Have Your Say on Proposed Changes to Victoria Mineral & Quarrying Sector Fees & Charges
Resources Victoria have advised that they are proposing an increase in a range of fees from 1 October 2025. These increases are to ensure costs for compliance services across the minerals and quarrying sectors are fully recovered.
Key Takeaways:
- Proposed 234% increase to Resources Victoria’s fees and charges, to commence on 1 October 2025.
- Public consultation is now open until 23 June 2025.
The fee increases have been incorporated into new draft Regulations:
- Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) (Mineral Industries) Amendment Regulations 2025; and
- Minerals Resources (Sustainable Development) (Extractive Industries) Amendment Regulations 2025.
The types of charges increasing include:
- Fees for applications and renewals;
- Granting of and variations to licences;
- Annual rents and fees;
- Work plan and work plan variation lodgements;
- Authority holder variations and transfers; and
- Provision of information products.
The proposed changes also introduce two new fees, a fee for:
- Plan for rehabilitation of declared mine land; and
- Variation of declared mine rehabilitation plan.
The Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) outlines two assessed options:
- Option 1 (Preferred by Resources Victoria): An equal increase of 234% to fees across all fee categories.
- Option 2: Differential increases applied to the two industry sectors (minerals and extractives) to fully recover Resources Victoria’s costs.
Additionally, the RIS proposes three alternative options:
- Option A: An option to permit licence holders to pay fees on a quarterly basis.
- Option B: Re-setting fee thresholds for work authorities (in the extractive industry)
- Option C: Relatively lower fees for exploration licences, while still maintaining full cost recovery.
Resources Victoria have advised that responses and submissions might influence different fee setting approaches towards the extractives sectors, remittance periods, extractives rent fee thresholds and the distribution of increases between prescribed fee categories. However, responses and submissions will not be able to influences the total amount of cost recovery required.
Your feedback matters! Have your say now on the draft regulations and Regulatory Impact Statements.
If you have any questions about the above proposed changes, please feel free to contact us at [email protected]
