Regulator releases primary compliance priorities for first half of 2026

Quick answer: NSW mining operators now know where inspectors will look. The Resources Regulator has released its enforcement priorities for January to June 2026, and continuous safety alongside sustainable operation sits at the centre of every nominated focus area.

Compliance priorities released for the first half of 2026

The NSW Resources Regulator has published its primary compliance priorities and assessment initiatives for the next half year.

Regulatory priorities of this type focus on ensuring continuous safety and sustainability in the State’s mining sector, the regulator said.

Publishing such focus areas openly helps industry and community members understand what will be examined, so duty holders can implement actions to address any risks, the Regulator mentioned.

“Even though we highlight certain focus areas, we’ll still carry out our usual compliance checks and may change our focus if new issues come up,” the regulator noted.

Learn more here.

Why published priorities matter on site

Advance notice allows mine operators to align internal audit schedules with regulator attention long before an inspector arrives at the gate.

• Schedule verification of critical control performance ahead of announced assessment visits.
• Brief supervisors and contractors on topics likely to attract detailed questioning.
• Review incident and near-miss data against each nominated theme.
• Refresh written procedures so documented evidence matches actual practice underground and on the surface.

Comparing earlier releases shows how regulatory attention shifts between reporting periods. Revisit the key compliance objectives published for 2025, the July–December 2023 compliance priorities, and the early-2023 priority list to trace recurring themes.

How safety teams can prepare

Experienced professionals treat every published list as a prompt to test controls, not simply a warning notice.

• Confirm risk registers reflect current hazards, plant changes and legislative duties.
• Verify that safety management systems capture inspection records plus corrective actions with dates and owners.
• Check work health and safety obligations extend clearly to labour hire crews and visiting contractors.
• Ensure safety documentation stays version-controlled, dated and genuinely accessible to workers on shift.

Documentation resources supporting 2026 compliance

• Plant integrity: SOP templates for equipment maintenance — every product in this range documents pre-start checks, isolation steps and defect reporting.
• Hazardous substances: browse chemical handling and storage SOPs, where each product supports WHS Regulation duties for storage, labelling and spill response.
• Emergency readiness: the First Aid Policy product sets out treatment arrangements, officer responsibilities and injury reporting pathways.
• Audit history: superseded records including the archived First Aid Policy and archived Compliance Evaluation Policy remain available whenever a legacy product reference must be produced.

Each product download arrives in editable Microsoft Word format, so wording can reflect site conditions, plant types and workforce arrangements.

Explore the wider product library to match written controls against hazards identified during pre-assessment reviews.

Unsure where to begin? Our team can help you select the product set matching your operational risk profile. Aligning written controls with the regulator’s stated 2026 focus before June turns an obligation into measurable safety performance.