The Government of South Australia is committed to effective and efficient regulation of South Australia's mineral exploration and mining sectors

The Department for Energy and Mining, through the Mineral Resources Division, is the state's agency responsible for the administration and management of mineral resources and regulation of South Australia's mineral exploration and mining sectors.

The mineral resources regulation reports provide an overview of our regulatory activities under the Mining Act 1971 and Mining Regulations 2020, as well as the performance of companies operating in the sector.

Minerals Regulation Report 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023

Policy statement

The Government of South Australia has adopted a contemporary framework for regulating mineral exploration and mining activities which is consistent with:

  • The mining legislation administered by the South Australian Government's Mineral Resources Division on behalf of the Minister for Energy and Mining
  • Publications of the former Ministerial Council for Minerals and Petroleum Resources, including Principles for Engagement with Communities and Stakeholders
  • Our state’s commitment to the regulatory solutions, forms and principles set out in Principles and guidelines for national standard setting and regulatory action by ministerial councils and standard setting bodies, Council of Australian Governments (2004)
  • The Leading Practice Sustainable Development Program for the Mining Industry published by the Australian Government
  • The principles of Enduring Value (2004) endorsed by all members of the Minerals Council of Australia, which are based on the Sustainable Development Framework of the International Council on Mining and Metals (2003)
  • Relevant national standards including AS/NZS 4360:Risk Management

How we regulate

Read about how we regulate:

Legislation, regulatory policy initiatives and programs

DEM is committed to the development and implementation of policies and legislation that ensure South Australia has a strategically focused, coordinated and transparent approach to mine regulation, land access and the impact of mining on key stakeholders. Key to this is a focus on balancing multiple land uses such as planning, conservation, Aboriginal heritage, native title, Defence, agriculture and renewable energy.

The department is committed to ongoing implementation and continuous improvement of our policies and guidance material. These can be found on the Forms, legislation and guidance page of this website.

The relevant Act and regulations are available from the South Australian Legislation website.

Explaining exploration and mining in South Australia

DEM has produced seven short videos that provide simple, clear and transparent explanations about aspects of exploration and mining and address common community concerns. The videos can be found on the Community and land access page of this website

More regulatory information

Further regulatory information is available, including published policies, guidelines and information.

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