Land Access Ombudsman reforms

The Land Access Ombudsman (LAO) is an independent statutory body that provides a free, independent dispute resolution service relating to land access agreements with resource authority holders in Queensland.

Reforms affecting the LAO were introduced through the Mineral and Energy Resources and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024 and the Resources Safety and Health Queensland and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2026.

From the 1 July 2026, the LAO became a statutory body and has an expanded role, allowing it to investigate alleged breaches of access agreements, in addition to conduct and compensation agreements and make good agreements.

The LAO also offers alternative dispute resolution to assist parties in the negotiation or re-negotiation of:

• conduct and compensation agreements
• make good agreements
• access agreements
• compensation agreements relating to mining claims and mining leases.

Other changes to the LAO that also started on 1 July 2026 include:

• the LAO became a statutory body, and an advisory council was established
• the chief executive officer of Coexistence Queensland is the Land Access Ombudsman
• the members of Coexistence Queensland form the LAO advisory council.

These changes align the governance arrangements between the LAO and Coexistence Queensland, while retaining the Office of the LAO as a separate statutory body.

The LAO continues to be funded by the Queensland Government, ensuring services remain independent, accessible and free for landholders.

Further information

To find out more, visit the Land Access Ombudsman website or email enquiries@lao.org.au.

Last updated

01 July 2026

Last reviewed

14 May 2026