Apply for a mineral authority over reserved land

If a piece of land is declared as reserved land in the NT, mining and exploration activities may not be allowed on that land. Read more about land tenure and availability.

In some instances, the declaration of a reserve does not completely prevent all mining or exploration activity, as a mineral authority (MA) can be granted over some general reserved land.

Summary

A mineral authority gives you the same rights as the corresponding mineral title - i.e. mineral exploration licence or extractive mineral permit.

It's also subject to the same length of term and obligations as the mineral title.

You can apply to renew a mineral authority with the term to be decided by the government.

How to apply

To apply, follow the steps below:

Step 1. Fill in the form and prepare supporting materials

Use the relevant form to apply for a mineral authority for:

Read about the required supporting materials.

Step 2. Submit your application and pay the fee

To find out how much you must pay, read about rents, fees and other costs.

You must include the application fee and any advertising costs when submitting your application.

After you apply

Find out how your application is assessed.

Tell the landowner/manager

You must notify landowners when you apply for a mineral title and there are specific processes you must follow.

When you apply for any mineral title, you must tell each landowner affected by the application. You must do this within 14 days of submitting the application to the department.

Read more about landowner notification under mineral title: grant of tenure.

Read more about land access for exploration.