OFFSHORE MINERALS ACT 1994 - SECT 53 Designated Authority may allow application for more than one discrete area

OFFSHORE MINERALS ACT 1994 - SECT 53

  (1)   If:

  (a)   a person (the first applicant ) applies for an exploration licence; and

  (b)   another person (the second applicant ) subsequently applies for an exploration licence for a group of blocks that includes a block covered by the application made by the first applicant; and

  (c)   an exploration licence is then granted to the first applicant; and

  (d)   as a result of the grant, the blocks for which the second applicant can be granted an exploration licence no longer form a discrete area;

the second applicant may apply to the Designated Authority for approval for the application to proceed even though the blocks it covers no longer form a discrete area.

Note:   See also section   59.

  (2)   Subject to subsections   ( 3) and (4), the Designated Authority may approve the application proceeding even though the blocks that the application covers do not form a discrete area.

  (3)   The Designated Authority may give an approval under subsection   ( 2) only if the blocks covered by the application form not more than 3 discrete areas.

  (4)   The Designated Authority may give an approval under subsection   ( 1) only with the approval of the Joint Authority.

  (5)   Subsection   ( 4) does not apply to a block in an external territory offshore area.

Note:   The responsible Commonwealth Minister is both the Designated Authority (see subsection   29(3)) and the Joint Authority (see subsection   32(3)) for an external territory offshore area.