Company: SQM
Filing Date: 2025-04-24
Form Type: 20-F
Source: 0000909037-25-000020
Chunk: 83

Company: CHEMICAL & MINING CO OF CHILE INC
Filing Date: 2025-04-24
Form: 20-F
Item: Item 4
Chunk 83
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 achieved a gold rating with Ecovadis for the first time, placing it in the 97th percentile of our industry.
Specific regulations for mining operations in Western Australia
Our Australian operations are subject to a broad range of laws and regulations imposed by local and federal governments and regulatory bodies as applicable to companies engaged in business in Australia. Tax regulations in Australia are governed by federal laws, such as income tax and goods and services tax, and are administered by the Australian Taxation Office. The Company is also subject to other Australian federal regulations, including native title, environmental protection and biodiversity conservation, emissions reporting, the Australian Corporations Act, work health and safety, and the Competition and Consumers Act. 
There are also a number of state-specific laws and regulations for projects located in Western Australia, including occupational health and safety laws, taxes (such as payroll tax and transfer duty), mining and resources rights (which includes state mining royalties), land access and indigenous rights, and environmental laws administered by different government departments.
For SQM’s Australian projects, specific laws and regulations apply both from Australian federal government as well as the state and local governments of Western Australia.
Environmental laws
Environmental laws governing the mining sector in Australia are extensive. In Australia, the government owns the land and rights to extract minerals from the land and allows parties to apply for tenure to explore or mine the land. SQM (directly or through joint ventures) has obtained the right to mining tenure from the WA government to conduct its exploration and mining operations in Australia. The Mining Act 1978 (WA) ("Mining Act of WA") and the associated Mining Regulations 1981 (WA) govern exploration and mining on land in Western Australia. Mining tenements under the Mining Act of WA include mining leases (which grant a right to conduct mining operations in the areas covered by such concessions, provided that annual concession fees are paid and expenditures are met), exploration licenses (that allow companies to explore for mineral resources on the land covered for a specified period, and to subsequently request a corresponding mining lease) and miscellaneous licenses and general purpose leases, (for ancillary mining activities such as above ground infrastructure and ground water extraction, among others). The grant of a mining tenement under the Mining Act of WA and the conditions imposed are at the discretion of the Minister for Mines and Petroleum. A right to explore usually carries the obligation of spending a specified amount of money on exploration activities.
SQM’s operations are subject to both state and federal environmental laws and regulations, which involve obtaining environmental approvals and licenses to carry out