FAQs

The AIG Council recognises that members may from time to time slip up on making their annual membership renewal payments. The task of chasing up lapsed members is an added cost to the AIG and because we do not charge penalties for late payments, this cost is ultimately carried by those members who do pay on time.

Council recently revisited its rules for members who fail to meet the annual membership renewal deadline. In doing so, Council recognised that some members may have valid reasons for missing their payments and it has therefore adopted certain exemptions to the provisions for lapsed members.

The FAQs below outlines important membership related information.

What's the timing on membership renewals?

Renewal Notices are posted to your nominated address in May - June of each year. Renewals should be paid within 30 days of receipt of your Renewal Notice.

What happens if I don't pay within the specified period?

If you do not pay your renewal within 30 days of receipt of your Renewal Notice you will automatically become a Non-financial Member.

If you do not pay your renewal within 90 days of receipt of your Renewal Notice you will immediately cease to be a member of the AIG and will stop receiving any benefits of membership, including the right to claim AIG membership in press releases, market announcements and resource calculations.

What if my address has changed and I haven't received a Renewal Notice?

If your address has changed since you submitted your original application for membership you can send an e-mail to The Secretary at aig@aig.asn.au and a Renewal Notice will be forwarded to your new address.

What happens if my membership has lapsed?

If your membership has lapsed you may, at the sole discretion of Council, be reinstated at the grade of membership you previously held by (i) paying pro-rata back dues and (ii) providing a signed declaration that you have complied with the AIG Code of Ethics during your lapsed period. There is no time limitation on reinstatement and you do not need to provide any supporting documentation. To find out what back dues you owe, contact The Secretary at aig@aig.asn.au.

If you do not want to pay back dues you will need to submit a new application which will be evaluated on its merits by Council. Your application will need to include the appropriate fee, provide a Proposer and Seconder who can vouch for your experience since your earlier application and include any supporting documentation, with the exception of copies of qualifications you previously submitted with an application for membership. An Application Form which details the requisite supporting documentation for each grade of membership can be downloaded from the AIG Website at aig@aig.asn.au.

What if I want to re-apply at a higher grade of membership than I previously held?

You will need to submit a new application together with the appropriate supporting documentation.

What if I will be unable to pay my dues?

You can apply to Council for exemption from cancellation of your membership under the following circumstance:

If you take maternity/paternity leave
If you suffer a seriously debilitating illness or injury
If you experience serious financial impairment

Any application for exemption will be considered on its merits and any exemption provided at the sole discretion of Council.

What if I've gained additional qualifications or changed my name or address, etc?

If any of your details change at any time you should advise us by sending an e-mail to The Secretary at aig@aig.asn.au so that your records can be updated accordingly.

If my membership has lapsed and I rejoin, is my RPGeo status automatically reinstated?

No. Registered Professional Geoscientist (RPGeo) status contains an explicit commitment to continued professional development (CPD). This commitment is auditable and a cross-section of RPGeo members' CPD records is audited annually by the Registration Board.

If your membership has lapsed but you have continued your professional development during the lapsed period you can apply to have your RPGeo status reinstated by submitting to the Registration Board (i) your CPD record for review and (ii) a signed declaration that you have complied with the AIG Code of Ethics during your lapsed period. Following a satisfactory review of the above by the Registration Board your RPGeo status will be reinstated. If the Registration Board is of the opinion that the information you have provided is inadequate, you will be advised.

If you cannot present a satisfactory CPD record to the Registration Board you will need to submit a new application for RPGeo. Your submission will need to include the application fee, all the necessary supporting documentation and will be evaluated entirely on its merits. An application form for RPGeo is available on the AIG website at aig@aig.asn.au.

If I'm an AIG member am I automatically a Competent Person under the JORC Code?

No. A Competent Person under JORC must be a member of a professional institution (e.g. AIG); however under the Code a Competent Person must also be able to demonstrate a minimum of five years experience relevant to (i) the style of mineralisation, (ii) the type of deposit under consideration and (iii) the stage of project development being undertaken. In other words, if a Competent Person is preparing a report on gold exploration results, the relevant experience must be in gold exploration.

If you have any questions about you membership, please don't hesitate to contact the Secretary at aig@aig.asn.au or your local AIG Committee.

AIG Student Bursary Program

AIG's bursary programme for undergraduate and postgraduate students is generously supported by sponsors including: