These regulations prescribe detailed procedures and requirements under the Mining Act 1971 for mining tenements in South Australia. They set application and consultation steps; scoping, program and mine‑operations reporting; data retention and electronic submission rules; fees, rentals and royalties; registration and notice rules; and compliance, penalty and insurance obligations.
The stated object is to provide clarity and proportional environmental assessment pathways and outcomes; affected parties include applicants, tenement holders, landowners, the Minister, the Director and the Mining Registrar.
These regulations operationalise, specify and supplement the Mining Act 1971 by prescribing detailed processes, timeframes, formats, documentary content and fees for mineral tenement applications and administration across South Australia. They do not rewrite the Act; rather they set mandatory procedural and informational rules that affect entitlement, regulation and compliance. Mechanically the instrument:
Defines key terms and prescribes activities brought within the Act’s scope (reg 3(1)-(4)). Examples include the prescription of exploration activities to include bulk sampling and geotechnical test work (reg 3(3)(a)-(b)), and mechanically driven sampling equipment capable of drilling ≥2.5 metres (reg 3(2)).
Prescribes what must be recorded, retained and supplied as “designated material” to the Director, with explicit lists and retention periods (reg 16(1)-(26); reg 17). Many classes of technical, environmental and survey data must be kept electronically for seven years and provided to the Director at the end of prescribed periods (reg 16(2)-(3), (5)-(21), (23)-(24)).
Establishes scoping and program frameworks for environmental assessment: scoping reports (Part 10, regs 42-45), program preparation, adoption, review and leading indicator criteria for programs under Part 10A of the Act (Part 15, regs 63-66).
Sets content and process requirements for most tenement-related applications (Parts 6-9, 30-41). The regulations require detailed technical, financial and environmental statements to accompany applications for exploration licences, mining leases, retention leases and miscellaneous purposes licences (see regs 23, 30-31, 37).
Creates specific obligations and schedules for reporting, incident notification and public record-keeping (Part 20, regs 77-80; Schedule 1). Compliance reports, technical exploration reports and incident reporting are all defined with deadlines and form requirements (regs 77-79).
Current sections
Direct links to the current provisions in Mining Regulations 2020.
26
Part 1
Preliminary
Part 1—Preliminary
1—Short title
These regulations may be cited as the Mining Regulations 2020.
3—Interpretation
(1) In these regulations, unless the contrary intention appears—
Act means the Mining Act 1971;
change in operations means a change in relation to a tenement to which Part 8B Division 7 of the Act applies;
compliance report means a compliance report under regulation 77;
corresponding law means an Act of another State or a Territory that contains provisions that substantially correspond with the Mining Act 1971;
Department means the administrative unit of the Public Service that is responsible for assisting a Minister in the administration of the Act;
designated Act means—
(a) the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988; or
(b) the Aboriginal Lands Trust Act 2013; or
(c) the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act 1981; or
(d) the Environment Protection Act 1993; or
(e) the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 of the Commonwealth; or
(f) the Landscape South Australia Act 2019; or
(g) the Maralinga Tjarutja Land Rights Act 1984; or
(h) the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972; or
(i) the Native Title Act 1993 of the Commonwealth; or
(j) the Native Vegetation Act 1991; or
(k) the Offshore Minerals Act 2000; or
(l) the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016; or
(m) the Radiation Protection and Control Act 1982; or
(n) the Work Health and Safety Act 2012; or
(o) an Act of another State or a Territory that contains provisions that substantially correspond with an Act set out in paragraphs (a) to (n) (inclusive);
designated material has the meaning given by section 15AI of the Act;
dimension stone means stone that is cut, trimmed and finished to specific dimensions and shapes and includes cut stone, ashlars, monumental stone, roofing slate and flagging stone;
industrial minerals means the following:
(a) alunite;
(b) anatase;
(c) andalusite;
(d) barite;
(e) bentonite;
(f) calcrete;
(g) celestite;
(h) cement shale;
(i) diamond;
(j) diatomite;
(k) dolomite;
(l) feldspar;
(m) fire clay;
(n) garnet;
(o) graphite;
(p) gypsum;
(q) ilmenite;
(r) kaolin;
(s) kyanite;
(t) leucoxene;
(u) lime sand;
(v) magnesite;
(w) marble;
(x) mica;
(y) micaceous hematite;
(z) monazite;
(za) palygorskite;
(zb) peat;
(zc) phosphate;
(zd) potash;
(ze) rutile;
(zf) salt;
(zg) silica;
(zh) silica sand;
(zi) sillimanite;
(zj) talc;
(zk) vermiculite;
(zl) wollastonite;
(zm) xenotime;
(zn) zircon;
(zo) any other mineral that would be an extractive mineral for the purposes of the Act but for the fact that it is mined for a purpose prescribed for the purposes of paragraph (a) of the definition of extractive minerals in section 6(1) of the Act;
leading indicator criteria means criteria used to give an early warning that a control strategy in a program under Part 10A of the Act may fail or be failing.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (ab) of the definition of declared equipment in section 6(1) of the Act, mechanically driven equipment that is capable of drilling to depths of 2.5 metres or more below the ground in order to recover subsurface geological samples or information is prescribed.
(3) For the purposes of the definition of exploring or exploration operations in section 6(1) of the Act, the following activities are, in accordance with paragraph (d) of that definition, brought within the ambit of that definition:
(a) collecting a bulk sample required to evaluate the metallurgical and physical properties of a mineral deposit or the economic potential of such a deposit and rehabilitating the land from which the sample was taken to be as close as reasonably practicable to the state of the land before the sample was taken;
(b) undertaking geotechnical test work and rehabilitating the land on which the test work was undertaken to be as close as reasonably practicable to the state of the land before the test work was undertaken.
(4) The following are prescribed purposes under paragraph (a) of the definition of extractive minerals in section 6(1) of the Act:
(a) chemical, cement, lime and glass manufacture;
(b) metallurgical flux, refractories and industrial fillers;
(c) foundries, fertiliser, agricultural, jewellery and crafted ornamental uses;
(d) the production of dimension stone.
4—Exercise of rights over a road, street or highway
(1) A person must not exercise a right under the Act or these regulations on a public road, street or highway without the written consent of the authority that has the care, control or management of the road, street or highway.
(2) However, a consent under subregulation (1) is not required to identify an area for a mineral claim on land (in a manner determined or approved under section 56E of the Act) consisting (partially or entirely) of a public road, street or highway.
(3) An application to register a claim on land consisting (partially or entirely) of a public road, street or highway must be accompanied by the consent required under subregulation (1).
5—Exempt land—prescribed distance
(a1) For the purposes of section 9(1)(ca) of the Act, the prescribed distance is 25 m.
(1) Subregulation (2) applies in relation to—
(a) a miscellaneous purpose licence; and
(b) a retention lease; and
(c) a mining lease.
(2) For the purposes of section 9(5) of the Act, the prescribed distance for the recovery of industrial minerals under a mineral tenement to which this subregulation applies is, in accordance with paragraph (c)(i) of that definition, 400 metres.
6—Waiver of exemption
(1) For the purposes of section 9AA(8)(b) of the Act, a tenement holder must provide the owner of land with the following information in relation to each relevant tenement or proposed tenement in relation to the land:
(a) a copy of the approved program (if any) under Part 10A of the Act;
(b) a copy of the relevant proposal;
(c) a copy of any response of the tenement holder as required by the Minister under section 56H(4)(b) of the Act;
(d) information as to the rights of the owner of land under section 9AA(9)(b) and (14) of the Act in a manner and form determined by the Minister that is made publicly available on a website determined by the Minister.
(2) For the purposes of section 9AA(14b) of the Act, notice of an agreement to waive the benefit of an exemption must be given to the Mining Registrar—
(a) within 21 days after the agreement is entered into; or
(b) when an application for the tenement is made under the Act,
whichever occurs first.
Part 2
Administration
Part 2—Administration
7—Delegation by Minister
For the purposes of section 12(1) of the Act, the following Acts are prescribed:
(a) the Aboriginal Lands Trust Act 2013;
(b) the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act 1981;
(c) the Landscape South Australia Act 2019;
(d) the Maralinga Tjarutja Land Rights Act 1984;
(e) the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972;
(f) the Native Vegetation Act 1991;
(g) the Offshore Minerals Act 2000;
(h) the Opal Mining Act 1995;
(i) the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016;
(j) the Roxby Downs (Indenture Ratification) Act 1982.
8—Applications for warrants
The following procedures in relation to an application for the issue of a warrant are prescribed for the purposes of section 14C(6)(b) of the Act:
(a) if an application for the issue of a warrant is made personally—the grounds of the application must be verified by affidavit;
(b) if an application for the issue of a warrant is made by telephone—
(i) the applicant must inform the magistrate, warden or justice of the applicant's name and identify the position that they hold for the purposes of the Act, and the magistrate, warden or justice, on receiving that information, is entitled to assume, without further inquiry, that the applicant holds that position; and
(ii) the applicant must inform the magistrate, warden or justice of the purpose for which the warrant is required and the grounds on which it is sought; and
(iii) if it appears to the magistrate, warden or justice from the information given by the applicant that there are proper grounds to issue a warrant, the magistrate, warden or justice must inform the applicant of the facts that justify, in their opinion, the issue of the warrant, and must not proceed to issue the warrant unless the applicant undertakes to make an affidavit verifying those facts; and
(iv) if the applicant gives such an undertaking, the magistrate, warden or justice may then make out and sign a warrant, noting on the warrant the facts that justify, in their opinion, the issue of the warrant; and
(v) the warrant is taken to have been issued, and comes into force, when signed by the magistrate, warden or justice; and
(vi) the magistrate, warden or justice must inform the applicant of the terms of the warrant; and
(vii) the applicant must, as soon as practicable after the issue of the warrant, forward to the magistrate, warden or justice an affidavit verifying the facts referred to in subparagraph (iii).
Part 3
Royalty
Part 3—Royalty
9—Prescribed amount
For the purposes of section 17(4)(a) of the Act, the lesser amount of 52 cents per tonne is prescribed.
10—Prescribed information to accompany tenement holder's estimate of value of minerals
For the purposes of section 17(6)(b)(vi) of the Act, the tenement holder's estimate of the reasonable value of the minerals in accordance with that subparagraph must be accompanied by—
(a) sufficient information as to why the market value of the minerals could not be determined according to section 17(6)(b)(iii), (iv) and (v) of the Act; and
(b) sufficient information that demonstrates that the estimate provided by the tenement holder is reasonable; and
(c) any further information requested by the Minister.
11—Prescribed costs
For the purposes of section 17(8) and (8a) of the Act, costs of the following kinds, up to an amount that does not exceed 30% of the market value of the minerals on which royalty is payable, are prescribed:
(a) costs (excluding GST) genuinely incurred in transporting the minerals to a point of sale (including, for example, packaging, storage, loading, permit, fees, insurance and depreciation);
(b) in the case of section 17(8a)—costs (excluding GST) genuinely incurred in shipping the minerals to a genuine purchaser in a sale at arms length;
(c) any other costs (excluding GST) determined by the Minister to be a cost of a prescribed kind for the purposes of section 17(8) or (8a) of the Act (or both), (which may vary according to a particular tenement holder, class of tenement holder, or all tenement holders).
12—Persons exempt from furnishing returns
(1) For the purposes of section 17CA(9) of the Act (but subject to subregulation (2)), the following persons are exempt from the requirement to furnish a return under section 17CA(1) of the Act:
(a) the holder of a registered mineral claim;
(b) the holder of an exploration licence;
(c) the holder of a miscellaneous purposes licence;
(d) the holder of a retention lease.
(2) Subregulation (1)(c) or (d) does not apply in relation to a particular tenement if the Minister has determined, by notice to the tenement holder, that the tenement holder should comply with the requirements of section 17CA of the Act.
13—Means of payment of royalty
For the purposes of section 17G of the Act, royalty must be paid—
(a) by means of electronic funds transfer to an account nominated by the Minister; or
(b) by means of a credit card.
Part 4
Mining register
Part 4—Mining register
14—Other matters to be placed on register
(1) For the purposes of section 15AA(2)(l) of the Act, the following must be registered on the register:
(a) the items set out in Schedule 1 (unless, in the Mining Registrar's discretion, the Mining Registrar determines otherwise);
(b) such other interest, instrument, approval, agreement, determination, statement, notice, order, direction, bond, penalty or other document as the Mining Registrar thinks fit.
(2) This regulation does not limit the operation of any other regulation.
15—Surrender of mortgages
For the purposes of section 15AC(8)(d) of the Act, a prescribed circumstance is where the surrender is required by an order of a court or tribunal constituted by law.
Part 5
Information
Part 5—Information
16—Compilation, keeping and provision of material
(1) For the purposes of section 15AJ of the Act, a tenement holder must comply with the requirements set out in this regulation with respect to—
(a) compiling or creating designated material referred to in this regulation (section 15AJ(1) of the Act); and
(b) keeping designated material referred to in this regulation (section 15AJ(2) of the Act); and
(c) providing designated material referred to in this regulation to the Director (section 15AJ(3) of the Act); and
(d) providing for the form of any designated material provided to the Director (section 15AJ(5) of the Act).
(2) Geological mapping: complete and detailed records must be kept in an electronic form for 7 years and any such record created in a particular designated period must be provided electronically to the Director at the end of that particular designated period.
(3) Surveys of workings: complete and detailed records must be kept in an electronic form for 7 years and any such records created in a particular designated period must be provided electronically to the Director at the end of that particular designated period.
(4) Geological samples, including drill hole core and samples: all drill hole core samples and other representative geological samples must be kept in accordance with guidelines issued by the Department for the term of the relevant tenement and for 7 years after the expiry, surrender, cancellation or forfeiture of the tenement to which the sample relates and must be retained by the tenement holder, or provided to the Director, in accordance with those guidelines (unless the Minister has authorised, on application by the tenement holder in a manner and form set out in the guidelines, the destruction or disposal of the samples).
(5) Drill hole logs: complete and detailed records must be kept in an electronic form for 7 years and any such records created in a particular designated period must be provided electronically to the Director at the end of that particular designated period.
(6) Locations relating to geological samples including drill hole collar locations: these locations must be identified by using maps and coordinates that accurately show each location in accordance with any requirements determined by the Director and these maps and coordinates must be kept in an electronic form for 7 years and any such maps and coordinates created in a particular designated period must be provided electronically to the Director at the end of that particular designated period.
(7) Results of analysis and testing of samples: complete and detailed records must be kept in an electronic form for 7 years and any such records created in a particular designated period must be provided electronically to the Director at the end of that particular designated period.
(8) Records of geophysical surveys: complete and detailed records must be kept in an electronic form for 7 years and any such records created in a particular designated period must be provided electronically to the Director at the end of that particular designated period.
(9) Technical data, studies and reports: these must be kept in an electronic form for 7 years and any such designated material created or finalised in a particular designated period must be provided electronically to the Director at the end of that particular designated period.
(10) Records of geochemistry: complete and detailed records must be kept in an electronic form for 7 years and any such records created in a particular designated period must be provided electronically to the Director at the end of that particular designated period.
(11) Supporting information and data associated with reserve or resource estimation: complete and detailed records must be kept in an electronic form for 7 years and any such records created in a particular financial year must be provided electronically to the Director by the designated date for that financial year.
(12) Records of airborne surveys under regulation 80: complete and detailed records must be kept in an electronic form for 7 years and any such records created in a particular designated period must be provided electronically to the Director at the end of that particular designated period.
(13) Records of remote sensing: these must be kept in an electronic form for 7 years and any such records created in a particular designated period must be provided electronically to the Director at the end of that particular designated period.
(14) Economic, environmental or social studies or reports: these must be kept in an electronic form for 7 years and any such designated material created or finalised in a particular designated period must be provided electronically to the Director at the end of that particular designated period.
(15) Records of mineralogy and petrology studies: these must be kept in an electronic form for 7 years and any such records created in a particular designated period must be provided electronically to the Director at the end of that particular designated period.
(16) Scoping studies: these must be kept in an electronic form for 7 years and any such studies created or finalised in a particular designated period must be provided electronically to the Director at the end of that particular designated period.
(17) Feasibility studies: these must be kept in an electronic form for 7 years and any such studies created or finalised in a particular designated period must be provided electronically to the Director at the end of that particular designated period.
(18) Surface mapping (recording the geological features of an operating mine): complete and detailed records must be kept in an electronic form for 7 years and any such records created in a particular designated period must be provided electronically to the Director at the end of that particular designated period.
(19) Drill hole photographs: these must be kept in an electronic form for 7 years and any such photographs taken in a particular designated period must be provided electronically to the Director at the end of that particular designated period.
(20) Open data file compilations: complete and detailed records must be kept in an electronic form for 7 years and any such records created in a particular designated period must be provided electronically to the Director at the end of that particular designated period.
(21) Technical data associated with exploration that demonstrates an increased inferred or indicated resource (JORC definitions or equivalent): this data must be kept in an electronic form for 7 years and any such data created in a particular designated period must be provided electronically to the Director at the end of that particular designated period.
(22) Production volume or quantity, and quality and value, records for a mining lease or private mine: these records must be kept in an electronic form for 7 years and any such records must be provided electronically to the Director if so requested by the Director.
(23) Records that evidence costs of a kind prescribed by regulation 11: these records must be kept in an electronic form for 7 years and any such records must be provided electronically to the Director if so requested by the Director.
(24) Technical data associated with the measurement of criteria in a program or plan approved under Part 10A or 11B of the Act: this data must be kept in an electronic form for the term of the relevant tenement (or in the case of a private mine, until the private mine is surrendered) and any such data must be provided electronically to the Minister on request by the Minister.
(25) Technical and environmental data used to prepare a proposal accompanying an application for a mining lease, retention lease, miscellaneous purposes licence or an application for a change under Part 8B Division 7 of the Act: this data must be kept in an electronic form for the term of the relevant tenement and any such data must be provided electronically to the Minister on request by the Minister.
