Predicting the future is a task that should always be
delegated. If that is not possible, then stating your views confidently, but
retrospectively, is preferable. Hindsight encourages clarity of thought and
sharpens perception. When all else fails one can look back into history and see
the trends, evaluate the current situation and project it a little way into the
future - in this case 10 years.
In exploration the rate of change has been increasing over
the past 20 years. With expected developments in technology, legislation, and
their sociological impacts, we will see such rapid change over the next decade
as to make us uncomfortable, unless we are prepared for it.

The social obligations of our
industry also have changed enormously over the past 20 years and are still
changing. This will lead to further changes in the way we conduct our business
if we wish to stay in business. As exploration technology improves, a further
dimension is added by the expectations of the communities in which we operate.
This extra dimension needs to be quantified so that we not only keep up with
current developments but also get ahead of the game. This paper is based on the
New Zealand experience, some of which will be familiar to mineral explorers in
other countries.