" The Millers Creek DP comprises three Alliance tenements together with four tenements owned by ASX-listed Maximus Resources (ASX: MXR), all located within the Woomera Prohibited Area (WPA)"
Federal Government pledges to finalise access for mining companies
Business Editor Christopher Russell The Advertiser May 07, 2014 10:07AM
THE Federal Government has pledged to finalise an access agreement for mining companies to explore and develop projects in the Woomera Prohibited Area.
Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane told a major industry conference in Adelaide yesterday that he would work with the State Government to help unlock that part of the “treasure trove” of minerals located in South Australia.
“The Australian Government will continue to work to improve access to the resource-rich Woomera Pro-hibited Area so resource companies can realise the significant economic potential,” Mr Macfarlane told the SA Resources and Energy Investment Conference being held at Adelaide Convention Centre.
“I had a discussion with SA’s Resources Minister and Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis last week about ensuring that we do unlock the Woomera Prohibited Area.”
An agreement on WPA brokered under the former Labor government stalled in Parliament last year and was sent back to the consultation and legislative drafting stage by the Coalition Government in March this year.
Mr Macfarlane also promised that the exploration incentive scheme promised during the federal election campaign would definitely be included in next Tuesday’s Budget and take effect from July 1.
The scheme will allow for investors to claim tax breaks on exploration expenditure by junior miners working on greenfields sites.
“This is a pilot scheme and while the amount of money available is limited to $100 million over the forward estimates, I believe we can dem-onstrate that not only is this scheme viable, not only does it create a boost in terms of greenfield exploration, but actually the cost to the Commonwealth of this scheme is not a runaway cost that we can’t control,” he said.
This would convince sceptics who feared the scheme could be rorted. It would therefore become an ongoing incentive making Australia more competitive for investment.
Mr Macfarlane said the Commonwealth had signed a memorandum of understanding with the State Government to give SA the powers to approve onshore resources projects as a one-stop shop.
Premier Jay Weatherill told the conference the merger of different government bureaucracies into the one State Development department would cut through red tape, reduce the time taken for approvals and facilitate the use of job accelerator funds for project financing.
OZ Minerals managing director Terry Burgess said South Australia had a global advantage as a destination for investment in resources.
A survey by consultants Behre Dolbear rated Australia as world leader for economic, political and social issues.
“And if SA was considered separately from the rest of Australia, it ends up on top against all the other Australian states,” Mr Burgess said.
