Mining Tenements WA: Dept of Mines Types and Fees

When people search for the Dept of Mines WA, they are looking for the Western Australian government agency that grants and manages mining tenements. Since 1 July 2025 that agency has been the Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration (DMPE). It replaced the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS), which many prospectors still know by its older names, DMIRS and DMP. The law it administers is the Mining Act 1978.

A Miner’s Right for weekend metal detecting, a prospecting licence over a small gold patch, or an exploration licence across dozens of blocks: all of it runs through the same department and the same online systems. Below we set out each tenement type with its area, term and 2026–27 fees, walk through the application, list the online tools and office locations, and compare WA briefly with Victoria and the Northern Territory. For how WA’s titles sit alongside US claims, Canadian staking and African licences, see our overview of mining licence types and application steps.

“In Western Australia, a Miner’s Right costs A$30 and a mining tenement register search just A$10.50.”

Who the Dept of Mines WA is, and its former names

The Dept of Mines WA has changed its name several times, which is why so many searches still use shorthand like “dept mines WA” or “dept of mines Perth”. The latest change took effect on 1 July 2025, when DEMIRS was restructured and renamed the Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration. The stated aim, as Mining Weekly reported in March 2025, was simpler regulation and a sharper focus on exploration.

• What DMPE covers: the Geological Survey of Western Australia, Resource Tenure, and Resource and Environmental Compliance.
• What moved out: energy policy went to the Department of Energy and Economic Diversification, and industry regulation and safety to the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety.
• ⚠ Legacy branding: some forms, PDFs and web addresses still carry the old DMIRS or DEMIRS name. The 2026–27 fee schedule, for example, carries a DEMIRS logo, and the card payment portal sits on a dmirs.wa.gov.au address.

For practical purposes, DMPE is the agency you apply to for every mining tenement, Miner’s Right and Programme of Work in the state. Its administrative office is Mineral House in East Perth, and it runs regional offices in Kalgoorlie, Geraldton and Karratha, covered in detail below.

WA mining tenements explained: the seven types of tenure

DMPE lists seven types of mining tenure under the Mining Act 1978: prospecting licences, special prospecting licences, exploration licences, retention licences, mining leases, general purpose leases and miscellaneous licences. Every tenement carries an application fee and annual rent. Most also carry a minimum annual expenditure. The table summarises each one, with fees from the 2026–27 schedule, effective 1 July 2026.

What does tenement mean in mining?

A tenement is a state-granted right to a defined piece of ground to explore for or mine minerals. The department describes tenements as the authorities, leases, licences and permits it grants for exploring or developing mineral resources (DMPE, mining tenure types). The word is Australian: a US reader would say claim and a Canadian reader mineral claim. A tenement is not ownership of the land, and a Miner’s Right is not a tenement.

Prospecting licence

A prospecting licence lets you explore or mine an area of less than 200 hectares, and you must mark it out on the ground. You may extract or disturb up to 500 tonnes of material, including overburden, and the Minister can approve more. There is no limit on how many you hold, but each needs A$5,000 security. The term is four years with one four-year extension.

Exploration licence

Since 28 June 1991 exploration licences have used a graticular block system. The minimum is one block and the maximum 70, or 200 outside designated mineralised areas. They are not marked out. For licences applied for after 10 February 2006, the term is five years, extendable by five years and then by two-year periods, with 40% of the ground surrendered at the end of year six. Up to 1,000 tonnes may be extracted or disturbed. We compare these terms with exploration titles in the NT, Ontario and several African countries in our prospecting and exploration licence comparison.

Mining lease

A mining lease authorises you to work and mine the land and take and remove minerals. It must be marked out, runs for 21 years and can be renewed. You must lodge A$5,000 security (Form 32) within 28 days, and one of three supporting documents: a Mining Development and Closure Proposal, a supporting statement with a Mineralisation Report by a qualified person, or a supporting statement with a JORC-compliant Resource Report made to the ASX. You cannot switch routes after lodging.

Retention, general purpose and miscellaneous tenure

A retention licence is a holding title for an identified resource that cannot yet be explored further or mined, for up to five years at a time. General purpose leases cover uses such as machinery and tailings on up to 10 hectares. Miscellaneous licences cover roads, pipelines and other prescribed purposes and can overlap other tenements.

The Miner’s Right

Not a tenement, but the starting point for most prospectors. Everyone who prospects or fossicks on Crown land, including pastoral leases, needs a Miner’s Right. It lets you take and keep samples of up to 20 kilograms, but not mine. Metal detecting counts as prospecting. You need the holder’s consent to prospect on someone else’s tenement, and you cannot prospect on most reserved land. It costs A$30 on the 2026–27 schedule.

Mining licence, gold prospecting licence or exploration licence in WA?

