Map blocks and map units are based on a system originally devised by the British Ordinance Survey. Each 1:1 million scale map sheet is subdivided into 3456 graticular map blocks, each measuring 5’ of latitude by 5’ of longitude. These map blocks are further subdivided into 25 1’ by 1’ map units. A map unit is approximately 3 square kilometres in size.

Spatial data set showing Mining Divisions within New South Wales. Each Mining Division has a Mining Registrar. A title is considered to be within the Mining Division in which the most northeasterly portion of the title lies.

The government will consider releasing a limited number of new areas for coal exploration under the Strategic Release Framework for Coal and Petroleum Exploration. Under this Framework, the government may refer an area to the Advisory Body for Strategic Release (ABSR). If a coal exploration licence is granted, an operator is not permitted to access the land unless they have an access arrangement in place with the landholder. Release of an area for exploration is not a guarantee of mining. An operator would still need to obtain development consent under the planning framework.

The Geological Survey of NSW developed a Seamless Geology of UTM Zone 56 during 2014 as part of a project to develop a seamless vector geology dataset of the best available geological mapping data covering the whole of NSW.The overarching aims of the Statewide Seamless Geology Project were to: (i) compile the different original scales, formats and rock unit naming conventions into a consistent, statewide format; (ii) edge-match the geology across existing map sheets; and (iii) interpret the basement geology under cover. The resulting geodatabase comprises a series of layers which include: (i) solid basement geology; (ii) cover rocks (defined as undeformed and unmetamorphosed); (iii) Mesozoic igneous rocks; and (iv) Cenozoic sedimentary and igneous rocks. The project was divided into 3 major stages corresponding to the UTM zones which divide New South Wales. This dataset includes the seamless geology layers from the NSW portion of UTM Zone 56 (ie.east of 150 degrees longitude to the coast).

AEM data has been reported to the NSW government and released under the requirements of the NSW Mining Act 1992. Contained within this vector file is the location of AEMsurveys and acquisition parameters.

Drillhole sample geochemistry that has been reported by title holders to the department as part of the mineral exploration reporting requirements. The data is provided annually in the form of exploration data files and stored with the relevant tenement report in DIGS. Data mining of digital exploration data files stored in DIGS is largely complete for the period 2001 to present. Data mining continues for DIGS reports earlier than 2001 using OCR (optical character recognition) software to convert raster data into digital files for loading. Validation of data is an ongoing process. Data available to the public and industry is restricted to DIGS open file reports.

Areas restricted from mining or exploration. Reserves emplaced by external agencies or authorities. If a lease application covers part or all of one of these areas, it must be referred to and approved by the agency which created the restriction.

Isostatic residual Bouguer gravity image overlain on tilt-filtered total magnetic intensity reduced to the pole (Tilt TMI RTP) image. The image is a partially-transparent pseudocolour layer of Isostatic residual Bouguer gravity, with a histogram-equalised colour-stretch, overlain on a greyscale intensity layer of the Tilt TMI RTP, with a histogram-equalised stretch. Bouguer gravity compensates for variations in latitude, 'free-air' elevation and Bouguer correction (assuming a crustal density of 2.67 T/m³). The isostatic correction removes the effect of variations in the thickness of the Earth’s crust due to changes in topography. The tilt-angle filter of total magnetic intensity produces a local positive maximum over a magnetic source and is zero near the edge of the source, and is useful for tracing geological structure below variable depths of cover.

This layer shows the boundary of the AusLAMP NSW survey and the station locations. Data were acquired by a collaboration between GSNSW and Geoscience Australia. Data were used to create a 3D resistivity model of the crust from 10 km depth to 200 km depth.

AEM curtains are a set of cross-sections generated using geophysical inversion to convert AEM data to conductivity (m/S) versus depth below surface (m). These data represent the conductivity of soil and rocks to a depth of about 400 m. A pseudocolour-stretch has been applied to the data. Blue represents low conductivity values and red represents high values. The colours vary due to; (1) natural variations in the electrical properties of soils, rocks, minerals and groundwater, (2) man-made structures, radio-transmissions and lightning strike and (3) AEM system artefacts.