10Applications for feasibility licences

10 Applications for feasibility licences

(1) If the Minister has invited applications for feasibility licences under section 9, an eligible person may apply for a feasibility licence. (2) The application must: (a) be made in the manner and form that is: (i) approved by the Registrar; and (ii) published on the Registrar’s website; and (b) be made before the time specified in the invitation under paragraph 9(3)(b); and (ba) describe the area proposed to be covered by the feasibility licence: (i) by providing, in a manner consistent with Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994 as defined in Gazette No. 35 of 6 September 1995 (GDA94 geocentric data set), a detailed map of the area, specifying the geographical coordinates of the area and including shapefiles; or (ii) by describing the area as otherwise provided by the approved form; and (c) include a description of the proposed commercial offshore infrastructure project to be assessed under the feasibility licence; and (d) be accompanied by any other information or documents required by the approved form; and (e) be accompanied by any other information or documents specified in the invitation under subsection 9(4).

Note: For application fees, see section 146. An application is taken to have been made only if the fee for dealing with the application has been paid (see section 147).

(3) An application under this section is taken to include or be accompanied by a thing mentioned in paragraph (2)(c), (d) or (e) if the thing is given to the Registrar before the end of the 30‑day period that begins on the day after the day on which the time specified in the invitation under paragraph 9(3)(b) falls. Applications for licences that cover existing licence areas (4) If an application for a feasibility licence covers an area that is, or is part of, the licence area of an existing licence, the Registrar may: (a) notify the holder of the existing licence that the application has been made; and (b) inform the holder of the existing licence of: (i) the name of the applicant; and (ii) the proposed licence area of the feasibility licence (including a description of the location, shape and size of the area); and (iii) the kind of project that the applicant proposes to carry out in the proposed licence area; and (c) invite the holder of the existing licence to make a submission in relation to the potential grant of the feasibility licence.

Note: The licence area of a feasibility licence must not include any part of the licence area of any other feasibility licence or a commercial licence (see paragraph 33(4)(b) of the Act).