Earth Resources Regulation article

Victorian Mining register to include documentation about quarry operations.

Earth Resources Regulation is taking steps to fulfill a legal requirement to register documents relevant to quarry operations on the Victorian Mining Register.

Due to earlier changes to the definition of a work authority under the
Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990 (MRSDA),
documents relevant to quarry operations must now be included on the register.

To meet this requirement, Earth Resources Regulation recently started registering extractive industries:
• work plans and rehabilitation bonds dated on or after
1 January 2010, and
• work plan variations and work authority grants dated on or after
1 November 2014.

Once these documents are registered and endorsed, summarised information about each will be viewable via the GeoVic and Licences Near Me tools on the Earth Resources website. This is expected to occur from March 2022.

Anthony Hurst Executive Director, Earth Resources Regulation has assured the CMPA that no commercial-in-confidence or sensitive information will be publicly available, given section 119 of the MRSDA prevents the disclosure of this type of information.

“Furthermore, quarry operators can be assured that Earth Resources Regulation will not disclose commercial-in-confidence or sensitive information in response to any section 74 requests we receive,” he said.

“Section 74 of the MRSDA allows a member of the public to request a complete copy of any document on the register by lodging a written request and paying the fee. This is effective now.

“If we receive such a request, we will contact operators in writing to seek their advice about redacting any confidential or commercially sensitive information, in accordance with the secrecy provisions under section 119 of the MRSDA.”

Mr Hurst also said that while the regulator would ensure information is appropriately managed, he’d like operators to play a part.

“And, in helping to improve transparency across the resources sector, we encourage authority holders to consider publishing information – such as rehabilitation plans – on their websites too.”

Quarry operators can explore the register now, before it becomes more widely accessible, by visiting earthresources.vic.gov.au/legislation-and-regulations/victorian-mining-register

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