{"id":"underseas-mineral-resources-act-1963","name":"Underseas Mineral Resources Act 1963","slug":"underseas-mineral-resources-act-1963","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"vic","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":176452,"registerId":"vic-underseas-mineral-resources-act-1963-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Underseas Mineral Resources Act 1963","content":"Version No. 023\n\n**Underseas Mineral Resources Act 1963**\n\n**No. 7095 of 1963**\n\nVersion incorporating amendments as at  \n25 October 2012\n\n**table of provisions**\n\n*Section Page*\n\n1 Short title 1\n\n2 Application of Mines Act to certain submarine mineral resources 1\n\nENDNOTES 3\n\n1. General Information 3\n\n2. Table of Amendments 4\n\n3. Explanatory Details 5\n\n**Version No.** **023**\n\n**Underseas Mineral Resources Act 1963**\n\n**No. 7095 of 1963**\n\nVersion incorporating amendments as at  \n25 October 2012\n\nAn Act to make Provision with respect to the Exploration and Exploitation of the Mineral Resources of the Sea Bed and the Subsoil in certain Waters within and beyond the Territorial Limits of Victoria, and for other purposes.\n\n**BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly of Victoria in this present Parliament assembled and by the authority of the same as follows (that is to say):**\n\n\t1 Short title\n\nThis Act may be cited as the **Underseas Mineral Resources Act 1963**.\n\n\t2 Application of Mines Act to certain submarine mineral resources\n\nS. 2(1) amended by Nos 7591  \ns. 2(Sch. 1 item 2), 92/1990  \ns. 128(Sch. 1 item 31), 63/2006 s. 61(Sch. item 31).\n\n(1) For the purpose of encouraging the exploration and exploitation of the mineral resources of the sea bed and its subsoil it is hereby declared that the provisions of the **Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990** extend and apply and shall be deemed to have always extended and applied to the sea bed and its subsoil within the territorial limits of Victoria and to those parts of the sea bed and its subsoil of the submarine areas outside such territorial limits to which the jurisdiction and legislative power of the State of Victoria extends in the same manner and to the same extent as if such sea bed and subsoil were land within Victoria.\n\nS. 2(2) amended by Nos 7591  \ns. 2(Sch. 1 item 2), 92/1990  \ns. 128(Sch. 1 item 31), 63/2006 s. 61(Sch. item 31).\n\n(2) In the application of the said **Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990** gold silver uranium thorium and other minerals found on or in such sea bed or subsoil shall be deemed to be the property of the Crown.\n\nS. 2(3) amended by Nos 7591  \ns. 2(Sch. 1 item 2), 92/1990  \ns. 128(Sch. 1 item 31), 63/2006 s. 61(Sch. item 31).\n\n(3) It is hereby declared that the power to make regulations or by-laws conferred upon the Governor in Council by the **Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990** shall extend and apply and shall be deemed to have always extended and applied to the making of regulations or by-laws of general application or of a specially limited application for or with respect to the exploration and exploitation of the mineral resources of such sea bed and its subsoil.\n\ns. 2\n\n\n\nENDNOTES\n\nEndnotes\n\n1. General Information\n\n\nThe **Underseas Mineral Resources Act 1963** was assented to on 10 December 1963 and came into operation on 10 December 1963.\n\n1. Table of Amendments\n\n\nEndnotes\n\nThis Version incorporates amendments made to the **Underseas Mineral Resources Act 1963** by Acts and subordinate instruments.\n\n–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––\n\n**Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1967, No. 7591/1967**\n\n| Assent Date: | 28.11.67 |\n| --- | --- |\n| Commencement Date: | 1.4.68: Government Gazette 27.3.68 p. 848 |\n| Current State: | All of Act in operation |\n\n\n**Mineral Resources Development Act 1990, No. 92/1990**\n\n| Assent Date: | 18.12.90 |\n| --- | --- |\n| Commencement Date: | S. 128(Sch. 1 item 31) on 6.11.91: Government Gazette 30.10.91 p. 2970 |\n| Current State: | This information relates only to the provision/s amending the **Underseas Mineral Resources Act 1963** |\n\n\n**Mineral Resources Development (Sustainable Development) Act 2006, No. 63/2006**\n\n| Assent Date: | 29.8.06 |\n| --- | --- |\n| Commencement Date: | S. 61(Sch. item 31) on 30.8.06: s. 2(1) |\n| Current State: | This information relates only to the provision/s amending the **Underseas Mineral Resources Act 1963** |\n\n\n–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––\n\n1. Explanatory Details\n\n\nEndnotes\n\nNo entries at date of publication.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Insufficient content was provided in the document to assess whether the scope changed from the original legislative intent. The metadata indicates the Act has been consolidated (amended), but without the substantive provisions, no meaningful comparison between original and current scope can be made."