{"id":"F1996B02125","name":"Offshore Minerals (Exploration Licence Fees) Regulations","slug":"offshore-minerals-exploration-licence-fees-regulations","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"repealed","isInForce":false,"actNumber":"49 of 1994","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":29217,"registerId":"commonwealth-F1996B02125-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"Repealed","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Offshore Minerals (Exploration Licence Fees) Regulations","content":"Statutory Rules 1994 No. 491\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nOffshore Minerals (Exploration Licence Fees) Regulations\n\nI, The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, make the following Regulations under the Offshore Minerals (Exploration Licence Fees) Act 1981.\n\nDated 4 March 1994.\n\nBILL HAYDEN\n\nGovernor-General\n\nBy His Excellency’s Command,\n\nD. BEDDALL\n\nMinister for Resources\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nCitation\n\n1. These Regulations may be cited as the Offshore Minerals (Exploration Licence Fees) Regulations.\n\n\\[NOTE: These Regulations commence on gazettal: see Acts Interpretation Act 1901, s. 48\\]\n\nInterpretation\n\n2. In these Regulations, unless the contrary intention appears:\n\n“the Act” means the Offshore Minerals (Exploration Licence Fees) Act 1981.\n\nAmount of exploration licence fee\n\n3. For the purposes of subsection 4 (1) of the Act, the amount of an exploration licence fee for a year of the term of the licence is:\n\n(a) $600; or\n\n(b) $20 for each block covered by the licence;\n\nwhichever is the greater at the beginning of that year.\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nNOTE\n\n> Note: 1. Notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 11 March 1994.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"_metrics":{"model":"kimi-k2.5","source":"moonshot-batch","completionTokens":1938},"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The regulations strictly implement the fee-setting function authorised by the Offshore Minerals (Exploration Licence Fees) Act 1981, containing only the specific dollar amounts and calculation method without expanding into administrative procedures or substantive rights."},"complexity_factors":["Only three short sections total","Single operative provision containing a simple fee formula","Only one defined term ('the Act')","No cross-references to other legislation beyond the parent Act","Basic mathematical comparison (flat rate vs per-block rate) with no exceptions or exemptions"],"plain_english_summary":"These regulations set the annual fees that mining companies must pay to keep an exploration licence for minerals in Australian offshore waters.\n\n**How the fee works**\nEach year, the licence holder pays the **higher** of these two amounts:\n* **$600** (a flat fee), or\n* **$20** multiplied by the number of \"blocks\" (specific mapped areas of seabed) covered by the licence\n\n**Quick example:**\n- If you hold 10 blocks: you pay $600 (because $600 is more than $200)\n- If you hold 40 blocks: you pay $800 (because $800 is more than $600)\n\n**Who this affects**\nResource companies exploring for minerals in Australia's offshore territories.\n\n**Why it exists**\nIt puts a price on holding exclusive rights to explore offshore areas, ensuring companies pay for the privilege of locking up those zones."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/offshore-minerals-exploration-licence-fees-regulations","history":"/api/acts/offshore-minerals-exploration-licence-fees-regulations/history","analysis":"/api/acts/offshore-minerals-exploration-licence-fees-regulations/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/offshore-minerals-exploration-licence-fees-regulations/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/offshore-minerals-exploration-licence-fees-regulations/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/offshore-minerals-exploration-licence-fees-regulations/documents"}}