Using Collaborative Contracting Structures for Critical Minerals Exploration Opportunities in Australia

25 November, 2022
By Jay Leary and Jaya Prasad Summary Global investment in the clean energy transition has placed increased demand pressures on critical minerals supply chain Australia is already a key player in the critical minerals market but there is further opportunity to expand Australia’s offering to the global market Key risks include geological scarcity, sovereign and … Read more

Chile’s Copper Royalty Reform

14 July, 2022
By Jay Leary The Chilean government have announced the introduction of a tax reform bill that will introduce a new royalty system payable by copper miners. This bill contains a variable royalty rate, dependent on the quantity of copper sold. Rates could increase to as high as 32% depending on the price of copper. Given … Read more

Queensland State Coal Royalties: Out of step with all other jurisdictions

23 June, 2022
By Jay Leary To the great surprise of all within the industry, the Queensland government has announced significant changes to the royalty regime for coal. The changes end what has otherwise been a stable period of royalty policy nationally. The royalty changes proposed are well out of step with other jurisdictions and display a deep … Read more

Rio Tinto has few options to save Serbia lithium mine, none good

25 January, 2022
Rio Tinto has only bad options as it tries to salvage its $2.4 billion Serbian lithium project after the country’s leaders bowed to environmentalists and cancelled it last week. The Anglo-Australian miner could sue the government, a step likely to fail and further antagonise Belgrade, or bet that pro-mining politicians emerge victorious in April parliamentary … Read more

NSW Government clarifies the strategic future of coal exploration and mining in New South Wales

17 July, 2020
On 24 June 2020 the NSW Government released its ‘Strategic Statement on Coal Exploration and Mining in NSW’ (the Statement), which outlines the Government’s policy position on future coal mining and exploration in New South Wales and aims to provide increased certainty to industry and community stakeholders. The new policy position recognises the ‘finite lifespan’ … Read more

Climate change impacts used to reject new NSW coal mine

15 February, 2019
Proponents seeking consent for new projects, or modifications of existing projects, with ‘material’ greenhouse gas emissions across all industries in NSW should carefully assess climate change impacts, particularly if the proposal is not ‘carbon neutral’. What has happened? On 8 February 2019, the NSW Land and Environment Court (Court) refused development consent for a new … Read more

Insurers raising the bar on flood insurance claims

21 May, 2014
The Queensland 2010/11 wet season was even wetter than 2008, with insurers raising the bar on making insurance claims for flooded pits by increasing the policy excess, re-defining an ‘event’ to mean any single 72 hour period of rainfall, and placing commodity price caps on the coal prices on which the profit margin is calculated. … Read more

Women in Mining

19 May, 2014
On 1 May 2014, with over 120 attendees, Herbert Smith Freehills (London office) hosted the inaugural “Copper: Bears vs Bulls” debate, organised by Women in Mining (WIM) in collaboration with the Association of Mining Analysts (AMA). Copper is the highest value base metals product and offers the greatest diversity of use, and so has often … Read more