{"id":"BILL-TAS-grange-resources-tasmania-pty-ltd-alternative-application-period-bill-2026-3-of-2026","name":"Grange Resources (Tasmania) Pty Ltd (Alternative Application Period) Bill 2026","slug":"grange-resources-tasmania-pty-ltd-alternative-application-period-bill-2026","collection":"bill","jurisdiction":"tas","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":"2026-01-01","administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":446186,"registerId":"BILL-TAS-grange-resources-tasmania-pty-ltd-alternative-application-period-bill-2026-3-of-2026:current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-01-01","status":"in_force","reasons":null,"registeredAt":"2026-05-08T16:48:16.965Z"},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"retrieval-0001","sectionType":"document_chunk","heading":"Document excerpt 1","content":"# Grange Resources (Tasmania) Pty Ltd (Alternative Application Period) Bill 2026\n\n[Bill 3]-IX\nTASMANIA\n__________\nGRANGE RESOURCES (TASMANIA) PTY LTD\n(ALTERNATIVE APPLICATION PERIOD) BILL\n2026\n__________\nCONTENTS\n1. Short title\n2. Commencement\n3. Application of Act\n4. Application for renewal of mining lease\n5. Renewal of mining lease\n6. Provisions of Mineral Resources Development Act 1995 to apply\n7. Administration of Act\n8. Repeal of Act\n\n2\n\n[Bill 3] 3\nGRANGE RESOURCES (TASMANIA) PTY LTD\n(ALTERNATIVE APPLICATION PERIOD) BILL\n2026\nThis Public Bill originated in the House of Assembly, and, having this day passed, is\nnow ready for presentation to the Legislative Council for its concurrence.\nLAURA ROSS, Clerk of the House\n25 March 2026\n(Brought in by the Minister for Business, Industry and\nResources, the Honourable Felix Ashton Ellis)\nA BILL FOR\nAn Act to provide for an alternative period for making\napplication for renewal in respect of certain mining leases\nBe it enacted by Her Excellency the Governor of Tasmania, by\nand with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and\nHouse of Assembly, in Parliament assembled, as follows:\n1. Short title\nThis Act may be cited as the Grange Resources\n(Tasmania) Pty Ltd (Alternative Application\nPeriod) Act 2026.\n2. Commencement\nThis Act commences on the day on which this\nAct receives the Royal Assent.\n\nGrange Resources (Tasmania) Pty Ltd (Alternative Application\nPeriod) Act 2026\nAct No. of 2026\ns. 3\n4\n3. Application of Act\n(1) In this section –\nregister means the mining register kept in\naccordance with section 192 of the\nMineral Resources Development Act\n1995.\n(2) This Act applies to the following mining leases\nheld by Grange Resources (Tasmania) Pty Ltd\n(ACN 073 634 581):\n(a) the lease identified on the register by the\nnumber 2M/2001;\n(b) the lease identified on the register by the\nnumber 11M/2008;\n(c) the lease identified on the register by the\nnumber 14M/2007;\n(d) the lease identified on the register by the\nnumber 4M/2019.\n4. Application for renewal of mining lease\nDespite section 96(1) of the Mineral Resources\nDevelopment Act 1995, the lessee in respect of a\nmining lease to which this Act applies may apply\nto the Minister for a renewal of that lease, as in\nforce on the day on which this Act commences,\nat any time before that lease ceases to be in\nforce.\n\nGrange Resources (Tasmania) Pty Ltd (Alternative Application\nPeriod) Act 2026\nAct No. of 2026\ns. 5\n5\n5. Renewal of mining lease\nDespite section 98(2) of the Mineral Resources\nDevelopment Act 1995, if an application, made\nunder section 4, to renew a mining lease to\nwhich this Act applies, is granted, the period\nreferred to in section 98(1) of the Mineral\nResources Development Act 1995 in respect of\nthat lease renewal commences on the day on\nwhich the application in relation to that lease is\ngranted.\n6. Provisions of Mineral Resources Development Act\n1995 to apply\nFor the avoidance of doubt, subject to sections 4\nand 5, all other relevant provisions of the\nMineral Resources Development Act 1995\ncontinue to apply in respect of a mining lease to\nwhich this Act applies.\n7. Administration of Act\nUntil provision is made in relation to this Act by\norder under section 4 of the Administrative\nArrangements Act 1990 –\n(a) the administration of this Act is assigned\nto the Minister for Business, Industry and\nResources; and\n(b) the department responsible to that\nMinister in relation to the administration\n\nGrange Resources (Tasmania) Pty Ltd (Alternative Application\nPeriod) Act 2026\nAct No. of 2026\ns. 8\n6\nof this Act is the Department of State\nGrowth.\n8. Repeal of Act\nThis Act is repealed on 7 August 2031.\nGovernment Printer, Tasmania","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This Act is narrowly tailored to a single, well-defined purpose: modify timing rules for renewal applications and commencement of renewed terms for four named leases held by Grange Resources (Tasmania) Pty Ltd. It does not broaden substantive renewal criteria, alter other lessees' obligations, create new regulatory powers, or change fee or environmental conditions; those remain governed by the Mineral Resources Development Act 1995 (s.6). Therefore the scope has not grown beyond the specific, original purpose reflected in the text."