December 2017

32 APAC / December 2017 , jurisdictional, which allows clients to manage their tenure wherever they are mining throughout the world.” Furthermore, Tracy is keen to point out the excellent customer service that Global Tenements provides, and what steps the company takes in order to ensure that clients receive the best possible outcome. “Regarding our approach to new clients and projects, our first action is to conduct a thorough due diligence of their tenement package to ensure that all tenements are in good standing and that any encumbrances, agreements, access issues, transfers or native title dealings are captured. We identify land tenure/tenement matters that need addressing immediately. Our professional assistance enables required processes and applications are carried out in a manner that is both efficient, and specifically tailored to ensure that mining assets are secure and appropriate land tenure is in place.” Keeping up to date and on top of developments within the industry, Tracy describes what techniques the firm employs to stay ahead of emerging developments, which is a key aspect of Global Tenements continuous and overwhelming success. “Attendance at mining conferences helps to identify emerging markets, and which countries are being targeted for exploration. Global Tenements ensure that our staff have skill sets that can take advantage of these opportunities. Recently, we employed a Mandarin translator to better cater for the increasing number of Chinese mining companies exploring overseas opportunities and were having difficulties in understanding the compliance issues they needed to meet to secure their land tenure. “Additionally, Global Tenements Directors have always been proactive in talking to associates in the mining game to keep abreast of current issues and identify opportunities for the firm. Developing good relationships with regulatory authorities in mining jurisdictions ensures our system meets their compliance rules and regulations. Our recent meetings with government officials from Zambia, Botswana and Ethiopia identified areas we could assist with in the future.” Operating within the Asia-Pacific region can provide challenges to various companies, but also present opportunities, and Tracy provides us with examples of what challenges Global Tenements has had to overcome whilst working within the region. “Any mining company will tell you that the rules are constantly changing with more and more complex regulations they need to meet to stay in compliance. This applies to every mining jurisdiction in the world. We are mindful of ensuring our software can be adjusted to meet these changing compliance practices to ensure our clients’ needs are protected. “When native title was first introduced into Australia, many mining companies did not know how to deal with this issue and felt that it would become too difficult to do business in Australia. As a skilled negotiator with a passion for honouring the land, its traditions and its future use; I have respectfully facilitated native title agreements and access agreements with stakeholders of competing interests.” In her concluding comments, Tracy provides us with more information on the Asia-Pacific region currently, going into further detail about the outside influences which may be affecting the industry. Tracy then signs off by predicting what the future holds for Global Tenements, hinting at possible new products and software, including venturing into new areas and translation services. “The mining industry in Australia has been adversely affected by the global slump in commodity prices and access to finance. An upsurge in gold exploration started occurring in February 2016 and now we are starting to see new mines being developed. Exploration is the first thing cut from the budget of mining companies when finances become tight so it is a very good indicator that the industry is looking optimistically to the future when they again start investing in green fields exploration. “Essentially, we assist companies to peg leases and knew things were picking up when we were involved with competitive pegging at midnight, something we haven’t seen in the goldfields for many years. Ground has again become hot property and keeping control of your tenure has never been more important than in the current climate. “Moving forward, in 2018 we will be launching our global tenements software and will be looking for mining companies to trial the product. Also, we will be offering Mandarin translated software to Chinese mining companies exploring other mining jurisdictions.”