Tuesday 24 September 2013

Chemical Use by Resource Companies


What are the implications if a resource company forgets to tell you about that patch of parthenium they sprayed last week and you’ve got no idea what the chemical is or what it does, or if there are any withholding periods?  Or what about that puddle of fraccing water that your cattle just walked through because of a burst pipe?  As a National Vendor Declaration (NVD) is a legal document, it must be filled in correctly to safeguard against being issued with serious penalties for supplying incorrect information.
 
The NVD asks questions about chemical residue, withholding periods and where your cattle have been grazing for the last 60 days.  Even though you know what chemicals you have on your property and you know where you’ve used them, what about the resource company? 

Resources companies should need to get your consent to chemical use before they start and it’s really important to have a clause covering chemical usage in your access agreement with the resource company.  A good access agreement will cover what happens if there is a problem and provide details of how to fix it.
Negotiating Access Agreements can be a time consuming exercise, but this is your life, your home and your livelihood – so it is well worth investing some time to make sure there are no major disruptions to your business and your income.

Anyone with questions or concerns about covering chemical usage in an access agreement, please feel free to contact Melanie Oliver or Amy Gudmann at Rees R & Sydney Jones Solicitors on (07) 4927 6333.