Yarri Mining Pty Ltd v Eaglefield Holdings Pty Ltd

(2010) 41 WAR 134; [2010] WASCA 132

Western Australia Court of Appeal

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Interrogate

Catchwords

1. Mining Law
2. › Exploration licences
3. › Power to grant
4. › Preconditions to existence of power
5. › Whether application by any person is condition precedent
6. › Whether application lodged in breach of moratorium period satisfies precondition
7. › Mining Act 1978 (WA), ss 57(1), 69(1)
1. Statutory Interpretation
2. › Conflict between statutory provisions
3. › Whether conflict or inconsistency between s 57(1) and s 69(1)
4. › Construction of 'any person'
5. › Effect of 'Subject to this Act'
6. › Consequences of non-compliance with statutory requirement
7. › Mining Act 1978 (WA), ss 57(1), 69(1), 59(6), 116(2)
1. Crown Law
2. › Crown Suits Act 1947 (WA)
3. › Definition of 'Crown'
4. › Whether Minister administering Mining Act as corporation sole is 'the Crown'
5. › Whether Director General is 'the Crown'
6. › Crown Suits Act 1947 (WA), ss 3, 6
7. › Mining Act 1978 (WA), ss 10, 11

Quick Take

An application for an exploration licence lodged in contravention of the three-month moratorium in s 69(1) of the Mining Act 1978 (WA) is nevertheless a valid 'application' for the purposes of s 57(1), and the resulting grant is not invalid. The breach exposes the applicant to criminal penalties under s 154(2) but does not vitiate the grant. The Minister as corporation sole under s 10(2) of the Mining Act is not 'the Crown' for the purposes of the Crown Suits Act 1947 (WA) (obiter).