Mineral Resources Act 1989

The holder of mining leases for the mining of minerals in respect of contiguous areas may lodge an application in writing with the chief executive for the grant of a mining lease consolidating those mining leases.

The application shall be accompanied by the prescribed fee.

If the chief executive is not satisfied the areas are adjoining, the holder may apply to the Land Court for an order declaring the areas to be adjoining areas for this section.

The Minister may cancel the mining leases referred to in an application lodged pursuant to subsection (1) and grant the mining lease applied for, subject to such conditions as may be imposed by or under this Act.

If, within the proposed area of the consolidated mining lease, there is an area not included in 1 of the leases to be consolidated, the Minister may include the area in the consolidated mining lease.

A consolidated mining lease may be granted only if the Minister is satisfied arrangements for compensation, the deposit of security and the proposed conditions of the mining lease are adequate.

Sections 232, 238, 245, 251 to 253, 260, 265, 266, 268, 269, 271 to 272 and 275 and such other provisions as the Minister approves do not apply in respect of an application for and grant of a mining lease under this section.

The provisions of section 312(3) do not apply in respect of a mining lease terminated for the purposes of the grant of a mining lease under this section.

Notwithstanding the provisions of section 277(10), the security that pursuant to that section would have been refunded to the holder of the cancelled mining leases or as the holder directs may, at the request of the applicant, be retained by the Minister towards security required under section 277(1) to be deposited by the holder of the new mining lease issued under subsection (4).