Hon Bill Marmion BE MBA MLA
Hon Brendon Grylls MLA
Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Marmion today used his opening address at the 2013 AMEC Conference to announce round eight of the Liberal National Government’s highly successful Co-funded Exploration Drilling program.
“The Co-funded Drilling program provides incentives to drill in underexplored areas to ensure the continued economic prosperity of the State’s resources industry, particularly in the current financial environment,” Mr Marmion said.
The Minister said the State Government’s commitment to explorers under the Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) would reach approximately $130million by 2016-17.
As the flagship program of the EIS, the Co-funded Drilling program offers refunds of up to 50 per cent of direct drilling costs to explorers who have been successful in the competitive online applications process.
Regional Development Minister Brendon Grylls said the EIS, which was funded via the State Government’s Royalties for Regions program, helped to stimulate increased private sector resources exploration and partnerships across Western Australia.
“The scheme increases awareness of WA’s geology, boosts employment opportunities and encourages new mineral and energy discoveries,” Mr Grylls said.
Co-funding is capped at $150,000 for general multi-hole applications; $200,000 for a single deep hole application; and $30,000 for a prospector application.
The current round offers support to innovative exploration drilling programs undertaken in 2014 and is open for applications between September 3 and 5pm WST, October 11.
Established four years ago, the program offers two rounds of co-funding a year, and has already assisted various discoveries, including the Oxley potash, Nova nickel, Handpump gold, Yeneena copper and East Tropicana gold deposits.
Fact File
Source: ProjectLink.com.au