A second Perth Mining Warden is to be appointed to deal with the processing of contested mineral title applications.
Announced by the Minister for Mines and Petroleum, Bill Johns, the new appointee is to begin work in March and is in response to increases in mineral title applications which have steadily built up in the State since 2019.
Mr Johnston said there was a high number of cases coming before the Warden’s Court, which had led to an increase in the number of objections to application approvals and disputes.
“Western Australia’s resources sector has seen, on average, a 12 per cent increase in mineral title applications each year since 2019, which is an indication of the sector’s strong performance,” Mr Johnston said.
He said competing demands on court resources, including cases referred to Perth from regional court districts, had also contributed to an increased load of application cases.
“This has led to a rise of contested mineral title applications before the Warden’s Court and in this competitive market it’s expected to continue growing,” the Minister said.
“The appointment of a second full-time Perth Warden, and additional support staff, will ensure contested application cases are processed in a timely and efficient manner,” he said.
“Dealing with these application matters through an accessible and efficient justice service is fundamental to a sustainable minerals resource industry,” Mr Johnston said.