(26) In this regulation—
designated period means—
(i) in relation to a private mine—each 12 month period ending on 30 June in each year; and
(ii) in any other case—each 12 month period ending on the anniversary of the day on which the relevant mineral tenement was granted; or
17—Release of material
For the purposes of section 15AL(3)(d) of the Act, any designated material provided to the Director under this Part must not be released under section 15AL of the Act until—
(a) the expiry of the period of 5 years from the date on which the designated material was so provided to the Director; or
(b) the expiry, cancellation or forfeiture of the tenement to which the designated material relates; or
(c) the surrender, relinquishment or reduction (in whole or in part) of the tenement to which the designated material relates (being, in a case involving a part of a tenement, the designated material that relates to that part); or
(d) the designated material has been made publicly available; or
(e) a holder of the tenement consents to the release of the designated material,
whichever occurs first.
Part 6
Mineral claims
Part 6—Mineral claims
18—Application to establish a mineral claim
(1) For the purposes of section 21(7)(f) of the Act, the following information is prescribed:
(a) a statement of the proposed operations to be carried out within the area of the mineral claim;
(b) a plan delineating any exempt land within the area of the mineral claim.
(2) For the purposes of sections 21(10) and 24A(a)(ii) of the Act, the period of 28 days, or such longer period as the Mining Registrar may determine or approve, is prescribed.
19—Area of claim
For the purposes of section 23 of the Act (but subject to section 23(2) of the Act), the maximum permissible area of a mineral claim is 250 hectares.
20—Notification of registration
The Mining Registrar must, on the registration of a mineral claim, give notice of the registration of the claim to the applicant.
21—Cancellation of claim
(1) If the Mining Registrar discovers or determines, after a mineral claim is registered, that the claim should not have been registered on account of a contravention of, or a failure to comply with, a provision or requirement of the Act or these or any other regulations made under the Act, the Mining Registrar may, by notice in writing to the owner of the claim, give notice of the Mining Registrar's intention to cancel the registration of the claim on a day specified in the notice (which must be at least 21 days after the date of the notice).
(2) A person who receives a notice under subregulation (1) may apply to the Warden's Court to have the decision of the Mining Registrar reviewed.
(3) An application for review must be made within 14 days of service of the notice (unless the Warden's Court allows an extension of time).
(4) Pending the determination of an application for review, the Mining Registrar must not cancel the registration of the claim.
(5) At the conclusion of the review, the Warden's Court may—
(a) confirm the decision of the Mining Registrar; or
(b) cancel the notice.
(6) Subject to a decision of the Warden's Court under this regulation, the Mining Registrar may, after the day specified in a notice under this regulation, cancel the registration of the relevant claim.
22—Cessation of claim if lease granted
If the Minister grants a mining lease or a retention lease over the whole or part of the area of a mineral claim—
(a) the claim will cease to the extent to which the lease applies to the area of the claim; and
(b) if there is no other application for a mineral tenement in relation to the mineral claim under consideration under the Act and these regulations at that time, the claim will cease and determine.
Part 7
Exploration licences
Part 7—Exploration licences
23—Application for licence
(1) For the purposes of section 29A(1)(c) of the Act, the following information is prescribed:
(a) a statement—
(i) outlining the exploration operations that the tenement holder intends to carry out under the exploration licence during—
(A) the first 2 years of operations under the licence; or
(B) a period determined by the Minister; and
(ii) declaring the amount of expenditure that is estimated to occur in carrying out those operations;
(b) a statement of the technical, operational and financial capabilities and resources available to the applicant for the purpose of carrying out operations under the exploration licence;
(c) a statement nominating the principal mineral or minerals that the applicant is seeking under the exploration licence and the exploration model that the applicant intends to employ for the purposes of exploring for that mineral or those minerals;
(d) a statement by the applicant or a related body corporate outlining any contravention of, or failure to comply with, a provision of a corresponding law or designated Act in connection with authorised operations carried out by them within the preceding period of 5 years that resulted in—
(iv) the issuing of a notice, direction or order that required the suspension or discontinuance of any authorised operations or the rectification of any harm to the environment or the rehabilitation of any land, place or other aspect of the environment;
(e) a statement outlining whether the applicant or a related body corporate has, within the preceding period of 3 months, held an exploration licence (or an interest in an exploration licence) in relation to any area in respect of which the exploration licence is being sought.
(2) Any information provided under subregulation (1) must be in a form determined by the Minister, be supported by such evidence as the Minister may determine, and comply with any requirement of the Minister relating to the amount or detail of information that must be provided.
24—Notification of grant of licence
For the purposes of section 29B of the Act, notice of the grant of an exploration licence will be given in the manner prescribed by regulation 88.
25—Expenditure
For the purposes of section 30AAA of the Act—
(a) the period applying under subsection (3)(a)(i) of that section is—
(i) unless subparagraph (ii) applies—every 2 years (with the first period commencing on the date on which the exploration licence is granted); or
(ii) a period determined by the Minister; and
(b) the period applying under subsection (3)(b)(i) of that section is—
(i) unless subparagraph (ii) applies—every ensuing period of 2 years (with the period commencing on the second anniversary of the date on which the exploration licence is granted); or
(ii) a period determined by the Minister; and
(c) the time within which a return must be furnished under subsection (3) of that section is within 60 days of the end of each period applying in accordance with paragraphs (a) and (b).
26—Application for retention status
For the purposes of section 33B(2)(c) of the Act, the following information is prescribed:
(a) in the case of a tenement holder who applies for the grant of retention status in relation to the exploration licence under section 33B(3)(a) of the Act—
(i) a statement of the approval or approvals under another Act or Acts that the tenement holder has been unable to obtain, and details of any attempts to obtain such approvals; and
(ii) a statement summarising the exploration operations undertaken under the exploration licence; and
(iii) an estimate of the expenditure that has been incurred in respect of exploration operations undertaken on the area of land to which the application relates; and
(iv) an estimate of the time that the applicant considers will be required to obtain the approvals under another Act or Acts that are required before the tenement holder can commence or continue exploration operations in relation to the land to which the application relates;
(b) in the case of a tenement holder who applies for the grant of retention status in relation to the exploration licence under section 33B(3)(b) of the Act—
(i) details of the mineral resource located in, on or under the land to which the application relates; and
(ii) a statement declaring that the mineral resource has been appropriately identified and estimated; and
(iii) a statement outlining the reasons the applicant considers it unreasonable to expect an application to be made for a mining lease or a retention lease because it is not commercially viable to spend time and money on developing the resource; and
(iv) a statement outlining the reasons the applicant considers that mining the relevant land will become commercially viable within the next 6 years;
(c) in the case of a tenement holder who applies for the grant of retention status in relation to the exploration licence under section 33B(3)(c) of the Act—
(i) a statement summarising the exploration operations undertaken under the exploration licence; and
(ii) an estimate of the expenditure that has been incurred in respect of exploration operations undertaken on the area of land to which the application relates; and
(iii) a statement of the circumstances that the applicant considers justify the application, including details of any steps taken by the applicant to resolve those circumstances by other means;
27—Division of area of licence
For the purposes of section 30AA(4)(b) of the Act, the following information is prescribed:
(a) a description of the area that is to be surrendered in accordance with the requirements of section 56E of the Act;
(b) an application that complies with the requirements of section 29A of the Act as if the designated party were applying for a new exploration licence in relation to the land to which the application relates and as if the land were open ground (subject to any necessary modifications);
(c) a statement, in the form of a statutory declaration, declaring that—
(i) the designated party is not, in relation to the tenement holder, a related body corporate; and
(ii) the designated party or a related body corporate has not, within the preceding period of 2 years, held a mineral tenement in respect of the land to be surrendered;
(d) a statement that there are no outstanding obligations or liabilities in respect of the land to which the application relates or, if there are any such obligations or liabilities, a commitment from the designated party to assume responsibility for those obligations and liabilities;
(e) if the exploration licence falls within the ambit of regulation 77(1)(b)—a final compliance report as if the land to which the application relates were a tenement that was being surrendered by the tenement holder;
28—Renewal of licence
(1) For the purposes of section 30A(4a)(a) of the Act, the following information is prescribed:
(b) a statement—
(i) outlining the exploration operations that the tenement holder intends to carry out under the exploration licence during—
(A) the first 2 years of operations under the renewed licence; or
(B) a period determined by the Minister; and
(ii) declaring the amount of expenditure that is estimated to occur in carrying out those operations;
(c) a statement nominating the principal mineral or minerals that the applicant is seeking over the next term of the licence and the exploration model that the applicant intends to employ for the purposes of exploring for that mineral or those minerals;
(d) a statement of the technical, operational and financial capabilities and resources available to the applicant for the purposes of carrying out operations under the renewed licence;
(e) a statement by the applicant or a related body corporate outlining any contravention of, or failure to comply with, a provision of a corresponding law or designated Act in connection with authorised operations carried out by them within the preceding period of 5 years that resulted in—
(iv) the issuing of a notice, direction or order that required the suspension or discontinuance of any authorised operations or the rectification of any harm to the environment or the rehabilitation of any land, place or other aspect of the environment;
(2) Any information provided under subregulation (1) must be in a form determined by the Minister, be supported by such evidence as the Minister may determine, and comply with any requirement of the Minister relating to the amount or detail of information that must be provided.
(3) An application under section 30A(4) of the Act must be accompanied by the prescribed fee.
29—Excise of land for public purposes
(1) For the purposes of section 30AB of the Act, the Minister may excise land by notice in the Gazette in a form determined by the Minister.
(2) If the Minister gives a notice under subregulation (1), the Minister must serve a copy of the notice on the tenement holder.
Part 8
Leases
Part 8—Leases
30—Additional information in connection with application for mining lease
(1) For the purposes of section 36(1)(d) of the Act, the following information is prescribed:
(a) a statement nominating the principal mineral or minerals that are to be recovered under the mining lease;
(b) a statement that provides detailed information about the mineral resource or ore reserve, or both;
(c) a statement declaring that the mineral resource or ore reserve, or both, has been appropriately identified and estimated;
(d) a statement of the technical, operational and financial capabilities and resources available to the applicant for the purpose of carrying out operations under the mining lease;
(e) a statement that demonstrates—
(i) that there is a reasonable prospect that the land in respect of which the lease is sought could be effectively and efficiently mined; and
(ii) that appropriate environmental outcomes will be able to be achieved;
(f) a statement by the applicant or a related body corporate outlining any contravention of, or failure to comply with, a provision of a corresponding law or designated Act in connection with authorised operations carried out by them within the preceding period of 5 years that resulted in—
(iv) the issuing of a notice, direction or order that required the suspension or discontinuance of any authorised operations or the rectification of any harm to the environment or the rehabilitation of any land, place or other aspect of the environment;
(g) such other information as may be determined by the Minister for the purposes of this regulation.
(2) Any information provided under subregulation (1) must be in a form determined by the Minister, be supported by such evidence as the Minister may determine, and comply with any requirement of the Minister relating to the amount or detail of information that must be provided.
31—Additional information in connection with application for retention lease
(1) For the purposes of section 44(1)(d) of the Act, the following information is prescribed:
(a) if the application is being made under section 43(1)(a) of the Act—
(i) a statement outlining the operations to be carried out to support an application for a mining lease; and
(ii) a statement that provides detailed information about the mineral resource or ore reserve, or both; and
(iii) a statement declaring that the mineral resource or ore reserve, or both, has been appropriately identified and estimated;
(b) if the application is being made under section 43(1)(c) of the Act—
(i) a statement nominating the principal mineral or minerals that are proposed to be recovered under a mining lease; and
(ii) a statement that provides detailed information about the mineral resource or ore reserve, or both; and
(iii) a statement declaring that the mineral resource or ore reserve, or both, has been appropriately identified and estimated; and
(iv) a statement setting out the grounds for proposing that there are economic or other reasons which justify not proceeding immediately to mine the land under a mining lease; and
(v) a statement setting out the reasons why the applicant considers that mining the relevant land will become commercially viable within the next 5 years;
(c) a statement of the technical, operational and financial capabilities and resources available to the applicant for the purpose of carrying out operations under the retention lease;
(d) a statement that demonstrates that appropriate environmental outcomes will be able to be achieved;
(e) a statement by the applicant or a related body corporate outlining any contravention of, or failure to comply with, a provision of a corresponding law or designated Act in connection with authorised operations carried out by them within the preceding period of 5 years that resulted in—
(iv) the issuing of a notice, direction or order that required the suspension or discontinuance of any authorised operations or the rectification of any harm to the environment or the rehabilitation of any land, place or other aspect of the environment;
(2) Any information provided under subregulation (1) must be in a form determined by the Minister, be supported by such evidence as the Minister may determine, and comply with any requirement of the Minister relating to the amount or detail of information that must be provided.
32—Notice of application for retention lease
For the purposes of section 56H(1)(a)(ii) of the Act, an application for a retention lease is exempt from the operation of that section if the applicant proposes to conduct only exploration operations in relation to the land to which the application relates.
33—Notice of terms and conditions
The Minister must, before determining to grant a mining lease or a retention lease, notify the applicant of the proposed terms and conditions of the lease and give the applicant at least 28 days, or such longer period as the Minister may allow, to make submissions on those terms and conditions before the Minister finalises them (although the applicant may indicate that a shorter period of time is sufficient for the purposes of this regulation).
34—Renewal of retention lease
(1) For the purposes of section 46(3)(b) of the Act, the following information is prescribed:
(b) a statement outlining the reasons why the retention lease should be renewed;
(c) a statement of the technical, operational and financial capabilities and resources available to the applicant for the purposes of carrying out operations under the renewed lease;
(d) a statement by the applicant or a related body corporate outlining any contravention of, or failure to comply with, a provision of a corresponding law or designated Act in connection with authorised operations carried out by them within the preceding period of 5 years that resulted in—
(iv) the issuing of a notice, direction or order that required the suspension or discontinuance of any authorised operations or the rectification of any harm to the environment or the rehabilitation of any land, place or other aspect of the environment;
(2) Any information provided under subregulation (1) must be in a form determined by the Minister, be supported by such evidence as the Minister may determine, and comply with any requirement of the Minister relating to the amount or detail of information that must be provided.
35—Notice of decision
The Minister must give an applicant for a mining lease or a retention lease, or for the renewal of a mining lease or a retention lease, notice of the outcome of the application.
Part 9
Miscellaneous purposes licences
Part 9—Miscellaneous purposes licences
36—Size
For the purposes of section 47(2) of the Act, the maximum permissible area of a miscellaneous purposes licence is—
(a) 250 hectares; or
(b) an amount (greater than 250 hectares) determined by the Minister in a particular case.
37—Additional information in connection with application for licence
For the purposes of section 49(1)(d) of the Act, the following information is prescribed:
(a) a statement of the technical, operational and financial capabilities and resources available to the applicant for the purpose of carrying out operations under the miscellaneous purposes licence;
(b) a statement that demonstrates that appropriate environmental outcomes will be able to be achieved;
(c) a statement by the applicant or a related body corporate outlining any contravention of, or failure to comply with, a provision of a corresponding law or designated Act in connection with authorised operations carried out by them within the preceding period of 5 years that resulted in—
(iv) the issuing of a notice, direction or order that required the suspension or discontinuance of any authorised operations or the rectification of any harm to the environment or the rehabilitation of any land, place or other aspect of the environment;
38—Additional information in connection with infrastructure
(1) Subject to subregulation (2), this regulation applies if an application for a miscellaneous purposes licence proposes that infrastructure, or additional infrastructure, be constructed or installed on the land in respect of which the licence is being sought and the infrastructure is of a kind that is capable of being shared with other persons.
(2) This regulation does not apply in relation to infrastructure excluded from the operation of the regulation by the Minister.
(3) For the purposes of section 49(1)(d) of the Act, the following information is prescribed in relation to any infrastructure referred to in subregulation (1):
(a) a description of any similar infrastructure that exists in the region where the land is located;
(b) either—
(i) if infrastructure is identified under paragraph (a)—a statement as to why that infrastructure cannot be used for any relevant ancillary operations; or
(ii) if infrastructure is not identified under paragraph (a)—a statement demonstrating the benefit (if any) that the infrastructure proposed to be constructed or installed under the miscellaneous purposes licence would provide to the region where the land is located, and outlining any proposal to share that infrastructure with any other person.
(4) Any information provided under subregulation (3) must be in a form determined by the Minister, be supported by such evidence as the Minister may determine, and comply with any requirement of the Minister relating to the amount or detail of information that must be provided.
39—Notice of terms and conditions
The Minister must, before determining to grant a miscellaneous purposes licence, notify the applicant of the proposed terms and conditions of the licence and give the applicant at least 28 days, or such longer period as the Minister may allow, to make submissions on those terms and conditions before the Minister finalises them (although the applicant may indicate that a shorter period of time is sufficient for the purposes of this regulation).
40—Renewal of miscellaneous purposes licence
(1) For the purposes of section 51(3)(b) of the Act, the following information is prescribed:
(b) a statement outlining the reasons why the miscellaneous purposes licence should be renewed;
(c) a statement of the technical, operational and financial capabilities and resources available to the applicant for the purposes of carrying out operations under the renewed licence;
(d) a statement by the applicant or a related body corporate outlining any contravention of, or failure to comply with, a provision of a corresponding law or designated Act in connection with authorised operations carried out by them within the preceding period of 5 years that resulted in—
(iv) the issuing of a notice, direction or order that required the suspension or discontinuance of any authorised operations or the rectification of any harm to the environment or the rehabilitation of any land, place or other aspect of the environment;
(2) Any information provided under subregulation (1) must be in a form determined by the Minister, be supported by such evidence as the Minister may determine, and comply with any requirement of the Minister relating to the amount or detail of information that must be provided.
