Shire of Mt Magnet CEO warns issue is 'not dead’ after State Govt plans new laws to spare miners land rates

The boss of a Mid West shire at the centre of a legal dispute over mining companies paying land rates says the issue is “not dead” despite the State Government moving to draw up new laws, which would side with industry. Plans to introduce new laws in Parliament to ensure “miscellaneous” licences — usually covering land with roads and infrastructure used in mining — are exempt from land rates were revealed over the weekend. It’s in response to an escalating stoush between the Shire of Mt Magnet and Atlantic Vanadium, which have been battling since 2023 over whether such levies could be charged. WA Supreme Court Justice Marcus Solomon last month found that the land was rateable, overruling a State Administrative Tribunal decision and sparking outrage in the sector. But this week, Atlantic Vanadium, which owns the Windimurra project in the Mid West, decided to challenge the decision in the Court of Appeal — apparently with financial backing from fellow explorers. Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley said Justice Solomon’s ruling had called long-held understanding around the legislation’s “original intent” into question. “That’s why our Government is moving swiftly to clarify this land is not rateable,” Ms Beazley, who is currently acting mines and petroleum minister, said in a statement. Shire of Mt Magnet CEO Tralee Cable said the State Government’s move to rush these changes through without consulting with the local government sector was not a fair approach, but warned the council would continue its fight. “We’re not dead. The bottom line is that it still has to go through Parliament. So the law hasn’t been changed yet,” she said. “We could use our initiative and do some more interesting methods of protest, which we will probably do.” Ms Cable said this latest development indicated how quickly and efficiently legislative reform could happen. “Perhaps the same efficiency can be applied to some of the reforms the sector has been crying out for for the last four to five years,” she said. The Association of Mining and Exploration Companies argue miscellaneous licence rate charges could cost the sector $50 million a year. Ms Cable said that figure “paled into insignificance” with some of the eye-watering sums talked about at this week’s Diggers and Dealers conference in Kalgoorlie and suggested that mining companies stop treating the regions like cash cows. “We are the cash cows and we’re starving right now. We’re absolutely starving,” she said. As an example, Ms Cable said the shire was facing the reality of not being able to open its swimming pool this year because of the damage caused to it by super-quad road trains constantly going past on the Great Northern Highway. Geraldton MLA and shadow minister for local government Kirrilee Warr said the State Government’s lack of consultation was “very disappointing”, which highlighted its “top-down” approach to working with local government. “It’s not working with them, but at them,” she said. Ms Warr said the State Government was eroding the Royalties for Regions program — which if used as intended would support and give back to regional communities. AMEC chief executive Warren Pearce — who had previously accused local governments of treating the mining industry like “cash cows” —backed in the move as “sensible” and would be welcomed by industry. “We pay rates on mining, exploration and prospecting licences, and in regional local government areas we overwhelmingly make the largest rates contribution,” he said. Mr Pearce added that AMEC, and fellow mining lobby the Chamber of Minerals and Energy, were still in favour of an appeal to the Supreme Court. The Shire of Mt Magnet’s legal fight had received the backing of 13 other local governments.