New act updates coal industry

Press, 31 March 1980, Page 12

New act updates coal industry

PA Wellington Important changes affecting the coalmining industry will come into force tomorrow under the Coal Mines Act, 1979, the Minister of Energy (Mr Birch) has said. The new legislation extensively. updates the 1925 act and provides : the means for the regulation of the coal mining industry to promote greater efficiency in the development and use of coal. The new Coal Mines Act brings privately owned coal within the licensing; provisions. Until now, only enterprises where the land or the coal is owned by the Crown have been subject to licensing proce*' -dures. Mr Birch said that the change in the licensing of coal operations would ensure orderly development of New Zealand’s coal resources, especially those large deposits which had. been discovered during the course.of the Government . coal-exploration programme.

In particular, the extensive reserves of lignite in Eastern Southland would be used in ways that would provide for New Zealand’s long-term needs, possibly for liquid fuels.

Another feature of the new act is that it provides for a coal-prospecting li-j cence, to be granted for a. maximum of three years, with 'One renewal period, of up. to three years.