases. The key statutory duties and rights are:

• Mandatory investigatory duty for specific deaths: a mining related reportable death "must be investigated" by the Mining and Resources Coroner (new s 11AAA(1)(a)). If the Mining and Resources Coroner is unavailable due to absence or other reason, the State Coroner may direct "another coroner" to investigate (s 11AAA(1)(b)). This creates a primary duty on the coronial office to ensure an investigation is conducted in all cases within the defined class.

• Coroner to provide findings and comments to specified officials: where a coroner makes findings and comments in relation to a mining related reportable death, the coroner must provide a written copy of the findings and comments to the Attorney‑General, the CEO under the Resources Safety and Health Queensland Act 2020 and the Minister administering that Act (new s 47A(1)-(2)). The statutory duty is explicit and prescriptive as to recipients.

• Inquest requirement: s 27(1)(a) is amended to include mining related reportable deaths among the matters where an inquest must be held (s 27(1)(a)(iv)). The addition links the investigatory allocation to a procedural outcome,an inquest,subject to existing coronial exceptions and processes.

• Duty on Minister before appointment: before making a recommendation to the Governor in Council about appointment of the Mining and Resources Coroner, the Minister must consult with the Chief Magistrate and the State Coroner (s 82A(2)). This is an express consultative duty on the Minister.

• Functions and powers of the Mining and Resources Coroner: the role has "the functions and powers of a magistrate and coroner" and the functions and powers of the Mining and Resources Coroner under this or another Act (s 82A(3)). In other words, the MR Coroner exercises the usual coronial authorities plus any additional statutory powers in other legislation.

• Resignation and cessation rules: the Mining and Resources Coroner may resign by written notice to the Minister (s 82A(4)). Resignation does not terminate the person’s status as a magistrate (s 82A(5)). A person stops being the MR Coroner while suspended as a magistrate or if they stop being a magistrate (s 82A(6)). These provisions set rights to resign and conditions for cessation.

• Duties in deciding not to hold an inquest for certain pre‑commencement deaths: in transitional cases where the investigation began before commencement, if the MR Coroner is satisfied it is not in the public interest to hold an inquest, they need not hold one (s 119(5)). Before making that determination the MR Coroner must consult with and consider the views of a family member of the deceased, and consider the length of time since death and when investigation is likely to be completed (s 119(6)(a)-(c)). These are procedural duties that embed consultation and consideration of timeliness into the decision.

• Acting arrangements and administrative duties: the Bill changes various appointment and acting provisions,making wording consistent where references to a Deputy are pluralised, and permitting the Chief Magistrate to appoint a Deputy State Coroner to act as State Coroner (amendment to s 74(6)). These adjustments affect who may perform coronial duties in acting capacities and the administrative steps required.

• Preliminary examinations: s 11AA(1) is amended so that the preliminary examination power is triggered where "a person’s death has been reported to a coroner under section 7" (amendment to s 11AA(1)), clarifying the reporting trigger for preliminary examinations.

Rights arising from the Bill are principally rights to receive information: the Attorney‑General, the CEO and the Minister have a statutory right to receive coronial findings and comments in mining related reportable deaths (new s 47A(2)). Families retain procedural participatory rights in transitional determinations under s 119(6)(a) where the MR Coroner considers not holding an inquest.

No new private enforcement mechanisms or sanctions are created in the Bill text provided. The duties are primarily administrative and procedural obligations within the coronial system and the executive.

The Bill, as presented, does not create new criminal offences, civil penalties or explicit monetary sanctions. Enforcement and compliance rely on the coronial administrative structure and existing statutory powers. Key enforcement mechanisms and limits observed in the text:

• Administrative compulsion by allocation and direction: new s 11AAA(1) compels the Mining and Resources Coroner to investigate a mining related reportable death, and allows the State Coroner to direct another coroner where the Mining and Resources Coroner is unavailable. The mechanism for enforcement of investigatory duties is administrative allocation within the coronial office, rather than a penal sanction against third parties.

• Mandatory transmission of findings: new s 47A(2) obliges the coroner to provide written findings and comments to specified executive and regulatory recipients. The provision creates an administrative reporting duty on coroners, but the Bill does not set out penalties for non‑compliance by a coroner; enforcement would therefore be through the supervisory and administrative machinery of the coronial office and any existing public law avenues for judicial review of official action, if available under other statutes or common law.

