Available on WAMEX database.
| Date: | Wednesday, 22 January 2020 |
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The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) has released more than 880 mineral exploration reports from 1985 to 2001.
Under regulation 96(4) of the Mining Act 1978, also known as the Sunset Clause, mineral exploration reports held by the department for five years may be released to the public.
Executive Director Geological Survey and Resource Strategy Jeff Haworth said the review process for releasing the reports was agreed to by industry representatives in 2005, and the documents have been released annually since 2006.
“It was necessary to hold this additional extraordinary release for ‘grandfather’ reports that were submitted between 1985 and 2001 but were not made public in 2006 due to objections being lodged,” he said.
“In October 2019, the department’s Geological Survey of Western Australia (GSWA) advertised these reports for release and we have now moved 884 of those documents to open file after receiving no new objections.
“Some of those reports had remained confidential for more than 30 years, but are now available to all external stakeholders through the department’s Western Australian Mineral WAMEX database.
“The current holder of a mining tenement covered by a mineral exploration report, or any subsequent tenement granted in renewal of or substitution for such a mining tenement, has the right to object to the release.”
Staff are currently reviewing the objections received to the grandfather reports listed in this extraordinary release for validity. The review will follow the policy guideline and process. As a result of this review, more grandfather reports may be released in the near future.
Further information is available on the department’s website or by contacting wamex.enquiries@dmirs.wa.gov.au.
