The opportunity to provide feedback on proposed changes to South Australian mining regulations, prompted by amendments to the Mining Act, has been announced with the release of a consultation timeline.
The Department for Energy and Mining will release scheduled topics for submission in three stages in April, June and August 2020 that will cover topics ranging from access to land, public participation and engagement, opal mining and royalties and finance.
During each of the consultation stages, the South Australian community will be able to access specific information about the proposed changes, rather than having to respond to a single large volume of draft changes at the end of the year.
The new regulations will outline how the Mining Act will operate following its modernisation through the enactment in 2019 of the Statutes Amendment (Mineral Resources) Act 2019.
Engagement on the draft regulations aims to provide interested people and organisations with relevant and timely information on the proposed changes and the opportunity to comment on the process.
Feedback will be carefully collated and considered by the Department and reported back to interested people and groups on the key themes and input received. The state government will make a final decision on the draft regulations through the Cabinet process towards the end of this year.
An initial draft timeline for topics is now available on the Department’s website to reflect new information on the consultation and specific topics and opportunities for further engagement as additional information becomes available.
When completed, the updated mining regulations will determine how the Department for Energy and Mining regulates exploration, quarrying and mining in the state, ensuring a more effective and efficient implementation of the modernised Mining Act 1971.