Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury) Share this | Hansard source

In its prebudget submission, at page 24, the Minerals Council of Australia specifically talks about the application and making of rules around the community benefits principles. It states that its proposed actions, or reforms, are first to:

Remove the duplication of existing and separate legislative frameworks of industrial relations and taxation from the Community Benefits Principles—

and second to—

Review the intent of the Community Benefits Principles to ensure proponents and host communities are encouraged to develop sustainable localised approaches based on the needs of the host community.

It goes on to say:

However, the government's Community Benefits Principles in the FMIA (PTCOM) Bill cannot be used as an excuse to embed greater policy reach; and they should not create more costs to project proponents through regulatory duplication.

It then goes on to say:

… the Community Benefit Principles would place an unnecessary burden on project proponents by duplicating existing legislative measures. For example, managing tax affairs and mandatory pay and conditions already have existing legislative frameworks and their inclusion in the principles will create inefficiencies and duplicative costs.

How has the government mitigated those risks identified in the Minerals Council of Australia's prebudget submission dated 31 January this year?