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PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Western Australian government has provided a further A$5.2-million in funding for its Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS), announcing on Wednesday the successful applicants for Round 17 of the co-funded drilling programme.
Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston said that the latest funds would be awarded to 42 projects, which would be drilled in the 2018/19 financial year, with the successful applicants targeting a range of commodities, including copper, silver, lithium, base metals, manganese, graphite and heavy rare earth elements.
The latest round of the EIS followed the state government’s recent Budget decision to continue investing A$10-million a year into the scheme.
"The state government is a strong supporter of mining and resources exploration, and I'm pleased the programme will continue to provide assistance to industry, especially as gold exploration expenditure in Western Australia surged to a record A$550.4-million last year,” Johnston said on Wednesday.
"The EIS helps to increase the number of new mineral and energy discoveries, which will deliver jobs and strengthen the state’s economy for years to come."
Now in its tenth year, the co-funded drilling programme has supported more than 430 ventures, which have drilled more than 630 000 m and contributed to more than 25 discoveries.
The next round will open in August/September for co-funded projects to be drilled in 2019.