Clear rules and criteria about which land is opened to mining and under what conditions means that these decisions can be made on sound land-use principles, not to personally benefit decision-makers. This strengthens the integrity of licensing decisions and other mining related approvals.

Where the discretion of government officials about which areas to open to mining is kept in check by clear rules and decision-making criteria, it is less likely that their decisions will be influenced by personal interests or will favour particular stakeholders in exchange for personal benefit.