Minerals and coal rents

Annual rent is payable on most resource authorities. It is important that you pay your rent by the due date or penalties may apply.

Due date

The due date is 31 August for the rental year starting from 1 September to 31 August the following year. Rent for mineral exploration permits is payable on the anniversary date of the granted tenure.

Deferring the first year's rent for a critical mineral mining lease

You may be able to request to defer the initial rent for your critical minerals mining lease. This will allow you to redirect the deferred rent into your project during its early stages to improve its chance of success.

What is initial rent?

The initial rent for a mining lease is the rent payable for both:

• the first rental period (from the start of the lease until the standard rental year ends on 31 August)
• the rental year that starts immediately afterwards (1 September to 31 August the following year).

For example, the initial rent for a mining lease granted on 1 January 2024 would be the rent payable for both:

• 1 January 2024 to 31 August 2024
• 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2025.

How it works

If your initial rent is deferred, you must repay the deferred rent in instalments after 3 years.

The rent deferral is available for the initial rent only. It is only applicable for new grants.

Repayment schedule

For example, if the first year of rent on the mining lease is $1000, you would pay:

• no rent in your first year (lease start to 31 August)
• no rent in your second year
• annual rent in year 3 of the lease
• annual rent plus $200 for years 4–8 of the lease.

This repayment schedule is set out in the Mineral Resources Regulation 2013.

Eligibility

Under the Mineral Resources Act 1989, the Minister for Resources and Critical Minerals must defer payment of the first year's rent for the grant of a mining lease if all these conditions are met:

• the mining lease application is to mine critical minerals (as prescribed in Schedule 4A of the Mineral Resources Regulation 2013)
• you've requested a deferral for payment of the first rent for the lease (which you can do when you apply for your lease)
• you can prove that the amount of rent deferred will be spent on start-up costs and development, to the value of at least the deferred first year's rent.

Existing applicants

If you've already applied for a mining lease, you'll need to contact the Department of Resources at mineralhub@resources.qld.gov.au to request a deferral to the first year's rent. You won't be automatically eligible.

Demonstrate how you'll use the funds

You must spend the deferred rent on start-up and development costs.

When you submit your application for mining lease and a rent deferral, you'll need to provide a statement from a suitably qualified person (such as a director, auditor or chief financial officer) that:

• sets out the proposed expenditure
• describes how these costs directly relate to the start-up and development of the project.

Start-up and development costs can vary due to the complexity and size of a project. However, examples of start-up costs might include:

• engaging a consultant for pit design
• refurbishing an old dam or building a new dam
• paying for assessments and reports
• paying costs associated with groundwater monitoring bores and developing new bores.

If you're planning to engage third parties, those costs must directly relate to the construction phase for the mine. It can't include tenure management services and other services engaged once-construction is complete.

Mining lease is a mix of critical and other minerals

If you think that you may mine a critical mineral incidentally while mining other non-critical minerals, you'll need to include additional information in your request for rent deferral.

Make sure you:

• list the critical mineral in your application for the grant of the mining lease
• add the rationale for including the critical mineral in the work program or initial development plan.

How to apply

You can request a rent deferral when you apply for your mining lease.

Find full instructions for applying in our mining lease application guide.

Making your rent payment

We have expanded our payment options to now include BPAY, BPOINT and Australia Post Billpay.

Refer to your invoice for details and remember to include the relevant payment reference number.

You can also make payments at any mines lodgement office or phone (07) 3199 8133 to pay by credit card (have your details handy).

Late payment penalty

An additional amount of 15% of the rent is payable if rent is not paid by the due date on mining leases and mineral development licences. If you fail to pay rent and penalties on mining leases and mineral development licences before 1 December, the mining tenement may be cancelled.

Rental rates

Mineral development licences

Rent for the mineral development licence is calculated using the appropriate annual rental rate and including a discount based on the area of the licence.

Annual rental rates for mineral development licences

Area discounts for mineral development licences

Contact us

For more information or technical assistance, contact:

Rental officer
Phone: +61 7 3199 7916 or +61 7 3199 7924
Email: mining.rentenquiries@resources.qld.gov.au

Also consider...

• Read the Mineral Resources Regulation 2013 for more information on rents.