Searchers often use names that differ from the Act. There is no single mining licence in WA: the title that authorises mining is the mining lease, which runs 21 years and can be renewed (DMPE, mining leases). A gold prospecting licence usually means one of three things. A Miner’s Right (A$30) covers hand prospecting and metal detecting on Crown land. A prospecting licence covers a marked-out area under 200 hectares. A special prospecting licence covers gold on up to 10 hectares inside another tenement. An exploration licence is the block-based title for wider regional work, from 1 to 70 blocks (up to 200 outside designated mineralised areas). Match the title to the work you plan, then check the fees below.

What WA tenements cost: fees, rent and minimum expenditure

DMPE publishes a full schedule of fees and charges each year. Application fees are modest. The bigger numbers are annual rent and, above all, minimum expenditure. All figures below are from the Fees and Charges 2026–27 schedule, effective 1 July 2026. A new schedule takes effect each 1 July, so check the one in force before you pay.

• Prospecting licence: rent A$4.40 per hectare (minimum A$40.70 for 9 ha or less); minimum spend A$40 per hectare, at least A$2,000.
• Exploration licence (graticular): rent per block of A$177 in years 1–3, A$318 in years 4–5, A$435 in years 6–7 and A$825 from year 8. Minimum spend of A$1,000 per block in years 1–3, rising to A$3,000 from year 8, with floors that depend on the number of blocks.
• Mining lease: rent A$30.10 per hectare; minimum spend A$100 per hectare, at least A$5,000 if 5 ha or less, otherwise A$10,000.
• Retention licence: rent A$13.80 per hectare, with spend as per the approved programme.
• General purpose lease and miscellaneous licence: rent A$27.70 per hectare each, with a covenant in lieu of minimum expenditure. A miscellaneous licence to search for groundwater pays A$1.15 per hectare.
• ⚠ Other charges: a transfer is A$159, a caveat A$168, a general objection A$430 (A$100 for an eligible individual), and a one-year expenditure exemption A$494 on a prospecting licence, A$591 on an exploration licence and A$459 on a mining lease.

Rent per hectare spreads widely across the hectare-based titles. A mining lease pays almost seven times the prospecting licence rate, and a groundwater search licence pays a fraction of either.

To put a number on a specific tenement, choose the title and the area. The tool applies the rent minimums, the expenditure floors and, if you ask, the one-year exemption fee from the same schedule.

Worked example: a 10-block exploration licence

To see how the DMPE fee structure adds up, take a 10-block graticular exploration licence on the 2026–27 schedule. This is an illustration built from published rates, not a quote. The application fee is A$1,800, plus A$5,000 security. In years 1–3, rent is 10 × A$177 = A$1,770 a year, and the minimum spend is A$1,000 per block, lifted to the A$20,000 floor for 6–20 blocks. In years 4–5, rent rises to A$3,180 and the spend floor to A$30,000. Over five years, that is A$11,670 in rent and A$120,000 in required exploration, A$133,470 in all with the application fee.

The lesson is simple. The required work, not the fees, is the real cost of a WA tenement, and it is only useful if it is aimed at the right blocks.

Prospecting licence cost in WA: a 100-hectare example

Take a prospecting licence over 100 hectares on the 2026–27 schedule (DMPE Fees and Charges 2026–27). The application fee is A$478. Rent is A$4.40 a hectare, or A$440 a year. The minimum spend is A$40 a hectare, or A$4,000 a year, because the A$2,000 floor only applies below 50 hectares. Over the four-year term that is A$1,760 in rent and A$16,000 of required work, with A$5,000 security lodged for the licence (DMPE, prospecting licences). Application fee plus rent comes to A$2,238, so the required work is about seven times larger. Use the calculator for your own area.

How to apply for a mining tenement with the Dept of Mines WA

1. Register for online access. Complete the Online Systems Registration form to use Mineral Titles Online (MTO).
2. Search the ground. Check existing tenements and applications using MTO, Tengraph and GeoVIEW.WA. A register search costs A$10.50.
3. Mark out where required. Prospecting licences, special prospecting licences, mining leases and general purpose leases must be marked out on the ground. Exploration licences use graticular blocks and are not.
4. Lodge the application on Form 21 through MTO, with the application fee and any supporting statement. Exploration licence applications need a Section 58 statement; mining leases need one of the three supporting documents.
5. Lodge security of A$5,000 per prospecting licence, exploration licence or mining lease.
6. Notice and objections. Objections can be lodged through MTO and may be heard by the Warden. Where the native title expedited procedure applies (typically exploration and prospecting licences), native title parties have four months from the notification date to object.
7. Grant. Once granted, pay rent on time and meet the minimum expenditure.
8. Get work approval. Before any mechanised ground disturbance, lodge a Programme of Work. PoWs have been lodged and tracked through the Resources Online portal since 26 November 2024. The department aims to finish 80% of assessments within 15 business days.

