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MINERAL POLICY - Glossary |
Glossary
Closed and Protected Areas:
Certain areas may be declared closed or protected by the Minister for Lands, Mining and
Energy through Public Notice. No prospecting or mining is then allowed in these areas
without the consent of that Minister. Protected areas are limited to 250 ha. Tenders may
be called for the right to prospect or mine in any such area, however, rights granted can
be subject to the imposition of special conditions to enable the regulation and control of
the mineral exploration and mining in the area.
Mature Areas:
Mature areas have been prospected before, have been well documented in reports and have
the potential for more intensive exploration.
Minerals:
Minerals include precious metals, precious stones, earthy minerals, radioactive minerals,
coal, and metalliferous minerals. Clay, gravel, sand, stone or other common mineral
substances and hydro- carbons are not included in the definition for the purposes of this
policy paper.
Mining Lease:
Mining Leases are granted for not less than 5 and no more than 21 years. The acreage for
precious metals under a Mining Lease shall not exceed 40 hectares, for non-precious
minerals the acreage shall not exceed 128 hectares.
Mining Tenement:
Mining Tenement means any lease, licence, right, permit, title, easement or privilege
other than a Prospectors Right, relating to prospecting and mining.
Permit to Mine:
Permits to Mine are granted for 2 years and are renewable for 1 year at a time. Permits to
Mine can be substituted by a Mining Lease if the area subject to a Permit to Mine can be
shown to have longer term mining potential. Acreage for grant under a Permit to Mine is
the same as for a Mining Lease.
Prospecting Licence:
Prospecting Licences give exclusive rights to the holder to prospect for the mineral(s)
specified in the Licence. Prospecting Licences are granted for areas not more than 400
hectares; they can be granted for a maximum of 5 years and are renewable. Other different
Mining Tenements can be applied for over a land area already under a Prospecting Licence.
Prospectors Right:
Prospectors Rights are granted to any person over the age of 21 for the purpose of
entering any land to prospect for any mineral and to mark out and apply for a Mining
Tenement. Prospectors Rights are granted for 1 year at a time.
Road Access Licences:
These are granted to the holder of a Mining Tenement which authorizes the holder, the
holders servants and agents to pass over the land subject to such tenement and to
construct roads thereon. Road Access Licences are not less than 4.5 metres wide and not
more than 20 metres wide.
Special Mining Lease:
Special Mining Leases are granted for 5 to 21 years and are subject to special terms
(including acreage) and conditions negotiated between the Director of Mines and the
applicant.
Special Prospecting Licence:
Special Prospecting Licences are granted for areas not less than 1300 hectares and are
granted with special terms and conditions after negotiations between the Licence applicant
and the Director of Mines. The more common special conditions relate to reporting
requirements, exploration programmes, exploration commitment, bonds for compensation and
non-compliance.
Special Site Right:
Special Sight Rights are granted to a holder of a Mining Tenement for the purpose of the
construction and use of passageways other than roads, water rights with erection of
machinery, and disposal of earth and tailings.
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