The Mount Isa MPX has been told that the expectation on the State Government was to start delivering in rural Queensland.
Natural Resources and Mines Minister Dale Last attended the recent conference in Mount Isa.
SC Group director Shane Goodwin told the audience that one reform which could be considered was moving the Queensland Department of Environment Minerals Business Centre from Cairns to Mount Isa.
Main image: Courtesy Chris Grose/Mount Isa City Council
The Minerals Business Centre delivered environmental assessment services in relation to minerals mining activities and some-off lease activities including metal smelting, refining and mineral processing, Mr Goodwin said.
This relocation reform would move the government’s operational heart for mineral approvals closer to the industry it served, he said.
“It would embed the department in the region where its impact is most immediate and tangible, improving responsiveness, building relationships, and helping to attract professional and experienced staff with a genuine interest in and understanding of the North West Minerals Province.”
The move would bring decision-makers in front of communities, Mr Goodwin said.
Mr Goodwin, a former member of the New Century Resources executive team, said the State Government’s honeymoon period was over.
“… The serious gravity of government is upon them,” he said. “This province is among the top five issues of the State. The quick and easy wins are done; we are now in a world of hard decisions.
“The reality is that under the current policy and regulatory settings, only the biggest and best-capitalised projects can successfully navigate the complex and costly path to final approvals. These are the ‘survivors’ of an often inefficient and burdensome system.
“What we need is not just faster approvals – but a better system. One that encourages more projects to enter the approvals pipeline in the first place.
“A system that nurtures junior explorers and emerging developers – the very companies that find new deposits, trial new ideas, and generate the discoveries of tomorrow.”
Mr Goodwin also said the Queensland Financial Provisioning Scheme deserved reform.
“While well-intentioned, the scheme in its current form puts a significant handbrake on junior and mid-tier explorers and developers.
“The requirement to post financial sureties – often in the form of cash or APRA-backed instruments – locks up capital that could otherwise be used to drill, sample, or employ local workers.
“In fact, under the current settings, tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars are sitting dormant in cash accounts – money that should be in the ground, not in the bank.
“Other jurisdictions have shown us what’s possible. New South Wales, for example, allows sureties from highly rated international institutions, even if they’re not APRA-regulated. This simple policy change has injected new liquidity into their exploration sector.”