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The Western Australian State Government has delivered what it described as significant reforms to the state’s mining laws after passing the Mining Amendment Bill 2025 on Thursday, November 12.
It said that the reforms will reduce unnecessary red tape, resolve longstanding legal and procedural issues and make the mining tenure system more practical and efficient, with a crucial focus on addressing the High Court’s decision in 2017 that exposed legal risks in how applications for mining tenements are assessed.
The minister for Mines, Petroleum and Exploration Daniel Pastorelli said that the reforms “modernise [the state’s] mining laws” and ensure that they continue to support a strong, competitive resource industry.
“We are addressing longstanding legal uncertainties in the mining tenure system, giving greater clarity and flexibility to the way mining and exploration applications are assessed,” he said.
“These reforms will remove outdated procedural hurdles, streamline administrative processes and make it easier for legitimate applications to progress.”
The Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC), the industry body, has hailed the bill’s passage as a significant win for WA’s mineral exploration and mining industry.
In addition, AMEC chief executive officer (CEO) Warren Pearce said the amended bill reflected years of AMEC advocacy and was a major step forward for the sector.
“These reforms have been a long time coming… while many of these amendments may appear technical, their practical impact will be substantial, providing greater certainty, reducing unnecessary costs and removing regulatory obstacles that have frustrated explorers and miners for years,” Pearce said.
The bill also responds to a Supreme Court decision in 2022, giving exploration licence applicants greater flexibility to excise land, including graticular blocks, which the WA Government said would help manage overlapping land interests and infrastructure while allowing exploration to progress.
Other changes also include the modernising and digitising of administrative processes, such as the execution and publication of section 19 instruments and forfeiture notices. Outdated requirements, such as forwarding maps to the Minister, have also been scrapped, along with 2014 provisions that were never brought into effect.
AMEC said it has been pursuing these reforms since the 2017 High Court decision, which, in addition to the legal risks, saw minor administrative issues potentially invalidate an application, disrupting otherwise legitimate proposals.
The WA Government said the new bill removes rigid procedural requirements and gives applicants greater flexibility in supplying supporting documents, which Pearce agreed to, saying that the state is a global “mining powerhouse” and that it needs a legislative framework that supports investment.
“This is a strong example of what can be achieved when government, opposition and industry work constructively towards a shared outcome,” Pearce said.
“These are practical reforms that will make a genuine difference to the way exploration and mining companies operate in Western Australia.”
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