Objections, the Warden’s Court and native title

Tenement applications in WA are public, and others can object. Through MTO you can lodge an objection, apply for an extension of time, apply for forfeiture of someone else’s tenement, or lodge a plaint, all of which go to the Warden. On the 2026–27 schedule a general objection costs A$430, or A$100 for an eligible individual. There is no fee for a registered native title body corporate, or for the owner of land within or bordering the application.

Native title adds a separate track, described on the department’s expedited procedure page. For exploratory tenements such as exploration and prospecting licences, the department usually asserts that the expedited procedure applies in its section 29 notice under the Native Title Act. If no native title party objects within four months of the notification date, the tenement may be granted at the end of that period. For other tenement types, applicants must consult any native title party that objects about ways to minimise the impact on its rights.

Prospecting on pastoral leases, private land and conservation land

Much of WA’s prospective ground sits under pastoral leases, private land or conservation estate. A Miner’s Right covers Crown land, which includes pastoral leases, but fossicking on Crown or conservation land needs the occupier’s prior written consent. Other activities need permits from the department: the 2026–27 schedule lists a Section 40E permit at A$119 and a permit to enter private land at A$10.50 per lot (minimum A$41). Where a tenement overlaps private land, surface rights and, if applicable, mineral rights must be in place before a Programme of Work is approved.

Before you mark out or select blocks, you can get a satellite read on the ground. Draw the area on mining.farmonaut.com (Map Your Mining Site), or send the coordinates through our mining query form.

Mining tenement searches: who holds the ground?

Check three places before you pay for anything. First, the Tenement Register in Mineral Titles Online shows a title if you know its number (the department’s example is E70/1234), and the Tenement General enquiry lists the titles a named holder owns (DMPE, Mineral Titles Online). An official tenement search costs A$10.50 on the 2026–27 schedule. Second, GeoVIEW.WA draws active leases on a map with geology, mines and drillholes, and its WAMEX search opens the public exploration reports filed for the area (DMPE, GeoVIEW.WA). Third, the Application Advertising page lists new applications, surrenders, withdrawals and exemption applications, which shows ground that is about to be taken or released.

Exploration and mining tenement applications: what to lodge

Every application goes on Form 21 through MTO or at a regional mining registrar’s office, with the application fee and rent (DMPE, mining tenure types). The extras differ by title.

Mining tenement management after grant

Tenement management is the routine of keeping each title in good standing. Holders with several titles often keep one register, or hire a consultant to run it. The tasks are the same either way:

• Pay rent each year; unpaid prescribed rent can lead to forfeiture (the Warden for prospecting licences under section 96, the Minister for exploration licences and mining leases under sections 96A and 97) under the Mining Act 1978.
• Spend the minimum, or apply for exemption through MTO (A$494 for a prospecting licence, A$591 for an exploration licence, A$459 for a mining lease).
• Lodge operations reports through MTO, and a mineral exploration report when the guidelines or the Minister require one.
• Lodge a Programme of Work before mechanised ground disturbance.

The holder carries these duties, whoever does the paperwork.

Online systems: MTO, Tengraph, GeoVIEW.WA and Resources Online

Almost everything the department does for tenement holders is online, and most of it needs an account. These are the systems its homepage lists:

• Mineral Titles Online (MTO): apply for tenements, extensions and renewals; lodge objections, surrenders, transfers, caveats and mortgages; apply for expenditure exemptions; lodge operations reports; order tenement searches and data extracts.
• Tengraph Online / Web: the department’s tenement mapping system, for seeing where tenements and applications sit.
• GeoVIEW.WA: an online map viewer for geoscience and related spatial data.
• Resources Online: the portal for Programmes of Work and other environmental applications since 26 November 2024.
• EARS: the Environmental Assessment and Regulatory System, used for tracking PoW applications until 21 November 2024.
• Payments: credit card payments use the payment number on your notification through the department’s payment portal.

“The Dept of Mines WA aims to complete 80% of Programme of Work assessments within 15 business days.”

▶ How to read GeoVIEW.WA, WAMEX, MINEDEX and Tengraph before you go prospecting in Western Australia · 4:13

Dept of Mines WA offices in Perth and the regions

The department lists these office locations for mining tenements and title queries, as checked in September 2026. Regional customer service counters are open 8.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. Confirm details on wa.gov.au before visiting.

Geological data from the Geological Survey

Part of DMPE is the Geological Survey of Western Australia, and its data is one of the best starting points for choosing ground. The survey runs core libraries in Carlisle (Perth) and at the Joe Lord Core Library in Kalgoorlie, where drill core from past programmes is stored, and the Perth library lists a HyLogger spectral scanner service. Combined with GeoVIEW.WA map layers, that historical data helps you see what earlier explorers tested before you commit to a block.

