July 2026 to June 2027 compliance priorities

The Resources Regulator will focus on the following compliance priorities for FY27.

By committing to these priorities for the full year, the Regulator will provide greater clarity on the key areas of focus, providing an opportunity for better management of these risks.

In addition to the identified priorities, the Regulator will continue to monitor emerging risks, undertake proactive and reactive compliance checks whilst continuing our education forums.

Identification of the compliance priorities has been guided by consideration of compliance performance and trends in accordance with our compliance and enforcement approach (PDF, 463.3 KB).

The Resources Regulator's compliance and enforcement approach sets out how we regulate in a way that is risk-based, consistent and responsive. It also helps build transparency and community confidence in our regulatory work. 

Mine safety compliance priorities 

Strata Control

A comprehensive review of underground strata control performance has identified the need for improved effectiveness in hazard management and control verification.

In response, the Regulator will undertake targeted assessments of strata control arrangements from early 2027 across underground coal and metalliferous mines. These assessments will focus on the effectiveness of hazard identification, risk assessment and critical control implementation, utilising updated hazard and control effectiveness analysis to determine whether controls are implemented, maintained and functioning as intended.

Codes of practice 

From 1 July 2026, persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) will be required to comply with approved codes of practice or demonstrate an equivalent or higher standard of control.

To support this, the Regulator has completed editorial updates to eight codes of practice and will undertake a comprehensive review of the remaining eight codes commencing in July 2026. This review will include public consultation and focus on ensuring the codes are contemporary, risk-based and support effective implementation of controls in practice.

Mine safety assessment programs

Coal

• Mechanical engineering control plan - Uncontrolled release of energy including spring energy or fluid under pressure
• Exposure to dust and airborne contaminants (including diesel particulate matter) more than exposure standards
• Uncontrolled fire or explosion on mobile plant Surface and underground
• Electrical control plan - Uncontrolled release of electrical energy
• Explosives control plan - Unintended detonation of explosives
• Roads or other vehicle operating areas (ROVOA) - Collision of vehicle or mobile plant
• Mechanical engineering control plan - Person in workbox or MEWP or IT or crane box
• Underground coal mines explosion suppression 
• General - Coal suspended and rehabilitation operation 
• Ground or strata failure - Uncontrolled movement of ground and strata underground
• Ground or strata failure - Uncontrolled movement of ground or strata surface
• Ground or strata failure - Uncontrolled movement of tailings dams or water

Metalliferous and petroleum

• Mechanical engineering control plan - Unintended interaction with rotating or moving equipment - Surface
• Uncontrolled fire or explosion on mobile plant
• Uncontrolled release of electrical energy - Surface
• Coal underground - Air quality or dust, diesel particulates, longwall relocations
• Health control plan - Exposure to hazardous chemicals above exposure limit
• Mechanical engineering control plan - Uncontrolled release of energy including spring energy or fluid under pressure
• Mechanical engineering control plan - Person falling    
• Uncontrolled release of electrical energy underground
• Ground or strata failure - Uncontrolled movement of ground and strata underground
• Exposure to dust and airborne contaminants (including diesel particulate matter) more than exposure standards
• Explosives control plan - Unintended detonation of explosives                    
• Safety management system - Quarry 
• ROVOA - Collision of vehicle or mobile plant - Technical reference guide (TRG)
• Exposure to psychological harm
• Uncontrolled fire or explosion on fixed plant, structures, buildings or transportable equipment
• Uncontrolled movement of tailings dams or water storages or waste tips

Small mines

• Mechanical engineering control plan - Structural collapse
• Mechanical engineering control plan - Uncontrolled release of spring/fluid energy
• Air quality or dust or other airborne contaminants
• Safety management systems - TIER 3 quarries 
• Uncontrolled release of electrical energy

Engineering

• Coal mines - Explosive control plans - Manufacturing, transport and storage of explosives
• Metex - Explosives manufacturing and transport
• Shot firing - Certificate of competencies targeted assessment program - Unintended detonation of explosives 
• Well integrity control plans
• Exploration drill assessments 
• High Risk Activity (HRA) verifications
• Licensed facility assessments
• Subsidence - Sites where the public are at risk, sites where mine design is the primary control
• Statutory functions and worker competencies

Health

• Health control plan - lead 
• Health control plan - exposure to psychosocial harm
• Exposure to extremes of temperature 

Emergency management

• Emergency management - Coal underground - Second means of egress
• Emergency management - Coal surface - Control plan
• Emergency management - METEX surface - Emergency planning
• Hazardous chemical - Manifest assessments. 

Opal mining 

In addition to supporting the implementation of the Independent Review into Small Scale Titles in NSW the following priorities have been identified for the upcoming 12 months.

• The continued inspection of cancelled and or expired mineral claims and or opal prospecting licences to determination if rehabilitation has been completed in compliance with NSW Resources rehabilitation standards. 
• Planned inspections to be undertaken on s175 approvals which includes targeted assessments of puddling sites, open cuts and mullock stockpiles leases. These inspections will determine if the Mining Operations Plans (MOP’s) are compliant as well as ensuring that workers are not exposed to rotating or moving parts, falls from heights.
• Increased regular planned inspections of the White Cliffs Opal Mining district to be undertaken to ensure the mining act and safety legislation is being complied with by miners and prospectors.

Mining Act compliance priorities

The Mining Act Inspectorate has identified the following factors as most relevant to achieve safe and stable landforms:

• Progressive rehabilitation
• Landform establishment
• Surface and groundwater management
• Revegetation success
• Decommissioning
• Materials and soil management
• Tailings storage rehabilitation.

For the coming twelve months, compliance assurance in these areas will be achieved through Annual Rehabilitation Report (ARR) and 3-year Forward Program (FWP) assessments, planned inspections (PIP) and audits, (CAP), and Targeted assessment programs (TAP). 

Compliance will also be reviewed through spatial rehabilitation monitoring, industry key performance indicator (KPI) reporting, risk intelligence analysis, and enforcement directions, notices and prosecutions where required.

Assessable Prospecting Operations (APO) will receive desktop, inspection and audit activity.

Planned inspection programs (PIPs) 

Key focus areas for the PIPs are:

• progressive rehabilitation 
• rehabilitation is occurring ‘as soon as reasonably practicable’
• assessable prospecting operations
• compliance with notices and directions.

Targeted assessment programs (TAPs)

Key focus areas for the TAPs are: 

• revegetation
• landform establishment
• surface and groundwater
• material and soil management 
• tailings storage facilities management
• decommissioning.

Compliance audit programs (CAPs) 

Audits will focus on the continuation of the following programs:  

• Full exploration licence compliance audit - Site inspections (continuation of 2025 program)
• Exploration audit program (risk assessment) - Desktop audits (continuation of 2025 program)
• Mine audit program (full mine compliance audit) - Site inspections (continuation 2025 program).

Commence new audit program for: 

• Exploration on mine sites - site inspections. 

This program will focus on drilling activities on mine sites and environmental management requirements. It will consider the mine’s Development Consent or any Assessable Prospecting Operations (APO) approvals and compliance with the Code of Practice: Environmental Management.