The Western Australian Government is working to expedite approvals for the state’s mining industry, by cutting wait times for program of work (PoW) applications by more than 50%.
A PoW is required for mining companies before exploration activities can begin.
The Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS) finalised 313 PoW applications last month, which reduced the backlog of applications awaiting assessment.
As a result, wait times for applications being assessed has been cut back from 16 business days to seven business days.
Mines and Petroleum Minister David Michael says these milestones show the government’s commitment, and represent initiatives that support explorers and exploration in the state.
“Exploration is essential to the development of future mines in Western Australia and the Cook Government is committed to making the approvals process as efficient as possible,” Michael says.
The Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) says there is always more that can be done to expedite approvals and streamline those processes, which is what the AMEC continues to advocate for.
In September, the DEMIRS also plans to roll out the Resources Online digital solution for submitting mining environmental applications.
The state government says this represents a milestone in its digital transformation program, which aims to simplify and streamline the approvals process and improve customer experience, data collection, and business intelligence.
The first release of Resources Online will include a trial of the Eligible Mining Activity framework.
Eligible mining activities are those that do not occur in sensitive environments, do not result in lasting environmental impacts, and can be managed through the imposition of standard conditions without the need for assessment by an environment officer.
As part of the trial, exploration applications that meet the criteria of an eligible mining activity will be expedited through the system, resulting in further efficiencies in the approvals process for exploration work.
Meanwhile, the Western Australian Government is continuing to support the state’s explorers through its 30th round of Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) co-funded drilling program.
The funding available ranges between $40,000 and $220,000 Since 2009, the EIS has awarded more than $215 million.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
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