DMP sets record for approvals

Final quarter of 2015 sets new benchmark for excellence in approvals performance
Date: Friday, 05 February 2016

The Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) achieved its best-ever quarter for mineral title approvals in December 2015.

“This is a highly satisfying result,” DMP Director General Richard Sellers said. “DMP has surpassed the target of finalising more than 80 per cent of applications within its target timelines.

“DMP has been improving steadily in the approvals area since we identified bottlenecks in 2009.

“A graph of results since then shows a steady climb from 2010, when we started to see results from tackling the problem.”

DMP has today published results showing that during the final quarter of 2015, the department approved:

  • 91 per cent of Mining Lease applications within 65 business days.
  • 92 per cent of Mining Proposal applications within 30 business days.
  • 100 per cent of Petroleum Environment Plans within 30 calendar days.

“Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Marmion has praised this achievement as one of the best - if not the best - approvals performance in any mining jurisdiction in the world,” Mr Sellers said.

“I would like to add my congratulations to DMP staff for their efforts.”

Mr Sellers said that the new performance peak was largely due to DMP’s drive into online approvals processing as part of its commitment to conduct all of its transactions online  by July this year.

Fact file:

  • DMP received a total of 5629 mineral title, exploration and mining activity applications during 2015.
  • 97 per cent of these were finalised within the timeline target of 65 business days.
  • The department finalised 2459 Programme of Work and Mining Proposals during this period.
  • 95 per cent of these were finalised within the timeline target of 30 business days.
  • 100 per cent of Petroleum Exploration Permit applications were finalised within the target timeline of 120 business days.
  • Of the 374 petroleum environment plans and oil spill contingency plans submitted, 97 per cent were finalised within 30 calendar days.
  • The department also finalised 100 per cent of resource safety Project Management Plan approvals and 85 per cent of Radiation Management Plans within the 30 business day timeframes.
DMP approvals performance December quarter 2015
DMP approvals performance December quarter 2015