},"complexity_factors":["Short Act: 8 sections only (including commencement and repeal).","Narrow scope: applies to 4 specifically identified lease numbers (s.3).","Limited cross-references: overrides two specific provisions of the Mineral Resources Development Act 1995 (s.96(1) and s.98(2)) and preserves the remainder (s.6).","Low number of defined terms (only 'register' is defined in s.3(1)).","Clear single-purpose conditional logic (permit late application; start renewed term on grant), no nested exceptions.","Temporary sunset/repeal date provided (s.8), which adds a single time-based condition but not complexity."],"plain_english_summary":"**What this law does (simple):**\n\n- This short, temporary Tasmanian Act gives Grange Resources (Tasmania) Pty Ltd special, one-off timing rules for renewing four named mining leases (see section 3 for the exact lease numbers).\n\n- Normally the Mineral Resources Development Act 1995 (the MRDA) sets when a lessee must apply for renewal and how the renewed lease term is timed. This Act overrides two MRDA rules for those four leases only:\n  - Section 4 lets Grange apply for renewal “at any time before that lease ceases to be in force” (overriding MRDA s.96(1)). In other words, Grange may make a renewal application up to the day the lease expires.\n  - Section 5 says that if such a late application is granted, the renewed lease term begins on the day the Minister grants the renewal (overriding MRDA s.98(2) and affecting the operation of s.98(1)). That means the renewed term is not back-dated or otherwise adjusted; it starts when the Minister signs off.\n\n- All other parts of the MRDA still apply to these leases (section 6). The Act is to be administered by the Minister for Business, Industry and Resources and the Department of State Growth until administrative arrangements change (section 7). The Act automatically repeals on 7 August 2031 (section 8).\n\n**Who this affects:**\n\n- Directly: Grange Resources (Tasmania) Pty Ltd and the holders of the four specific lease numbers listed in section 3.\n- Indirectly: the Tasmanian Government agencies that process mining lease renewals, and any third parties who might participate in or be affected by renewal processes for those leases (for example, parties entitled to make submissions or who hold adjacent interests).\n\n**Why it matters (mechanics and likely effects):**\n\n- Benefit concentrated on Grange: the company gains flexibility to file a renewal application very late (up to expiry) and—if granted—gets a renewal term that runs from the grant date, preserving the full renewed tenure period (s.4–s.5).\n\n- Administrative effect on government: the Minister and administering department still make the renewal decision under the MRDA, including any assessment, public notice or objections processes required by that Act (s.6). But because the application can be filed late, the practical time available for assessment and consultation may be reduced unless agencies allow more processing time before expiry.\n\n- Effects on third parties and certainty: because the law lets the lessee wait until close to expiry to apply, third parties may face compressed timeframes for consultation or may see the timing of when a renewed lease actually begins shift (it will begin on grant date). Those are procedural changes rather than changes to substantive eligibility or environmental/conditions powers under the MRDA (which still apply per s.6).\n\n**Costs, incentives and trade-offs to note:**\n\n- Who pays: application fees and usual compliance costs under the MRDA remain payable by the lessee; government bears routine administrative processing costs. The Act does not create an explicit new cost or subsidy.\n\n- Incentives for the lessee: reduced penalty for filing late renewals and preservation of a full renewal term starting on grant date. This lowers the operational risk to Grange from a potential gap in tenure.\n\n- Trade-offs for the regulator and third parties: shorter practical time to assess late applications and to carry out public processes if the application is lodged very near expiry. The Act does not remove MRDA powers to refuse or impose conditions on renewal; it changes timing only (s.6).\n\n- Implementation risks and compliance burden: low additional compliance burden for the lessee (it gains flexibility). Administrative risk for the department arises only if processing capacity is insufficient to complete statutory steps given later filing dates.\n\n**Bottom-line:** This is a narrowly targeted, temporary statutory exception that lets Grange apply for renewal of four specific mining leases up to their expiry dates and ensures any renewed lease term starts on the day the Minister grants it. The MRDA's substantive renewal rules remain in force otherwise, so the Minister still decides whether to grant and on what conditions (s.6)."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/grange-resources-tasmania-pty-ltd-alternative-application-period-bill-2026","history":"/api/acts/grange-resources-tasmania-pty-ltd-alternative-application-period-bill-2026/history","analysis":"/api/acts/grange-resources-tasmania-pty-ltd-alternative-application-period-bill-2026/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/grange-resources-tasmania-pty-ltd-alternative-application-period-bill-2026/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/grange-resources-tasmania-pty-ltd-alternative-application-period-bill-2026/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/grange-resources-tasmania-pty-ltd-alternative-application-period-bill-2026/documents"}}