• Preservation of prior orders: section 119(4) preserves the requirement that the Mining and Resources Coroner comply with any decision or order of the State Coroner made under s 30, or a subsequent District Court decision or order under s 30, in relation to pre‑commencement mining deaths, whether made before or after commencement. Compliance with existing s 30 orders remains mandatory. The Bill does not add new enforcement penalties but mandates adherence to prior orders under the Act’s own processes.

• No new coercive powers on industry: the Bill does not itself create new statutory powers to compel industry to perform acts (for example, to produce documents or attend); any such powers would remain those provided elsewhere in the Coroners Act or in other legislation. The Bill prescribes recipients of coronial findings (s 47A) but does not specify follow‑up powers for those recipients that arise from the Bill itself.

• Acting and appointment compliance: the Bill alters appointment and acting arrangements (eg, amendments to s 74, s 78, s 81 and new s 82A). Enforcement here is internal to the executive: appointment by Governor in Council, consultation by the Minister, and cessation rules tied to suspension or loss of magistracy.

In short, the Bill relies on allocation, reporting mandates and supervisory directions within the coronial and executive framework as mechanisms for effecting compliance. It does not introduce express penalties or prosecutory mechanisms directed at third parties within the text provided. Where the Bill references other Acts (eg, safety Acts), consequences for regulated entities would continue to be those provided under those Acts; the Bill itself creates no additional penalty regimes.

The Bill heavily cross‑references and therefore interacts with a number of existing statutes by defining the scope of "mining related" activity through other Acts and by furnishing reporting paths to a regulator created under separate legislation. The principal interactions in the Bill’s text are:

• Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999: new s 11AAA(4)(a) defines "mining related injury" to include injuries from coal mining operations "under the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999, schedule 3". The Bill also defines "coal mine" by reference to s 9 of that Act (s 11AAA(5)(a)). These cross‑references import the statutory boundaries and exclusions from the coal safety Act into the coronial threshold for mining related reportable deaths.

• Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act 1999: new s 11AAA(4)(b) imports operations under that Act, and s 11AAA(5)(a) defines "mine" by reference to s 9 of the Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act 1999. The Bill therefore relies on existing statutory definitions and declarations under the mining safety Act to fix the physical and regulatory scope of the coronial category.

• Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004 and the Petroleum Act 1923: new s 11AAA(5) pulls in terms such as "area, of a data acquisition authority, petroleum tenure or water monitoring authority" and defines "petroleum tenure", "data acquisition activities", "data acquisition authority", "petroleum tenure activity", and "water monitoring activity" with explicit links to provisions in the Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004 and the Petroleum Act 1923 (s 11AAA(4)-(5)). The Bill expressly excludes certain petroleum tenure activities from the definition (airborne geophysical surveys; transport to/from a site on a public road or railway; air transport to/from a site; pastoral activity) (s 11AAA(5), petroleum tenure activity exclusions). The definition of "petroleum and gas site" in s 11AAA(5)(a) also imports unlawful activity locations where activities are carried out outside an authority area.

• Resources Safety and Health Queensland Act 2020: new s 47A requires coronial findings and comments for mining related reportable deaths to be provided in writing to the CEO under that Act and to the Minister administering that Act (s 47A(2)(b)-(c)). This establishes a direct, statutory reporting channel from the coronial system to the mining safety regulator (RSHQ).

• Magistrates Act 1991: s 82A(7) expressly incorporates the duties of the Mining and Resources Coroner into the duties of office for a magistrate under the Magistrates Act 1991, s 43(4). This links the MR Coroner role to the statutory duties and obligations attributable to magistrates.

• Coroners Act internal provisions: the Bill modifies inter se relationships within the Coroners Act 2003. For example, s 11AAA(2) states the allocation rule "applies despite section 11(2)", creating a statutory override. Section 34 is amended to state "This section applies despite section 29" (s 34(5)), indicating a procedural priority. Section 119(4) preserves compliance with prior decisions or orders of the State Coroner or District Court made under s 30 in relation to pre‑commencement mining deaths. Multiple amendments also rework appointment and acting arrangements under ss 71, 74, 78, 79, 80, 81, removing singular references to "the Deputy" and replacing them with references to "a Deputy" to reflect plural deputy State Coroners.

• Judicial processes under s 30 (existing Coroners Act provision): s 119(4) preserves the effect of any State Coroner or District Court decision or order made under s 30, requiring the Mining and Resources Coroner to comply with such orders for pre‑commencement cases. The Bill therefore protects the continuity of previously made orders.

• Administrative law and public law remedies: while not directly cited, the Bill’s appointment, direction and reporting duties operate within the broader administrative law framework. The Bill does not displace existing principles about procedural fairness or judicial review; any disputes about exercise of powers would fall to those general mechanisms, outside the Bill’s text.

