❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses the decline in gold exploration spending, with the Minister outlining strategies including increased geological survey funding and streamlining mineral exploration title applications. The Minister has not approached Canberra for tax breaks.
AnsweredQoN 190Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
Mining exploration has decreased to record low levels. Since 1997 exploration spending on gold has dropped by some 48 per cent. (1) What strategies is the minister adopting to arrest and improve this situation? (2) Has the minister approached Canberra to lobby for tax breaks to kick-start exploration for small cash-strapped companies? Hon KEN TRAVERS
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The Minister for State Development has advised that the causes of the reduction in exploration spending on gold in Western Australia are complex and varied. The most significant single reason is probably the fall in the price of gold when measured in US dollar terms. Notwithstanding this, Western Australia has maintained its share of total world exploration expenditure. The Government has committed to increasing the funding of the Geological Survey of Western Australia by $20 million above budget forward estimates over the next four years to improve the mapping of regional geology and to boost exploration. To the extent that native title issues have had a negative impact upon gold exploration, it is the former Government’s policy of encouraging litigation that has made the greatest contribution. The Government’s new approach of agreement not argument should improve the situation. A task force has been established to examine ways to speed up the processing of applications for mineral exploration titles and to overcome the current backlog of applications. (2) No.
(1) What strategies is the minister adopting to arrest and improve this situation? (2) Has the minister approached Canberra to lobby for tax breaks to kick-start exploration for small cash-strapped companies? Hon KEN TRAVERS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The Minister for State Development has advised that the causes of the reduction in exploration spending on gold in Western Australia are complex and varied. The most significant single reason is probably the fall in the price of gold when measured in US dollar terms. Notwithstanding this, Western Australia has maintained its share of total world exploration expenditure. The Government has committed to increasing the funding of the Geological Survey of Western Australia by $20 million above budget forward estimates over the next four years to improve the mapping of regional geology and to boost exploration. To the extent that native title issues have had a negative impact upon gold exploration, it is the former Government’s policy of encouraging litigation that has made the greatest contribution. The Government’s new approach of agreement not argument should improve the situation. A task force has been established to examine ways to speed up the processing of applications for mineral exploration titles and to overcome the current backlog of applications. (2) No.
(2) Has the minister approached Canberra to lobby for tax breaks to kick-start exploration for small cash-strapped companies? Hon KEN TRAVERS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The Minister for State Development has advised that the causes of the reduction in exploration spending on gold in Western Australia are complex and varied. The most significant single reason is probably the fall in the price of gold when measured in US dollar terms. Notwithstanding this, Western Australia has maintained its share of total world exploration expenditure. The Government has committed to increasing the funding of the Geological Survey of Western Australia by $20 million above budget forward estimates over the next four years to improve the mapping of regional geology and to boost exploration. To the extent that native title issues have had a negative impact upon gold exploration, it is the former Government’s policy of encouraging litigation that has made the greatest contribution. The Government’s new approach of agreement not argument should improve the situation. A task force has been established to examine ways to speed up the processing of applications for mineral exploration titles and to overcome the current backlog of applications. (2) No.
Hon KEN TRAVERS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The Minister for State Development has advised that the causes of the reduction in exploration spending on gold in Western Australia are complex and varied. The most significant single reason is probably the fall in the price of gold when measured in US dollar terms. Notwithstanding this, Western Australia has maintained its share of total world exploration expenditure. The Government has committed to increasing the funding of the Geological Survey of Western Australia by $20 million above budget forward estimates over the next four years to improve the mapping of regional geology and to boost exploration. To the extent that native title issues have had a negative impact upon gold exploration, it is the former Government’s policy of encouraging litigation that has made the greatest contribution. The Government’s new approach of agreement not argument should improve the situation. A task force has been established to examine ways to speed up the processing of applications for mineral exploration titles and to overcome the current backlog of applications. (2) No.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The Minister for State Development has advised that the causes of the reduction in exploration spending on gold in Western Australia are complex and varied. The most significant single reason is probably the fall in the price of gold when measured in US dollar terms. Notwithstanding this, Western Australia has maintained its share of total world exploration expenditure. The Government has committed to increasing the funding of the Geological Survey of Western Australia by $20 million above budget forward estimates over the next four years to improve the mapping of regional geology and to boost exploration. To the extent that native title issues have had a negative impact upon gold exploration, it is the former Government’s policy of encouraging litigation that has made the greatest contribution. The Government’s new approach of agreement not argument should improve the situation. A task force has been established to examine ways to speed up the processing of applications for mineral exploration titles and to overcome the current backlog of applications. (2) No.
