The case for harmonizing mining and resources laws

By Robert Milbourne, Partner, Registered Foreign Lawyer, K&L Gates

THE desire to bring about ‘sustainable’ development of our natural resources is increasingly being championed by governments, industry and civil society. There is, of course, nothing sustainable about extracting a finite resource. Sustainability, then, is arguably about the process of extraction to minimize any negative impact on people and the environment, and maximize the productive aspects of the endeavor for the collective good.

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Equitization of SOEs in Vietnam

By Oliver Massmann, Partner, Duane Morris Vietnam LLC

AS Vietnam is one of Asia’s fastest-growing and most stable markets in relation to execution, construction and mining, there is huge potential for its mining industry. In recent years the exploitation of solid minerals and fossil coal has grown rapidly while Vietnam has rich reserves of bauxite, gold, vonfram and rare earth elements yet to be widely exploited.

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Foreign investment in Australia’s mining sector – frequently asked questions: Environmental Bonds

The sixth in a series of articles prepared by HFW (Holman Fenwick Willan) which answer frequently asked questions regarding foreign investment in Australia’s mining sector. This article looks at the requirement for mining companies to hold environmental performance bonds as security against any failure to adequately rehabilitate a mine site. We compare the regime that applies in Victoria, which is indicative of regimes in most other Australian jurisdictions, with that of Western Australia, which has recently adopted a new levy-based approach. It is important to note that each jurisdiction has its own set of rules.

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