Better balancing private land access and exploration

New tools will help rural landholders negotiate with mineral explorers searching for evidence of gold, copper and other valuable metals on private land.

New tools will help rural landholders negotiate with mineral explorers searching for evidence of gold, copper and other valuable metals on private land.

Demand for minerals like gold and copper is increasing as they are key components for technology and renewable energy products.

In Victoria, before an explorer can access privately-owned land and commence exploration activities, the landholder needs to provide consent.

The new land access tools are being trialled to aid negotiations between private landholders and exploration companies. Templates will help both parties agree on things like access to private property, setting farm biosecurity protocols and managing any impacts on crops, including potential compensation.

These voluntary tools, designed to be tailored for the specific needs and circumstances of the landholder, have been developed in consultation with the exploration industry and the Victorian Farmers Federation.

The trial of the land access tools coincides with a new wave of minerals exploration in western Victoria across an area known in geological terms as the Stavely Arc.

Following last year’s Stavely Ground Release, the first of potentially six new Mineral Exploration Licences has been awarded.

Generally, early-stage exploration activities, such as mapping, sampling and rock testing, are the first steps in establishing if minerals are present. If further development is considered to be economically viable, it takes many years to progress towards mining, including meeting strict regulatory controls.

Minerals exploration in regional Victoria

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Contact: Lewis Hill

Phone: (03) 8392 6735