MINING LEASES — AUDIT
915. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the minister representing the
Minister for Mines and Petroleum:
I refer to questions without notice
962 and 192, asked in the Legislative Council on 6 December 2017 and 28 March 2018
regarding the High Court decision in Forrest & Forrest Pty Ltd v Wilson
[2017] HCA 30.
(1) Will the minister
confirm that Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety staff have
undertaken a review of pending applications and the leases granted since 2006
to identify those affected by the High Court decision in Forrest & Forrest
Pty Ltd v Wilson [2017] HCA 30?
(2) Will the
minister confirm that DMIRS staff have identified 55 current mining lease
applications when a mineralisation report was not lodged contemporaneously or
when the report was not signed off by a qualified person?
(3) Will the
minister provide a list of the 55 current mining lease applications identified
by DMIRS staff when a mineralisation report was not lodged contemporaneously or
when the report was not signed off by a qualified person?
(4) Will the
minister confirm whether any of the 55 mining lease applications have been
granted?
Hon DARREN
WEST replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. On behalf of the Minister for Regional Development
representing the Minister for Mines and Petroleum, I give the following answer.
(1) The
Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety reviewed pending mining
lease applications following the High Court decision. Granted mining leases
have not been audited. The government is drafting legislation to remove any
doubt regarding the validity of granted mining tenements.
(2) No, there are
no current mining lease applications for which the mineralisation report was
not lodged contemporaneously, or for which the report was not signed off by a qualified
person.
(3)–(4) Not
applicable.