},"complexity_factors":["Insufficient legislative text provided to assess true complexity — only metadata and headings were supplied","The subject matter (undersea mineral rights) is inherently technical and involves intersection of state and Commonwealth jurisdiction","Historical age of the Act (1963) means it may use outdated legal language and concepts","Potential overlap or conflict with federal offshore resources legislation adds jurisdictional complexity","Version history suggests amendments over time, which can create complexity in determining current operative provisions"],"plain_english_summary":"The Underseas Mineral Resources Act 1963 is a Victorian law regulating exploration and extraction of minerals beneath the sea, affecting companies or individuals engaged in offshore mineral activities and the Victorian government’s licensing and oversight. \n\nIt remains technically in force but is over 60 years old and has been amended; its practical operation may be superseded by later Commonwealth offshore resource laws. The available text is sparse, so specific rights and obligations cannot be confirmed from this excerpt."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"Yes. The Act's scope has been updated from its original form by later amendments that replace earlier references with the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990 framework, affirm Crown ownership of specific seabed minerals, and extend regulation‑making power to seabed and certain submarine areas. The operative changes are contained in s.2(1)–(3) and reflected in the amendment history (see notes on amendments from 1967, 1990 and 2006)."},"complexity_factors":["Heavy cross-reference to the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990 — understanding duties and processes requires reading that Act (s.2(1)).","Geographical and jurisdictional reach (territorial limits and submarine areas where Victoria has jurisdiction) depends on external definitions and may overlap with other laws (s.2(1)).","Deeming/retroactive language — provisions are stated to have 'always extended and applied', which raises interpretive issues for past activities (s.2(1)).","Clear Crown ownership declaration for listed minerals changes property rights and who benefits from extraction (s.2(2)).","Extension of regulation‑making power gives executive discretion to create rules specific to seabed resources (s.2(3)).","Amendment history (multiple amending Acts noted) means the text's effect depends on later statutory changes and commencement details."],"plain_english_summary":"*Mechanically, this Act applies the state's Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act to the sea bed and subsoil within Victoria's territorial limits and to submarine areas where Victoria has legislative jurisdiction, declares minerals (including gold, silver, uranium, thorium) found there to be Crown property, and extends the regulation‑making power to those seabed resources.* It affects mineral explorers, producers and permit applicants by putting seabed minerals under Victoria's licensing, ownership and regulatory regime, changing incentives, compliance costs and administrative discretion."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose of extending mining laws to the seabed. The only changes since 1963 have been mechanical updates to reflect the renaming of the applied mining Act (from the original *Mines Act* to the *Mineral Resources Development Act 1990* and subsequently to the *Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990*). The substantive scope—covering seabed minerals within and beyond territorial limits—has not expanded."},"complexity_factors":["Only 2 operative sections (sections 1 and 2)","No defined terms section—relies entirely on definitions from the applied Act (*Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990*)","Simple declaratory structure using 'it is hereby declared' rather than conditional logic","Single cross-reference to one principal Act, with no nested exceptions or provisos","Subsections (1)-(3) follow a logical sequence: application of law → property rights → regulation-making power","Amendment history is straightforward with only three amending Acts over 49 years, all updating the name of the applied Act"],"plain_english_summary":"This short Victorian law from 1963 allows mining companies to explore and extract minerals from the seabed off the Victorian coast. It essentially treats the ocean floor as if it were dry land for the purposes of mining law.\n\n**What it does:**\n- Extends Victoria's mining laws (specifically the *Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990*) to cover the seabed and what lies beneath it\n- Applies to waters within Victoria's territorial limits and certain areas beyond them where Victoria has jurisdiction\n- Declares that valuable minerals found there—including gold, silver, uranium and thorium—belong to the Crown (the government)\n- Allows the government to make regulations specifically for undersea mining operations\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- Mining companies seeking to explore or extract minerals from Victorian coastal waters\n- The Victorian government, which owns the mineral rights and can grant mining licences\n\n**Why it matters:**\nBefore this Act, it was unclear whether Victoria's mining laws applied to the ocean floor. This law cleared the way for undersea mineral exploration by ensuring the same licensing, safety and environmental rules that apply on land also apply at sea. It also confirmed that the government—not private discoverers—owns any precious minerals found there."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/underseas-mineral-resources-act-1963","history":"/api/acts/underseas-mineral-resources-act-1963/history","analysis":"/api/acts/underseas-mineral-resources-act-1963/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/underseas-mineral-resources-act-1963/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/underseas-mineral-resources-act-1963/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/underseas-mineral-resources-act-1963/documents"}}