41—Notice of decision
The Minister must give an applicant for a miscellaneous purposes licence, or for the renewal of a miscellaneous purposes licence, notice of the outcome of the application.
Part 10
Scoping
Part 10—Scoping
42—Object of Part
The object of this Part is to establish a scheme that, in relation to mining leases, retention leases and miscellaneous purposes licences—
(a) provides the holders of a relevant tenement an opportunity to obtain greater certainty with respect to government and community expectations as to the scope of work and the level and extent of assessment relating to environmental impacts that are relevant to their authorised operations or proposed authorised operations, including by taking the initiative through the preparation and provision of scoping reports; and
(b) provides for projects to be categorised according to their level of potential environmental impacts and assigned to assessment pathways that are appropriate in their particular circumstances, after taking into account information and other material provided in or in connection with scoping reports; and
(c) ensures that project assessments are commensurate with the level of environmental impacts after taking into account project type, scale, duration and the sensitivity of the location of mining and ancillary operations; and
(d) ensures that projects are assessed within a scheme that promotes efficiencies, transparency and clarity as to approval pathways and technical assessments.
43—Interpretation
In this Part—
(a) the holder of a mineral tenement that may lead to a relevant tenement; or
(b) an applicant for a relevant tenement; or
(c) an applicant for an approval to make a change in operations;
relevant tenement means a mining lease, a retention lease or a miscellaneous purposes licence.
44—Application of Part
This Part may apply in relation to a particular project even if an application is yet to be made for a mining lease, retention lease or miscellaneous purposes licence.
45—Scoping report
(1) The purpose of a report under this Part (a scoping report) is to gather, develop, assess and provide, to such extent as may be reasonable and relevant, information relating to 1 or more of the following:
(a) categorising the level of environmental impact of a relevant tenement or change in operations;
(b) determining the reasonable and relevant level of detail for information to be provided to the Minister for the purposes of environmental impact assessment as part of the consideration of an application for a relevant tenement or change in operations;
(c) identifying and prioritising the issues that are associated with environmental impact assessment as part of the consideration of an application for a relevant tenement or change in operations;
(d) determining the extent of work required to be undertaken for the purposes of environmental impact assessment as part of the consideration of an application for a relevant tenement or change in operations;
(e) if it is relevant in the circumstances or is reasonable or appropriate to do so—determining the impacts of a relevant tenement or change in operations on people or communities, including by providing information about the measures that are to be used to manage, limit or remedy those impacts (in the case of negative impacts), or to facilitate or ensure those impacts (in the case of positive impacts).
(2) A designated person may provide a scoping report to the Minister at any time that is reasonable and appropriate.
(3) The Minister may require a designated person to provide a scoping report if such a report has not been provided by the designated person.
(4) A scoping report—
(a) must be provided in a manner and form determined by the Minister; and
(b) in the case of a report required under subregulation (3), must be provided within a period, or at a time or stage, determined by the Minister.
(5) The Minister may require the designated person to furnish the Minister with any additional information specified by the Minister (and that information must be furnished within any period specified by the Minister).
(6) Any information provided under this regulation must—
(c) identify any matter in relation to which there is a significant lack of information or a significant degree of uncertainty; and
(d) so far as is relevant, identify the sensitivity to change of any assumption that has been made and any significant risks that may arise if an assumption is later found to be incorrect; and
(e) be in a form determined by the Minister, be supported by such evidence as the Minister may determine, and comply with any requirement of the Minister relating to the amount or detail of information that must be provided.
Part 11
Common provisions
Part 11—Common provisions
46—Information relating to environmental impact assessment—initial application for tenement
(a) a mining proposal under section 36(1)(c) of the Act; or
(b) a retention proposal under section 44(1)(c) of the Act; or
(c) a proposal accompanying an application for a miscellaneous purposes licence under section 49(1)(c) of the Act.
(2) An assessment of environmental impacts of any proposed operations in a proposal may be limited to those aspects of the environment that may reasonably be expected to be affected by the relevant authorised operations.
(3) An assessment of environmental impacts of any proposed operations and an outline of the measures that the applicant proposes to take to manage, limit or remedy those impacts must include a description of the anticipated impacts after the relevant measures have been taken.
(4) A statement of the environmental outcomes that are expected to occur must include a set of completion outcomes assessed on a long term basis.
(5) For the purposes of sections 36(1)(c)(iii), 44(1)(c)(iii) and 49(1)(c)(iii) of the Act, the criteria to be adopted to measure the environmental outcomes that are set out in a proposal must include details about—
(a) what is to be measured and the form of the measurements that are to be used; and
(b) the locations where the relevant measurements are to be taken, or how such locations are to be determined; and
(c) what is proposed to be taken to constitute the achievement of the relevant outcomes (with consideration being given to any inherent errors of measurement); and
(d) the frequency of any measurement or monitoring; and
(e) any background or control data that is to be used, or how any such data is to be acquired.
(6) In addition—
(a) an assessment under subregulation (2) or (3); and
(b) a statement of the environmental outcomes under subregulation (4); and
(c) any criteria to be adopted under subregulation (5),
must take into account any scoping report accepted by the Minister under Part 10.
(7) Any information or material provided for the purposes of a proposal must—
(c) identify any matter in relation to which there is a significant lack of information or a significant degree of uncertainty; and
(d) so far as is relevant, identify the sensitivity to change of any assumption that has been made and any significant risks that may arise if an assumption is later found to be incorrect; and
(e) be in a form determined by the Minister, be supported by such evidence as the Minister may determine, and comply with any requirement of the Minister relating to the amount or detail of information that must be provided.
(8) Without limiting subregulation (7), any criteria referred to in subregulation (5) must, insofar as is reasonably practicable and appropriate, be expressed in quantitative terms (rather than qualitative terms).
47—Consultation on proposed tenement
(a) a mining proposal under section 36(1)(c) of the Act; or
(b) a retention proposal under section 44(1)(c) of the Act; or
(c) a proposal accompanying an application for a miscellaneous purposes licence under section 49(1)(c) of the Act.
(2) For the purposes of sections 36(1)(c)(iv), 44(1)(c)(iv) and 49(1)(c)(iv) of the Act—
(a) the consultation must at least comply with the following requirements:
(i) there should be a focus on engagement about the environmental outcomes that are expected to occur in connection with the proposed authorised operations;
(ii) reasonable steps should be taken to consult with the owner of land where the authorised operations are proposed to be carried out; and
(b) the results of the consultation undertaken in relation to a proposal must at least set out the following:
(i) the persons consulted;
(ii) any issues of concern raised by the persons consulted;
(iii) the steps (if any) taken or proposed to be taken by the applicant to address those concerns.
48—Social impact assessment
(1) This regulation applies to an application for—
(a) a mining lease; or
(b) a retention lease; or
(c) a miscellaneous purposes licence; or
(d) a change in operations.
(2) For the purposes of sections 36(1)(d), 44(1)(d), 49(1)(d) and 56R(1)(b)(ii) of the Act, the Minister may, if the Minister considers it appropriate to do so, determine that the following information be furnished to the Minister in connection with an application to which this regulation applies:
(a) a description of the impacts on people and communities that are reasonably expected to occur as a result of authorised operations that are proposed to be carried out under the tenement or the proposed change in operations (as the case may be); and
(b) an outline of the measures that are to be used to manage, limit or remedy those impacts (in the case of negative impacts), or to facilitate or ensure those impacts (in the case of positive impacts).
(3) In addition, the Minister must, in acting under subregulation (2), take into account any scoping report accepted by the Minister under Part 10.
(4) Any information or material provided for the purposes of this regulation must—
(c) identify any matter in relation to which there is a significant lack of information or a significant degree of uncertainty; and
(d) so far as is relevant, identify the sensitivity to change of any assumption that has been made and any significant risks that may arise if an assumption is later found to be incorrect; and
(e) be in a form determined by the Minister, be supported by such evidence as the Minister may determine, and comply with any requirement of the Minister relating to the amount or detail of information that must be provided.
(5) This regulation—
(a) does not limit or derogate from any assessment of social impact that must be undertaken as part of assessing environmental impact under the Act or these regulations; and
(b) does not limit or derogate from the ability of the Minister to require information to be furnished to the Minister under the Act.
49—Alteration of terms and conditions
(1) For the purposes of section 56J(2)(c) of the Act, the following matters are prescribed:
(a) where a term or condition of a mineral tenement to which the section applies is inconsistent with, limits or derogates from a provision of the Act;
(b) where a change will prevent or avoid a reoccurrence of a breach of the Act;
(c) where a change will address a term or condition of a mineral tenement to which the section applies that is incapable of being met;
(d) where a change will ensure that a term or condition of a mineral tenement to which the section applies is consistent with an amendment that has been made to the Act or any other Act.
(2) For the purposes of section 56J(6) of the Act, subsections (3), (4) and (5) of section 56J of the Act do not apply if the Minister determines that the change is required as a matter of urgency.
50—Rental
(1) For the purposes of section 56M(2) of the Act, rental as set out in Schedule 2 is payable by the holder of a mineral tenement to whom section 56M of the Act applies in accordance with that Schedule.
(2) Rental will be calculated according to the total amount of land in respect of which the relevant mineral tenement is granted, and no allowance will be made for land that is not available for authorised operations or other activities under the relevant mineral tenement.
(3) Rental is to be paid annually in advance to the Department.
51—Amalgamation of areas (terms and conditions of tenement)
For the purposes of section 56P(3)(b) of the Act, the Minister must provide to the tenement holder (or tenement holders) a copy of the proposed terms and conditions of the tenement for the purposes of consultation.
52—Surrender on application
For the purposes of section 56X(2)(b) of the Act, the following information is prescribed:
(a) a statement, accompanied by supporting evidence—
(i) that completion outcomes required under a program under Part 10A of the Act, or all mine completion objectives required under a mine operations plan under Part 11B of the Act, have been achieved (or if an outcome or objective has not been achieved, the reason for this situation and information about what the tenement holder has done, or proposes to do, in the circumstances); and
(ii) that all rehabilitation required to be undertaken has been completed or is in place;
(b) in the case of a surrender of a part of the area of the mineral tenement—a map and description of the relevant areas, showing the area to be surrendered and the area to remain, that comply with the requirements of section 56E of the Act;
(c) the final compliance report, final royalty report and, if relevant, a final technical exploration report, required under these regulations;
(d) the following declarations, in the form of a statutory declaration:
(i) a declaration that authorised operations have ceased;
(ii) a declaration that there are no outstanding liabilities under the Act or these regulations;
(iii) a declaration that all fees, royalties, rents or penalties under the Act or these regulations have been paid;
(iv) a declaration that outlines any legal proceedings in respect of the tenement that involve the tenement holder as a party to those proceedings;
(v) if relevant, a declaration that the tenement holder has a management plan in place for the management or transfer of any outstanding matters or liabilities;
(vi) in the case of a private mine where the person carrying out mining operations is not the proprietor of the private mine—a declaration that the person who has been carrying out the operations has consulted with the proprietor of the mine;
(e) an outline of the consultation undertaken by the tenement holder with the owner of the land about surrendering the mineral tenement and any rehabilitation or other work or activities to be carried out in connection with the surrender, including the issues raised by the owner and how those issues have been, or will be, addressed.
53—Reinstatement of tenement—exploration licence
For the purposes of section 56Z(1)(a) of the Act, section 56Z of the Act applies to an exploration licence.
54—Assessment reports—alteration of terms and conditions under section 56J of Act
For the purposes of section 56ZA(1)(h) of the Act, a decision to add, vary or revoke a term or condition of a mineral tenement under section 56J of the Act is prescribed.
Part 12
Change in operations
Part 12—Change in operations
55—Proposal to accompany application
(1) For the purposes of section 56R(1)(b)(i) of the Act, a proposal must—
(a) specify the change that is being proposed taking into account the changes referred to in section 56Q(3) of the Act; and
(b) set out any changes that would apply (if the application for the change were to be approved) in relation to—
(i) the environmental impacts of the authorised operations carried out under the relevant tenement; and
(ii) the measures that are used, or to be used, to manage, limit or remedy those impacts; and
(iii) the environmental outcomes that are expected to occur; and
(iv) the criteria that have been adopted to measure the environmental outcomes associated with the relevant tenement; and
(c) be accompanied by a statement that demonstrates—
(i) in the case of a mining lease—that the change will not adversely affect the ability of the tenement holder to ensure that land comprised in the tenement can be effectively and efficiently mined; and
(ii) that appropriate environmental outcomes will be able to be achieved; and
(iii) that the change will not adversely affect the ability of the tenement holder to comply with the other requirements of the Act.
(2) A proposal must also, in relation to any proposed change to the criteria adopted to measure a particular outcome, include details about any change to—
(a) what is to be measured and the form of the measurements that are to be used; and
(b) what is proposed to be taken to constitute the achievement of the relevant outcome; and
(c) the locations where the relevant measurements are to be taken, or how such locations are to be determined; and
(d) the frequency of any measurement or monitoring; and
(e) any background or control data that is to be used, or how any such data is to be acquired.
(3) In addition, a proposal must take into account any scoping report accepted by the Minister under Part 10.
(4) Any information or material provided for the purposes of a proposal must—
(c) identify any matter in relation to which there is a significant lack of information or a significant degree of uncertainty; and
(d) so far as is relevant, identify the sensitivity to change of any assumption that has been made and any significant risks that may arise if an assumption is later found to be incorrect; and
(e) be in a form determined by the Minister, be supported by such evidence as the Minister may determine, and comply with any requirement of the Minister relating to the amount or detail of information that must be provided.
56—Information on engagement on application for approval for change in operations
(1) For the purposes of section 56R(1)(b)(ii) of the Act, an application for the approval of the Minister under Part 8B Division 7 of the Act must set out information on the results of consultation undertaken by the tenement holder in relation to a proposal which must at least set out the following:
(c) the steps (if any) taken or proposed to be taken by the applicant to address those concerns.
(2) The consultation must at least comply with the following requirements:
(a) there should be a focus on engagement about any changes to the environmental impacts or outcomes that are expected to occur in connection with the proposed changes to authorised operations to be carried out under the tenement;
(b) reasonable steps should be taken to consult with the owner of land where the authorised operations are carried out.
57—Consultation by Minister
For the purposes of section 56S(b) of the Act, the Minister is required to undertake consultation under Part 8B Division 2 of the Act if—
(a) there is an additional or different impact to the environment as a result of a proposed change to the operations to be carried out under the tenement; and
(b) the impact is significant.
58—Notice of variation of terms or conditions
(1) The Minister must, before determining to vary the terms or conditions of a mineral tenement under section 56U of the Act, notify the applicant of the proposed variation and give the applicant at least 28 days, or such longer period as the Minister may allow, to make submissions on the variation before the Minister finalises it (although the applicant may indicate that a shorter period of time is sufficient for the purposes of this regulation).
(2) For the purposes of this regulation, a reference to a variation of terms or conditions of a mineral tenement includes a reference to adding or revoking 1 or more terms or conditions.
59—Notice of decision
For the purposes of section 56V(2) of the Act, a notice to an applicant must be given in accordance with regulation 88.
Part 13
Funds
Part 13—Funds
60—Mining Rehabilitation Fund—prescribed period
For the purposes of section 62AA(3)(b) of the Act, the prescribed period is 24 months.
61—Extractive Areas Rehabilitation Fund—prescribed rate
For the purposes of the definition of prescribed rate in section 63(5) of the Act, the lesser amount of 22 cents per tonne of extractive minerals is prescribed.
Part 14
Forfeiture and transfer of mineral tenement
Part 14—Forfeiture and transfer of mineral tenement
62—Forfeiture and transfer of mineral tenement
(1) For the purposes of section 70(1)(b) of the Act, section 70 of the Act applies in relation to an exploration licence.
(2) For the purposes of section 70(2a) of the Act—
(a) an applicant must be able to demonstrate—
(i) their capacity to meet the terms and conditions of the tenement; and
(ii) their capacity to meet the outcomes, criteria and requirements of the relevant approved program under Part 10A of the Act; and
(iii) their capacity to replace any bond or security in place under section 62 of the Act; and
(iv) a history of compliance with the provisions of the Act and any designated Act; and
(b) an application must be supported by—
(i) evidence of technical, operational and financial capabilities and resources available to the applicant to undertake the operations contemplated by the relevant approved program under Part 10A of the Act; and
(ii) evidence of the capacity to rectify or address the grounds on which the tenement would be forfeited, as applying under section 70(2b) of the Act; and
(c) an application may not be made in relation to an exploration licence that was granted or has been transferred within the period of 2 years immediately preceding the date of the application.
(3) For the purposes of section 70(3a)(a) of the Act, a right to the transfer of a mineral tenement does not arise—
(a) if the person on whose application the Court recommended forfeiture fails to notify the Minister, within 14 days after the Court makes its recommendation, in a manner and form determined by the Minister, that they wish to have the mineral tenement transferred to them; or
(b) if the Minister does not consent to the transfer of the mineral tenement.
Part 15
Programs for environment protection and rehabilitation
Part 15—Programs for environment protection and rehabilitation
63—Preparation of program
(1) For the purposes of section 70B(2)(d) of the Act, a program under Part 10A of the Act must, in addition to the requirements set out in that section—
(a) if the program relates to operations to be carried out under an exploration licence, a mineral claim or a mineral tenement determined by the Minister in a particular case—
(i) include a description of the features of the environment that are expected to be affected by the proposed authorised operations; and
(ii) include a description of the environmental impacts that may reasonably be expected to occur; and
(b) set out the strategies that the tenement holder and any other person who may be acting on behalf of the tenement holder proposes to adopt to achieve the environmental outcomes under section 70B(2)(b) of the Act; and
(c) set out a statement of the criteria to be adopted to measure the environmental and completion outcomes specified in the program, including details about—
(i) what is to be measured and the form of the measurements that are to be used; and
(ii) the locations where relevant measurements are to be taken, or how such locations are to be determined; and
(iii) what is proposed to be taken to constitute the achievement of the relevant outcomes (with consideration being given to any inherent errors of measurement); and
(iv) the frequency of any measurement or monitoring; and
(v) any background or control data that is to be used, or how any such data is to be acquired; and
(d) without limiting paragraph (c), to the extent (if any) that there is a high level of reliance on control strategies to reduce risk to the environment—set out leading indicator criteria; and
(2) Subregulations (1)(c)(iv) and (1)(d) do not apply in relation to a mineral claim or an exploration licence.