Practically, those who advise or operate in the mining and petroleum sectors will need to map the Bill’s coronial thresholds to the definitions and exemptions in the referenced safety and petroleum Acts to determine whether a particular fatality will be treated as a "mining related reportable death". Where activities are expressly excluded from the petroleum tenure activity definition, those fatalities may fall outside the new allocation. The statutory duty to send findings to RSHQ’s CEO and the administering Minister creates an explicit coordination point between coronial findings and a regulator with enforcement powers under its own legislation.

The Bill’s own structure records the amendments proposed to the Coroners Act 2003 and to its Schedule 2 (dictionary) and the insertion of transitional provisions. The principal amendment steps in the Bill are:

• Short title and Act amended (Clauses 1-2): Clause 1 names the Act as the Coroners (Mining and Resources Coroner) Amendment Act 2025. Clause 2 states the Coroners Act 2003 is being amended.

• Minor drafting edits to s 7 and s 11 (Clauses 3-4): Clause 3 makes small textual changes to s 7(3) to replace instances of "the Deputy" with "a Deputy" and to insert "a" before "Deputy". Clause 4 amends s 11’s heading and adds a note cross‑referencing new s 11AAA; it also updates instances of "the Deputy" to "a Deputy".

• Insertion of s 11AAA (Clause 5): Clause 5 inserts the new section 11AAA , the statutory definition of "mining related reportable death" and the mandatory investigatory allocation to the Mining and Resources Coroner (ss 11AAA(1)-(5)), including detailed definitional paragraphs and cross‑references to other Acts.

• Amendment to s 11AA (Clause 6): Clause 6 changes the trigger phrasing for preliminary examinations to make clear they follow where "a person's death has been reported to a coroner under section 7".

• Amendment to s 27 (Clause 7): Clause 7 inserts mining related reportable deaths into the list of matters where an inquest must be held (s 27(1)(a)(iv)).

• Amendment to s 34 (Clause 8): Clause 8 inserts a saving that the pre‑inquest conference provision "applies despite section 29" (s 34(5)).

• Insertion of s 47A (Clause 9): Clause 9 inserts a coroner reporting duty for mining related reportable deaths , findings and comments must be given in writing to the Attorney‑General, the CEO under the Resources Safety and Health Queensland Act 2020, and the Minister administering that Act.

• Multiple appointments and role wording changes (Clauses 10-17): These clauses pluralise references to deputies across ss 71, 74, 78, 79, 79A, 80 and 81, and amend the appointment and office terms for Deputy State Coroners (eg, s 78(2) now says "A Deputy State Coroner holds office for the term stated in the Deputy State Coroner’s instrument of appointment").

• Insertion of s 82A (Clause 18): Clause 18 creates the Mining and Resources Coroner role and sets appointment, consultation, powers, resignation and cessation rules.

• Amendment to s 91K (Clause 19): Clause 19 replaces "the Deputy" with "a Deputy" in s 91K(1).

• Transitional provisions (Clause 20): Clause 20 inserts Part 6, Division 7 containing ss 118-119, addressing application to mining related reportable deaths after commencement and to certain pre‑commencement deaths.

• Dictionary and Schedule changes (Clause 21 and Schedule 1): Clause 21 inserts "mining related reportable death" into Schedule 2 (new definition referencing s 11AAA(3)), revises the definition of "coroner" to include the Mining and Resources Coroner, and replaces "the Deputy" with "a Deputy" in definitions. Schedule 1 contains miscellaneous amendments such as defining "health procedure" (item 1), removing s 35(3) (item 2), renaming conference references to "pre‑inquest conference" (items 3 and 7), retitling s 47's heading (item 4), and other housekeeping edits.

The Bill is self‑contained in its proposed amendments; it does not cite prior Bills or past amendment history and contains its own transitional provisions to manage in‑flight investigations. The amendment pattern shows a twofold approach: create a new role and allocation rule for mining deaths, and make widespread drafting changes to align appointment and conference language across the Act.

The Bill text contains no references to judicial decisions, cases, or litigation history. It references existing statutory provisions in other Acts by section and schedule, but it names no judicial authorities, no reported cases, and includes no summaries of precedent. The Bill’s transitional provisions preserve the effect of decisions and orders previously made under s 30 of the Coroners Act by the State Coroner or District Court in relation to pre‑commencement mining deaths (s 119(4)), but this is a preservation mechanism, not a statement about any particular case or litigation.

