In a potential breakthrough for the Western Australian mining industry the State’s environmental authority this week revealed it is considering a number of key changes to the process for applications under newly established land clearing laws.
The mining industry says it has been unwittingly caught up by the Native Vegetation Clearing Legislation, introduced mid-year, which is now creating significant delays for mineral exploration licence applications.
Of the 194 applications received to date, 49 have been from mining companies. Nine of these have been processed.
However, the Department of Environment revealed to WA Business News this week that, following discussions with key stakeholders, it was looking at changing parts of the application process.
“Discussions are under way between DoIR and DoE on this matter,” DoE South Coast regional manager Naomi Arrowsmith said.
Ms Arrowsmith said the department was discussing delegating its authority of the new regulations in relation to the mining and exploration industry to the Department of Industry of Resources.
She said the two departments and the Chamber of Minerals and Energy had agreed to establish a working party to fast track a land clearing code of practice to facilitate exemptions for the mining industry.
An expedited system for all applications will also be introduced in the next week or so.
It is anticipated the new process will cut up to five weeks from the current 10- to 12-week application period.
Ms Arrowsmith said the system was prompted by the need to effectively deal with the large number of clearing applications, as well as focus the greatest amount of resources on the most complex cases.
A DoIR spokesman acknowledged the discussions with DoE but said resourcing of DoIR to carry out additional functions was also a consideration.
The Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) was encouraged by the establishment of a working group and hoped the code could be finalised well before July 2005.
Chief executive Justin Walawski said AMEC was keen to play a part in the formulation of the code.
Chamber of Minerals and Energy director of external affairs David Parker said the chamber had been working hard with the departments and the new developments provided “some light at the end of the tunnel”.
