Background:

Regulation 56 (9) of the Mining Regulations 2003, advises amongst other matters that:

An application for an exploration licence may be lodged electronically only if:

(a) the information recorded in the application is capable, at any time, of being reproduced in a written form, and

(b) the application is lodged in an information system designated by the Director-General for the purpose of receiving such an application.

An information system is defined in the Regulations as “a system for generating, sending, receiving, storing or otherwise processing electronic communications”.

Regulation 56 12 (d) of the Mining Regulations 2003 advises amongst other matters that:

If an application is required to be accompanied by a fee, the application is presumed to have been lodged: in the case of an application that is lodged electronically, at the time and date of payment of the fee or at the time and date that the application is allocated an exploration licence application number, whichever is later.

In May 2005, the Director General DPI approved “email” as a form of electronic lodgement for Exploration licence applications. (ELA’s).

Amendments to the Mining Act will be required before applications for other processes can be received and processed using this electronic method.

Policy:

To comply with Regulation 56 of the Mining Regulations 2003 the following policy applies to ELA’s being lodged by email.

1. Exploration Licence Applications (ELA’s) may only be emailed to a dedicated Email address: elapplications@dpi.nsw.gov.au.  Applications emailed to personal title’s staff email addresses will not be accepted or rerouted to the dedicated email address listed above.

2. In accordance with Regulation 56 12 (d),  the ELA is deemed to officially be lodged at the time and date of payment of the fee or at the time and date that the application is allocated an exploration licence application number using the Titles Administration System, whichever is later.  Applicants using credit card facilities as a method of payment should be aware the DPI office hours for receipting payment of fees is between the hours of 08.30am and 4.30pm Monday – Friday excluding public holidays.

3. The dedicated email address will be opened twice daily on each working day (Mon-Friday, excluding Public Holidays) using a roster system supervised by the Team Leader Eastern, or Team Leader Coal & Petroleum.  Emails will be forwarded by these people to the appropriate Titles staff member for formal acceptance and processing. When the application is to be forwarded to regional DPI  offices the nominated roster person will telephone that person to alert them to the fact of the incoming ELA.   If that person is not at work that day the team leader will officially receive the application and forward details to the titles clerk for ongoing processing. 

4. Other current policies relating to Receipt of applications regarding retention of fees, withdrawal and refusal of ELA’s also apply when initially receiving ELA’s via email.

Approved by Manager Coal & Petroleum Titles and Manager, Mineral Titles & Systems; Approved and effective from 01 July 2005.