Tasmanian Government budget boosts exploration

19/9/20201 - The Tasmanian Government has boosted mining in its Budget for 2021-22 with further investment in the Exploration Drilling Grant Initiative and the Geoscience Initiative. The former initiative will receive $1.5 million to stimulate greenfields drilling projects, while the latter will receive $2M to better understand regional mineral systems. AMETS have consultants that specialise in Tasmanian tenement acquisition and management and are in an excellent position to assist miners and explorers with applications for approval for mining and exploration. Minister for Primary Industries and Water, Guy Barnett, said investments of this kind were integral to the state’s economy. “Mining is our highest value export and for all those who oppose our well-regulated industry.” Round five for the Exploration Drilling Grant initiative saw approximately $780,000 go to 16 projects in drilling and exploration. The EDGI program provides up to $50,000 for direct drilling costs and $20,000 for helicopter support. Barnett described the breadth of work being undertaken using the grants. “These projects will involve more than 12KM of exploration drilling. By opening the program to existing sites we are providing the opportunity to salvage even more valuable minerals like gold, copper, zinc, tin or iron from already developed sites which would have reasonably modest restart costs and lead-in time if the exploration results prove positive.”