NSW Bans Coastal Seabed Petroleum and Mineral Mining

New South Wales will become the first state in Australia to ban deep-sea petroleum and mineral mining off the coast after the government amended the state’s Environmental Act.The Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Seabed Mining and Exploration) Bill 2024 prohibits mining for seabed petroleum and mineral exploration and was implemented to address growing concerns about disruption to marine ecosystems. A statement attributed to the NSW Labor Minister for Environment and Heritage Penny Sharpe, said the government tried to deal with the “ongoing debate” between opponents and proponents of offshore exploration and balancing economic development and environmental conservation. She said technology was also improving to lessen the impact of mining activities....