About Ben
Ben is a mining and resources lawyer with a particular focus on tenement approvals and project development issues.
Ben has experience advising clients in relation to some of Queensland’s largest mining, petroleum and infrastructure projects, and has also advised on projects in New South Wales, the Northern Territory and Tasmania. Ben supports clients with all aspects of regulatory approvals requirements, strategy and regulatory compliance, to obtain mining, production and exploration tenement approvals and to manage key stakeholder issues.
Specialisations
Experience
Senex Energy
While on secondment to Senex Energy, developing a land access suite of documents and advising on land access matters in connection with Senex Energy’s $1 billion expansion of its Surat Basin gas project in Queensland.
Petroleum and gas companies
Advising petroleum and gas companies, including Omega Oil & Gas, Tri-Star Group and Westside Corporation on exploration and production projects, including all aspects of land access.
Futura Resources and Vitrinite
Advising Futura Resources and Vitrinite on the development of their greenfield coking coal projects and assisting them to obtain the grant of their tenement approvals, including providing legislative and approvals compliance advice, negotiating land access agreements and notifiable road use agreements, and advising on the management of other stakeholder issues.
Batchfire Resources
Assisting Batchfire Resources, the owner and operator of the Callide Coal Mine, with stakeholder negotiations, tenement and environmental management and compliance, in relation to land tenure management, and native title and cultural heritage issues, including to progress an industry first Indigenous Land Use Agreement, critical to the ongoing operation and expansion of the Callide Coal mine and which will enable Batchfire to secure environmental offsets required for the Callide Coal Mine and, in an industry first, will return the Callide Timber Reserve to the Gaangalu Nation People.
Diatreme Resources
Advising Diatreme Resources on its greenfield silica project in North Queensland, and assisting with negotiations for a First Nations project agreement that will provide intergenerational benefits for the community. This project and the proposed agreement are unique because it may be the first Queensland project to engage the First Nations People, not just as landowners or the Native Title holders, but as owners and partners with equity and ownership of the project.
Navarre Minerals
Advising Navarre Minerals in relation to its new gold mining project, including delivering a training workshop to senior management on its approvals strategy.