NEW COAL ACT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27039, 25 March 1949, Page 6

NEW COAL ACT

POSITION OF OWNERS EXPLANATION BY MINISTER PA WELLINGTON, Mar. 24. In a statement issued to-day the Minister of Mines, Mr McLagan, made reference to the position of owners of coal-bearing lands which would become vested in the Crown as from April 1 next under the Coal Act, 1948. The Minister said that under section 28 of the Coal Act no person after April 1 could prospect or mine for coal on any lana in New Zealand except In pursuance of a prospecting licence or coal-mining lease granted under that Act. Under section 18 of the Act, said the Minister, a private owner is required to lodge any claim which he may have to compensation not later than six months after the commencement of the Act. That is to say, the last date for lodging claims for compensation except in special circumstances approved of by the Coal Valuation Commission is September 30 of this year. In order to facilitate the work of private owners in preparing and lodging claims for compensation in respect of coal-bearing lands owned by them, it had been decided, said the Minister, that such owners would not be required to obtain a prospecting licence pursuant to section 28 of ffie Act referred to for the period from April 1 to September 30 for the purpose of enabling them to carry out any boring or other prospecting operations on their own lands in respect of any coal vested in the Crown under the Coal Act as from April 1. The object of this arrangement was solely to assist owners in obtaining evidence in support of claims for compensation, and it must be clearly understood, said the Minister, that the owner would not thereby secure any special or preferential rights to a prospecting licence or a coal-mining lease over land other than as provided in section 42 of the Act. After September 30 it would be necessary for all persons desiring to prospect or mine for coal to comply fully with the provisions of the Coal Act.