(3) Any information or material provided for the purposes of a program under section 70B of the Act must—
(b) state any limitations that apply, or should apply, to the use of information; and
(c) identify any matter in relation to which there is a significant lack of information or a significant degree of uncertainty; and
(d) so far as is relevant, identify the sensitivity to change of any assumption that has been made and any significant risks that may arise if an assumption is later found to be incorrect; and
(e) be in a form determined by the Minister, be supported by such evidence as the Minister may determine, and comply with any requirement of the Minister relating to the amount or detail of information that must be provided.
(4) Without limiting subregulation (3), the criteria provided for the purposes of subregulation (1)(c) and (d) must, insofar as is reasonably practicable and appropriate, be expressed in quantitative terms (rather than qualitative terms).
64—Engagement on preparation and review of program
(1) For the purposes of section 70B(2)(d) and (e) of the Act, a program under Part 10A of the Act must, in addition to the requirements set out in that section and these regulations, include information on all consultation undertaken in connection with the preparation of the program that must at least set out the following:
(c) the steps (if any) taken or proposed to be taken by the tenement holder to address those concerns.
(2) For the purposes of section 70C(3)(a) of the Act, a tenement holder conducting a review of a program under Part 10A of the Act must include, in any revised program, information on all consultation undertaken in connection with the review which must at least set out the following:
(c) the steps (if any) taken or proposed to be taken by the applicant to address those concerns.
65—Adoption of program
(1) For the purposes of section 70B(8) of the Act, any program determined by the Minister and published in the Gazette in connection with the operation of this regulation is adopted.
(2) For the purposes of section 70B(8) of the Act, the following classes of authorised operations are prescribed:
(a) operations carried out within the area of a mineral claim;
(b) operations under an exploration licence;
(c) operations under a mining lease;
(d) operations under a retention lease;
(e) operations under a miscellaneous purposes licence.
66—Review of program
(1) For the purposes of section 70C(3)(c) and (4) of the Act, a review must be completed and furnished to the Minister within 3 months after a direction of the Minister to review the program, or within such longer period approved by the Minister.
(2) In determining whether or not to approve a revised program under section 70C of the Act and, if so, any change to the terms and conditions applying in relation to a program, the Minister must have regard to any submissions or response received under section 70D(2) or (3) of the Act.
(3) For the purposes of section 70C(4a) of the Act, if a revised program has been submitted to the Minister for the purposes of section 70C(2)(a) of the Act, the Minister may determine that a lower prescribed fee is payable on submission of that revised program.
(4) For the purposes of section 70C(4a) of the Act, if a revised program has been submitted under section 70C of the Act merely because minor administrative revisions have been made to the program, the Minister may determine that a lower prescribed fee is payable on submission of that revised program.
Part 16
General provisions—environmental protection
Part 16—General provisions—environmental protection
67—Environmental directions
For the purposes of section 7(2a) of the Act—
(a) section 70E of the Act applies as if a reference to authorised operations included a reference to mining operations for the recovery of extractive minerals that are authorised under another Act insofar as that section relates to undue damage, or potential undue damage, to the environment; and
(b) section 70H of the Act applies as if it extended to an environmental direction issued in relation to authorised operations for the recovery of extractive minerals that are authorised under another Act as provided for by paragraph (a); and
(c) the powers of an authorised officer to carry out an authorised investigation under the Act apply in relation to authorised operations for the recovery of extractive minerals if the powers are exercised, or the investigation is, in connection with Part 10B of the Act.
Part 17
Special mining enterprises
Part 17—Special mining enterprises
68—Concept phase
(1) For the purposes of section 56BA(3)(a) of the Act, the following information is prescribed:
(a) information demonstrating that the enterprise is of major significance to the economy of the State;
(b) a statement outlining the principal mineral or minerals that the proponent is seeking to recover by undertaking the special mining enterprise and a general description of the operations that would be carried out for the purposes of the mining enterprise;
(c) maps and plans relating to the place where the mining enterprise is proposed to be undertaken;
(d) an outline of the environmental impacts of the mining enterprise and of steps proposed to be undertaken to address or manage those impacts;
(e) if so determined by the Minister in a particular case, a description of the impacts on people and communities that may reasonably be expected to occur as a result of the mining enterprise and the measures that are to be used to manage, limit or remedy those impacts (in the case of negative impacts), or to facilitate or ensure those impacts (in the case of positive impacts);
(f) a statement of the technical, operational and financial capabilities and resources available to the proponent for the purpose of undertaking the mining enterprise;
(g) a statement by the applicant outlining any contravention of, or failure to comply with, a provision of a corresponding law or designated Act in connection with authorised operations carried out by them within the preceding period of 5 years that resulted in—
(iv) the issuing of a notice, direction or order that required the suspension or discontinuance of any authorised operations or the rectification of any harm to the environment or the rehabilitation of any land, place or other aspect of the environment;
(h) a statement identifying any exemptions or modifications with respect to the provisions of the Act that the proponent has under consideration in connection with the operation of section 56C of the Act;
(i) such other information as may be determined by the Minister for the purposes of this regulation.
(2) Subregulation (1)(e) does not limit or derogate from any assessment of social impact that must be undertaken as part of assessing environmental impact under the Act or these regulations.
(3) Any information provided under subregulation (1) must be in a form determined by the Minister, be supported by such evidence as the Minister may determine, and comply with any requirement of the Minister relating to the amount or detail of information that must be provided.
69—Application phase
(1) For the purposes of section 56BB(1)(c) of the Act, the following information is prescribed:
(a) a statement providing, addressing or outlining any additional information, requirement or action specified by the Director as part of the concept phase;
(b) a statement outlining the results of any consultation undertaken in connection with the application, including information about—
(i) the persons consulted; and
(ii) the issues of concern raised by the persons consulted; and
(iii) the steps (if any) taken or proposed to be taken by the proponent to address those concerns;
(c) a draft program that—
(i) sets out the environmental outcomes that are expected to occur as a result of the mining operations and related or ancillary operations or works that are proposed to be carried out under the enterprise (including after taking into account any rehabilitation proposed by the proponent and other steps to manage, limit or remedy any adverse environmental impacts); and
(ii) sets out a statement of the criteria to be adopted to measure those environmental outcomes, in a form determined by the Minister; and
(iii) incorporates information about the ability of the proponent to achieve the environmental outcomes set out in the program; and
(iv) if it is considered to be appropriate—sets out information about outcomes relating to impacts on people and communities and the measures that are to be used to manage, limit or remedy those impacts (in the case of negative impacts), or to facilitate or ensure those impacts (in the case of positive impacts); and
(v) addresses any other matter determined by the Minister;
(2) Any information provided for the purposes of a draft program must—
(b) state any limitations that apply, or should apply, to the use of information; and
(c) identify any matter in relation to which there is a significant lack of information or a significant degree of uncertainty; and
(d) so far as is relevant, identify the sensitivity to change of any assumption that has been made and any significant risks that may arise if an assumption is later found to be incorrect.
(3) Without limiting subregulation (2), any criteria referred to in subregulation (1)(c) must, insofar as is reasonably practicable and appropriate, be expressed in quantitative terms (rather than qualitative terms).
(4) Any information provided under this regulation must be in a form determined by the Minister, be supported by such evidence as the Minister may determine, and comply with any requirement of the Minister relating to the amount or detail of information that must be provided.
(5) For the purposes of section 56BB(6) of the Act, notice of the approval of an applicant must be given to the applicant in accordance with regulation 88.
Part 18
Entry on land
Part 18—Entry on land
70—Entry on land
(1) A person must, on serving a notice of entry under section 58A of the Act, keep a record that the notice has been served.
(2) For the purposes of section 58A(6) of the Act, a notice under section 58A of the Act must be served on the Mining Registrar.
Part 19
Private mines
Part 19—Private mines
71—Application of Act
For the purposes of section 73D(3)(p) of the Act, the following sections of the Act are specified:
(a) section 62, but only so that it applies in relation to authorised operations that are not operations for the recovery of extractive minerals;
(b) section 79A.
72—Prescribed requirements for mine operations plans
(1) This regulation sets out the prescribed requirements relating to mine operations plans for the purposes of section 73G of the Act.
(2) A mine operations plan must, in addition to the requirements set out in section 73G of the Act—
(a) include a statement outlining the operations to be carried out at the mine; and
(b) include a description of the features of the environment that are expected to be affected by operations at the mine; and
(c) include a description of the environmental impacts that may reasonably be expected to occur; and
(d) set out the measures that are used, or to be used, to manage, limit or remedy those impacts; and
(e) set out the environmental objectives that are expected to be achieved; and
(f) set out a set of criteria proposed to be adopted to measure the environmental objectives to be achieved in relation to the mining operations to be carried out at the mine and when operations at the mine will no longer be undertaken, including details about—
(i) what is to be measured and the form of the measurements that are to be used; and
(ii) the locations where relevant measurements are to be taken, or how such locations are to be determined; and
(iii) what is proposed to be taken to constitute the achievement of the relevant objectives (with consideration being given to any inherent errors of measurement); and
(iv) the frequency of any measurement or monitoring; and
(v) any background or control data that is to be used, or how any such data is to be acquired; and
(g) without limiting paragraph (f), to the extent (if any) that there is a high level of reliance on control strategies to reduce risk to the environment—set out leading indicator criteria; and
(h) include a statement of the capabilities of the person's ability to achieve the environmental objectives that are expected to occur; and
(i) if so determined by the Director in a particular case, include a description of the impacts on people and communities that may reasonably be expected to occur and the measures that are to be used to manage, limit or remedy those impacts (in the case of negative impacts), or to facilitate or ensure those impacts (in the case of positive impacts); and
(j) include such other information as may be determined by the Director for the purposes of this regulation.
(3) Any information or material provided for the purposes of a mine operations plan must—
(c) identify any matter in relation to which there is a significant lack of information or a significant degree of uncertainty; and
(d) so far as is relevant, identify the sensitivity to change of any assumption that has been made and any significant risks that may arise if an assumption is later found to be incorrect; and
(e) be in a form determined by the Director, be supported by such evidence as the Director may determine, and comply with any requirement of the Director relating to the amount or detail of information that must be provided.
(4) Without limiting subregulation (3), the criteria provided for the purposes of subregulations (2)(f) and (g) must, insofar as is reasonably practicable and appropriate, be expressed in quantitative terms (rather than qualitative terms).
(5) Subregulation (2)(i) does not limit or derogate from any assessment of social impact that must be undertaken as part of assessing environmental impact under the Act or these regulations.
(6) A mine operations plan must be provided in a manner and form determined by the Director.
73—Engagement on preparation and review of mine operations plan
(1) For the purposes of section 73G(2)(c) of the Act, a mine operations plan must, in addition to the requirements set out in that section and these regulations, include information on all consultation undertaken in connection with the preparation of the plan in relation to—
(a) engagement about the environmental objectives that are expected to be achieved in connection with operations carried out at the private mine; and
(b) if the relevant mine is located on land vested in fee simple in a person other than the proprietor of the mine—reasonable steps taken to consult with that person,
that must at least set out the following:
(c) the persons consulted;
(d) any issues of concern raised by the persons consulted;
(e) the steps (if any) taken or proposed to be taken by the person submitting the plan to address those concerns.
(2) For the purposes of section 73G(16) of the Act, a person conducting a review of a mine operations plan must—
(a) undertake consultation that at least complies with the following requirements:
(i) engagement about the environmental objectives that are expected to be achieved in connection with the operations to be carried out under the mine operations plan being reviewed;
(ii) if the relevant mine is located on land vested in fee simple in a person other than the proprietor of the mine—reasonable steps should be taken to consult with that person; and
(b) include, in any revised mine operations plan, information on all consultation undertaken in connection with the review which must at least set out the following:
(i) the persons consulted;
(ii) the issues of concern raised by the persons consulted;
(iii) the steps (if any) taken or proposed to be taken by the person conducting the review to address those concerns.
74—Consultation by Director on mine operations plans
(1) For the purposes of section 73G(9) of the Act, this regulation applies in relation to a draft of the objectives and criteria for a mine operations plan that must be released for public consultation under section 73G(8) of the Act.
(2) The Director must issue, in such manner as the Director thinks fit, a notice—
(a) identifying the location of the mine; and
(b) stating that a mine operations plan has been prepared for the mine and that the relevant objectives and criteria may be inspected at a place specified in the notice; and
(c) inviting written submissions in relation to the draft objectives and criteria within a period specified in the invitation.
(3) The Director must also invite written submissions (to be submitted within the period specified under subregulation (2)(c)) on the draft objectives and criteria from—
(a) if the relevant mine is located on land vested in fee simple in a person other than the proprietor of the mine—that person; and
(b) if the relevant mine is located within the area of a council—that council.
(4) The Director must, in order to enable compliance with section 73G(10) of the Act, provide to the person who submitted the relevant draft copies of any submissions received by the Director within the relevant period applying under subregulation (2) and (3).
(5) The report required for the purposes of section 73G(10) of the Act must be submitted to the Director within 20 business days after copies of any submissions are provided under subregulation (4), or within such longer period as the Director may allow.
(6) A submission under subregulation (2) or (3) cannot be made on the basis that the submission (or part of the submission) will be kept confidential.
75—Review of mine operations plans
(1) For the purposes of section 73G(16) of the Act, a review—
(a) must be conducted taking into account the requirements of section 73G(2) of the Act (and so as to provide consistency with those requirements); and
(b) must include—
(i) the preparation of a report that contains the information determined by the Director; and
(ii) if so required by the Director, a revised mine operations plan for the approval of the Director under section 73G of the Act.
(2) For the purposes of section 73G(17) of the Act, a review must be completed and furnished to the Director—
(a) in the case of a review under section 73G(14) of the Act—within 3 months after a direction of the Director to review the mine operations plan, or within such longer period approved by the Director; or
(b) in the case of a review under section 73G(15) of the Act—by the end of the relevant 7 year period, or at such other time approved by the Director.
76—Registration of interests
(1) For the purposes of section 15AA(2)(l) of the Act, but subject to this regulation, the interest of a proprietor of a private mine is required to be registered on the register.
(2) The requirement under subregulation (1) only applies to the extent that the Mining Registrar is satisfied that the Mining Registrar has sufficient information to enable the registration to occur.
(3) The Mining Registrar may, for the purpose of obtaining information about the proprietor of a private mine, by notice in writing to a designated person, require the person, within a period specified in the notice—
(a) to confirm or indicate whether the person is the proprietor of the private mine; and
(b) if the person is not the proprietor of the private mine, or is not the sole proprietor of the private mine—to provide such information as the Mining Registrar may require about who is, or about who else is, the proprietor of the private mine.
(4) A person who is subject to a notice under subregulation (3) must comply with the requirements of the notice.
(5) It is a defence to a charge for an offence under subregulation (4) for a person to prove that they took reasonable steps to comply with the requirements of the notice.
(6) In this regulation—
designated person, in relation to a private mine, means—
(a) a person who, according to information in the possession of the Mining Registrar, is the last known proprietor of the private mine; or
(b) a person who is the current owner of the land where the private mine is situated.
Part 20
Reports
Part 20—Reports
77—Compliance reports
(1) This regulation applies in relation to—
(a) a mineral claim; and
(b) an exploration licence; and
(c) a mining lease; and
(d) a retention lease; and
(e) a miscellaneous purposes licence; and
(f) a private mine.
(2) The tenement holder in relation to a mineral tenement to which this regulation applies must provide to the Minister after the end of each reporting period a report (a compliance report) in accordance with the requirements of this regulation.
(3) For the purposes of subregulation (2), a reporting period is—
(i) in relation to a private mine—each 12 month period ending on 30 June in each year; and
(ii) in any other case—each 12 month period ending on the anniversary of the day on which the relevant mineral tenement was granted; or
(4) A compliance report under subregulation (2)—
(a) must be provided within a period after the end of each reporting period determined by the Minister; and
(5) If a mineral tenement to which this regulation applies is being transferred, the transferor must provide to the Minister a compliance report in accordance with the requirements of this regulation—
(a) unless paragraph (b) applies—in conjunction with the application for the Minister's consent to the transfer; or
(b) at a time determined by the Minister in the particular case.
(6) A compliance report under subregulation (5)—
(a) must relate to the period between the end of the last reporting period applying under subregulation (3) in relation to the mineral tenement and the date of the report; and
(7) If or when—
(a) a mineral tenement to which this regulation applies expires, or is surrendered, cancelled or forfeited; or
(b) part of the area of a mineral tenement to which this regulation applies is surrendered, relinquished or reduced,
the tenement holder at that time must provide to the Minister a final compliance report—
(c) unless paragraph (d) or (e) applies—
(i) in the case of an expiry—before the expiration; or
(ii) in the case of a surrender—at the time that the tenement holder applies for the surrender; or
(iii) in the case of a cancellation or forfeiture—within 2 months of the date of the cancellation or forfeiture; or
(d) in the case of a surrender, relinquishment or reduction of area by operation of section 30AAA, 30A or 33B of the Act—within 2 months after the date of the surrender, relinquishment or reduction; or
(e) within a period or at a time determined by the Minister in the particular case.
(8) The Director may exempt the holder of an exploration licence from a requirement under this regulation.
