Monday, May 28

Australia Needs Better Data on Farmland to Manage Mining

Australia, the second-biggest wheat exporter, needs to improve information on its agricultural real estate to manage competition for land from mining and energy interests, the Australian Farm Institute said.

“Australia does not have a national policy approach about whether areas of high quality agricultural land need to be preserved for that purpose,” according to a report released today by the institute, which conducts farm policy research. “There is not even a national agreement on what should be considered to be strategically important agricultural land.”

Coal-seam gas producers in the country, the top shipper of iron ore, coal and wool, are facing opposition from groups concerned their drilling methods contaminate and deplete water supplies and cut the capacity of food-producing land. New South Wales plans to begin a process of granting and renewing coal- seam gas exploration licenses in June after keeping them on hold to review the environmental and safety impact, Chris Hartcher, the state’s resource minister, said March 20.

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Bloomberg

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