The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety has announced that its release of mineral exploration reports is to begin in May.
Executive Director of Geological Survey and Resource Strategy at the Department, Jeff Haworth said that under regulations known as the Sunset Clause, a list of reports submitted between 2002 and 2010, and in 2015 would be available on the Department’s website.
“The holder of a mining tenement covered by the report, or any subsequent tenement granted in renewal of or substitution for such mining tenement, may object to the release,” Mr Haworth said.
“Objections to the immediate release of a report must set out specific reasons why identified reports, or parts of reports, should not be released and must be received prior to the release of the report.”
He said objections to the release of a report were only valid for a period not exceeding five years in each case.
“Therefore objections made between 2007 and 2016 to the release of reports submitted between 2002 and 2010 have now lapsed and need to be renewed or the report will be released,” Mr Haworth said.
“Tenement holders and operators will be able to submit objections for two months following the listing of the eligible reports.”
He said the first five-year period of confidentiality was mandatory with the period of confidentiality granted following an acceptable objection from the tenement holder at the Minister’s discretion.
“The Geological Survey of Western Australia released 626 ‘grandfather’ reports in 2020, some of which had remained confidential for up to 35 years,” Mr Haworth said.
“It is expected more reports held confidential for up to 19 years will be released this year.”
