In accordance with section 15A of the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967 (the Act), the Minister for Mines and Petroleum must grant prior written consent of entry for all Petroleum or Geothermal Energy Operations intended to be carried out on Reserved Lands.
Before granting consent, the Minister for Mines and Petroleum must consult with the responsible Minister for those Reserved Lands and obtain that Minister’s recommendations on the conditions, if any, which should be included on the section 15A Consent Instrument to appropriately manage the proposed Operation.
Delegated officers from the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (the Department) will refer an application to the relevant Government Agency to allow that Agency to assess the proposed access and brief the responsible Minister for those Reserved Lands.
The Minister for Mines and Petroleum receives the recommendations on the conditions to be included on the title, specific to the proposed Operation. The Minister for Mines and Petroleum, or a delegated officer of the Department, determines the grant or refusal of the Consent to access the Reserved Lands.
Consent is specific to the proposed Operation, however, any conditions imposed on the section 15A Consent Instrument, are legally binding and enforceable with penalties applying to a breach of a condition.
Applicants should note that this referral process may take several months to complete, and this should be considered when scheduling proposed Operations on Reserved Lands.