78—Technical exploration reports
(1) Subject to subregulation (2), this regulation applies in relation to—
(a) an exploration licence; and
(b) any other mineral tenement where the tenement holder carries out exploration operations.
(2) This regulation does not apply in relation to a class of tenement excluded from the operation of this regulation by a determination of the Minister.
(3) The tenement holder in relation to a mineral tenement to which this regulation applies must provide to the Minister after the end of each reporting period a report (a technical exploration report) in accordance with the requirements of this regulation.
(4) For the purposes of subregulation (3), a reporting period is—
(i) in relation to a private mine—each 12 month period ending on 30 June in each year; and
(ii) in any other case—each 12 month period ending on the anniversary of the day on which the relevant mineral tenement was granted; or
(5) A technical exploration report under subregulation (3)—
(a) must be provided within a period after the end of each reporting period determined by the Minister; and
(6) If or when—
(a) a mineral tenement to which this regulation applies expires, or is surrendered, cancelled or forfeited; or
(b) part of the area of a mineral tenement to which this regulation applies is surrendered, relinquished or reduced,
the tenement holder at that time must provide to the Minister a final technical report—
(c) unless paragraph (d) applies—
(i) in the case of an expiry or surrender—within 2 months of the date of the expiration or surrender; or
(ii) in the case of a cancellation or forfeiture—within 3 months of the date of the cancellation or forfeiture; or
(iii) in the case of a relinquishment or reduction of area—within 2 months after the date of the relinquishment or reduction; or
(d) within a period or at a time determined by the Minister in the particular case.
79—Incident reports
(1) If or when the holder of a mineral tenement becomes aware of the occurrence of a reportable incident, the holder must ensure that the reportable incident is reported to the Minister in accordance with the requirements of this regulation.
Maximum penalty: $10 000.
Expiation fee: $1 500.
(2) A reportable incident must be reported to the Minister as follows:
(a) an initial report must be provided to the Minister within 24 hours after the holder of the tenement becomes aware of the occurrence of the incident;
(b) a comprehensive report must be provided to the Minister—
(i) unless subparagraph (ii) applies— within 1 month after the holder of the tenement becomes aware of the occurrence of the incident; or
(ii) within a period determined by the Minister in a particular case.
(3) A report—
(a) must be provided in a manner and form determined by the Minister; and
(b) must contain the information determined by the Minister.
(4) In this regulation—
reportable incident means—
(a) a contravention of, or a failure to comply with, a condition of a mineral tenement; or
(b) a failure to achieve, or a breach of, an outcome specified in a program under Part 10A of the Act; or
(c) a contravention of, or a failure to comply with, a condition of a program under Part 10A of the Act; or
(d) a triggering of any leading indicator criteria set out in a program under Part 10A of the Act; or
(e) action that causes undue damage to the environment in connection with any operations carried out under a mineral tenement; or
(f) a failure to comply with a direction under Part 10B of the Act within the time allowed in the direction; or
(g) action that constitutes an authorised operation without being duly authorised by or under the Act; or
(h) a failure to achieve, or a breach of, an outcome specified in a mine operations plan under Part 11B of the Act; or
(i) a breach of the general duty under Part 11B of the Act; or
(j) a failure to comply with an order under Part 11B of the Act within the time allowed in the order.
80—Airborne surveys
(1) The holder of a mineral tenement who is intending to carry out an airborne survey over land must, in accordance with this regulation, notify the Minister of the holder's intention to carry out the survey.
Maximum penalty: $2 500.
Expiation fee: $250.
(2) A notification—
(a) must be provided to the Minister at least 14 days before the airborne survey is due to be carried out; and
airborne survey means—
(a) an airborne geophysics survey; or
(b) remote sensing techniques conducted from the air.
Part 21
Miscellaneous
Part 21—Miscellaneous
81—Public liability insurance
(1) The holder of a mineral tenement must, before commencing operations under the tenement and for the duration of the tenement, maintain a policy of public liability insurance indemnifying the holder, in an amount that is reasonable taking into account the kind of tenement, the nature and extent of the operations carried out under the tenement, and relevant industry standards, in relation to any action arising out of the operations carried out under the tenement and complying with any other requirement (if any) determined by the Minister.
Maximum penalty: $20 000.
(2) The tenement holder must provide to the Minister a certificate evidencing the insurance coverage required by subregulation (1), and any endorsements or waivers relating to insurance coverage, in accordance with the requirements of this regulation.
(3) A certificate under subregulation (2) must be provided to the Minister before operations commence under the relevant mineral tenement and then a current certificate must be provided to the Minister—
(i) in relation to a private mine—by 30 June in each year; and
(ii) in any other case—by each anniversary of the day on which the relevant mineral tenement was granted; or
(b) if the Minister so determines—on another date in each year, or according to a particular frequency, determined by the Minister.
(4) The tenement holder must, in accordance with this regulation, notify the Minister—
(a) if any insurance obtained for the purposes of this regulation lapses without having been renewed; or
(b) if there is a change in an insurance policy obtained for the purposes of this regulation, including a change in the level of cover.
(5) A notification under subregulation (4)—
(a) must be provided to the Minister within 14 days after the relevant event under that subregulation; and
(c) must contain the information determined by the Minister, and be accompanied by such information or documents as the Minister may determine.
(6) A tenement holder must, at the request of the Minister, provide to the Minister a copy of the policy of insurance relating to the requirements that apply under this regulation within a period specified by the Minister.
82—Confirmation of emergency direction
For the purposes of section 70FB(4) of the Act, confirmation of a direction will be given by a notice of confirmation, in a form determined by the Director, given to the person to whom the emergency direction has been issued.
83—Confirmation of emergency order
For the purposes of section 73KA(4) of the Act, confirmation of an emergency order will be given by a notice of confirmation, in a form determined by the Director, given to the person to whom the emergency order has been issued.
84—Declaration to accompany an application (general provision)
(a) an application for—
(i) a mining lease; or
(ii) a retention lease; or
(iii) a miscellaneous purposes licence; or
(b) an application for a change in operations under Part 8B Division 7 of the Act; or
(c) an application for the approval of a program, or for the approval of a revised program, under Part 10A of the Act.
(2) Any information provided for the purposes of an application to which this regulation applies must be accompanied by a declaration, signed by the relevant prescribed person, to the effect that the person has taken reasonable steps to review the information and to ensure its accuracy.
relevant prescribed person means—
(a) in the case of an application to which subregulation (1)(c) applies—the holder of the tenement in respect of which the program or revised program is to apply; and
(b) in any other case—the applicant.
85—Declaration to accompany an application (mine operations plans)
(1) This regulation applies to an application for an approval in relation to a mine operations plan, or the review of a mine operations plan, under Part 11B of the Act.
(2) Any information provided for the purposes of an application to which this regulation applies must be accompanied by a declaration, signed by the person who is carrying out mining operations at the mine, to the effect that the person has taken reasonable steps to review the information and to ensure its accuracy.
86—Fees
(1) A designated person may—
(a) on application; or
(b) on the designated person's own initiative,
waive, reduce or refund (in whole or in part) a fee prescribed for the purposes of the Act in respect of a person or a class of persons.
(2) A designated person may allow the payment by instalment of a fee prescribed for the purposes of the Act.
(a) the Minister; or
(b) the Mining Registrar; or
(c) the Director of Mines.
87—Ministerial notices in connection with certain prescribed fees
(1) The Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, declare that an area of the State is an exploration regulation fee zone for the purposes of a prescribed fee payable in connection with an exploration licence.
(2) The Minister must specify in a notice under subregulation (1) whether an area declared in the notice to be an exploration regulation fee zone is a zone 1 exploration regulation fee zone, a zone 2 exploration regulation fee zone or a zone 3 exploration regulation fee zone.
(3) A notice under subregulation (1) may declare more than 1 area of the State to be an exploration regulation fee zone.
(4) The Minister may, in connection with an application for approval under section 56R of the Act to make a change to which Part 8B Division 7 of the Act applies, determine by notice in the Gazette that a change of a kind specified in the notice is of a specified level (beginning with level 1) for the purposes of a prescribed fee payable in relation to that specified level of change.
(5) A level of change determined by the Minister under subregulation (4) may vary in its application according to the matter to which it is expressed to apply.
(6) The Minister must, in connection with prescribed fees payable on the submission of—
(a) a draft of objectives and criteria submitted to the Director under section 73G of the Act; or
(b) a revised program submitted to the Minister under Part 10A of the Act,
publish a notice in the Gazette setting out—
(c) a series of tiers (beginning with tier 1) that apply for the purposes of classifying such drafts or programs; and
(d) criteria to be used in determining the tier to which particular drafts or programs belong.
(7) A draft of objectives and criteria or a revised program is of a tier specified in a notice under subregulation (6) for the purposes of a prescribed fee if it is classified as such by the notice.
(8) A notice made under this regulation may be varied or revoked by the Minister by subsequent notice in the Gazette.
88—Service of documents
(1) A notice or document required or authorised by or under the Act to be given to or served on a person (other than a designated person or a person who holds or may hold native title in land) may—
(a) be served on the person personally; or
(b) be posted by registered post in an envelope addressed to the person—
(i) at the person's last known address; or
(ii) if the person has an address for correspondence or service—at that address; or
(c) be served by email sent to an email address provided by the person (in which case the notice or document will be taken to have been given or served at the time of sending).
Note—
Part 5 of the Native Title (South Australia) Act 1994 sets out the method of service on all who hold or may hold native title in land.
(2) A notice or document required or authorised by or under the Act or these regulations to be provided or given to or served on a designated person must be provided, given or served in the manner specified by the relevant designated person by notice in the Gazette.
(3) If a notice or document is given or served under subregulation (2)—
(a) by email—the notice or document will be taken to have been given or served at the time of sending the email; or
(b) by other electronic means—the notice or document will be taken to have been provided, given or served when the person providing, giving or serving the notice or document receives confirmation by those electronic means that the notice or document has been received by the designated person.
(4) Subregulation (2) operates subject to any other provision made by these regulations.
(5) In this regulation—
(a) the Minister; or
(b) the Mining Registrar; or
(c) the Director of Mines.
89—Administrative penalties
(1) The amount of an administrative penalty fixed by Schedule 3 applies in relation to an alleged contravention of a provision of the Act specified in that Schedule.
(2) The amount of an administrative penalty that is to apply in relation to an alleged contravention of a provision of these regulations is $2 500.
90—Expiation of offences
For the purposes of section 92(1)(r) of the Act—
(a) an offence under a section of the Act specified in Schedule 4 is an offence in respect of which an expiation notice may be issued; and
(b) the amount specified in Schedule 4 in relation to an offence under the relevant section of the Act specified in the Schedule is prescribed as the expiation fee for that offence.
Sch 1
Items to be registered on mining register
Schedule 1—Items to be registered on mining register
A report published under section 14F of the Act
An instrument recording the existence of an agreement between the Treasurer and a person liable to pay royalty under section 17(9) of the Act
A notification of a relevant event provided to the Minister under section 17AC of the Act
An instrument of approval to establish a successive mineral claim under section 27 of the Act
An instrument for the approval of the amalgamation of expenditure commitments under section 30AAA(10) of the Act
An instrument for the approval of the division of an area of an exploration licence under section 30AA of the Act
An instrument for the approval of retention status in relation to an exploration licence under section 33B of the Act
A copy of a notice given by the Minister under section 33B(13) or (14) of the Act
An instrument providing for action taken by the Minister under section 56J of the Act
An instrument providing for action taken by the Mining Registrar under section 56O of the Act
An instrument providing for the amalgamation of the areas of 2 or more mineral tenements under section 56P of the Act
An instrument providing for the extension of the term of a mineral tenement under section 56Y of the Act
An instrument providing for the renewal of a mining tenement
An assessment report under section 56ZA of the Act
An instrument recording the existence of an agreement relating to entry to land between the person seeking entry and the owner of the land for the purposes of section 58A of the Act
The amount of a bond under section 62 of the Act
A current copy of a program approved by the Minister under Part 10A of the Act
A copy of a program audit developed for the purposes of section 70DA of the Act
An environmental direction issued by the Minister or an authorised officer under section 70E of the Act
A rehabilitation direction issued by the Minister under section 70F of the Act
A compliance direction issued by the Minister under section 70FA of the Act
An emergency direction issued by an authorised officer under section 70FB of the Act
An agreement or order relating to a civil penalty under section 70HE of the Act
A current copy of a mine operations plan under section 73G of the Act
A compliance order issued by the Director under section 73I of the Act
A rectification order issued by the Director under section 73J of the Act
A rectification authorisation issued by the Director under section 73K of the Act
An emergency order issued by an authorised officer under section 73KA of the Act
A copy of the proclamation providing for the variation or revocation of the declaration of an area as a private mine under section 73N of the Act
An undertaking under section 74AA of the Act
A compliance order under section 74A of the Act
An instrument recording the consent of an owner of land under section 75 of the Act
An instrument providing for an exemption granted by the Minister under section 79 of the Act
An instrument recording a consent or an agreement as to access under section 80 of the Act
An instrument recording a consent or an agreement that is taken to be provided under section 82 of the Act
An instrument relating to the seizure of machinery or goods under section 86 of the Act
A report provided under section 90 of the Act
A copy of a notice imposing an administrative penalty under section 91 of the Act
An instrument recording or evidencing the imposition of a criminal penalty under the Act
An instrument imposing an expiation fee under the Act
Decisions, determinations and orders of the ERD Court or the Supreme Court where the Minister, the Director or the Mining Registrar was a party to the relevant proceedings
A compliance report provided to the Minister under regulation 77
A certificate evidencing the insurance coverage required by regulation 81
Sch 2
Rental
Schedule 2—Rental
Mining lease—
(a) if the lease authorises the production of primarily extractive minerals; or
$256.00 or $66.50 for each hectare or part of a hectare in the area of the lease, whichever is the greater
(b) in any other case
$302.00 or $80.50 for each hectare or part of a hectare in the area of the lease, whichever is the greater
Retention lease—
(a) if the retention lease authorises the carrying out of only exploration operations under the lease—
(i) within the period beginning on the day on which the lease was granted and ending on the day immediately before the 5th anniversary of the day on which the lease was granted; or
$1124.00 or $26.00 per km2 in the area of the lease, whichever is the greater
(ii) within the period beginning on the 5th anniversary of the day on which the lease was granted and ending on the day immediately before the 10th anniversary of the day on which the lease was granted; or
$1124.00 or $40.75 for each hectare or part of a hectare in the area of the lease, whichever is the greater
(iii) on or after the 10th anniversary of the day on which the lease was granted; or
$1124.00 or $118.00 for each hectare or part of a hectare in the area of the lease, whichever is the greater
(b) in any other case
$302.00 or $40.75 for each hectare or part of a hectare in the area of the lease, whichever is the greater
Miscellaneous purposes licence
$302.00 or $80.50 for each hectare or part of a hectare in the area of the licence, whichever is the greater
Schedule 5—Transitional provisions
1—Interpretation
In this Schedule—
Amendment Act means the Statutes Amendment (Mineral Resources) Act 2019;
commencement day means the day on which these regulations commence;
revoked regulations means the Mining Regulations 2011.
2—Exempt land
The amendments made to section 9 of the Act by the Amendment Act do not apply in relation to an application for a mineral tenement made before the commencement day (and those sections will continue to apply in relation to the application as if the amendments made to those sections had not been enacted).
3—Subsequent exploration licences
An application for a subsequent exploration licence under section 30AB of the Act made before the commencement day that has not been determined before the commencement day will continue to be considered and determined under that section as if that section had not been repealed by the Amendment Act (and the Minister may grant a subsequent exploration licence as a result of the application for a period of up to 5 years).
4—Inconsistent term or condition of exploration licence void
On or after the commencement day, a term or condition of an exploration licence that is inconsistent with the provision of the Act or these regulations will be void to the extent of the inconsistency.
5—Minister may grant retention lease
If, before the commencement day, an application for a mining lease under Part 6 of the Act has been made but not finally determined, the Minister may, instead of granting the application, with the concurrence of the applicant for the mining lease (and on the basis of that application or such further application by the applicant as the Minister thinks fit), grant a retention lease under Part 7 of the Act.
6—Collection of information and reports
To the extent that these regulations impose additional requirements when compared to the requirements under the revoked regulations—
(a) in relation to the creation, collection, keeping or compilation of information or materials; or
(b) in relation to the provision or production of—
(i) information or materials; or
(ii) any reports,
the additional requirements under these regulations—
(c) will only relate to the creation, collection, keeping or compilation of information or materials on a prospective basis; and
(d) will only require—
(i) information and material to be provided or produced in accordance with those requirements to the extent that they relate to matters arising on or after the commencement day; and
(ii) reports to comply with these regulations to the extent to which they apply to a period commencing on the commencement day.
7—Mineral tenements not subject to a program for environment protection and rehabilitation
(1) This clause applies to a mineral tenement in force immediately before the day on which the revoked regulations commenced that has not become subject to a program under Part 10A of the Act either by virtue of the operation of regulation 114(2) of the revoked regulations or for any other reason.
(2) The holder of a mineral tenement to which this clause applies must, within 12 months after the commencement of these regulations, notify the Minister in a manner and form determined by the Minister either—
(a) that the tenement holder intends to provide a program to the Minister in accordance with subclause (3); or
(b) that the tenement holder intends to surrender the tenement or allow the tenement to expire.
(3) The holder of a mineral tenement to which this clause applies who has provided a notice to the Minister under subclause (2)(a) must provide a program that complies with the requirements of subclause (4) to the Minister—
(a) within 24 months after the commencement of these regulations; or
(b) if the Minister so determines—such period, being less than or more than 24 months, as the Minister may specify in a particular case.
