De-amalgamate an environmental authority

You may wish to de-amalgamate an environmental authority (EA) where a single EA covers multiple activities or tenures, for example where an EA is approved for a single integrated operation, or where multiple EAs were amalgamated following their approval.

Note: If a progressive rehabilitation and closure plan schedule applies to your EA, your de-amalgamated EA application needs to be accompanied by proposed de-amalgamated PRC plans.

Note: If an estimated rehabilitation cost (ERC) decision is, or has been, in effect for the EA, your de-amalgamation EA application must be accompanied by an application for an ERC decision for each of the proposed de-amalgamated EAs.

In either of these cases, you may apply to de-amalgamate a single EA that covers multiple activities or that includes multiple resource tenures.

A resource project EA can only be de-amalgamated if:

• the project is no longer being carried out as a single integrated operation
• it is proposed that the project will no longer be carried out as a single integrated operation, or
• the existing holder is proposing to transfer the EA to another person for a resource tenure (a transfer tenure).

You must complete the declaration in the application form that you meet these requirements if you are de-amalgamating a resource project EA.

Follow the processes below to de-amalgamate your EA.

Application to de-amalgamate a relevant EA

You can apply to de-amalgamate a relevant EA at any time.

Submit an application to de-amalgamate an EA (ESR/2015/1729) (DOCX, 204KB) to your administering authority. No application fee applies.

We will make a decision on your de-amalgamation application within 15 business days of receiving it unless an extension of not more than 10 business days is agreed to with the applicant. An extension may be necessary where the applicant requests amendments to those conditions relevant or obsolete, as a result of the application.

Where an ERC is, or has been, in effect for the EA, the administering authority can only de-amalgamate your EA if an ERC decision has been made for each of the proposed de-amalgamated EAs. The application to de-amalgamate an EA must be accompanied by an application for a decision on the ERC (ESR/2018/4426) (DOCX, 170KB) for each proposed de-amalgamated EA. Also, the de-amalgamation of the EA only takes affect if the proposed holder of each de-amalgamated EA has paid a contribute to the scheme fund or given a surety for the EA under the Mineral and Energy Resources (Financial Provisioning) Act 2018.