Tasmania will overhaul how mining companies get their projects approved, a change the government expects to unlock more than $1.5 billion in investment already circling the state. The Tasmanian Government will modernise and digitise Mineral Resources Tasmania, the agency that handles exploration and mining approvals, to move proponents through the system quicker. The changes sit inside the government’s 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future, which commits to giving Mineral Resources Tasmania the staff and technology it needs to keep pace with a growing sector. “Our Government will ensure Mineral Resources Tasmania has the capability, expertise and resources it needs to support a growing industry and keep approvals moving,” Rockliff said. Exploration spending hit record levels last year, and Ellis put the sector’s pipeline at more than $1.5 billion in current and potential investment across Tasmania.