The time has come for the land access industry to stand up and come together as an industry,” said Flinders Group Chairman John Cotter.

“As one of the largest providers of land access services in Queensland, we see the impact of this social licence as a vital issue in 2012.”

Flinders Group, a planning and project management firm within the infrastructure and property sectors, has appointed independent board members with specialised rural expertise, including:

  • Angus Adnam – Chairman
  • Kerry Lonegran – ABC’s Landline Reporter
  • Richard Fenton – Bow Energy
  • John Cox – Former Chair of Consolidated Pastoral Company
  • Kerry Herron – Founder of Herron Todd White
  • Alan Lonergan – Barrister, Land Court
  • Geoff Dickey – Former Deputy Co-ordinator General.

The new Board plans to focus its efforts on strategically reviewing the Queensland Government’s single land access code, which is currently underway. Chairman of the Land Access Advisory Board Angus Andam welcomed the challenge to develop practical outcomes for landholders.

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“I see the impost of landholders, particularly in rural areas, as the greatest land-use challenge. The opportunity to broker equally beneficial outcomes has been the key reason for my support on the Board,” Mr Angus said.

“We all understand the need to balance often competing interests with projects and land owners, which will help us to address the conflict that exists between rural Queensland and project owners.”

Mr Cotter further commented that the new independent Land Access Board would be important to Flinders Group clients within the infrastructure and resource industries, in providing clarity on future complex land access works.

“As the state’s infrastructure and resource industries grow, the requirements for land access have expanded to accommodate this growth, including a wide range of new and complex issues,” Mr Cotter said.

“For instance, the sophistication of the agribusiness sector has never been greater for Queensland for which, combined with projects like CSG, the impacts have never been seen.”

Agribusiness sophistication is just one of the new issues that have contributed to the overall legislative framework and the necessity for technical training to manage these often complex changes.

To address this training gap and to enhance land access negotiations, the Board has already engaged the Australian Institute of Management (AIM) on a memorandum of understanding to develop the necessary accredited programs. These programs will be developed in conjunction with land owners, key industry stakeholders, project owners and rural producers.

“Keeping the industry updated on new land access laws will help provide certainty to both project owners and land owners,” Mr Cotter said.