(4) A program required to be provided to the Minister under this clause must—
(a) comply with the requirements set out in section 70B(2) of the Act (and the relevant requirements under these regulations); and
(b) be accompanied by a declaration, signed by the holder of the tenement in respect of which the program is to apply, to the effect that the tenement holder has taken reasonable steps to review the information and to ensure its accuracy; and
(c) be accompanied by the prescribed fee.
8—Rules of Warden's Court
Rules made by the Governor under section 66 of the Act before the commencement day continue as if they had been made by the senior warden under that section as in force after the commencement day.
Legislative history
Notes
• Please note—References in the legislation to other legislation or instruments or to titles of bodies or offices are not automatically updated as part of the program for the revision and publication of legislation and therefore may be obsolete.
• Earlier versions of these regulations (historical versions) are listed at the end of the legislative history.
• For further information relating to the Act and subordinate legislation made under the Act see the Index of South Australian Statutes or www.legislation.sa.gov.au.
Legislation revoked by principal regulations
The Mining Regulations 2020 revoked the following:
Mining Regulations 2011
Principal regulations and variations
New entries appear in bold.
Year
No
Reference
Commencement
Gazette 19.11.2020 p5143
1.1.2021: r 2
Gazette 3.6.2021 p1824
1.7.2021: r 2
Gazette 15.7.2021 p2825
1.1.2021: r 2
Gazette 10.6.2022 p1468
1.7.2022: r 2
Gazette 18.5.2023 p1047
1.7.2023: r 2
Gazette 15.6.2023 p1776
1.7.2023: r 2
Gazette 16.5.2024 p855
1.7.2024: r 2
Gazette 23.5.2024 p1234
1.7.2024 immediately after 26/2024: r 2
Gazette 11.7.2024 p2155
11.7.2024: r 2
(4)
Statutes Amendment (Budget Measures) Act 2025
Pt 7 (s 12)—1.7.2024: s 2(3)
Gazette 15.5.2025 p1177
1.7.2025: r 2
Provisions varied
New entries appear in bold.
Entries that relate to provisions that have been deleted appear in italics.
Provision
How varied
Commencement
Pt 1
r 2
omitted under Legislation Revision and Publication Act 2002
r 5
r 5(a1)
inserted by 67/2024 r 3(1)
r 5(1)
amended by 67/2024 r 3(2)
r 5(2)
amended by 67/2024 r 3(3)
Pt 3
r 10
amended by 4/2025 s 12(1), (2)
r 11
substituted by 56/2023 r 3
Pt 21
r 87
r 87(4)—(7)
substituted by 39/2024 r 3
Sch 2
substituted by 60/2021 r 4
substituted by 30/2022 r 3
1.7.2022
substituted by 45/2023 r 3
substituted by 26/2024 r 3
amended by 39/2024 r 4(1), (2)
substituted by 21/2025 r 3
1.7.2025
Sch 5
cl 8
inserted by 110/2021 r 4
1.1.2021
Sch 6
omitted under Legislation Revision and Publication Act 2002
Historical versions
1.7.2022
Source text: opening excerpt
Sourced from South Australian Legislation (legislation.sa.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.
1 Mining Regulations 2020
South Australia
Mining Regulations 2020
under the Mining Act 1971
Contents
Part 1—Preliminary
1 Short title
3 Interpretation
4 Exercise of rights over a road, street or highway
5 Exempt land—prescribed distance
6 Waiver of exemption
Part 2—Administration
7 Delegation by Minister
8 Applications for warrants
Part 3—Royalty
9 Prescribed amount
10 Prescribed information to accompany tenement holder's estimate of value of minerals
11 Prescribed costs
12 Persons exempt from furnishing returns
13 Means of payment of royalty
Part 4—Mining register
14 Other matters to be placed on register
15 Surrender of mortgages
Part 5—Information
16 Compilation, keeping and provision of material
17 Release of material
Part 6—Mineral claims
18 Application to establish a mineral claim
19 Area of claim
20 Notification of registration
21 Cancellation of claim
22 Cessation of claim if lease granted
Part 7—Exploration licences
23 Application for licence
24 Notification of grant of licence
25 Expenditure
26 Application for retention status
27 Division of area of licence
28 Renewal of licence
29 Excise of land for public purposes
Part 8—Leases
30 Additional information in connection with application for mining lease
31 Additional information in connection with application for retention lease
32 Notice of application for retention lease
33 Notice of terms and conditions
34 Renewal of retention lease
35 Notice of decision
Part 9—Miscellaneous purposes licences
36 Size
37 Additional information in connection with application for licence
38 Additional information in connection with infrastructure
39 Notice of terms and conditions
40 Renewal of miscellaneous purposes licence
41 Notice of decision
Part 10—Scoping
42 Object of Part
43 Interpretation
44 Application of Part
45 Scoping report
Part 11—Common provisions
46 Information relating to environmental impact assessment—initial application for tenement
47 Consultation on proposed tenement
48 Social impact assessment
49 Alteration of terms and conditions
50 Rental
51 Amalgamation of areas (terms and conditions of tenement)
52 Surrender on application
53 Reinstatement of tenement—exploration licence
54 Assessment reports—alteration of terms and conditions under section 56J of Act
Part 12—Change in operations
55 Proposal to accompany application
56 Information on engagement on application for approval for change in operations
57 Consultation by Minister
58 Notice of variation of terms or conditions
59 Notice of decision
Part 13—Funds
60 Mining Rehabilitation Fund—prescribed period
61 Extractive Areas Rehabilitation Fund—prescribed rate
Part 14—Forfeiture and transfer of mineral tenement
62 Forfeiture and transfer of mineral tenement
Part 15—Programs for environment protection and rehabilitation
63 Preparation of program
64 Engagement on preparation and review of program
65 Adoption of program
66 Review of program
Part 16—General provisions—environmental protection
67 Environmental directions
Part 17—Special mining enterprises
68 Concept phase
69 Application phase
Part 18—Entry on land
70 Entry on land
Part 19—Private mines
71 Application of Act
72 Prescribed requirements for mine operations plans
73 Engagement on preparation and review of mine operations plan
74 Consultation by Director on mine operations plans
75 Review of mine operations plans
76 Registration of interests
Part 20—Reports
77 Compliance reports
78 Technical exploration reports
79 Incident reports
80 Airborne surveys
Part 21—Miscellaneous
81 Public liability insurance
82 Confirmation of emergency direction
83 Confirmation of emergency order
84 Declaration to accompany an application (general provision)
85 Declaration to accompany an application (mine operations plans)
86 Fees
87 Ministerial notices in connection with certain prescribed fees
88 Service of documents
89 Administrative penalties
90 Expiation of offences
Schedule 1—Items to be registered on mining register
Schedule 2—Rental
Schedule 3—Administrative penalties
Schedule 4—Expiation fees
Schedule 5—Transitional provisions
1 Interpretation
2 Exempt land
3 Subsequent exploration licences
4 Inconsistent term or condition of exploration licence void
5 Minister may grant retention lease
6 Collection of information and reports
7 Mineral tenements not subject to a program for environment protection and rehabilitation
8 Rules of Warden's Court
Legislative history
Fixes rental rates, royalty minima and prescribed rates for rehabilitation funds (Part 3 and Schedule 2; regs 9, 60-61, Sch 2). For royalty purposes the lesser amount of 52 cents per tonne is prescribed (reg 9); for extractive minerals a rate of 22 cents per tonne is prescribed (reg 61).
Sets administrative mechanisms: service of documents (reg 88), ministerial powers to vary fees or zones (reg 86-87), registration of specified instruments and documents on the mining register (reg 14; Sch 1), and administrative penalties and expiation fees (regs 89-90; Schs 3-4).
The regulations allocate decision and information obligations between applicants/tenement holders, the Mining Registrar, the Director and the Minister. They set enforceable duties (reporting, insurance and record retention), fees and monetary penalties, specified notice periods (for example 28 days for submissions on proposed lease terms, regs 33 and 39), and particular procedural routes for warrants and Warden’s Court review (reg 8; reg 21).
All requirements are expressed by reference to sections of the Act; the regulations specify how those statutory hooks operate in practice. For example, program content obligations under section 70B of the Act are elaborated in reg 63 with explicit measurement and monitoring criteria and a requirement to include leading indicator criteria where reliance on control strategies is high (reg 63(1)(c)-(d)).
Main concepts
The regulations centre on a handful of structural concepts that recur through the instrument: designated material; scoping and programs; prescribed procedural content for applications; reporting regimes; and the register/registration architecture.
Designated material and data obligations
Regulation 16 operationalises section 15AJ of the Act by listing numerous classes of “designated material” (reg 16(1)-(26)). These include geological mapping, drill hole logs, drill core and samples, geophysical surveys, technical studies, remote sensing, reserve estimation support data and production records (reg 16(2)-(23)). Most classes must be kept in electronic form for seven years and provided electronically to the Director at the end of defined periods (reg 16(2)-(13), (19)-(21), (22)-(23)). Samples may be retained or provided to the Director in accordance with departmental guidelines for the term of the tenement and for seven years after its end unless the Minister authorises destruction (reg 16(4)).
Disclosure timing rules further protect data: designated material provided to the Director is not to be released under section 15AL until specified trigger events (five years after provision, expiry/cancellation/forfeiture, surrender/reduction, public availability or consent by the tenement holder) (reg 17).
Scoping, programs and environmental assessment
Part 10 creates a voluntary/mandatory scoping report mechanism. Designated persons (tenement holders or applicants) may provide scoping reports identifying environmental impacts, level of assessment required and pathways to assessment; the Minister may require a scoping report (regs 42-45).
Part 15 (regs 63-66) prescribes content for programs under Part 10A of the Act: environmental feature descriptions, impacts, strategies, outcomes, quantitative criteria for measurement, leading indicator criteria where reliance on control strategies is high, consultation records and review times (reg 63(1)-(4); reg 64(1)-(2)). The Minister can adopt and publish standard programs (reg 65).
Application/content rules
For principal tenements the regulations prescribe the documentary content and supporting evidence the Minister may require. Exploration licences must include descriptions of intended operations and expenditure, technical and financial capability, nominated target minerals and prior contraventions (reg 23). Mining lease applications must supply resource/reserve detail, capability statements and environmental outcome assurances (reg 30). Retention lease and miscellaneous licence applications have equivalent content rules (regs 31, 37).
The regulations also require declarations certifying reasonable steps to ensure accuracy of application information and specific statutory forms where indicated (regs 84-85).
Reporting, incidents and disclosure
Compliance reporting (reg 77) and technical exploration reporting (reg 78) are periodic and subject to ministerial determination as to content and timing; final reports are required on expiry/surrender/forfeiture (regs 77(3)-(7); 78(3)-(6)).
Incident reporting is tightly time‑bound: initial report within 24 hours and comprehensive report within one month (reg 79(2)). The definition of “reportable incident” is broad and includes breaches of tenement conditions, program outcomes, leading indicator triggers, environmental damage and unauthorised operations (reg 79(4)).
Registration and public records
Regulation 14 requires a range of instruments and documents to be placed on the mining register, including those in Schedule 1; the Mining Registrar has discretion to register additional items (reg 14(1)(a)-(b); Sch 1). Schedule 1 enumerates items ranging from programs and bonds to environmental directions and compliance reports (Sch 1 items 1-43).
Service of documents is permitted by personal service, registered post or email where provided; special arrangements apply for designated persons and some native title notices (reg 88).
Financial and fiscal settings
The regulations set minimum royalty amount (reg 9), prescribe transport and other cost allowances up to 30% of market value for royalty calculations (reg 11), prescribe means of payment (reg 13), and fix rental schedules for tenements (reg 50; Sch 2). They also prescribe timeframes and rates for mining rehabilitation funds (regs 60-61).
Enforcement and sanctions
The regulations prescribe administrative penalties (reg 89; Sch 3), expiation fees (reg 90; Sch 4) and a range of maximum criminal penalties for specified contraventions, including failure to comply with notices (e.g. reg 76(4) $5,000), failure to maintain insurance (reg 81 penalties), and failure to report incidents (reg 79 maximum $10,000).
These concepts are tightly cross-referenced to statutory sections in the Act. The regulations translate broad statutory duties in the Act into discrete documentary, timing and procedural obligations that create compliance pathways, evidence obligations and administrative enforceability.
Who it affects
The regulations allocate obligations and rights principally among a closed set of actors: tenement applicants and holders; the Minister; the Director (Director of Mines); the Mining Registrar; authorised officers; owners and proprietors of land; designated persons; and the public (including persons who hold or may hold native title).
Tenement applicants and holders
All holders of mineral claims, exploration licences, mining leases, retention leases, miscellaneous purposes licences and proprietors of private mines are within the primary scope. They face application content requirements (regs 18, 23, 30-31, 37), program and scoping obligations (Parts 10 and 15), reporting duties (Part 20), data retention and provision obligations (reg 16), insurance obligations (reg 81), and rental/royalty/fund obligations (regs 9, 50, 60-61; Sch 2) depending on the tenement class.
Designated persons and tenement decision-makers
“Designated person” appears across the instrument to denote the Minister, the Mining Registrar or the Director when exercising powers under the regulations (reg 86). The Minister and Director determine forms, timing, acceptability of information, and may specify exemptions or zones,role definitions that allocate significant administrative discretion (regs 3, 16(26), 23(2), 30(2), 63(3), 86-87).
Mining Registrar and Director
The Mining Registrar is responsible for registration, notices concerning mineral claims, and for procedural steps such as accepting registration items on the mining register (regs 14, 20-21). The Director receives designated material, consults on mine operations plans, and provides confirmations and notices (regs 16, 74). Both can require modes of service or forms (reg 88).
Owners of land and private mine proprietors
Owners of land are specifically carved into consultation obligations: reasonable steps to consult with landowners are required in many application and change-of-operations processes (regs 47(2)(a)(ii), 56(2)(b), 72(1)(b), 73(1)(b)). Private mine proprietors have specific obligations to lodge mine operations plans, consult, register interests and may be required to provide information on the proprietor on notice from the Mining Registrar (regs 71-76).
Courts and review bodies
The Warden’s Court is retained as a review forum for some administrative actions such as cancellation of registered mineral claims (reg 21(2)-(5)). Other sections of the Act referenced in the schedules create routes for criminal, civil and administrative enforcement which flow from obligations in the regulations.
Public and third parties
Members of the public and community (including councils) are engaged via consultation processes (regs 47, 64, 74), and the regulations create mechanisms for public inspection and submissions on draft mine operations objectives (reg 74(2)-(4)). Native title holders remain separately subject to service rules (reg 88 note regarding Native Title (South Australia) Act 1994).
Other jurisdictions and laws
Persons who have responsibilities under corresponding laws in other States or Territories or under designated Acts listed in reg 3(1) (such as the Environment Protection Act 1993, Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 and others) are implicated because the regulations require disclosure of contraventions of corresponding laws in applications (regs 23, 30, 31, 34, 40). The Minister may delegate to bodies under Acts prescribed in reg 7 (for example, Native vegetation, national parks, Offshore Minerals Act, Roxby Downs Indenture etc).
Commercial counterparties
Purchasers, operators, mortgagees and transferees are indirectly affected through registration requirements (Schedule 1 items 2, 16) and transfer/forfeiture provisions (reg 62). Transfers of tenements must be accompanied by compliance reports (reg 77(5)).
In short, the regulations affect the full lifecycle stakeholders in mineral exploration and mining: applicants, operators, landowners, regulators, and certain third parties (councils, native title interests). The text assigns particular information, timing and disclosure duties to each group and links those duties to specific administrative routes and penalties.
Key duties and rights
The regulations convert statutory powers into actionable duties and also create limited procedural rights such as notice and review. Key duties and rights include:
Data creation, retention and disclosure duties
Tenement holders must compile, keep and provide specified designated material electronically for defined periods, typically seven years, and provide materials at the end of each designated period to the Director (reg 16(1)-(26)). Drill core and samples must be retained for the tenor of the tenement and for seven years after expiry unless the Minister authorises destruction in line with Departmental guidelines (reg 16(4)).
The Director must not release designated material under section 15AL until one of several trigger events occurs (five years after provision, expiry/cancellation/forfeiture, surrender/reduction, public availability, or holder consent) (reg 17). This creates a limited confidentiality right for tenement holders over materials provided.
Application content and evidentiary duties
Applicants must supply detailed technical, environmental and capability statements when applying for exploration licences, mining leases, retention leases and miscellaneous licences (regs 23, 30-31, 37). The Minister may specify the form and evidence required (see repeated “must be in a form determined by the Minister” in regs 23(2), 30(2), 31(2), 37(4)).
Declarations certifying that applicants have taken reasonable steps to review information must accompany many applications (reg 84(2)). For mine operations plans, a declaration by the person carrying out mining operations is required (reg 85).
Consultation and engagement duties
Applicants must undertake consultation focused on the environmental outcomes and must record persons consulted, issues raised and steps taken to address concerns in proposals, scoping reports and program submissions (regs 45(6), 46(7), 47(2)(b), 64(1), 72(1)(a), 73(1)(a)-(e)). For some processes the Minister may require social impact information (reg 48).
Reporting, incident and compliance duties
Tenement holders must provide periodic compliance reports and technical exploration reports within periods determined by the Minister; final reports are required on expiry, surrender or forfeiture (regs 77-78). Reporting periods are normally 12‑month periods ending on the grant anniversary or 30 June (regs 77(3), 78(4)).
Reportable incidents must be notified: initial report within 24 hours and a comprehensive report within one month (reg 79(2)). The definition of reportable incident is broad (reg 79(4)).
Insurance and financial duties
Holders must maintain public liability insurance before commencing operations and for the duration of the tenement, with coverage “reasonable” having regard to the tenement and industry standards, and must provide certificates to the Minister as required (reg 81(1)-(3)). Failure to maintain or provide certificates attracts maximum penalties and expiation fees (reg 81(1)-(3)).
