Exploration and mining in NSW

Minerals in NSW are mostly owned by the State. That means royalties and economic benefits from extracting minerals help provide services to the people of NSW.

Mining activities are tightly controlled to ensure an efficient and sustainable use of all natural resources. Mining and exploration companies for minerals and coal must abide by the Mining Act 1992 and other legislation.

For information on how you can have your say on coal and petroleum titles, read about the Public comment process.

Regular updates on the status of coal, minerals and petroleum titles in NSW are published on this website in the section Title status reports.

• Community consultation

  Go to Community consultation

• Land access arrangements for mineral exploration

  Download templates for land access arrangements between landholders and mineral exploration companies.

  Go to Land access arrangements for mineral exploration

• Exploration licences & regulation

  Learn about the purpose of exploration, what exploration companies must do before they commence exploration and the types of activities that may be undertaken as part of an exploration program.

  Go to Exploration licences & regulation

• Mining leases & regulation

  Learn about the grant and regulation of mining leases, and environmental management and safety in relation to mining operations.

  Go to Mining leases & regulation

• Legacy Mines Program

  Go to Legacy Mines Program

• Opal mining

  Download the Code of conduct for landholders,opal miners and prospectors, and other resources for prospectors.

  Go to Opal mining

• Conveyancing searches

  Request a conveyancing search to find out if a mining or exploration title affects a particular parcel of land (note that a fee applies to searches).

  Go to Conveyancing searches

• Geoscience and products

  Find out how to access the NSW specific geoscience information, geological maps and online services produced by the department's Geological Survey of NSW.

  Go to Geoscience and products

• Historical resources

  Download a range heritage maps and parish maps of NSW. Browse a selection of fact sheets on the history of gold and coal mining in NSW, and ochre and stone mining by Indigenous Australians.

  Go to Historical resources

• Common Ground

  Common Ground gives communities access to interactive maps of resource titles and other related information.

  Go to Common Ground

• Incident reporting

  Mine operators are required to report an incident or make notifications to the department on a range of matters. Community members can report an alleged breach of any of the Acts we regulate.

  Go to Incident reporting