What Mineral Resources Tasmania does

Mineral Resources Tasmania (MRT) is a Tasmanian Government agency established under the Mineral Resources Development Act 1995 and operating under the Department of State Growth. It functions as the sole regulator of mineral exploration and mining in Tasmania, administering 500+ mining leases and 120+ exploration licences, collecting royalties on behalf of Treasury, and overseeing environmental compliance and rehabilitation of mining lands. Its primary customers are mining companies (both major producers such as Rosebery, Renison, and Savage River, and junior explorers), with additional service relationships to prospectors, research institutions (UTAS, CODES, CSIRO), other government agencies, and the general public.

MRT's core products span regulatory administration, precompetitive geoscientific information, and analytical services. The technological backbone is the TIGER (Tasmanian Information on Geoscience and Exploration Resources) database — a proprietary information management system integrating textual and spatial searches across drill holes, mineral deposits, geochemistry, airborne surveys, gravity stations, and tenement data, dating back to 1860. Supporting infrastructure includes the Mornington Core Library (with HyLogger hyperspectral core logging and drill core archive), an analytical laboratory offering XRF, XRD, NDIR, petrology, and asbestos testing using Bruker instruments, the MRT Web Map Viewer for interactive spatial queries, and 3D geological and geophysical modelling capabilities. The agency publishes geological maps, technical reports, and the Catalogue of Minerals of Tasmania in print and digital formats.

The business model combines statutory fee-based revenue with government budget allocations. Revenue streams include mining tenement administration fees (exploration licences, mining leases, prospecting licences, retention licences under the Mineral Resources Development Act 1995), royalties on mineral production collected on behalf of Treasury (with a 5% service fee), publication and data sales ($10-$100 per item with many PDFs free), and laboratory services fees on a pay-per-analysis basis. MRT administers co-funding programs including the Exploration Drilling Grant Initiative (EDGI), which disbursed $540,000 in Round 12 and $2.5 million cumulatively across Rounds 1-11 since 2018, and the $3 million Critical Minerals Initiative. Distribution occurs through Burnie (primary), Hobart/Rosny Park, and Mornington offices, Service Tasmania outlets, phone/mail orders, and digital downloads from the MRT website.

Name

Mineral Resources Tasmania

Legal name

Mineral Resources Tasmania

Website

https://mrt.tas.gov.au

Company type

Public

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mineral Resources Tasmania is a Tasmanian Government agency that regulates mineral exploration and mining, administers tenements and royalties, and provides precompetitive geoscientific data, drill core archival, and laboratory services to mining companies, explorers, and researchers across Tasmania.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Burnie

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Mining Tenement Administration Fees: MRT collects fees for exploration licenses, mining leases, prospecting licenses, and retention licenses. These fees are collected under the Mineral Resources Development Act 1995 for tenement administration services.
2. Royalties on Mineral Production: MRT collects royalties on behalf of Treasury from mining production. The Mineral Resources Development Act 1995 provides for payment of royalty to land owners where they own the mineral, at the same rate payable to the Crown. MRT collects royalties on behalf of owners of some classes of minerals, with a 5% fee for this service.
3. Publication and Data Sales: MRT sells publications including geological maps, reports, and books. Publications include geological maps, mineral catalogues, technical reports, and related materials. Prices vary from free PDFs to physical map sales.
4. Laboratory Services Fees: MRT provides analytical services (XRF, XRD, NDIR, petrology, asbestos testing, soil tests, construction material studies) for internal and external clients from geological, engineering, environmental, mining and quarrying industries, with fees per analysis type.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Mineral Resources Tasmania administers mining and exploration titles, regulates mineral and petroleum exploration, and produces precompetitive geoscientific information on Tasmania's geology. It delivers the TIGER database, web map viewer, Mornington Core Library archive, analytical laboratory services (XRF, XRD, NDIR, petrography, asbestos testing), geological publications, and co-funding programs such as the Exploration Drilling Grant Initiative (EDGI) and the Critical Minerals Initiative.

