WA Investigator Powers and Penalties for Mining Royalty Breaches

Mining Amendment (Transfer of Royalty Administration) Bill 2025

25 Jun 2025: Passed by Parliament and signed off by the governor.

This bill kicks in: TBA

Legislative Assembly

Legislative Council

Assent

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Topics

corporate compliance investigative powers mineral resources mining

Links to official parliament websites

Official page: progress through parliament

Effects of this bill

If this bill passes, it means that:

Investigators can enter land or premises to investigate royalties; they must believe an offence or breach of mining tenement conditions is occurring.
Investigators can force people to hand over information about mining operations; this applies if the info is needed to calculate royalties.
Fines reach $20,000 for investigators who do not immediately return their identity cards after leaving the role.
Fines of $5,000 apply to people who obstruct investigators; this includes failing to provide requested assistance or information without a good reason.
Fines of $5,000 apply for giving the Mines Minister or an investigator false or misleading royalty information.
Royalty payers can be hit with a penalty of up to 50% of the estimated royalty amount following a conviction.

The Debate

What different members said when this bill was debated:

Matthew Swinbourn ALP

“I move: That the bill be now read a second time. On 23 June 2021, the government announced a machinery-of-government change to transfer the royalty collection and administration function from the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS) to the Department of Finance’s RevenueWA.”

Official source →

David Michael ALP

“I move: That the bill be now read a second time. On 23 June 2021, the government announced a machinery-of-government change to transfer the royalty collection and administration function from the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety to the Department of Finance’s RevenueWA.”

Official source →