The WA government has yet to make an official announcement but key stakeholder were notified of the imminent backflip on Friday as prime minister Anthony Albanese arrived at theWA Liberal leader Libby Mettam told the ABC the Cook government’s backdown was “great win for landowners”.
Pastoralists and Graziers Association WA president Tony Seabrook, who has led the rural campaign against the new laws, said the legislation was poor and unpopular and its demise should be noted by those considering similar legislation in the eastern states. “If the State government had listened to community feedback during the consultation phase, we would not be in this mess. Fix the guidelines, which are the biggest problem, not scrap the Act.”
Mr Cook began preparing the ground for a backflip during a visit to iron ore export epicentre Port Hedland on July 26 when he said his government would make changes where changes to the laws were needed.He also warned the Albanese government to butt out of heritage issues in WA, saying there was no need to duplicate or add to the heritage legislation in place in the state.
The WA government embarked on an expensive advertising campaign in support of its new laws introduced on July 1 after farmers and mining exploration companies warned they were a threat to food production and would delay new mines. In farcical scenes at a forum hosted by the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, one mining executive asked government officials whether planting a tree near the Swan River in Perth would require a site inspection by traditional owners and the preparation of a heritage management plan.Thousands of farmers attended similar meetings in country towns with many alarmed by the prospect of inadvertently breaching the laws that attract penalties of steep fines and possibly jail.