Mining licences elsewhere in Australia: Victoria and the Northern Territory

Mineral tenure in Australia is a state and territory matter, so there is no single mining license Australia-wide. Mining permits in Australia are issued by each state and territory under its own act, and a WA tenement means nothing in Victoria or Darwin. “Australian gold leases” and “gold mining license Australia” searches therefore always come back to a particular state’s law. Two of the most searched alternatives are below.

Victoria: prospecting licence and miner’s right

Victoria regulates exploration and mining under the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990, administered by Resources Victoria. A Victorian prospecting licence covers no more than 5 hectares, may not abut an adjoining prospecting licence, lasts up to seven years and cannot be renewed. Resources Victoria also publishes guidelines for exploration licences and mining licences, the state’s larger titles. People searching for Victorian gold mining leases are usually after the mining licence: under the MRSDA it is the production title, giving exclusive rights to mine and explore inside the licence area, and Resources Victoria’s mining licence guidelines expect at least an Indicated resource under the JORC Code before an application is made. Mining still needs planning approval on top of the licence. Anyone searching for gold, gems or minerals in Victoria must hold and carry a current miner’s right.

Northern Territory: mineral titles from the NTG

In the Northern Territory, the Northern Territory Government (NTG) grants mineral titles under the Mineral Titles Act 2010. An exploration licence covers 4 to 250 graticular blocks, each about 3.22 km², for up to six years, and applicants must tell each affected landowner within 14 days of applying. Production titles include the mineral lease (what most people mean by an NTG mining license), which can be renewed more than once, and there are separate extractive mineral titles for materials such as sand, gravel and rock.

Before you mark out: check the ground is worth holding

Every tenement DMPE grants starts a clock of rent and minimum expenditure. An exploration licence that is too large, or placed on the wrong blocks, spends its required budget on ground that was never likely to work, and 40% of it goes back at the end of year six anyway. Screening the ground before you apply is the cheapest way to improve those odds.

Our satellite-based mineral detection analyses multispectral and hyperspectral imagery of the area you plan to take up. Each mineral and alteration zone reflects energy in a distinctive spectral signature, which lets us flag likely mineralised target zones, alteration halos, faults and fractures, before you mark out a single peg or lodge a Programme of Work.

• ✔ Input: the proposed boundary or block selection as coordinates, KML/KMZ or a polygon, plus the target mineral.
• ✔ Turnaround: 5–20 business days, depending on area size and mineral complexity.
• 📊 Deliverables: prospectivity heatmaps, high-potential zones with estimated location and depth ranges, geological interpretation, and PDF plus georeferenced GIS files. Premium+ adds TargetMax™ drilling intelligence and 3D subsurface models.
• 📊 Savings: up to 80–85% lower early-exploration cost, with timelines cut from months to days.
• ⚠ Limits: satellite targets are exploration targets, not a Mineral Resource or JORC estimate. They show where to focus sampling and drilling.

For licensing portals outside Australia, see our mining cadastre portal guide by country. The satellite-driven 3D mineral prospectivity mapping overview shows a typical deliverable. We have scanned 100,000+ hectares for 20+ mineral types across 25+ countries, including in Australia.

▶ What a mineral management system does: maps, samples and targets in one place · 3:21

Frequently asked questions

Information in this guide comes from the Western Australian Government’s Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration pages on wa.gov.au (tenure types, Miner’s Rights, Mineral Titles Online, exploration approvals, office locations and the 2026–27 Mining Fees and Charges schedule), the Mining Act 1978, Resources Victoria, the Northern Territory Government, and reporting on the July 2025 departmental restructure. Fees are indexed each 1 July and procedures change, so confirm with the department before you apply or pay. Nothing here is legal or investment advice.

What does tenement mean in mining?

A tenement is a state-granted right to explore or mine a defined piece of ground. In Western Australia the main types are prospecting, exploration and retention licences, mining leases, general purpose leases and miscellaneous licences.

How much does a prospecting licence cost in WA?

On the 2026–27 schedule the application fee is A$478, rent is A$4.40 a hectare a year, minimum spend is A$40 a hectare (at least A$2,000) and security is A$5,000. A 100-hectare licence needs about A$918 in application fee and first-year rent.

How do I search mining tenements in WA?

Use Mineral Titles Online: the Tenement Register for a known title number, Tenement General for a holder’s titles, and an official search for A$10.50. GeoVIEW.WA shows active leases on a map.

Is there a gold prospecting licence in WA?

The gold options are a Miner’s Right (A$30) for Crown land, a prospecting licence under 200 hectares, or a special prospecting licence for gold on up to 10 hectares inside another tenement.