Royalty and rental payment obligations are specified, including payment methods (electronic funds transfer or credit card) and prescribed royalty minima and rehabilitation fund rates (regs 9, 11, 13, 60-61; Sch 2). Rental is calculated on the total area granted with no allowance for unavailable land (reg 50(2)) and is payable annually in advance (reg 50(3)).
Registration and record duties
Certain instruments and documents must be placed on the mining register (reg 14(1); Sch 1). The Mining Registrar has discretionary powers to register “such other interest…as the Mining Registrar thinks fit” (reg 14(1)(b)), which effectively creates a public recording duty for many administrative instruments.
The Mining Registrar must notify applicants on registration of a mineral claim (reg 20) and must give notice before cancelling a claim, with a right to review in the Warden’s Court (reg 21).
Procedural rights: notice, submissions and review
Applicants have specified minimum notice periods and opportunities to make submissions: e.g. the Minister must notify proposed terms and conditions and give at least 28 days for submissions before finalising lease terms, and the Minister must allow at least 28 days to make submissions on variations (regs 33, 39, 58).
A person served with notice of the Mining Registrar’s intention to cancel a claim may apply to the Warden’s Court for review; cancellation cannot proceed while review is pending (reg 21(1)-(4)).
Discretionary administrative powers
The Minister, Mining Registrar and Director are given considerable discretion to determine form, required content, frequency, and exemptions (see multiple “in a form determined by the Minister/Director” provisions across regs 16, 23, 30-31, 46-48, 63, 72-75, 86). The regulations create both mandatory minimums and wide administrative discretion to set further requirements.
Failure to comply and penalties
Administrative penalties and expiation regimes apply (regs 89-90; Schs 3-4). Criminal and civil penalties attach to certain duties such as record production on notice (reg 76(4)), failure to report incidents (reg 79), and insurance failures (reg 81).
These duties and rights create a compliance architecture that privileges documentable, evidentiary processes. Rights are largely procedural (notice, submissions, limited confidentiality for provided materials) rather than substantive entitlements to outcomes.
Penalties and enforcement
The regulations create a layered enforcement regime combining criminal penalties, administrative penalties, expiation fees and specific maximum penalties for particular breaches. Enforcement is split between monetary sanctions, registration consequences and discretionary administrative action.
Administrative penalties and expiation fees
Regulation 89 fixes administrative penalty amounts: $2,500 for contraventions of the regulations generally; Schedule 3 sets higher administrative penalties for particular Act provisions (for example, section 15AJ(1) and (2) attract $15,000 each; other specified sections attract $5,000) (reg 89; Sch 3).
Regulation 90 prescribes that certain Act offences may be expelled via expiation notices; Schedule 4 lists offences and expiation fees ranging from $210 to $1,000 (reg 90; Sch 4). Expiation is therefore available for a subset of statutory contraventions.
Specific maximum penalties for regulatory duties
The regulations attach maximum penalties to discrete failures. Examples include:
Failure to comply with a written notice under reg 76(4) to provide information to the Mining Registrar: maximum penalty $5,000 (reg 76(4)).
Failure to provide compliance reports or final compliance reports attracts a maximum penalty of $5,000 and an expiation fee of $750 (reg 77(2), (5), (7)).
Technical exploration reports also carry maximum penalties of $5,000 and expiation fees (reg 78(3), (6)).
Incident reporting carries a higher maximum penalty of $10,000 and an expiation fee of $1,500 (reg 79(1)-(2)).
Airborne survey notification: max penalty $2,500 and expiation fee $250 (reg 80(1)-(2)).
Insurance obligations: failure to maintain the required insurance carries a maximum penalty of $20,000; failure to provide certificate to Minister carries a further maximum $5,000 and expiation $750 (reg 81(1)-(3)).
Record-keeping or provision obligations under reg 16 and related Act sections attract administrative penalties in Schedule 3 (for example, up to $15,000 under Sch 3 item 1-2 for section 15AJ(1)-(2)).
Enforcement mechanisms and discretion
The Minister, Director and Mining Registrar have powers to require information, direct revisions to programs, publish notices in the Gazette, classify applications into fee tiers, and adopt programs (regs 14, 33, 63-66, 86-87). These administrative powers carry enforcement teeth because failure to comply with the requirements they impose triggers the monetary penalties outlined above.
The mining register (reg 14; Sch 1) and public notices create reputational and commercial enforcement channels; registration of compliance orders, environmental directions, bonds and other instruments puts remedial and disciplinary steps on public record (Sch 1 items 16-26, 30-36).
Review and appeal
The regulations preserve certain statutory review routes: for example, a person who receives notice of the Mining Registrar’s intention to cancel a registered mineral claim may apply to the Warden’s Court for review within 14 days; pending the review the Mining Registrar must not cancel the registration (reg 21(1)-(4)). The regulations also specify that decisions to grant or renew leases and licences must be notified to applicants and that applicants are afforded submission periods before terms or changes are finalised (regs 33, 39, 58, 35).
Forfeiture and transfer processes under reg 62 incorporate showings of capacity and compliance history that bear on administrative decisions; the Warden’s Court may be engaged under the Act’s forfeiture provisions (reg 62).
Criminal enforcement via the Act
Many regulatory offences under these regulations are framed as corresponding to Act sections; enforcement for those offences flows through the Act’s enforcement architecture (including prosecution and penalties under the Act), with expiation options where Schedule 4 permits (reg 90).
Practical enforcement implications
Enforcement incentives are both fiscal and procedural: failure to produce required data can expose operators to significant administrative and criminal penalties, while registration of adverse instruments or directions creates public and commercial consequences. Time-bound incident reporting, insurance certification and provision of designated material are enforcement priorities reflected in the penalty schedule (regs 16, 79, 81).
All penalty figures and mechanisms listed above are taken directly from the regulation text (regs 76-81; 89-90; Schs 3-4) and are applied against the specified contraventions.
How it interacts with other laws
The regulations explicitly cross-reference and interact with multiple other statutes, both state and Commonwealth, and incorporate concepts such as corresponding laws, designated Acts and delegated authorities. Interaction mechanisms include mandatory disclosure of contraventions under other Acts, delegation of ministerial powers, service rules, and alignment with national frameworks.
Designated Acts and corresponding laws
Regulation 3(1) lists “designated Acts”, naming state and Commonwealth Acts such as the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988, Environment Protection Act 1993, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), Landscape South Australia Act 2019, Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016, Work Health and Safety Act 2012 and others (reg 3(1) paragraphs (a)-(n)). The inclusion of these Acts means that contraventions of those regimes must be disclosed in certain tenement applications (see regs 23(1)(d), 30(1)(f), 31(1)(e) which require statements outlining contraventions or failures to comply with corresponding laws or designated Acts).
The regulations also define corresponding law as an Act of another State or Territory that substantially corresponds with the Mining Act (reg 3(1)). This offers a bridge for cross‑jurisdictional disclosure requirements and for taking past compliance history in other jurisdictions into account when assessing applications.
Delegation, joint administration and prescribed Acts
The regulations prescribe Acts for the purposes of section 12(1) of the Act, specifying the Acts to which the Minister may delegate functions (reg 7). This list includes land rights and environment related Acts, enabling statutory delegation and co‑operation across administrative regimes (reg 7(a)-(j)).
Native title and service rules
Regulation 88 sets out service methods: personal service, registered post or email (reg 88(1)). A note specifies that Part 5 of the Native Title (South Australia) Act 1994 sets out the method of service on all who hold or may hold native title in land, thus explicitly preserving native title service procedures (reg 88 note).
Environment and social assessment interfaces
Part 10 scoping reports and Part 11 common provisions require assessment and consultation practices that intersect with environmental and planning regimes. For example, scoping reports and program content must account for environmental impact assessments and social impact assessments (regs 42-45; 46-48). The Environment Protection Act 1993 and the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 are listed among designated Acts, signalling that compliance must consider those regimes.
Offshore and other jurisdictional overlaps
The Offshore Minerals Act 2000 is included among designated Acts (reg 3(1)(k)), indicating that operations with overlapping jurisdictional features (onshore/offshore) will be captured and disclosures required where relevant.
Insurance, liabilities and civil frameworks
Insurance obligations in reg 81 interface with common law tort liability and public liability insurance markets; the regulation requires cover “reasonable taking into account” industry standards, which will interact with insurers’ underwriting criteria and policy conditions.
Information sharing and confidentiality
The Director’s power to hold and release designated material is bounded by reg 17 (five-year release delay, or earlier on certain events). That rule interacts with freedom of information and other public record regimes because it sets a specific non-release period for industry data submitted to the Director.
Fee zoning, Gazette notices and local government
The Minister may declare exploration regulation fee zones and tier classifications for draft objectives and programs by Gazette notice (reg 87). These administrative instruments interact with planning and local government regimes because they affect the cost of regulatory compliance across geographic areas.
Judicial and tribunal processes
The regulations preserve Warden’s Court procedures for certain reviews (reg 21). References to orders, appeals and forfeiture in reg 62 also interface with judicial decisions under the Act and the courts.
In short, the regulations are designed to operate as a detailed procedural and informational layer on top of broader statutory regimes concerning environment, native title, planning and public safety. They require applicants and holders to disclose, consult and account for their position under other relevant laws, allow delegation and inter-agency coordination, and set administrative mechanisms (Gazette notices, service rules, confidentiality windows) that interact closely with those external regimes.
Amendment history
The regulations themselves record amendments and a legislative history that identifies commencement dates of various variations and the principal regulations they revoke. The legislative history section at the end of the instrument lists the principal regulation (Mining Regulations 2011) revoked by the Mining Regulations 2020, and subsequent variation instruments by year and Gazette reference.
Key points from the amendment record in the instrument:
Principal regulations and commencement: Mining Regulations 2020 (No. 300) appeared in the Gazette 19.11.2020 with commencement dated 1.1.2021 (r 2) (Legislative history table).
The regulations include multiple subsequent variations listed by year and number, with commencement dates. Notable variation entries include:
2021 No. 60 (Gazette 3.6.2021, commenced 1.7.2021), 2021 No. 110 (Gazette 15.7.2021), and insertion of Schedule 5 cl 8 by 110/2021 r 4 with commencement 1.1.2021 (Sch 5 cl 8).
2022 No. 30 (commenced 1.7.2022) and a substitution of Schedule 2 at that time (Sch 2 substituted by 30/2022 r 3).
2023 Nos. 45 and 56 (commenced 1.7.2023) with further substitutions of Schedule 2.
2024 Nos. 26, 39 and 67 with various amendments effective 1.7.2024 and 11.7.2024 (including r 5 amendments and r 87 substitutions).
2025 entries including item (4) Statutes Amendment (Budget Measures) Act 2025 Pt 7 (s 12) with retrospective or specified commencement dates (Pt 7,1.7.2024).
The instrument records specific provisions varied and how they were varied, identifying the regulation numbers changed. For example:
r 5 was amended by 67/2024 with specific subregulation insertions and amendments (r 5(a1) and r 5(1)-(2)).
r 10 was amended by 4/2025 s 12(1), (2) (affecting prescribed information accompanying tenement holder's estimate,reg 10).
r 11 was substituted by 56/2023 r 3 (affecting prescribed costs).
r 87(4)-(7) was substituted by 39/2024 r 3 (affecting ministerial notices and fee notices).
Schedule 2 (rental) has been substituted multiple times (60/2021, 30/2022, 45/2023, 26/2024, then substituted again by 21/2025), indicating the rental schedule has been actively managed.
Transitional and saving provisions
Schedule 5 sets transitional rules dealing with the Amendment Act and the transition from the revoked 2011 regulations. Examples include non-application of certain amendments to applications made before commencement (Sch 5 cl 2), continuation of subsequent exploration licence applications not determined before commencement under the prior law (Sch 5 cl 3), and notification and program deadlines for tenements in force immediately before commencement (Sch 5 cl 7).
Schedule 5 also includes a clause preserving rules of the Warden’s Court made before commencement, continued as if made by the senior warden (Sch 5 cl 8).
Implications
The recorded legislative history indicates active post‑commencement amendment of the regulations, particularly regarding fees, prescribed costs for royalty purposes, rental schedules and ministerial notice powers. Frequent substitution of Schedule 2 (rental) and reg 11 (prescribed costs) shows attention to fiscal parameters.
The transitional provisions limit retrospective application of new burdens in specific contexts (Sch 5 cl 2, cl 6), which is relevant for assessing compliance duties for pre-existing applications and information requirements.
All amendment references above are taken from the legislative history and the “Provisions varied” table within the regulation text. Practitioners should consult the Gazette notices and the consolidated legislative instrument to confirm the current text and precise effective dates for each amendment.
Litigation history
The regulation text itself does not name any judicial decisions or report particular litigation arising under the Mining Regulations 2020. The instrument’s Schedule 1 item 41 records that decisions, determinations and orders of the ERD Court or the Supreme Court where the Minister, the Director or the Mining Registrar was a party are to be registered on the mining register (Sch 1 item 41). That indicates an administrative mechanism to record litigation outcomes when the regulator is a party.
Statutory review and appeal points referenced in the regulations
Warden’s Court review: Regulation 21 preserves a specific review route where the Mining Registrar notifies intention to cancel a registered mineral claim; the recipient may apply to the Warden’s Court for review within 14 days and the Registrar cannot cancel while the review is pending (reg 21(1)-(4)). That provision establishes an explicit pathway to judicial/tribunal review for claim cancellations.
Forfeiture and transfer: Regulation 62 prescribes requirements that apply in relation to forfeiture and transfer under section 70 of the Act; it specifies evidentiary requirements that an applicant to acquire a forfeited tenement must demonstrate (reg 62(2)). The Act’s forfeiture processes provide for judicial involvement as per the Act; the regulations supplement that procedure.
Obligations to provide notice and allow submissions: The regulations impose minimum notice and submission periods for altered terms and conditions, and for proposed terms of leases/licences (regs 33, 39, 58). Administrative decisions based on submissions or failure to follow process are typically liable to judicial review or merits review where permitted under statute or the common law.
No reported cases in the text
The instrument’s legislative history and schedules list administrative powers, registers and obligations but do not cite specific litigation or precedent. The regulations therefore do not authoritatively report case law; practitioners must search case law databases for decisions interpreting the Act and these regulations.
Practical litigation points to consider (grounded in the regulations)
Procedural fairness and disclosure: Several regulations require the Minister or Director to notify and allow submissions (regs 33, 39, 58). Failure to provide those opportunities could form the basis of judicial review on procedural fairness grounds.
Enforcement actions and penalties: The substantive enforcement mechanisms (administrative penalties, expiation, criminal fines) could attract litigation over procedural compliance, the validity of notices (service in accordance with reg 88), and the adequacy of administrative steps before imposing penalties.
Confidentiality and disclosure disputes: Reg 17’s non-release rules and reg 16’s data submission and retention requirements may give rise to disputes over access to information, confidentiality claims, or the scope of material that must be provided.
Warden’s Court procedural challenges: Reg 21 preserves a Warden’s Court review right for mineral claim cancellations. Challenges to cancellation decisions or to the Mining Registrar’s decision-making process will be directed to that jurisdiction where the regulation provides.
Because the regulations do not themselves list cases, practitioners should combine this regulations-based map of potential dispute points with targeted searches of decisions under the Mining Act 1971 and related environmental and land use litigation to identify controlling authorities interpreting the Act and these regulations.
Gotchas
The regulations contain a number of specific drafting and procedural traps that practitioners must note because they impose strict timelines, form requirements, and potentially unexpected costs or exposures. These “gotchas” are concrete compliance risks provided by the regulation text.
Document and data obligations are demanding
Electronic record-keeping and submission requirements are pervasive. Many classes of designated material must be kept in electronic form for seven years and provided electronically to the Director at the end of each designated period (reg 16(2)-(13), (19)-(21), (23)). Failure to maintain or furnish these materials may attract administrative penalties listed in Schedule 3 (reg 89; Sch 3).
Samples: drill core and other representative geological samples must be retained either by the tenement holder or provided to the Director in accordance with Departmental guidelines for the term of the tenement and for seven years after expiry, unless Ministerial authorisation allows destruction (reg 16(4)). Practically this can increase storage or transfer costs and requires adherence to departmental guidelines that may be updated.
Confidentiality windows and release triggers
Designated material is not to be released by the Director until one of several events occurs, including five years after provision or upon surrender, forfeiture or expiry (reg 17). If data is sensitive, tenement holders can rely on this limited confidentiality, but they must still provide the material to the Director,there is no outright non-disclosure option.
Rigid reporting and incident reporting timelines
Incident reporting is strict: initial notification within 24 hours and a comprehensive report within one month (reg 79(2)). The definition of reportable incident is broad (reg 79(4)), encompassing breaches of tenement conditions, failure to achieve program outcomes, leading indicator triggers, undue environmental damage and unauthorised operations. Practitioners must ensure incident management systems can meet these short-time obligations.
Insurance evidencing and lapses carry penalties
Holders must maintain public liability insurance “reasonable” to the operation and provide a certificate before commencing operations and annually thereafter (reg 81(1)-(3)). Lapses or failure to notify changes must be reported within 14 days (reg 81(4)-(5)). Penalties include up to $20,000 for failing to maintain insurance and up to $5,000 for failing to provide certificates or notifications (reg 81).
Rental calculation and area measurement
Rental is calculated on the total area of the tenement without allowance for land not available for operations (reg 50(2)); this can increase costs where tenements include inaccessible or exempt land. Schedule 2 prescribes rental minima and per-hectare rates that have been amended multiple times (Sch 2).
Ministerial discretion and formality
Many requirements are to be in “a form determined by the Minister” or in accordance with requirements the Minister or Director may specify (multiple regs including 16(26), 23(2), 30(2), 84(2), 85(2)). This creates uncertainty because compliance standards can change administratively without legislative amendment; practitioners should monitor Gazette notices and departmental guidance.