(1) The Minister for State Development has advised that the causes of the reduction in exploration spending on gold in Western Australia are complex and varied. The most significant single reason is probably the fall in the price of gold when measured in US dollar terms. Notwithstanding this, Western Australia has maintained its share of total world exploration expenditure. The Government has committed to increasing the funding of the Geological Survey of Western Australia by $20 million above budget forward estimates over the next four years to improve the mapping of regional geology and to boost exploration. To the extent that native title issues have had a negative impact upon gold exploration, it is the former Government’s policy of encouraging litigation that has made the greatest contribution. The Government’s new approach of agreement not argument should improve the situation. A task force has been established to examine ways to speed up the processing of applications for mineral exploration titles and to overcome the current backlog of applications. (2) No.
(2) No.
(1) What strategies is the minister adopting to arrest and improve this situation? (2) Has the minister approached Canberra to lobby for tax breaks to kick-start exploration for small cash-strapped companies? Hon KEN TRAVERS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The Minister for State Development has advised that the causes of the reduction in exploration spending on gold in Western Australia are complex and varied. The most significant single reason is probably the fall in the price of gold when measured in US dollar terms. Notwithstanding this, Western Australia has maintained its share of total world exploration expenditure. The Government has committed to increasing the funding of the Geological Survey of Western Australia by $20 million above budget forward estimates over the next four years to improve the mapping of regional geology and to boost exploration. To the extent that native title issues have had a negative impact upon gold exploration, it is the former Government’s policy of encouraging litigation that has made the greatest contribution. The Government’s new approach of agreement not argument should improve the situation. A task force has been established to examine ways to speed up the processing of applications for mineral exploration titles and to overcome the current backlog of applications. (2) No.
(2) Has the minister approached Canberra to lobby for tax breaks to kick-start exploration for small cash-strapped companies? Hon KEN TRAVERS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The Minister for State Development has advised that the causes of the reduction in exploration spending on gold in Western Australia are complex and varied. The most significant single reason is probably the fall in the price of gold when measured in US dollar terms. Notwithstanding this, Western Australia has maintained its share of total world exploration expenditure. The Government has committed to increasing the funding of the Geological Survey of Western Australia by $20 million above budget forward estimates over the next four years to improve the mapping of regional geology and to boost exploration. To the extent that native title issues have had a negative impact upon gold exploration, it is the former Government’s policy of encouraging litigation that has made the greatest contribution. The Government’s new approach of agreement not argument should improve the situation. A task force has been established to examine ways to speed up the processing of applications for mineral exploration titles and to overcome the current backlog of applications. (2) No.
Hon KEN TRAVERS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The Minister for State Development has advised that the causes of the reduction in exploration spending on gold in Western Australia are complex and varied. The most significant single reason is probably the fall in the price of gold when measured in US dollar terms. Notwithstanding this, Western Australia has maintained its share of total world exploration expenditure. The Government has committed to increasing the funding of the Geological Survey of Western Australia by $20 million above budget forward estimates over the next four years to improve the mapping of regional geology and to boost exploration. To the extent that native title issues have had a negative impact upon gold exploration, it is the former Government’s policy of encouraging litigation that has made the greatest contribution. The Government’s new approach of agreement not argument should improve the situation. A task force has been established to examine ways to speed up the processing of applications for mineral exploration titles and to overcome the current backlog of applications. (2) No.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The Minister for State Development has advised that the causes of the reduction in exploration spending on gold in Western Australia are complex and varied. The most significant single reason is probably the fall in the price of gold when measured in US dollar terms. Notwithstanding this, Western Australia has maintained its share of total world exploration expenditure. The Government has committed to increasing the funding of the Geological Survey of Western Australia by $20 million above budget forward estimates over the next four years to improve the mapping of regional geology and to boost exploration. To the extent that native title issues have had a negative impact upon gold exploration, it is the former Government’s policy of encouraging litigation that has made the greatest contribution. The Government’s new approach of agreement not argument should improve the situation. A task force has been established to examine ways to speed up the processing of applications for mineral exploration titles and to overcome the current backlog of applications. (2) No.
(1) The Minister for State Development has advised that the causes of the reduction in exploration spending on gold in Western Australia are complex and varied. The most significant single reason is probably the fall in the price of gold when measured in US dollar terms. Notwithstanding this, Western Australia has maintained its share of total world exploration expenditure. The Government has committed to increasing the funding of the Geological Survey of Western Australia by $20 million above budget forward estimates over the next four years to improve the mapping of regional geology and to boost exploration. To the extent that native title issues have had a negative impact upon gold exploration, it is the former Government’s policy of encouraging litigation that has made the greatest contribution. The Government’s new approach of agreement not argument should improve the situation. A task force has been established to examine ways to speed up the processing of applications for mineral exploration titles and to overcome the current backlog of applications. (2) No.
(2) No.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.