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Water Act 1992
71RLicence to take water for mining or petroleum activity
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71R Licence to take water for mining or petroleum activity
(1) This section applies in relation to an application under section 45(1)
or 60(1) for a licence to take water for a mining activity or petroleum
activity if:
(a) immediately before 1 July 2019 the person applying for the
licence to take water was:
(i) carrying out a mining activity or petroleum activity reliant
on water on the land from which the person proposes to
take water; and
(ii) routinely taking surface water or water from a bore on
the land for the mining activity or petroleum activity; and
(b) from 1 July 2019 until the making of the application, the
person applying for the licence to take water:
(i) continued to carry out the mining activity or petroleum
activity mentioned in paragraph (a)(i); and
(ii) routinely took surface water or water from a bore on the
land for the mining activity or petroleum activity; and
Water Act 1992 67
(c) in the case of an application in relation to a petroleum activity:
(i) the petroleum activity is not related to hydraulic
fracturing; and
(ii) the petroleum activity is carried out in accordance with
an environment management plan approved under the
Petroleum Act 1984; and
(d) in the case of an application in relation to a mining activity, the
mining activity is carried out in accordance with:
(i) until the commencement of the Environment Protection
Legislation Amendment Act 2023, Part 4, a mining
management plan approved under the Mining
Management Act 2001; and
(ii) on and after the commencement of the Environment
Protection Legislation Amendment Act 2023, Part 4, a
mining management plan forming part of a deemed
mining licence as defined in section 303 of the
Environment Protection Act 2019; and
(e) the application is made within 2 years of the commencement.
(2) The Controller may grant the licence on the application if is satisfied
the requirements prescribed by regulation are met.
(3) The Controller must decide the application in accordance with the
procedure prescribed by regulation.
(4) A decision on the application is not a decision to which Part 6A and
section 90 apply.
(5) Despite subsection (4), in making a decision on the application the
Controller may have regard to the factors mentioned in
section 90(1).