The Minister may require scoping reports or determine scoping categorisations even if an application has not yet been made (reg 44). Scoping reports must be balanced, state limitations, identify uncertainties and be concise (reg 45(6)), which means third-party consultants must be briefed to meet those expectations.
Consultation requirements are specific and repeatable
The regulations repeatedly require a record of persons consulted, issues raised and steps taken to address those issues in proposals, scoping reports, programs and mine operations plans (regs 45(1)(e), 46(7), 47(2)(b), 64(1), 72(1)(c), 73(1)(c)-(e)). These are not generic consultation obligations; the documentation must be specific and may be requested or assessed by the Minister.
Notice and submission timeframes
The Minister must give at least 28 days for submissions on proposed terms and conditions of leases and miscellaneous licences (regs 33(1), 39). Practitioners must manage timelines; the applicant may waive or accept shorter periods but must do so formally.
Transfer and forfeiture constraints
Transfers in the context of forfeiture are constrained: an applicant must demonstrate capacity to meet program requirements, replace bonds and show a history of compliance; transfers cannot be made if the applicant fails to notify the Minister in the prescribed form within 14 days after a court recommendation, or where the Minister does not consent (reg 62(2)-(3)). These are tight procedural windows that can block transfer attempts.
Exemptions and waivers
Waiver of exemption notices must be given to the Mining Registrar within 21 days after agreement or at the time of application, whichever comes first (reg 6(2)). Practitioners must track agreements to avoid failing the filing deadline.
Service by email and service on designated persons
Service by email is effective at time of sending if an email address is provided by the person (reg 88(1)(c)), but for designated persons, the manner of service may be specified in the Gazette (reg 88(2)). Ensuring the correct contact details and Gazette monitoring is essential.
Ministerial fee-zone and tiering mechanisms
The Minister may declare exploration regulation fee zones and tiers for draft objectives and programs by Gazette notice (reg 87). These administrative definitions can materially change application costs; practitioners should check Gazette notices to confirm fee zones and tiers.
Summary of practical pitfalls
Failure to maintain or provide electronic records and samples, not meeting tight incident reporting deadlines, lapses in insurance or failure to provide certificates, unawareness of rental calculation rules, missing 21-day notices for waivers, and failure to follow Ministerial forms and Gazette notices are concrete pitfalls embedded in the regulatory text. Each of these is linked to a specific regulation cited above.
How to comply
Compliance requires structured processes, recordkeeping systems and attention to the administrative discretions the Minister and Director may exercise. Below is a practical, regulation-grounded checklist for applicants and tenement holders.
Map obligations to tenement class
Determine which parts of the regulations apply: mineral claim (Part 6), exploration licence (Part 7), mining lease/retention lease (Part 8), miscellaneous purposes licence (Part 9), private mine (Part 19), and special mining enterprise (Part 17). Key content requirements differ by tenement (regs 18, 23, 30-31, 37, 72).
Prepare application content to the Minister’s expected form
For licences and leases, ensure applications include the prescribed statements on operations, expenditure estimates, technical/financial capability, nominated minerals, environmental outcomes and contraventions of corresponding laws or designated Acts (regs 23(1), 30(1), 31(1), 37(1)). Confirm the application form required by the Minister and attach supporting evidence (see repeated “in a form determined by the Minister” in regs 23(2), 30(2), 31(2), 37(4)).
Collect, manage and retain designated material
Implement an electronic records management system that satisfies reg 16: geological mapping, drill logs, results and technical data must be kept electronically for seven years and provided at the end of each designated period (reg 16(2)-(13), (19)-(23)). Identify where drill core and samples will be stored or when they will be transmitted to the Director under departmental guidelines (reg 16(4)).
Anticipate confidentiality and release timing
Track dates when designated material is provided to the Director because reg 17 bars release until one of the trigger events occurs (5 years after provision or on expiry/relinquishment etc). Draft internal policies for when to request Ministerial authorisation for sample destruction (reg 16(4)).
Set up incident reporting procedures
Ensure incident response plans include immediate notification within 24 hours of awareness and a comprehensive report within one month (reg 79(2)). Maintain a compliant definition framework of reportable incidents as specified in reg 79(4).
Maintain insurance and evidence
Obtain public liability insurance that is objectively “reasonable” for the tenement’s operation and standard in the industry and provide certificates before commencing operations and annually (reg 81(1)-(3)). Record insurer contact details, renewal dates and set alerts to notify the Minister within 14 days of lapses or policy changes (reg 81(4)-(5)).
Plan for consultation and social impact information
Document consultation steps rigorously: who was consulted, issues raised and steps taken to address concerns. Consultation must focus on environmental outcomes and include reasonable steps to consult landowners (regs 46(2), 47(2)(a)-(b), 56(1)-(2)). Keep consultation records in a form the Minister will accept.
Prepare scoping reports and programs where appropriate
If proposing a relevant tenement or change in operations, prepare scoping reports (Part 10) and programs (Part 15) in the forms set out in regs 45 and 63. Express criteria and outcomes quantitatively “insofar as is reasonably practicable” and include leading indicator criteria where control strategies are relied upon (reg 63(1)(c)-(d)).
Observe timelines for submissions and notices
When notified of proposed terms and conditions the Minister must allow at least 28 days to make submissions (regs 33(1), 39, 58(1)). For waiver of exemption notices the Mining Registrar must be notified within 21 days (reg 6(2)). Track these timelines in project calendars.
Manage rental, royalty and fund obligations
Calculate rental per Schedule 2 using the total area (no allowance for unavailable land) and pay annually in advance to the Department (reg 50(1)-(3); Sch 2). For royalty, note the prescribed minimum amount and allowable cost deductions up to 30% as prescribed (regs 9, 11). Use the prescribed payment methods (electronic funds transfer or credit card) (reg 13).
Register required instruments and keep the register in mind
Monitor Schedule 1 for items that must be registered (Sch 1 items 1-43). Ensure that instruments such as approved programs, bonds, compliance orders, directions and certificates of insurance are lodged for registration where applicable (reg 14; Sch 1).
Use prescribed service methods and maintain correct contact details
Ensure proper addresses and email contacts are maintained for service under reg 88. For designated persons, check Gazette notices for specified service instructions (reg 88(2)).
Implement compliance reporting cycles
Establish a schedule for compliance reports and technical exploration reports keyed to either the anniversary of the grant or 30 June (regs 77(3), 78(4)). Identify whether exemptions apply (the Director may exempt holders of exploration licences from compliance reports,reg 77(8)).
Keep abreast of Ministerial determinations and Gazette notices
The Minister can set fees, fee zones, tiers and fee determinations by Gazette notice (regs 86-87). Subscribe to the Gazette and the Department’s notices to capture changes in fee zones, forms and other ministerial instruments.
Prepare for audits, reviews and potential Warden’s Court matters
Maintain documentation to support program outcomes, compliance reports, completion outcomes and rehabilitation. If a Mining Registrar issues a notice of intention to cancel a claim, be ready to seek Warden’s Court review within 14 days as provided (reg 21).
Use legal and technical advisers for capacity and program evidence
For transfers, forfeiture prevention or applications under reg 62 (forfeiture/transfer), prepare evidence on technical, operational and financial capacity, bonds, compliance history and capability to meet programms (reg 62(2)). Ensure feasibility and resource statements are supported by competent persons’ reporting consistent with JORC or equivalent as required by reg 16(21).
Checklist summary (minimum actions)
Electronic data system configured to reg 16 retention and export requirements.
Incident and reporting SOPs meeting reg 79 timeframes.
Insurance policy meeting reg 81 and certificate filing process.
Application templates matching Ministerial form requirements and including required declarations (regs 23, 30, 31, 84-85).
Consultation logs fit for Ministerial scrutiny (regs 46-48, 64, 72-74).
Rental and royalty payment processes with correct area calculations (reg 50; Sch 2).
Gazette/Department subscription for fee/tier/zone changes (regs 86-87; reg 88 for service).
Following these steps aligns operational practice with the specific obligations set out in the regulations and reduces exposure to the penalties and procedural risks authorised by the instrument.
Part 1—Preliminary
1—Short title
These regulations may be cited as the Mining Regulations 2020.
3—Interpretation
(1) In these regulations, unless the contrary intention appears—
Act means the Mining Act 1971;
change in operations means a change in relation to a tenement to which Part 8B Division 7 of the Act applies;
compliance report means a compliance report under regulation 77;
corresponding law means an Act of another State or a Territory that contains provisions that substantially correspond with the Mining Act 1971;
Department means the administrative unit of the Public Service that is responsible for assisting a Minister in the administration of the Act;
designated Act means—
(a) the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988; or
(b) the Aboriginal Lands Trust Act 2013; or
(c) the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act 1981; or
(d) the Environment Protection Act 1993; or
(e) the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 of the Commonwealth; or
(f) the Landscape South Australia Act 2019; or
(g) the Maralinga Tjarutja Land Rights Act 1984; or
(h) the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972; or
(i) the Native Title Act 1993 of the Commonwealth; or
(j) the Native Vegetation Act 1991; or
(k) the Offshore Minerals Act 2000; or
(l) the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016; or
(m) the Radiation Protection and Control Act 1982; or
(n) the Work Health and Safety Act 2012; or
(o) an Act of another State or a Territory that contains provisions that substantially correspond with an Act set out in paragraphs (a) to (n) (inclusive);
designated material has the meaning given by section 15AI of the Act;
dimension stone means stone that is cut, trimmed and finished to specific dimensions and shapes and includes cut stone, ashlars, monumental stone, roofing slate and flagging stone;
industrial minerals means the following:
(a) alunite;
(b) anatase;
(c) andalusite;
(d) barite;
(e) bentonite;
(f) calcrete;
(g) celestite;
(h) cement shale;
(i) diamond;
(j) diatomite;
(k) dolomite;
(l) feldspar;
(m) fire clay;
(n) garnet;
(o) graphite;
(p) gypsum;
(q) ilmenite;
(r) kaolin;
(s) kyanite;
(t) leucoxene;
(u) lime sand;
(v) magnesite;
(w) marble;
(x) mica;
(y) micaceous hematite;
(z) monazite;
(za) palygorskite;
(zb) peat;
(zc) phosphate;
(zd) potash;
(ze) rutile;
(zf) salt;
(zg) silica;
(zh) silica sand;
(zi) sillimanite;
(zj) talc;
(zk) vermiculite;
(zl) wollastonite;
(zm) xenotime;
(zn) zircon;
(zo) any other mineral that would be an extractive mineral for the purposes of the Act but for the fact that it is mined for a purpose prescribed for the purposes of paragraph (a) of the definition of extractive minerals in section 6(1) of the Act;
leading indicator criteria means criteria used to give an early warning that a control strategy in a program under Part 10A of the Act may fail or be failing.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (ab) of the definition of declared equipment in section 6(1) of the Act, mechanically driven equipment that is capable of drilling to depths of 2.5 metres or more below the ground in order to recover subsurface geological samples or information is prescribed.
(3) For the purposes of the definition of exploring or exploration operations in section 6(1) of the Act, the following activities are, in accordance with paragraph (d) of that definition, brought within the ambit of that definition:
(a) collecting a bulk sample required to evaluate the metallurgical and physical properties of a mineral deposit or the economic potential of such a deposit and rehabilitating the land from which the sample was taken to be as close as reasonably practicable to the state of the land before the sample was taken;
(b) undertaking geotechnical test work and rehabilitating the land on which the test work was undertaken to be as close as reasonably practicable to the state of the land before the test work was undertaken.
(4) The following are prescribed purposes under paragraph (a) of the definition of extractive minerals in section 6(1) of the Act:
(a) chemical, cement, lime and glass manufacture;
(b) metallurgical flux, refractories and industrial fillers;
(c) foundries, fertiliser, agricultural, jewellery and crafted ornamental uses;
(d) the production of dimension stone.
4—Exercise of rights over a road, street or highway
(1) A person must not exercise a right under the Act or these regulations on a public road, street or highway without the written consent of the authority that has the care, control or management of the road, street or highway.
(2) However, a consent under subregulation (1) is not required to identify an area for a mineral claim on land (in a manner determined or approved under section 56E of the Act) consisting (partially or entirely) of a public road, street or highway.
(3) An application to register a claim on land consisting (partially or entirely) of a public road, street or highway must be accompanied by the consent required under subregulation (1).
5—Exempt land—prescribed distance
(a1) For the purposes of section 9(1)(ca) of the Act, the prescribed distance is 25 m.
(1) Subregulation (2) applies in relation to—
(a) a miscellaneous purpose licence; and
(b) a retention lease; and
(c) a mining lease.
(2) For the purposes of section 9(5) of the Act, the prescribed distance for the recovery of industrial minerals under a mineral tenement to which this subregulation applies is, in accordance with paragraph (c)(i) of that definition, 400 metres.
6—Waiver of exemption
(1) For the purposes of section 9AA(8)(b) of the Act, a tenement holder must provide the owner of land with the following information in relation to each relevant tenement or proposed tenement in relation to the land:
(a) a copy of the approved program (if any) under Part 10A of the Act;
(b) a copy of the relevant proposal;
(c) a copy of any response of the tenement holder as required by the Minister under section 56H(4)(b) of the Act;
(d) information as to the rights of the owner of land under section 9AA(9)(b) and (14) of the Act in a manner and form determined by the Minister that is made publicly available on a website determined by the Minister.
(2) For the purposes of section 9AA(14b) of the Act, notice of an agreement to waive the benefit of an exemption must be given to the Mining Registrar—
(a) within 21 days after the agreement is entered into; or
(b) when an application for the tenement is made under the Act,
whichever occurs first.
Part 2—Administration
7—Delegation by Minister
For the purposes of section 12(1) of the Act, the following Acts are prescribed:
(a) the Aboriginal Lands Trust Act 2013;
(b) the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act 1981;
(c) the Landscape South Australia Act 2019;
(d) the Maralinga Tjarutja Land Rights Act 1984;
(e) the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972;
(f) the Native Vegetation Act 1991;
(g) the Offshore Minerals Act 2000;
(h) the Opal Mining Act 1995;
(i) the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016;
(j) the Roxby Downs (Indenture Ratification) Act 1982.
8—Applications for warrants
The following procedures in relation to an application for the issue of a warrant are prescribed for the purposes of section 14C(6)(b) of the Act:
(a) if an application for the issue of a warrant is made personally—the grounds of the application must be verified by affidavit;
(b) if an application for the issue of a warrant is made by telephone—
(i) the applicant must inform the magistrate, warden or justice of the applicant's name and identify the position that they hold for the purposes of the Act, and the magistrate, warden or justice, on receiving that information, is entitled to assume, without further inquiry, that the applicant holds that position; and
(ii) the applicant must inform the magistrate, warden or justice of the purpose for which the warrant is required and the grounds on which it is sought; and
(iii) if it appears to the magistrate, warden or justice from the information given by the applicant that there are proper grounds to issue a warrant, the magistrate, warden or justice must inform the applicant of the facts that justify, in their opinion, the issue of the warrant, and must not proceed to issue the warrant unless the applicant undertakes to make an affidavit verifying those facts; and
(iv) if the applicant gives such an undertaking, the magistrate, warden or justice may then make out and sign a warrant, noting on the warrant the facts that justify, in their opinion, the issue of the warrant; and
(v) the warrant is taken to have been issued, and comes into force, when signed by the magistrate, warden or justice; and
(vi) the magistrate, warden or justice must inform the applicant of the terms of the warrant; and
(vii) the applicant must, as soon as practicable after the issue of the warrant, forward to the magistrate, warden or justice an affidavit verifying the facts referred to in subparagraph (iii).
Part 3—Royalty
9—Prescribed amount
For the purposes of section 17(4)(a) of the Act, the lesser amount of 52 cents per tonne is prescribed.
10—Prescribed information to accompany tenement holder's estimate of value of minerals
For the purposes of section 17(6)(b)(vi) of the Act, the tenement holder's estimate of the reasonable value of the minerals in accordance with that subparagraph must be accompanied by—
(a) sufficient information as to why the market value of the minerals could not be determined according to section 17(6)(b)(iii), (iv) and (v) of the Act; and
(b) sufficient information that demonstrates that the estimate provided by the tenement holder is reasonable; and
(c) any further information requested by the Minister.
11—Prescribed costs
For the purposes of section 17(8) and (8a) of the Act, costs of the following kinds, up to an amount that does not exceed 30% of the market value of the minerals on which royalty is payable, are prescribed:
(a) costs (excluding GST) genuinely incurred in transporting the minerals to a point of sale (including, for example, packaging, storage, loading, permit, fees, insurance and depreciation);
(b) in the case of section 17(8a)—costs (excluding GST) genuinely incurred in shipping the minerals to a genuine purchaser in a sale at arms length;
(c) any other costs (excluding GST) determined by the Minister to be a cost of a prescribed kind for the purposes of section 17(8) or (8a) of the Act (or both), (which may vary according to a particular tenement holder, class of tenement holder, or all tenement holders).
12—Persons exempt from furnishing returns
(1) For the purposes of section 17CA(9) of the Act (but subject to subregulation (2)), the following persons are exempt from the requirement to furnish a return under section 17CA(1) of the Act:
(a) the holder of a registered mineral claim;
(b) the holder of an exploration licence;
(c) the holder of a miscellaneous purposes licence;
(d) the holder of a retention lease.
(2) Subregulation (1)(c) or (d) does not apply in relation to a particular tenement if the Minister has determined, by notice to the tenement holder, that the tenement holder should comply with the requirements of section 17CA of the Act.
13—Means of payment of royalty
For the purposes of section 17G of the Act, royalty must be paid—
(a) by means of electronic funds transfer to an account nominated by the Minister; or
(b) by means of a credit card.
Part 4—Mining register
14—Other matters to be placed on register
(1) For the purposes of
This is an opening excerpt, not the complete document.