The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment was notionally approved for capital funding to undertake a modernization of their mineral administration system, following the completion of the Mineral Resources Act (MRA). The project, dubbed MAARS, will establish a modernized system for mineral interest management and administration.
When the new Mineral Resources Act comes into force it will require a significant modernization of the current NWT mineral resources management technology.
The Mining Recorders’ Office (MRO) manages most mineral resources administration and implementation of the regulatory requirements. The MRO’s current application is not capable of delivering the scope and functions demanded by the new MRA.
The new MRA sets out requirements for mineral prospecting, exploration, development and production in the Northwest Territories. It governs the issuance of interests in minerals, and provides tools for incentivizing development. Furthermore, the GNWT must notify Indigenous Governments and organizations of applications to record claims.
With the development of the MRA there are substantial new requirements for electronic business processes in order to deploy functions such as these efficiently and effectively.