What are the different types of permit?

Prospecting permit

 Exploration permit

Mining permit

Purpose

To identify land likely to contain exploitable deposit

To identify deposits and evaluate the feasibility of mining

Economic recovery of an identified resource

Which permit

No previous work has been done to locate a possible deposit

Often applied for first, rather than a prospecting permit, when higher impact work intended

The nature and extent of the mineable mineral resource or exploitable mineral deposit are known accurately

Activities

Very low impact, e.g. literature search, geological mapping, hand sampling or aerial surveys

May include literature review, drilling, bulk sampling and mine feasibility studies

Mineral extraction

Allocation

Acceptable work programme offer

• Acceptable work programme offer
• As a subsequent exploration permit following a prospecting permit
• Newly available acreage (NAA) – competitive permit allocation process over available land following permit expiry, surrender, revocation or relinquishment

• Acceptable work programme offer

• As a subsequent mining permit following an exploration permit
• Newly available acreage (NAA) – competitive permit allocation process over available land following permit expiry, surrender, revocation or relinquishment

Exclusive right

Yes, unless non-exclusive permit sought

Yes

Yes

Duration

• 2 years

• Renewal up to another 2 years

• 5 years

• Renewal up to another 5 years over half of area
• Appraisal extension possible

Up to 40 years but commonly under 20 years (related to extent of reserves and resources and work programme)

Size

No upper limit - relates to work programme

No upper limit - relates to work programme

Related to extent of discovery and work programme

Royalties

Not applicable

Not applicable unless annual production is greater than $200,000 in value

For permits under the 1996 minerals programmes, 1% ad valorem royalty (AVR) for net sales revenues up to $1 million per annum. Where net sales revenues over $1 million pa, higher of either 1% AVR or 5% accounting profits royalty

For permits under the 2008 minerals programme:

specific rate royalty (SRR) for low value to volume minerals and tiered AVR for precious metals and platinum group elements

Legislation

• Crown Minerals Act 1991
• Crown Minerals (Minerals and Coal) Regulations 2007
• Crown Minerals (Minerals Fees) Regulations 2006
• Minerals Programme for Minerals (other than coal & petroleum) 1996 [456 kB PDF]
• Minerals Programme for Coal 1996 [456 kB PDF]
  
• Minerals Programme for Minerals (Excluding Petroleum) 2008 [2.4 MB PDF]
  

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Land access rights

• For minimum impact activity, 10 days notice except over special classes of land, e.g. urban conservation land

• For other exploration and mining, land access arrangement with landowner and occupier