Online applications for mining approvals jump

Norman Moore
Minister for Mines and Petroleum; Fisheries; Electoral Affairs

The State Government’s push to improve Western Australia’s mining approvals processes has significantly improved the turnaround in approvals for the first quarter of 2011. Mines and Petroleum Minister Norman Moore said the percentage of applications lodged online jumped from 10 per cent to 26 per cent in the month following the launch of the new electronic lodgement system in August 2010.”

“By March 2011 there were more programs of work (POW) lodged online than paper lodgements. Online submissions require a defined quality standard and higher quality submissions result in significantly less approval timelines.

In the first quarter of 2011, 92 per cent of the 570 exploration licences lodged were finalised within the timeline target and 96 per cent of programs of work were finalised within 30 business days. Of the 72 petroleum environmental plans, 96 per cent were finalised within the timeline target while 75 per cent of petroleum wells were finalised within 40 business days.

Mr. Moore continued: “As WA resources industry activity occurs mostly in regional and remote areas, making the lodgement processes more accessible to those areas has obviously made a big difference to mining companies.”