Mineral Titles

• The maximum area for a prospecting licence is 200 hectares.
• Prospecting licences must be marked out.
• Application is made at any Mining Registrar's office, or lodged electronically via the Department's website using "Mineral Titles online (MTO)". 
• An application fee and rental is payable.
• There is no limit to the number of licences a person or company may hold, but a security (or bond) is required in respect of each licence.
• The term of a prospecting licence is 4 years, with the provision to extend for one further 4 year period.
• The holder of a prospecting licence may, in accordance with the licence conditions, extract or disturb up to 500 tonnes of material from the ground, including overburden, and the Minister may approve extraction of larger tonnages.

• On 28.6.1991 a graticular boundary (or block) system was introduced for exploration licences.
• The minimum size of an exploration licence is one block, and the maximum size is seventy blocks, except in areas not designated as mineralised areas, where the maximum size is 200 blocks.
• An exploration licence is not marked out.
• Application is made at any Mining Registrar's office, or lodged electronically via the Department's website using "Mineral Titles online (MTO)".
• An application fee and rental is payable.
• There is no limit to the number of licences a person or company may hold but a security (or bond) is required in respect of each licence.
• The term of an exploration licence is 5 years. The Minister may extend the term in prescribed circumstances.
• At the end of both the third and fourth year of its term, the licensee is required to surrender 50% of the licence. For a licence applied for and granted after 10.02.2006, the surrender requirement is 40% at the end of the fifth year.
• The holder of an exploration licence may in accordance with the licence conditions, extract or disturb up to 1000 tonnes of material from the ground, including overburden, and the Minister may approve extraction of larger tonnages.

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• The maximum area for a mining lease applied for before 10.02.2006 is 1000 hectares, after then, the size applied for is to relate to an identified orebody as well as an area for infrastructure requirements.
• Mining leases must be marked out.
• Application is made at any Mining Registrar's office, or lodged electronically via the Department's website using "Mineral Titles online (MTO)".  
• An application fee and rental is payable.
• Pursuant to section 74(1)(ca) an application for a mining lease shall be accompanied by either a mining proposal OR a statement in accordance with subsection (1a) and a mineralisation report that has been prepared by a qualified person. The statement under subsection (1a) shall set out information regarding the mining operation likely to be carried out including:
  - When mining is likely to commence
  - The most likely method of mining; and
  - The location, and the area, of land that is likely to be required for the operation of the plant, machinery and equipment and for the other activities associated with those mining operations.
• There is no limit to the number of mining leases a person or company may hold.
• The term of a mining lease is 21 years and may be renewed for further terms.
• The lessee of a mining lease may work and mine the land, take and remove minerals and do all things necessary to effectually carry out mining operations in, on or under the land, subject to conditions of title.

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All time lines are subject to stop the clock. This mechanism is part of the Department of Mines and Petroleum timeline management of approvals whereby the timeline targets is adjusted for the time taken by other processes outside the Departments control, for example objections in the Wardens Court and EPA referrals, or the time taken by the proponent to provide the required information.

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