Forrest & Forrest v Wilson – consequences for mining lease applicants

20 October, 2017
As we previously reported1, a consequence of the High Court of Australia’s decision in Forrest & Forrest Pty Ltd  v Wilson2 is unexpected and unhelpful uncertainty regarding the validity of the grant of certain mining leases in Western Australia. The State Government and the Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) are continuing to assess an … Read more

Federal Government Announces Junior Mineral Exploration Tax Credit

18 September, 2017
On 2 September 2017, the Government announced a welcome new four-year $100 million Junior Mineral Exploration Tax Credit (JMETC) following the expiry of the existing Exploration Development Incentive (EDI) exploration credit regime. The JMETC will commence this 2017-18 financial year. Companies still have until 30 September to report their estimated expenditure to access credits under … Read more

High Court applies strict compliance test under the Mining Act 1978 (WA) and raises doubts regarding tenement validity –remedial legislative response required

11 September, 2017
In its recent decision in Forrest & Forrest v Wilson [2017] HCA 30, the High Court held that a failure to strictly comply with the technical lodgements requirements of the Mining Act 1978 (WA) (Mining Act) invalidated a decision of the Mining Warden to recommend that a number of mining leases be granted. This overturned … Read more

Queensland’s mining sector set to experience significant changes to financial assurance and rehabilitation requirements with proposed reforms

22 August, 2017
Mining projects in Queensland typically require financial assurance (FA), a form of financial security/bonding provided to the Government to cover costs associated with environmental harm and rehabilitation, should the project not comply with environmental obligations. In 2016, an independent review of Queensland’s FA framework was undertaken, which revealed that an increasingly small amount of land … Read more

Queensland explores mining rehabilitation and financial assurance reforms

14 June, 2017
At a glance The Queensland Government has proposed broad policy and legislative reform in relation to financial assurance and mine rehabilitation with a view to improving rehabilitation performance, reducing reliance on the financial assurance system and clarifying mine rehabilitation requirements. The first two of a series of discussion papers have recently been released, and are … Read more

Argentina seeks to double investment in mining sector

17 February, 2017
The Argentina government is working on a bill to establish a federal mining agreement to harmonise all existing legislation across the different provinces and with the federal government. After a year of intensive negotiations with the different provinces, the Argentine government is finalising details of a plan to relaunch mining nationwide. The government expects to … Read more