The Land and Resources Tribunal is an independent statutory body established under the Land and Resources Tribunal Act 1999. It is a court of record. The Tribunal is the forum to deal with issues in dispute regarding certain proposed resource development and other land management issues.

The Tribunal has jurisdiction:

• to hear applications for mining and some petroleum and fossicking tenures;

• to determine compensation for mining (on and off-shore) and petroleum activities;

• to determine disputes regarding mining activities (including caveats) relating to on and off shore tenures;to review certain administrative decisions made about mining and fossicking activities by officers of the Department of Natural Resources & Mines;

• to hear objections to environmental authorities (mining activities) and to review certain administrative decisions relating to mining made by the Environmental Protection Agency;

• to hear appeals against development applications under the Water Act 2000 for an assessable development related to an activity authorised under the Mineral Resources Act 1989.

• to hear applications for injunctions to prevent interference with culturally significant items;

• to determine native title objections concerning State compulsory acquisitions for significant infrastructure facilities for third parties;

• to mediate, make recommendations and make decisions about certain registered Indigenous Land Use Agreements to which the State is a party;

• For those applications lodged on or before 31 March 2003, to hear native title parties' objections to mining tenures;

• to enforce and interpret negotiated agreements about native title and mining.

The members of the Tribunal include persons of judicial-equivalent level (the President and Deputy Presidents) and others (non-presiding members including the Mining Referee) with experience in cultural heritage and indigenous issues, mining, mediation, native title, land or other issues.

The Land and Resources Tribunal is a user-friendly Tribunal. Its emphasis is on client service, and it

• sits in Brisbane, regional centres and other places as required;

• uses a simplified form of rules and procedures;

• adopts an active case management approach;

• minimises formality, and is not bound by the rules of evidence;
  

• deals with matters expeditiously;
  

• utilises telephone and video hearings;
  

• promotes resolution by the parties through mediation and settlement conferences;

• respects the interests of all stakeholders, including cultural sensitivity;
  

• regularly consults with user groups;
  

• publishes its judgments on the internet.

These initiatives were developed in consultation with the Tribunal's stakeholders. The Tribunal monitors and fine-tunes its practices on an ongoing basis.