Exploration Licence Partial Surrender (WA)

Exploration Licences are subject to a partial surrender under s65 of the Mining Act:

• an E applied for before 10 February 2006 is required to be reduced in its 3rd and 4th year by 50% in both years
• an E applied after 10 February 2006 and contains more than 10 blocks is to be reduced by 40% at the end of its 6th year of its term.

The guidelines for applying for exemption form partial surrender are contained in this link. Applying for Partial Surrender

Section 65

An exemption from partial surrender may be applied for the pre 10/02/2006 Exploration Licences. There is no exemption for post 10/02/2006 Exploration Licences.

Tips

The E surrendered area of s65 surrender is placed in moratorium and released in a couple of weeks (the period is indeterminate). This may be avoided by naming the form a "voluntary partial surrender" then the area is released without a moratorium period.

Another tip is, if an E application has 40% excessive land, the excessive land can be surrendered after the E is granted and then E is can have 10 years without a reduction.