Exploration reporting guidelines

Holders of exploration titles are required to submit periodic reports on their exploration activities. These exploration reports must be submitted wholly in digital form. The main digital formats are:

• PDF for text
• PDF, JPEG, or TIFF for graphics, and
• ASCII for tabular data.

Details of reporting requirements, including digital formats, file naming conventions and acceptable media, are specified in Exploration reporting: a guide for reporting on exploration and prospecting in New South Wales.

• NSW Office of Water Drilling Notification  27.0 KB
  
• Exploration reporting: a guide for reporting on exploration and prospecting in New South Wales  3.3 MB
  
• Exploration Reporting templates  1.4 MB
  
• Exploration activities and expenditure table  24.5 KB
  
• What's changed for explorers': I&I NSW 2010 presentation on the impact of the Mining Act amendments and Mining Regulation 2010  2.1 MB
  

Extensions and exemptions from reporting requirements

The Mining Regulation 2010 allows for authority holders to apply for an extension of the period within which a report must be lodged, or for an exemption from reporting requirements. However, extensions and exemptions are not generally granted except in cases of extreme hardship.

Applications for extensions or exemptions must be lodged 30 days prior to the date the report is due using the form Extension or Exemption from Reporting (ER01). Exemption from reporting requirements does not exempt the authority holder from their obligation to fulfil other conditions of authority, especially the requirements to effectively explore, assess or mine the authority area.

Mineral Exploration Assessment

The Mineral Exploration Assessment (MEA) group is responsible for monitoring mineral exploration in NSW. Exploration reports are assessed to ensure all results are adequately reported and are in a form suitable to be included in the Department's DIGS® system.

Reports are also assessed to see that the holder is complying with performance conditions of titles. These assessments form the basis for advice provided to the Titles administration branch on issues relating to grant and renewal of exploration titles.

Companies are encouraged to submit reports electronically using the Exploration & Environmental Reports Online Lodgement (EROL) application.

Liaison is encouraged between the technical staff of companies preparing exploration reports and staff of the MEA group in the Geological Survey.

For more information e-mail: mineral.explorationassessment@industry.nsw.gov.au