Programs and initiatives

The NSW Government is taking a responsible, balanced approach to the effects of the global transition to a low carbon future on the coal mining sector.

Go to Future of Coal Statement

The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment commissioned Ernst & Young to conduct a rigorous review of the Division of Resources and Geoscience’s processes.

Go to Ernst & Young Report

Service delivery standards for the processing of applications under the Mining Act 1992 provide greater certainty and allow industry to manage operations and deadlines around assessment timeframes.

Go to Service delivery standards

The NSW Government has announced a draft policy framework for the strategic release of coal and petroleum exploration licences and assessment leases in NSW. The Strategic Release Framework will deliver greater transparency and control over the release of exploration areas and the granting of prospecting titles for coal and petroleum resources.

Go to Strategic Release Framework for Coal and Petroleum Exploration

The program provides grants to successful applicants for exploration drilling programs (Group 1, 2, 6 and 10 minerals only) that demonstrate strong prospectivity, sound financial planning and a proven technical base.

Go to New Frontiers Cooperative Drilling

Staged repeal is a process that helps government ensure that regulations are up to date and modern.

Go to Staged repeal of mining and petroleum regulations

The NSW Government is committed to ensuring it has the balance right with the regulation of land access matters. The framework under the Mining and Petroleum Legislation Amendment (Land Access Arbitration) Act 2015 offers a fairer, more efficient, consistent and transparent land access arbitration process for all parties.

Go to Land resources legislation

The Operational Allocation framework is an important reform to support existing coal miners and explorers in NSW. It enables the NSW community and industry to maximise the value and longevity of these commitments by allowing existing coal exploration, assessment, or production titleholders to apply for an additional exploration title to avoid sterilisation of resources, support better mine design, or expand existing mining operations.

Go to Exploration licence applications for operational allocation purposes

The SEED Environmental Data Portal will make a broad range of environmental data available through a single online source.

Go to SEED Portal: Sharing and Enabling Environmental Data

The NSW Government will introduce legislation into NSW Parliament that will increase enforcement powers with respect to illegal protests, and ensure public safety, the protection of communities, workers and lawful business activity.

Go to Inclosed Lands, Crimes and Law Enforcement Amendment (Interference) Bill 2016

Read about the Scheme which gave leaseholders within Opal Prospecting Areas 1, 2 and 3 an opportunity to express interest in surrendering lots heavily affected by opal mining.

Go to Lightning Ridge Voluntary Surrender Scheme

The purpose of land access arrangements is to ensure the orderly search for resources, while recognising the rights of landholders to conduct their activities free from unreasonable interference or disturbance.

Go to Explorer rights and obligations – access to land FAQs

Under NSW law, explorers are required to pay the reasonable costs for landholder participation in reaching a land access arrangement.

Go to Costs payable by the explorer for reaching a land access arrangement

The NSW Minerals Strategy builds on this government’s response to the 2015 Minerals Industry Action Plan. It aims to unlock the state’s metals potential and will support the sustainable growth of the minerals industry and ensure NSW is well placed to benefit from the increasing global demand for metals.

Go to NSW Minerals Strategy

The Annual Utilisation report details the expenditure made under both the Minerals and Petroleum Administrative Fund and the Investment Fund. The report also outlines the key outcomes delivered by the Department of Regional NSW’s Mining Exploration and Geoscience (MEG) group and the NSW Resources Regulator (Regulator) through expenditure of monies in the funds.

Go to Minerals and Petroleum Administrative Fund and Investment Fund Annual Utilisation Report