The Western Australian Government will introduce fees from 16 September for lodging mineral title objections following an increase in applications over the past three years.
This increase in objections required the appointment of a second Perth mining warden.
Lodging an objection before the mining wardens was previously free.
The Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS) had originally proposed an $859 fee, but following a consultation period has decided to put in place a differential fee model.
A general fee of $430 will apply to support partial cost-recovery to fund the second warden and additional administrative staff.
Concession card and pension card holders, however, will only be charged a $100 fee, in line with other courts and tribunals in Western Australia.
Registered Native Title Bodies Corporate and freehold landowners that overlap the application for a mining tenement will not incur any costs.
Under amendments to the Mining Act, the fee will apply to any person lodging an objection to applications for mining tenure, applications for exemption from expenditure, applications for restoration of a tenement following forfeiture, and to the survey of a mining tenement or of land the subject of an application for a mining tenement.
Mines Minister David Michael says the Cook government will continue to support the important principle that any person can object to a mining tenure application in Western Australia.
“Importantly, a single objection before the Wardens Court signed by multiple people carries the same weight as multiple objections lodged individually,” he says.
“A differential fee model on a partial cost-recovery basis strikes a balance between industry and community concerns and the efficient operation of the Wardens Court.”
DEMIRS received 300 submissions over the 12-week consultation period.
Write to Angela East at Mining.com.au
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