PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Western Australian Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Marmion on Tuesday said that, despite the challenges faced by the mining industry in the current economic environment, the outlook for the state’s future was still bright.

“I don’t subscribe to the negativity that some commentators have adopted when talking about the state’s resources industry,” he told delegates at the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies convention in Perth.

“However, that is not to say that the state government has not recognised that there has been a shift in economic conditions in recent times,” he added.

Marmion noted that, as commodity prices eased from historical highs, the once record-setting spending on exploration has also dropped off.

“However, I think the outlook of doom and gloom some of us have adopted, needs to be put in context. There is still great strength in the Western Australian economy.”

The Minister pointed out that the value of the state’s mining sector reached A$72-billion in 2012, which, while down slightly on the record amount recorded during 2011, was still more than four times the sector’s value a decade ago.

He added that some A$55-billion worth of mining projects were still under construction, or committed to, in the state, with a further A$59-billion worth of projects classified as planned or possible.

“And the state government will do what it can to support further investment in the sector. We will continue to offer exploration incentives, further streamline approvals, remove duplication and encourage investment,” Marmion said.

By 2016/17, the state government would have allocated some A$130-million to the exploration incentive scheme, which assists explorers in discovering mineral deposits in unexplored regions of the state.

Further, the state government would introduce amendments to environmental regulation to deal with issues identified by miners in the region, and which would be aimed at delivering greater certainty, confidence and clarity around environmental legislation.

The amendments would appear before Parliament this spring, Marmion said.