Mineral Resources Tasmania rigorously enforces a policy of responsible and careful exploration, requiring all proposed exploration activities to be approved, in writing, before work commences.

The purpose of the Mineral Exploration Code of Practice is to provide an outline of the current procedures which must be followed to obtain exploration approvals, and at the same time to give useful, practical information on the expected standards of exploration activities. The Code also details the controls and monitoring procedures which are currently in place.

Other issues of importance to the explorer, such as protocol with private landowners and the need to prevent the spread of weeds and fungal diseases, are also documented.

The first edition of the Mineral Exploration Code of Practice was issued in December 1990. Since then, the code has been updated, and will continue to be revised so as to remain a current and useful guide for explorers. We envisage that the Code will provide explorers with a useful "ready reference" guide to questions relating to all aspects of exploration.

About the Code:

The 5th Edition of the Mineral Exploration Code of Practice, released in April 2012, is arranged in three main parts:

• Exploration procedures - information for explorers
• Mineral Exploration Code of Practice - exploration work standards
• Mineral Exploration Code of Practice - more information 

The Code is available as a complete downloadable PDF file, and four part files. The Exploration Procedures (Information for Explorers) section is contained in file code_5b, the Exploration Work Standards section is contained in file code_5c, and the More Information section (including the Schedule for onshore exploration for petroleum, coal seam gas or geothermal substances) is contained in file code_5d.