Last month, the Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration (DMPE) introduced the Eligible Mining Activities Framework that allows tenement holders and authorised third parties to apply for immediate authorisation to undertake a range of common exploration and prospecting activities.
The department has outlined clear criteria for an Eligible Mining Activity (EMA) in the Mining Regulations 1981 and on the DMPE website.
The department successfully trialled the framework for several months, where Programmes of Work that met the eligibility criteria for an EMA were assessed under the Mining Act 1978 within one business day.
With the framework now in effect, tenement holders and authorised third parties must submit an Eligible Mining Activity (EMA) Notice to seek this immediate authorisation.
An EMA Notice should be used as an alternative to a Programme of Works application. Any Programmes of Work that meet the EMA criteria will no longer be assessed within one business day as per the trial and are now subject to the normal timeframes.
Any individual or large-scale operator can lodge an EMA.
An EMA can be certain minimal ground disturbance activities, such as drilling and scrape and detect operations, that pose low risk to the environment. There are, however, certain areas throughout the State where EMA notices cannot be lodged due to environmental sensitivities or the requirement to obtain consent.
These areas are visible in DMPE’s Tengraph system as Excluded Eligible Mining Activity (EMA) Areas. Resources Online will also notify applicants if their activities are within these areas.
For more information, visit the Eligible Mining Activity notice webpage.
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