Dear Minister
Thank you for your letter of 4 December 2025 outlining your expectations for how the Department of Industry, Science and Resources will administer the mineral export permissions (MEP) process on your behalf.
I acknowledge the importance of the MEP framework and Australia’s commitment to exporting uranium ore concentrate (UOC), controlled ores, and nuclear materials safely, securely and in line with non-proliferation standards. This statement of intent outlines how the department will address your expectations while complying with regulation 9 of the Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations 1958, and meet all relevant legislation, including the Best Practice Principles in Resource Management Guide 128 (RMG 128).
What we will do
1. Continuous improvement and building trust
The department will:
- Administer the MEP framework with high standards of integrity, impartiality, and transparency.
- Issue MEPs and UOC shipping approvals in a timely manner, without compromising decision-making integrity.
- Provide clear, timely, and accessible guidance to applicants, including pre-application consultations to clarify requirements and minimise unnecessary delays.
- Regularly review website information, guidance, and standard operating procedures to maintain best practice regulatory administration.
- Establish and monitor key performance indicators for processing times.
- Monitor compliance and stakeholder satisfaction.
2. Risk-based and data-driven
The department will:
- Ensure all decisions regarding MEPs and UOC shipping approvals are evidence-based, compliant with legislative requirements, and supported by strong internal controls and periodic assurance reviews.
- Maintain a regulatory approach that balances risk mitigation with industry efficiency, growth, and dynamism, while considering the broader impact of MEP administrative activities on national productivity.
- Where applicable, pursue regulatory reform through ongoing consultation with industry and government stakeholders to remove barriers and streamline processes, without compromising Australia’s uranium safeguard and non-proliferation commitments.
- Establish clear and proportionate compliance requirements for MEP applicants that support productivity and minimise regulatory burden.
- Focus compliance monitoring and resources towards areas of highest risk.
- Oversee adherence to MEP conditions, including UOC shipment approvals and required reporting.
3. Collaboration and engagement
The department will:
- Take opportunities, where practical, to engage with international regulatory bodies to ensure Australia’s MEP framework remains aligned to global best practice.
- Collaborate with the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office (ASNO), Australian Border Force (ABF), and other relevant agencies to strengthen compliance and enhance administration of industry safeguards for uranium and controlled ore exports.
- Where appropriate, work with state and territory regulators to identify, understand, and address obstacles to industry development, ensuring effective compliance with cross-jurisdictional regulatory and administrative requirements.
- Promote open and constructive dialogue with industry stakeholders through ongoing engagement, consultation, and feedback mechanisms.
4. Innovation and regulatory change
The department will:
- Collaborate with the Department of Finance through established budget processes if opportunities for reforms that reduce unnecessary regulation within the MEP framework are identified.
- Harness data-driven insights to improve the efficiency, transparency, and overall effectiveness of MEP regulatory operations.
Your statement of expectations and this statement of intent will be published on the departmental website. I look forward to our continued collaboration to achieve these important objectives.
Yours sincerely
Meghan Quinn PSM