Second warden to ensure efficient processing of contested mineral title applications
| Date: | Tuesday, 01 February 2022 |
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- Second warden to ensure efficient processing of contested mineral title applications ?
- Mineral title applications have been steadily increasing in WA since 2019
The McGowan Government has announced the appointment of a second Perth Mining Warden.
The new Perth Mining Warden will start in March and will work on the increasing number of contested mineral title applications before the Court.
The high number of cases is due to an increase in mining title applications in Western Australia’s minerals sector, which has led to an increase in the number of objections to application approvals and disputes.
Competing demands on court resources, including cases referred to Perth from regional court districts, have also contributed to an increased load of application cases.
The appointment of a second full-time Perth Warden, and additional support staff, will ensure contested application cases will be processed in a timely and efficient manner.
Comments attributed to Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston:
“The McGowan Government’s appointment of an additional Perth Mining Warden will allow matters before the court to be dealt with more quickly and efficiently.
“Western Australia’s resources sector has seen, on average, a 12 per cent increase in mineral title applications each year since 2019, which is an indication of the sector’s strong performance.
“This has led to a rise of contested mineral title applications before the Warden’s Court and in this competitive market it’s expected to continue growing.
“Dealing with these application matters through an accessible and efficient justice service is fundamental to a sustainable minerals resource industry.”
