Tasmania will overhaul how mining companies get their projects approved, a change the government expects to unlock more than $1.5 billion in investment already circling the state.
The Tasmanian Government will modernise and digitise Mineral Resources Tasmania, the agency that handles exploration and mining approvals, to move proponents through the system quicker. Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff announced the investment at the Tasmanian Minerals, Manufacturing and Energy Council Conference in Hobart.
“Too much of the approvals process still relies on outdated, paper-based systems that create inefficiencies for both industry and government,” Rockliff said.
“By investing in better technology, better information management and more streamlined processes, we can reduce bottlenecks, improve transparency and help deliver faster decisions for industry.
“By streamlining application processes we will enable our most qualified personnel to get out from behind a desk.”
The changes sit inside the government’s 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future, which commits to giving Mineral Resources Tasmania the staff and technology it needs to keep pace with a growing sector.
“Our Government will ensure Mineral Resources Tasmania has the capability, expertise and resources it needs to support a growing industry and keep approvals moving,” Rockliff said.
Tasmania’s resources sector directly employs 6,000 people and accounts for almost two-thirds of the state’s export value.
“This year, mining royalties are expected to deliver a record return of around $93 million to the State, helping fund the schools, hospitals, roads and essential services Tasmanians rely on every day,” Tasmanian Minister for Business, Industry and Resources Felix Ellis said.
Exploration spending hit record levels last year, and Ellis put the sector’s pipeline at more than $1.5 billion in current and potential investment across Tasmania.
“When businesses are making investment decisions, they need certainty. They need a regulator that is responsive, and they need confidence that applications will be assessed efficiently and within reasonable timeframes,” he said.