(1) The Minister may, by order published in the Gazette, specify the
conditions that are to apply to mineral claims granted over land within any
specified mineral claims district.
Editorial note : For orders under this
subsection see Gazettes No 101 of 20.8.1992, pp 5950, 5954; No 56 of 8.4.1994,
p 1556; No 97 of 23.8.1996, p 4889; No 28 of 21.3.1997, p 1601; No 67 of
28.3.2002, p 2065; No 59 of 7.3.2003, p 4038; No 87 of 21.5.2004, p 3116; No
58 of 3.4.2009, p 1588 and No 207 of 18.12.2009, p 6149. From April 2021, PCO
is no longer updating notes in provisions of in force titles about related
gazette notices. To search for related gazette notices, please use the Gazette
Search functionality.
(2) Without limiting the generality of subsection (1),
the conditions that may be specified in an order under this section include
conditions as to the following matters--
(a) the shape and size of mineral
claims that may be granted,
(b) the minerals in respect of which mineral
claims may be granted,
(c) the maximum number of mineral claims that may be
held by any one person,
(d) the nature and extent of prospecting and mining
operations that may be carried out in respect of mineral claims,
(e) the
period for which a mineral claim is to have effect,
(h) the royalties payable
in respect of minerals recovered under mineral claims,
(i) the depth below
the surface of the land to which prospecting or mining operations may be
carried out,
(j) the obligations of the holders of mineral claims as to the
rehabilitation of land on which prospecting or mining operations have been
carried out.
(2A) The conditions may vary by reference to specified matters
including, in particular, by reference to whether or not the proposed claim
area is within a preserved mining field.
(3) The Minister must have regard
to, but (except as provided by subsection (4)) is not bound by, any
representations made by a person or body to whom notice has been given under
section 174.
(4) To the extent to which an order under this section applies
to land within an exempted area, the order must include any conditions
required by the controlling body for that area to be included in the order.
(5) This section does not authorise the making of conditions that permit a
mineral claim to be granted over land having an area of more than 2 hectares
or that permit a mineral claim to have a term of more than 5 years.
(6) A
condition limiting the maximum number of mineral claims that may be held by
any one person does not prevent a person from becoming the holder of further
mineral claims that devolve on the person by operation of law.