Product overview

Mineral Resources Tasmania (MRT) is a Tasmanian government agency operating under the Mineral Resources Development Act 1995 that does not offer a unified software product but rather provides a portfolio of regulatory, information, and analytical services for the state's mining and exploration sector. The core service offerings include exploration licence administration and the Exploration Drilling Grant Initiative (EDGI) co-funding program for junior explorers; mining lease and production licence management; and the TIGER Database—a spatial and textual search platform for tenement, drilling, deposit, and geochemistry data. Supporting services include the Mornington Core Library for drill core archival and viewing, Laboratory Services offering XRF/XRD/NDIR analysis, and the MRT Map Viewer web application. Geoscience products span publications (maps, geological survey papers, mineral catalogues) and digital data downloads in standard GIS formats. MRT also administers the Rehabilitation of Abandoned Mining Lands Trust Fund for legacy mine remediation and implements the Tasmanian Critical Minerals Strategy with associated prospectivity modelling and processing facility studies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Exploration Licences and Services Statutory administration of exploration licences issued for up to 5 years covering up to 250 km² (metallic/fuel/construction/industrial minerals) or 500 km² (geothermal), including application processing, current application tracking, licence approvals and environmental regulation of exploration activity. Targeted at mining and mineral exploration companies in Tasmania.
• Mining Leases and Production Licences Administration of mining leases and other production licences granted under the Mineral Resources Development Act 1995, covering approximately 500+ active mining leases and managing rights to mineral resources for commercial extraction. Targeted at mining companies operating in Tasmania.
• Prospecting and Fossicking Licences Individual Prospecting Licence (5 year term) and Group Prospecting Licence (up to 5 years, up to 20 participants) enabling prospecting to a depth of 2 metres with hand-held instruments, plus administration of declared fossicking areas where no licence is required. Targeted at individual recreational prospectors, fossickers, community groups, schools and businesses.
• TIGER Database (Tasmanian Information on Geoscience and Exploration Resources) Online information management system providing single storage for MRT's corporate data with customised textual and spatial search capabilities across drill holes, mineral deposits, samples, geochemistry, maps, airborne surveys, gravity stations and tenement information. Targeted at mining companies, explorers, researchers and government agencies.
• MRT Map Viewer Web-based interactive mapping application allowing users to view and interrogate geological, geochemical, geophysical, tenement, fossicking, prospecting and landslide data layers across Tasmania. Targeted at mining companies, explorers, government agencies and the general public.
• Mornington Core Library Facility at 93 Mornington Road storing drill core, rock samples and historic collections from mineral exploration across Tasmania, offering core and sample viewing, rock cutting, sampling equipment, sample preparation for XRF and XRD analyses, and access to the HyLogger hyperspectral core logging instrument. Targeted at mining companies, junior explorers, university researchers and geological surveyors.
• Laboratory Services Analytical services including X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) using Bruker instruments for trace element and mineralogical phase identification, plus Nondispersive Infrared (NDIR) analysis, petrography, asbestos testing, and soil and aggregate analysis. Targeted at geological, engineering, environmental, mining and quarrying clients.
• Digital Data Downloads Provision of current and historic mineral tenement data for download in standard GIS formats (Shapefile, Mapinfo, Geodatabase, Geopackage) with daily updates, metadata documentation and templates for data submission under the Australian GGIC guidelines. Targeted at mining companies, explorers and GIS users.
• Geological Publications Sale and free PDF distribution of geological publications including geological maps at scales from 1:500,000 to 1:25,000, geological survey papers, the Catalogue of the Minerals of Tasmania, fossicking guides and technical reports. Targeted at geologists, prospectors, collectors, libraries and educational users.
• Critical Minerals Strategy and Prospectus Government initiative backed by $3 million over three years of dedicated funding, providing critical minerals prospectivity models, deposit atlases, 3D models, sampling of historic core, critical mineral deposit research and an investment prospectus to attract exploration and downstream investment to Tasmania. Targeted at critical minerals explorers, investors and global processors.
• Exploration Drilling Grant Initiative (EDGI) Co-funding grant program providing up to $100,000 per project (with an additional $20,000 where helicopter support is required) to junior explorers to increase greenfield drilling in Tasmania. Targeted at junior mining and critical minerals exploration companies.
• Rehabilitation of Abandoned Mining Lands Trust Fund Trust fund funding remediation of historic mine sites including shaft capping, erosion control and environmental restoration work at abandoned mining lands in Tasmania. Targeted at legacy mine sites, communities and government stakeholders.
• Geoscience Library Reference library housing MRT and historical Department of Mines publications, journals, company exploration reports dating to 1860, maps, aerial photographs and petroleum/seismic survey data, offering reference services, inter-library loans and literature searches. Targeted at researchers, students, professional geologists and the public.

Quantifiable outcome

• 425% increase in greenfields exploration spend from $1.9M in 2018 to nearly $10M in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and the Environment (DPIPWE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative relationship for managing environmental aspects of mining and exploration. MRT works with DPIPWE on environmental appraisal, monitoring and land access issues. DPIPWE provides input on threatened species, Aboriginal archaeological sites, and geoconservation matters during exploration licence assessments.
• Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES)minorOthersABARES provides national agricultural and resource economic data and analysis that complements MRT's geoscientific information for policy development.
• Geoscience AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal government geoscience agency. MRT collaborates on national datasets, standards (GGIC guidelines), and initiatives including the National Virtual Core Library project.
• Deep Exploration Technologies CRCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative Research Centre focused on developing technologies for deep exploration, complementing MRT's exploration promotion activities in Tasmania.
• ARC Centre of Excellence in Ore Deposits (CODES)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Tasmania research centre specializing in ore deposit studies. MRT collaborates on research and provides access to drill core and data for academic studies.
• University of Tasmania - School of Earth SciencesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for geological research. MRT provides drill core, samples, and data access. UTAS conducts thin sectioning and polishing services for MRT's laboratory operations.
• Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational research organization. MRT collaborates on mineral exploration research, particularly through the Minerals Down Under National Research Flagship.
• BizTas Service Provider RegisterminorOthersMRT encourages service providers to register with BizTas, a specialized register of Tasmanian service providers for MRT clients and the mining industry.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mineral-resources-tasmania

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mineral Resources Tasmania