Junior miners struggling in Qld: report

START-UP miners in Queensland are struggling with a cumbersome exploration permits system and falling commodity prices, a report says.

The market value of the state's smaller mineral explorers has fallen by 42 per cent in 2012, compared with an average 11 per cent decline for listed Australian companies, the Queensland Exploration Council report said.

Coal and mineral explorers were also finding it harder to gain exploration permits, while resources firms had a poor opinion of Queensland's exploration permits system.

Falling base metal and coal prices, and high funding costs, had hindered the ability of mining projects to progress from the exploration to production stage.

Responding to the report, Queensland Mines Minister Andrew Cripps said the government was committed to simplifying the approvals process for mining exploration.

"Already two bills that seek to reduce the regulatory burden on resource companies and shorten approvals processes from exploration through to full-scale production, have passed state parliament," he said in a statement, adding they had industry support.

Mr Cripps was present at the Queensland Exploration Breakfast in Brisbane on Friday as Australian Securities Exchange chief executive Elmer Funke Kupper called on the federal government to introduce a Canadian-style exploration tax credits scheme for start-up resources firms.

"A similar scheme in Canada has been extremely successful," he said.

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