Industry News and Issues » Proposed Application Fees for Assessment of Mining Proposals and POWs
NOTE: normally this page would only be available to APLA Members that Log In but this is so serious to the profitability and Ability for Leaseholders to Survive Financially that it has been made available to all Readers
Mining Act Amendment Bill
APLA STRONGLY opposes the changes to the Mining Act Amendment Bill.
Here is a copy of a newsletter sent to all members on 19 November 2015 about this issue.
Application fees for Mining Proposals and Programmes of Work Opposed by APLA!
In a letter dated 7 January 2014 the Environment Section of the Department of Mines and Petroleum Dr Phil Gorey advised
APLA that Assessment fees for the following application fees for the Assessment of Mining Proposals and Programmes of Work (POW)
Click here to read the Letter from DMP regarding Introductions fo Fees for Mining Proposals and POWs
In a Nutshell - from 1/7/2015;
- Mining Proposals Assessment Fee - $6950
- POW Assessment fee - $590
(Note that the types of POW have not been defined but given that a POW needs to be put in place for ANY disturbance of earth then this is an onerous impost of small miners and Leaseholders)
APLA Strongly Opposes
The Introduction of Mining and POW Assessment Fees
APLA has consistently represented to DMP: that there is to be no new fees for Leaseholders and strongly opposes the introduction of these fees and considers that proper Consultation with APLA was not undertaken.
A letter to the Minister for Mines and drop copied to the DMP has been written by the President APLA and is attached here for your information and discussion with your local Member of Parliament.
Click here to read the response
Letter to Minister of Mines from President APLA about Opposition to Implementation of Application Fees DMP.
pdf
Reasons for APLA Opposition to the Introduction of Assessment for Fees for Mining and POW Proposals.
We strongly oppose this imposition of addition costs on the small leaseholder for a number of reasons;
· DMP has a role to deliver services and assist industry in the discovery and development of the States resources and to ensure continued growth of the Industry, in fact DMP introduced the Exploration Incentive Scheme that aims to encourage more exploration in WA. Now DMP are going to introduce a fee to do the exploration that they are subsidizing.
· Mineral exploration is already slowing dramatically in WA, by introducing a fee on POW applications DMP will be responsible for an even further downturn in the search for minerals.
· There is already significant costs and imposts on small prospectors and leaseholders in fees and charges this additional impost will make it uneconomic for leaseholders to undertake exploration through POWs. Every small operation requires a POW for any ground disturbing Activity – this will costs thousands of dollars on the life of a tenement.
· We already pay tenement application fees and rent to do what the State wants us to do – Explore – there is no justification for a new fee.
· The POW is required so that DMP can monitor the amount of ground disturbance being done and making sure that the ground that is disturbed has been rehabilitated to their requirements. A fee will virtually guarantee that small works will be carried out without a POW being completed.
· The introduction of application fees for POW applications will cause prospectors to think twice about conducting exploration activities. It will price them out of the ability to explore to find NEW mineral deposits.
· It appears that not only is the Environmental arm of DMP trying to put barriers in the way of prospecting mining in WA against their own charter BUT they also expect the Leaseholder to fund those impediments to exploration.
Interviews On the ABC about this Issue
New Item on Country Hour ABC Which has a Response by DMP Dr P Gorey
Proposed New Fees for Mining Proposals and POWs article on the ABC Country Hour
When you open the article on the ABC Country Hour if you want to listen to Dr P Gorey Response then click on the link in the page you open as shown in this image
