JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The Western Australian Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) reports that the number of Programme of Works (PoW) received in 2017 has increased by 40% from 2016.
This totalled 2 575 PoW applications compared with 1 799 the previous year. During the year, the department finalised over 98% of all PoW tenure applications in the target timeline.
The increase in PoW aligns with similar statistics from the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) that announced in December that the number of significant projects requiring assessment was up by 50% over last year.
“[This] reinforces a mounting body of evidence that the Western Australian mining and mineral exploration industry is growing and confidence is returning,” Association of Mining and Exploration Companies CEO Warren Pearce commented on Friday.
He added that it was important that government worked with industry to build this momentum. “Today’s statistics show that DMIRS has the capacity to reduce approvals timeframes, and support industry to create new jobs, revenues for local communities and royalties for the state,” he added.
The Mining Act 1978 requires that a PoW is lodged and approved by the Minister or a prescribed official prior to an explorer or prospector conducting any ground disturbing activities with mechanised equipment.