Prospecting Licence

A Prospecting Licence issued by Mineral Resources Tasmania (MRT) allows a licence holder to explore for minerals to a depth of less than 2 metres below the surface of the Earth, or of any pre-existing excavation, by means of a hand-held instrument outside of the declared fossicking areas. Prospecting activities are subject to conditions set by the Director of Mines.

Conditions Relating to Prospecting Licences

The full list of conditions relating to Prospecting Licences can be found here.

How to Apply for a Prospecting Licence

A Prospecting Licence is issued for 5 years at the prescribed fee. You can apply for a Prospecting Licence by visiting your nearest Service Tasmania shop, or by completing and submitting an application form.

Approval to Prospect on Private Land or Mineral Tenements

The holder of a Prospecting Licence may prospect on private land and mineral tenements with the correct permissions. To determine if the area you intend to visit for prospecting is private land or a mineral tenement please refer to the Where You Can Prospect in Tasmania section below.

Permission to enter private land for the purpose of prospecting must be sought from the land owner.

Permission to enter a Mining Lease, Exploration Licence or Retention Licence area (whether granted or under application) must be sought from the tenement holder. Additional permission is required from the Director of Mines if a tenement is subject to application. An Approval to Prospect within a Mineral Tenement template form is available for this purpose.

Where You Can Prospect in Tasmania

Prospecting may be carried out on various types of land tenure around Tasmania. An interactive map is available to assist with identifying available areas for prospecting. Click the above link and then follow the below steps to use Map Viewer:

1. The link should lead to a map of Tasmania overlain by blue, red, and yellow layers.
2. In the search box at the top of the screen enter a street, river, landmark, or area close to where you are interested in prospecting.  Press Enter or click the magnifying glass icon.
3. Choose the relevant search result and the map will zoom in to your chosen area.
4. Tap/Click on the exact spot you are interested in and a pop up will tell you the Land Tenure and whether prospecting is allowed or not, or if permission is required.  It may also show additional details such as the existence of a mineral tenement which requires additional permission. Make sure you check the details of all records in the pop-up.

Group Prospecting Licence

Any community group, school or business may apply for a Group Prospecting Licence. A Group Prospecting Licence enables the holder to conduct group prospecting activities within pre-approved areas with groups of up to 20 participants (who are not required to hold individual prospecting licences).

Conditions Relating to Prospecting Licences

Group Prospecting Licence holders are responsible for ensuring they obtain the relevant licences, permissions and/or authorisations from the land manager for all Crown/State-owned land(s) on which they intend to conduct prospecting activities. The relevant land manager will depend on the land tenure.

Holders of a Group Prospecting Licence are responsible for all group members and for upholding all Standard Conditions relating to Group Prospecting Licences at all times. You can view the full set of conditions on page 4 of the application form.

How to Apply for a Group Prospecting Licence

A Group Prospecting Licence is issued for up to 5 years at the prescribed fee. You can apply for a Group Prospecting Licence by visiting your nearest Service Tasmania shop or completing and submitting an application form.

Reporting requirements for Group Prospecting Licence holders

Holders of Group Prospecting Licences must submit an activity report at the first six month anniversary of the granted date and on each subsequent annual anniversary for each year of the duration of the licence.

Approval to Prospect on Private Land or Mineral Tenements

Permission requirements for Group Prospecting activities are the same as for Prospecting activities. Please see information listed in the Prospecting section above.