MINING ACT 1971

Table of Provisions

• Long Title

PART 1--Preliminary

• 1 Short title
• 6 Interpretation
• 7 Application of Act
• 8 Declaration of mineral land etc
• 8A Opal development areas
• 9 Exempt land
• 9AA Waiver of exemption (including cooling-off)
• 9A Special declared areas
• 10 Mining in respect of public roads and places
• 10B Interaction with other legislation

PART 2--Administration

• 11 The Minister and the Director to be corporations sole
• 12 Delegation
• 13 Mining registrars and other staff
• 14 Appointment of authorised officers
• 14A Identity cards
• 14B Authorised investigations
• 14C Powers of entry and inspection
• 14D Power to gather information
• 14E Production of records
• 14F Publication of results of investigation
• 14G Power to give expiation notices
• 14H Provisions relating to things seized
• 15 Power to conduct geological investigations etc

PART 2A--Mining register and information

Division 1--Mining register

• 15AA The register
• 15AB Dealings with mineral tenements

Division 2--Mortgages

• 15AC Mortgages
• 15AD Application to court to challenge aspects of mortgages

Division 3--Caveats

• 15AE Caveats
• 15AF Application to Warden's Court to lapse caveat or obtain compensation

Division 4--Other dealings

• 15AG Other dealings

Division 5--Protection from liability

• 15AH Protection from liability

Division 6--Information

• 15AI Interpretation
• 15AJ Compilation, keeping and provision of material
• 15AK Tests
• 15AL Release of material

PART 3--Reservation of minerals and royalty

• 16 Reservation of minerals
• 17 Royalty
• 17A Reduced royalty for new mines
• 17AB Royalty for private mines
• 17AC Notification of relevant event
• 17B Assessments by Treasurer
• 17C Recovery of royalty where appeal lodged
• 17CA Returns
• 17D When royalty falls due (general principles)
• 17DA Special principles relating to designated tenement holders
• 17E Penalty for unpaid royalty
• 17F Processed minerals
• 17G Means of payment
• 18 Passing of property in minerals

PART 4--Prospecting for minerals

• 20 General right to prospect for minerals
• 21 Steps to establish a mineral claim
• 23 Area of claim
• 24 Registration of claim
• 24A Claim may lapse
• 25 Rights conferred by ownership of mineral claim
• 26 Mineral claim not transferable etc
• 27 Land not to be subject to successive mineral claims

PART 5--Exploration licence

• 28 Preliminary
• 29 Nature of exploration licence
• 29A Application for exploration licence
• 29B Grant of exploration licence
• 30 Incidents of licence
• 30AAA Expenditure
• 30AA Area of licence
• 30A Term and renewals of licence
• 30AB Excise of land for public purposes
• 31 Fee
• 33A Minister may describe or delineate land in any manner
• 33B Retention status

PART 6--Mining leases

• 34 Preliminary
• 35 Nature of mining lease
• 36 Application for mining lease
• 37 Approval of application and registration
• 38 Term and renewal of mining lease

PART 7--Retention leases

• 42 Preliminary
• 43 Nature of retention lease
• 44 Application for retention lease
• 45 Approval of application and registration
• 46 Term and renewal of retention lease

PART 8--Miscellaneous purposes licences

• 47 Preliminary
• 48 Nature of miscellaneous purposes licence
• 49 Application for miscellaneous purposes licence
• 50 Approval of application and registration
• 51 Term and renewal of miscellaneous purposes licence

PART 8A--Special mining enterprises

• 56A Object of this Part
• 56B Special mining enterprises
• 56BA Concept phase
• 56BB Application phase
• 56C Power to exempt from or modify Act
• 56D Existing tenements

PART 8B--Common provisions

Division 1--Identifying areas and considering applications

• 56E Identification of areas
• 56F Related environmental legislation
• 56G Specially protected areas

Division 2--Notice

• 56H Notice

Division 3--Terms and conditions

• 56I Matters to be considered
• 56J Alteration of terms and conditions
• 56K Special term or condition relating to extractive minerals
• 56L Offence to contravene term or condition

Division 4--Rental

• 56M Rental
• 56N Debt payable to Crown

Division 5--Rectification of boundaries

• 56O Rectification of boundaries

Division 6--Amalgamation of areas

• 56P Amalgamation of areas

Division 7--Change in operations

• 56Q Preliminary
• 56R Application
• 56S Consultation
• 56T Consideration of proposal
• 56U Terms and conditions
• 56V Registration

Division 8--Cancellation, suspension and surrender

• 56W Cancellation and suspension--action by Minister
• 56X Surrender on application

