Paying resource rents
Rent reduction for minerals exploration
The rent reduction for exploration permits for minerals (EPMs) announced under the Queensland Critical Minerals Strategy commences on 1 September 2023 and ends on 31 August 2028.
Current invoices remain due and payable.
Read more information about Zero rent for exploration permits for minerals.
As a resource authority holder, you are required to make regular payments for using the land for resource exploration and production activities.
This guide explains rental rates, due dates and how to make your rental payment. There is also information on late payment penalties.
Minerals and coal rents
Rent reduction for minerals exploration
The rent reduction for exploration permits for minerals (EPMs) announced under the Queensland Critical Minerals Strategy commences on 1 September 2023 and ends on 31 August 2028.
Current invoices remain due and payable.
Read more information about Zero rent for exploration permits for minerals.
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
| Year of lease | Rent paid |
|---|---|
| Year 1 | Deferred: First rental period (from the start of the lease until 31 August) |
| Year 2 | Deferred: Rental year that starts immediately after the first rental period (1 September to 31 August) |
| Year 3 | Annual rent (1 September to 31 August) |
| Years 4 to 8 | Annual rent + 20% of deferred amount each year over 5 years |
| Year 9 onwards | Annual rent paid for each year (1 September to 31 August) |
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 2025.
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 Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development at mineralhub@nrmmrrd.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
| Resource authority | Rental rate |
|---|---|
|
EPM (exploration permit – mineral) EPS (exploration permit – special) | {{ pass_37118 }} from 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2028 |
| EPC (exploration permit – coal) | {{ pass_35327 }} per sub-block |
| MC (mining claim) | $0.00 |
| ML (mining lease – variable rate) | {{ pass_35333 }} per hectare |
| ML (mining lease – fixed rate) | Special agreement acts |
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
| Year of the licence | Rental rate |
|---|---|
| Year 1 | {{ pass_35328 }} per hectare |
| Year 2 | {{ pass_35329 }} per hectare |
| Year 3 | {{ pass_35330 }} per hectare |
| Year 4 | {{ pass_35331 }} per hectare |
| After 4 years | {{ pass_35332 }} per hectare |
Area discounts for mineral development licences
| Hectares | Percentage discount |
|---|---|
| First 1,000ha | 0% |
| Next 1,000ha | 60% |
| Next 3,000ha | 75% |
| Next 10,000ha | 95% |
| Each addition 1ha | 99% |
Contact us
For more information or technical assistance, contact:
Rental officer
Phone: +61 7 3199 7916
Email: mining.rentenquiries@nrmmrrd.qld.gov.au
Also consider...
- Read the Mineral Resources Regulation 2025 for more information on rents.
Petroleum and gas 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.
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. You will also have to pay 15% interest accrued daily on the amount outstanding if the rent is more than 3 months late.
Rental rates
| Resource authority | Rental rate |
|---|---|
| ATP (authority to prospect) | {{ pass_35449 }} per sub-block |
| PL (petroleum lease) | {{ pass_35450 }} per km2 |
| PPL (pipeline licence point to point) | {{ pass_35479 }} per km |
| PPL (pipeline licence area) | {{ pass_35480 }} per km |
| PFL (petroleum facility licence - 2km2 or less) | {{ pass_35482 }} per licence |
| PFL (petroleum facility licence - greater than 2km2) | {{ pass_35283 }} per km2 |
| DAA (data acquisition authority) | {{ pass_35451 }} per sub-block |
| WMA (water monitoring authority) | {{ pass_35452 }} per sub-block |
| STO (storing petroleum or prescribed storage gas) | {{ pass_35454 }} per each km2 of the old lease, or the area of the proposed petroleum lease |
Contact us
For more information or technical assistance, contact:
Rental officer
Phone: +61 7 3199 7916
Email: mining.rentenquiries@nrmmrrd.qld.gov.au
Also consider...
- See the Petroleum and Gas (General Provisions) Regulation 2017 for more information on rents.
Geothermal and greenhouse gas 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.
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
Geothermal tenures
Late payments attract a civil penalty of $1000 or 15% of the prescribed rent, whichever is the greater.
Greenhouse gas tenures
An additional amount of 15% of the rent is payable if rent is not paid by the due date.
Rental rates
| Resource authority | Rental rate |
|---|---|
| EPG (exploration permit geothermal) | {{ pass_35422 }} per sub-block |
| GL (geothermal lease) | {{ pass_35423 }} per km2 |
| EPQ (greenhouse gas permit) | {{ pass_3544 }} per sub-block |
| QL (greenhouse gas lease) | {{ pass_35445 }} per km2 |
| DAQ (greenhouse gas data acquisition authority) | {{ pass_35446 }} per sub-block |
Contact us
For more information or technical assistance, contact:
Rental officer
Phone: +61 7 3199 7916
Email: mining.rentenquiries@nrmmrrd.qld.gov.au
Also consider...
- See the Geothermal Energy Regulation 2022 for more rents information on geothermal tenures.
- Read the Greenhouse Gas Storage Regulation 2021 for more rents information on greenhouse gas storage tenures.
Zero rent for exploration permits for minerals
From 1 September 2023, the Queensland Government is reducing the rent for new and existing exploration permits for minerals (EPMs) other than coal to $0 for 5 years.
This is designed to encourage further exploration for critical minerals, which are essential for making new products and technologies as the world transitions to a low-carbon future.
Learn more about the Queensland Critical Minerals Strategy.
Zero rent period
Invoicing is based on the date an EPM is due to be paid. No rent will need to be paid for EPMs with granted or anniversary dates between 1 September 2023 and 31 August 2028.
EPM applications
If you have pre-paid rent for an EPM that is granted on or after 1 September 2023, you will receive a refund.
If you have received an invoice but not yet paid, you do not need to pay. The invoice will be reversed.
Existing EPMs
Pro-rata refunds
If your EPM was granted before 1 September 2023, a pro-rata refund will not be given for rent already paid. However, you will be eligible to pay zero rent at each anniversary date during the 5-year period.
Rent in arrears
If you have rent in arrears for your existing EPM, all rent is still due and payable for permits with an anniversary date up to and including 31 August 2023. Overdue rent owing from previous years remains due and payable and must be paid.
Invoices during the zero rent period
Invoices will not be issued for rent payable during the zero rent period. However, reminder notices will still be issued in some cases, such as for rent in arrears.
Contact us
For more information or further questions about the rent reduction and eligibility, please contact the Mineral Assessment Hub on (07) 4447 9230 or email mineralhub@nrmmrrd.qld.gov.au.
Also consider...
- Read the Mineral Resources Regulation 2025 for more information on rents.
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