Sunset clause annual release 2022

The annual release of mineral exploration reports will commence in May 2022
Date: Monday, 14 March 2022

A list of reports submitted in 2016 and between 2002 and 2011 under Section 115a of the Mining Act 1978 is now available on this website.

Regulation 96(5) states that the Minister for Mines and Petroleum may, upon the written application of the holder of a mining tenement, refuse to release the information for a further period or further periods not exceeding five years in each case. Tenement holders and operators will be able to submit objections for two months following the listing of the eligible reports.

The first five year period of confidentiality is mandatory. The period of confidentiality granted, following an acceptable objection from the tenement holder, is at the Minister’s discretion.

GSWA released over 1500 reports in 2021, including some that had remained confidential for up to 20 years.

Mining and exploration data is a valuable resource for the State, mining and exploration companies and the geoscientific community at large. The release of this data in 2021 received widespread support from industry and the industry representative bodies.