Division 9--Extension of term or reinstatement of tenement

• 56Y Extension of term of tenement
• 56Z Reinstatement of tenement

Division 10--Assessment reports

• 56ZA Assessment reports

PART 9--Entry upon land, compensation and restoration

• 57 Entry on land
• 58 How entry on land may be authorised
• 58A Notice requirements
• 61 Compensation
• 62 Bond and security
• 62AA Mining Rehabilitation Fund
• 62A Right to require acquisition of land
• 63 Extractive Areas Rehabilitation Fund

PART 9B--Native title land

Division 1--Exploration

• 63F Qualification of rights conferred by exploration authority
• 63G Exploration rights to be held in escrow in certain circumstances

Division 2--Production

• 63H Limits on grant of production tenement
• 63I Applications for production tenements

Division 3--Application for declaration

• 63J Application for declaration

Division 4--Negotiating procedure

• 63K Types of agreement authorising mining operations on native title land
• 63L Negotiation of agreements
• 63M Notification of parties affected
• 63N What happens when there are no registered native title parties with whom to negotiate
• 63O Expedited procedure where impact of operations is minimal
• 63P Negotiating procedure
• 63Q Agreement
• 63R Effect of registered agreement
• 63S Application for determination
• 63T Criteria for making determination
• 63U Limitation on powers of Court
• 63V Effect of determination
• 63W Ministerial power to overrule determinations
• 63X No re-opening of issues

Division 5--Miscellaneous

• 63Y Non-application of this Part to Pitjantjatjara and Maralinga lands
• 63Z Compensation to be held on trust in certain cases
• 63ZA Non-monetary compensation
• 63ZB Review of compensation
• 63ZBA Mining Native Title Register
• 63ZC Saving of pre-1994 mining tenements

PART 10--Warden's Court--general provisions

• 64 Establishment of Warden's Court
• 65 Powers etc of Warden's Court
• 66 Rules of Warden's Court
• 66A Removal of cases to ERD Court
• 67 Jurisdiction relating to tenements and monetary claims
• 70 Forfeiture and transfer of mineral tenement

PART 10A--Operating approval--program for environment protection and rehabilitation

• 70A Object of Part
• 70B Preparation or application of program
• 70C Review of programs
• 70D Notice of certain programs
• 70DA Audit of program
• 70DB Publication of program
• 70DC Offences
• 70DD Development programs to be taken to be approved programs

PART 10B--Compliance and enforcement

• 70E Power to direct persons to take action to prevent or minimise environmental harm
• 70F Power to direct rehabilitation of land
• 70FA Compliance directions
• 70FB Emergency directions
• 70FC Contravention of Act
• 70G Application for review of direction
• 70H Action if non-compliance occurs
• 70HA Restriction of claims
• 70HB Self-incrimination

PART 10C--Offences and penalties

• 70HC Penalty for illegal mining
• 70HD Obstruction of person authorised to mine etc
• 70HE Civil penalties
• 70HF Additional orders on conviction
• 70HG Continuing offences
• 70HH Offences by bodies corporate
• 70HI Time limits
• 70HJ Summary offences
• 70HK Evidentiary provisions

PART 11--Assistance to mining

• 71 Minister may assist in conduct of operations
• 72 Research and investigations
• 73 Acquisition of mining equipment

PART 11B--Private mines

• 73C Interpretation
• 73D Application of Act
• 73G Mine operations plans
• 73H General duty to avoid undue environmental damage
• 73I Compliance orders
• 73J Rectification orders
• 73K Rectification authorisations
• 73KA Emergency order
• 73KB Contravention of Act
• 73L Application for review of direction
• 73M Action if non-compliance occurs
• 73N Revocation of private mine
• 73O Evidentiary provisions
• 73R Power to correct errors in declarations

PART 12--Miscellaneous

• 74 Civil remedies
• 74AA Enforceable voluntary undertakings
• 74A Compliance orders
• 75 Provision relating to certain minerals
• 75A Avoidance of double compensation
• 78 Persons under 16 years of age
• 79 Minister may grant exemptions
• 79A False or misleading information
• 80 Conditions under which land may be simultaneously subject to more than 1 tenement
• 81 Additional provisions relating to liability
• 82 Deemed consent or agreement
• 83A Licence or other right is not personal property for the purposes of Commonwealth Act
• 85 Charge on property if debt due to Crown
• 86 Removal of machinery etc
• 88 Hindering authorised officers
• 89A Offences and ERD Court
• 89B Penalties and expiation fees payable into Mining Rehabilitation Fund
• 90 Reports and verification of information
• 91 Administrative penalties
• 92 Regulations
• SCHEDULE -Transitional provisions
Legislative history