Such powers are contained within a bill before a parliamentary inquiry that is due to hand down its findings on Friday.<\/p>\n
Critics say the state development and public works organisation (critical minerals) and other legislation amendment bill 2026 will allow the government to bypass other laws \u2013 such as the Nature Conservation Act \u2013 for development it deems state strategic projects.<\/p>\n
They say it would also lower the bar by which the government can compulsory acquire land, including for private commercial development.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have conservation acts, we have regulations and a private party wanting to develop something has to go through those dedicated requirements,\u201d Matt says.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut if the government deems that, for whatever reason, they want that party to be above that \u2013 that seems just ridiculous\u201d.<\/p>\n
The cableway is front of mind. Developers first proposed one \u2013 which would have passed through World Heritage rainforest and been the longest in the world \u2013 in 1998. That plan was rejected by the state government in 2000, but revived by the Gold Coast\u2019s local government two decades later.<\/p>\n
The view from The Best of All lookout in Springbrook national park. Environmentalists say the proposal will give the minister \u2018carte blanche\u2019 to fast-track developments \u2018including in national parks and other sensitive areas\u2019. Photograph: David Maurice Smith\/Oculi<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, councillors voted to stop funding studies into such project, which the city says could deliver hundreds of jobs and tens of millions of dollars to the economy and attract hundreds of thousands of visitors.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean it\u2019s great that the council is not wasting more of ratepayers\u2019 money towards this,\u201d Matt says.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we are still concerned that there is a private proponent, that there is someone who wants to take it from here \u2026 it certainly feels like there are plans that are moving forward, regardless of what we say.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Streamlining\u2019 the process<\/p>\n
Liza Balmain is a Darling Downs cotton and grain grower who worries the government\u2019s proposed new law could be used to override the last regulatory hurdle holding back coal seam gas extraction on her farm.<\/p>\n
Arrow Energy\u2019s Surat gas project<\/a> has most of the environmental and resource approvals it needs to sink its wells into the farms around her community of Cecil Plains, Balmain says.<\/p>\n But because her and neighbouring farms till the most fertile soils in the state and tap into a vital underground aquifer, Arrow also needs to obtain a regional interests development approval (Rida), introduced to preserve highly productive agricultural areas.<\/p>\n \u201cArrow has been trying to get in here since 2010 and we\u2019ve just been keeping them at bay \u2013 but a big part of that is the Rida process,\u201d Balmain says.<\/p>\n Conservationists fear the bill\u2019s powers could be applied to \u2018any project in the state\u2019, including oil refineries and dams. Photograph: David Maurice Smith\/Oculi<\/p>\n \u201cThat would be their last hurdle, which is a big hurdle for them to surmount to be able to develop on our farms.\u201d<\/p>\n Balmain is among more than 70 farmers and 275 regional Queenslanders who have signed an open letter calling on the government to withdraw the bill and restart it \u201cwith a process of genuine community consultation\u201d.<\/p>\n Neither of the developments Wood and Balmain oppose involve critical mineral resources.<\/p>\n Yet it was with a pitch to keep Queensland \u201cfront of the pack\u201d in \u201cthe race to secure critical minerals investment and jobs\u201d that the deputy premier, Jarrod Bleijie, unveiled the bill on 2 June.<\/p>\n Bleijie told parliament it would \u201cstreamline the approvals process\u201d for important projects by giving the government powerful tools to \u201cresolve\u201d barriers \u201cthat would otherwise stall projects\u201d. This would facilitate projects through \u201calmost every process undertaken and decision made about it across the regulatory space\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cCritical minerals are the immediate focus,\u201d he said. \u201cHowever, these amendments will create pathways and powers applicable for any project of strategic significance to the state.\u201d<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a>Free newsletter | When needed<\/p>\n Sign up to Breaking News Australia<\/p>\n Get the most important news as it breaks<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2998.jpg\")
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