Committees and working groups

Established under the Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994 (WA), the Board of Examiners assesses the experience and qualifications of workers in the resources industry.

While the Board issues applicants with certificates of competency, it also investigates complaints concerning holders of certificates of competency and suspends or cancels certificates where appropriate. The Board assesses applications for certificates of competency after candidates have completed and passed an examination determined by the Board.

DMP is also the responsible agency for Board of Examiners (Quarry Manager's Board) and the Board of Examiners (Winding Engine Driver's Board). Board members comprise experienced mining professionals from industry and academia.

Formed under the Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994 (WA), the Mines Survey Board advises the Minister for Mines and Petroleum on survey matters relating to mines and mining operations, including quarries and quarry operations.

It also examines the qualifications, experience and character of persons applying for authorised mine surveyor certificates and issues such certificates where appropriate. The Board deals with complaints concerning the authorised holders of mine surveyor certificates and suspends or cancels such certificates where appropriate.

The Mining Industry Liaison Committee (MILC) was established in 1987 at the request of the then Minister for Minerals and Energy. The inaugural meeting was held on 28 January. At that meeting the Chairman (Dr D R Kelly) in his opening statement said he anticipated that the outcome of the Committee’s deliberations was likely to fall into three categories:

• Matters raised by industry and the Department relating to administrative procedures on which there was agreement, and these could be implemented immediately
• Proposed changes to legislation, which had the unanimous support of the committee, that can be submitted to the Minister for his consideration
• Proposals seeking changes to legislation or procedures with which the Department does not agree, where the appropriate action would be to refer the matter to the Minister setting out the views of industry and the Department.

Established in 2005 under the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act 1984, the Mining Industry Advisory Committee (MIAC) is a statutory advisory body on mining-related OSH matters.

The Mining Industry Advisory Committee (MIAC) is a statutory advisory body on mining-related occupational safety and health matters. It was established in 2005 under the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act 1984.

The key objectives of MIAC are to:

• advise and make recommendations to the Ministers responsible for OSH and the Commission for Occupational Safety and Health (the Commission) on OSH matters concerning the mining industry
• liaise with the Commission to coordinate activities on related functions and maintain parallel standards
• inquire into and report to the Ministers regarding any referred OSH matter
• make recommendations to the Minister for Mines and Petroleum regarding the formulation, amendment or repeal of laws relating to OSH
• prepare or recommend the adoption of codes of practice, guidelines, standards and specifications to assist employers, the self-employed, employees and manufacturers
• provide advice on OSH education, publications, training and courses.

The Mining Rehabilitation Advisory Panel provides advice to the department’s Director General on matters relating to the State’s first fund exclusively dedicated to the rehabilitation of abandoned mine sites, the Mining Rehabilitation Fund.

The Mining Rehabilitation Advisory Panel was established under the Mining Rehabilitation Fund Act 2012. The Panel makes recommendations to the department in relation to the classification, appropriate expenditure and prioritisation of abandoned mine site rehabilitation work.

The Uranium Council is a partnership between the Federal, Western Australian, South Australian and Northern Territory Governments, and other key stakeholders. The Director General of Deptartment of Mines and Petroleum represents Western Australia on this council.

The aim of the Council is to contribute to national wellbeing through the progressive and sustainable development of the uranium industry, in line with world best practice standards. The Council focuses on the sector by progressing changes to its legislative and policy framework, and facilitates investment opportunities.

It also improves policy regime coordination and allows for information exchange on sector-related issues.

In late 2014, the department began chairing this Group which includes representatives from the Office of the Environmental Protection Authority, Department of Environment Regulation, Radiological Council of Western Australia, Department of Water and the Department of State Development.

The Group was formed to better understand the roles and obligations of agencies associated with uranium mining regulation. Key focus areas include eliminating potential regulatory overlap, and identifying core responsibilities and opportunities for coordination.

The Geological Survey Liaison Committee (GSLC) consists of unpaid high-level experts from the Geological Survey of Western Australia's (GSWA) major stakeholder groups in the resources sector.

The Committee, through technical subcommittees, assesses the scientific quality and level of output of work from GSWA and comments on proposed work programs allowing Government to align government priorities with industry objectives to attain the most effective levels of exploration.

The role of the Lesueur Community Consultative Committee (LCCC) is to assist the South West Hub proponents and Government with the distribution of information to the local communities and with obtaining community views and opinions that will advise the decision-making process.

Identifying opportunities to further improve Western Australia’s land access arrangements for private land will be the focus of the Western Australian Land Access Working Group, formed as part of a Parliamentary Inquiry recommendation.