Consequently, there is no litigation history contained in the Bill document itself to summarise or cite. Any analysis of how courts have treated coronial jurisdiction, mining deaths, or the interaction between coronial findings and regulatory enforcement would need to rely on sources outside the Bill as presented, which are not part of the text supplied.

The Bill contains discrete drafting choices and definitional boundaries that create operational pitfalls or clarifications worth noting. These items are grounded in the Bill’s text and may affect how parties interpret scope and process:

• The temporal link between injury and death is forward‑looking: s 11AAA(3)(b) requires that the person "dies at any time after receiving a mining related injury that caused the death or contributed to the death and without which the person would not have died". The phrase "at any time after" means deaths occurring long after an initial mining injury can fall within the category, provided causation or contribution is established. Counsel and investigators should note that causation timing is not limited to immediate death.

• The statutory carve‑outs for certain petroleum activities: s 11AAA(5) explicitly excludes certain activities from "petroleum tenure activity" (airborne geophysical survey; transport to/from a petroleum and gas site on a public road or public railway; air transport to/from a site; a pastoral activity). Deaths arising during those excluded activities may not be "mining related" under the new definition. Practitioners must map factual matrices against these exclusions to determine allocation.

• The Bill includes unlawful sites in the "petroleum and gas site" definition: s 11AAA(5)(a)(ii)-(iv) includes places where data acquisition, petroleum tenure or water monitoring activities are carried out unlawfully because the land is not in the area of an authority. The inclusion of unlawful sites broadens the spatial scope of the MR Coroner’s jurisdiction to activity regardless of tenure lawfulness, potentially capturing unauthorised activities.

• The MR Coroner’s appointment process may introduce delay risk: appointment is by Governor in Council on Ministerial recommendation, with a required consultation step with the Chief Magistrate and State Coroner (s 82A(1)-(2)). Until the position is filled, s 11AAA(1)(b) allows the State Coroner to direct another coroner to investigate, but operational capacity may be affected prior to appointment.

• Overriding effect on general allocation rules: s 11AAA(2) states the allocation rule applies "despite section 11(2)". That statutory override gives the MR Coroner priority in allocation. This is straightforward, but it also means that coronial parties must not rely on general allocation pathways for these deaths.

• Transitional reassignment with preserved orders: for investigations that began before commencement and satisfy s 119(1), the State Coroner is taken to have reassigned the investigation to the MR Coroner (s 119(2)-(3)). However, s 119(4) obliges the MR Coroner to comply with any decision or order of the State Coroner or subsequent District Court decision under s 30. Parties should therefore check whether any prior orders remain binding on the new investigator and whether the MR Coroner’s procedural powers are circumscribed by those orders.

• Decision not to hold an inquest in pre‑commencement cases requires consultation and considered factors: s 119(5)-(6) allows the MR Coroner to decline to hold an inquest if not in the public interest, but requires consultation with a family member and consideration of the time since the death and the likely completion date of the investigation. Failure to follow these statutory duties may give rise to procedural challenge.

• The Bill mandates the delivery of findings to specific officials: new s 47A requires the coroner to give written findings and comments to the Attorney‑General, the CEO under the Resources Safety and Health Queensland Act 2020, and the Minister administering that Act. Agencies and industry should plan for the regulator and executive to receive coronial outputs as matter of course, which may trigger regulatory action under their own statutes,though the Bill itself does not create those enforcement mechanisms.

• Pluralising "a Deputy" throughout the Act: the replacement of singular references to "the Deputy" with "a Deputy" (eg, ss 71, 78, 79) changes the textual frame to allow multiple Deputy State Coroners. This is an administrative change but affects who may be appointed and act. Practitioners should confirm which deputies are appointed under the new drafting to know who can be tasked with coronial matters.

• No new penalties in the Bill itself: the absence of express sanctions means the Bill’s lever is allocation and reporting rather than punishment. Parties seeking to modify regulatory exposure must therefore consider the way coronial findings will be used by other regulators rather than the Bill creating new direct penalties.

Each of these points derives from precise provisions in the Bill and has potential practical consequences during investigation, inquest planning, regulatory liaison and in advising clients who operate in the affected industries.

For legal, compliance and operational teams in mining, petroleum, data acquisition and water monitoring sectors, compliance under the amended regime requires practical steps anchored to the Bill’s provisions:

1. Triaging deaths for coronial allocation

   • On any workplace fatality or suspected reportable death that may involve an injury sustained in the listed activities, immediately assess whether the incident fits the new statutory test for a "mining related reportable death" in s 11AAA(3). That requires checking (a) whether the death is reportable under s 8(3)(b) of the Coroners Act; (b) whether the injury caused or materially contributed to the death; (c) location or activity,coal mine, mine, petroleum and gas site, or data acquisition/petroleum tenure/water monitoring activities per s 11AAA(4)-(5); and (d) absence of intentional self‑infliction (s 11AAA(3)(d)).

2. Reporting obligations and preliminary examination trigger

   • Continue to report deaths under s 7 (the Act’s duty to report deaths), as preliminary examinations are triggered where "a person’s death has been reported to a coroner under section 7" per the amendment to s 11AA(1). Ensure internal reporting protocols capture this statutory trigger and route information promptly to coronial liaison officers.

3. Prepare for Mining and Resources Coroner investigation

   • If the death meets s 11AAA’s criteria, anticipate the investigation will be undertaken by the Mining and Resources Coroner (s 11AAA(1)). Prepare to cooperate with coronial investigators, preserve evidence, compile timely statements, and ensure records are accessible. The State Coroner may direct another coroner if the MR Coroner is unavailable (s 11AAA(1)(b)), so maintain flexibility in responses.

4. Expect mandatory inquest pathways

   • Given the amendment to s 27(1)(a) adding s 27(1)(a)(iv), mining related reportable deaths are now expressly within the category where an inquest must be held. Prepare inquest readiness: identify potential witnesses, legal representatives and expert evidence early.

5. Prepare for regulator receipt of findings

   • New s 47A requires the coroner to give written findings and comments to the Attorney‑General, the CEO under the Resources Safety and Health Queensland Act 2020, and the relevant Minister. Assume findings will be received by RSHQ and that the regulator may instigate its own action based on those findings under its separate statutory powers. Legal teams should coordinate coronial and regulatory strategies, including timing of internal investigations and reprisal risk (eg concurrent regulatory or criminal investigations).

6. Transitional cases: pre‑commencement investigations

   • If you are involved in an investigation that began before the commencement but not yet progressed to inquest or pre‑inquest conference (s 119(1)), note that the State Coroner is taken to have reassigned the investigation to the MR Coroner (s 119(2)). However, prior State Coroner or District Court decisions/orders under s 30 still bind the MR Coroner (s 119(4)). If the MR Coroner proposes not to hold an inquest because it is not in the public interest, the coroner must consult family and consider delay and expected completion timing (s 119(5)-(6)). Ensure family contact details are up to date and be prepared to support or respond to family submissions.

7. Map factual scenarios against express exclusions

   • For petroleum operations, map whether the activity falls within the express exclusions in s 11AAA(5) (airborne geophysical survey; transport to/from on public road or railway; air transport; pastoral activity). If a death occurs during an excluded activity, it may not be a mining related reportable death under this Bill.

8. Administrative follow‑through where appointments are relevant

   • Recognise that the Governor in Council appointment process (s 82A(1)-(2)) and the required Ministerial consultation may take time. Until appointment, the State Coroner can direct another coroner to investigate (s 11AAA(1)(b)), but organisations should check coronial contact points and nominated investigators in practice.

9. Document preservation and cooperation

   • Given the MR Coroner’s powers and the link to safety regulators, maintain rigorous evidence preservation, incident scene control, and contemporaneous documentation. Early retention protocols and engagement of legal counsel are advisable to coordinate coronial and regulatory obligations while preserving privilege where applicable.

10. Liaise proactively with family and community expectations

• In pre‑commencement cases where an inquest may be declined, the MR Coroner must consult and consider family views (s 119(6)(a)). Organisations should make plans to engage sensitively with bereaved families, record outreach and be prepared to support family submissions if invited.

11. Update internal compliance materials

• Revise incident response plans, internal procedures and staff training to reflect the allocation rule (s 11AAA), reporting recipients (s 47A), and definitions in Schedule 2. Ensure health and safety, legal and operational teams know the thresholds and who to contact in the coronial office.

12. Consider cross‑statute implications

• Recognise that coronial findings will be provided to RSHQ’s CEO. While the Bill does not itself create regulatory sanctions, findings can be used by RSHQ under its separate statutory powers. Legal advisers should anticipate and prepare for regulator engagement post‑findings.

These steps are grounded in the statutory obligations and definitions established by the Bill (ss 7, 11AA, 11AAA, 27, 34, 47A, 82A, 118-119 and Schedule 2). They reflect practical measures to respect both coronial duties and the consequential regulatory interface the Bill creates.