Glencore has earned a government certification for its rehabilitation efforts at the Westside open cut coal site in New South Wales.
Key points:
- Glencore has successfully rehabilitated 38 hectares of land, meeting all rehabilitate objectives and criteria set out by the NSW Government
“The focus on progressive rehabilitation throughout the operational phase meant final rehabilitation of the mine was completed in April 2012, just two months after mining finished,” Clibborn said. “The site has been returned to bushland consisting of native vegetation communities that are characteristic of the local environment and landform type.”This government certification follows a similar first for coal mine rehabilitation at Glencore’s Newlands operations in the Bowen Basin, Queensland. Glencore land and property manager Nigel Charnock said further areas of rehabilitation at Westside were being prepared for sign-off agreement, as well as areas at Ulan coal operations in the state’s mid-west. The company achieved more than 1000 hectares of rehabilitation last year across New South Wales and Queensland, with over 1300 hectares being seeded.
“But it is not just about quantity. Our site rehabilitation has to be quality as well; that is, capable of meeting an agreed end land use, as is the case with Westside,” Charnock concluded.
FAQ:
What is mine rehabilitation?
According to the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources, mine rehab (rehabilitation) is “the process used to repair the impacts of mining on the environment. Mine rehabilitation can also be referred to as coal mine rehabilitation, land rehabilitation, mine site rehabilitation or mine site restoration. The long-term objectives of rehabilitation can vary from simply converting an area to a safe and stable condition, to restoring the pre-mining conditions as closely as possible to support the future sustainability of the site”.
What are the different types of mine rehabilitation practices?
There are several types of mine rehabilitation practices including: - Hydrogeology - Flooding - Soil and capping material assessment - Water characterisation - Landform and cover design - Water management - Revegetation - Tailings storage facilities
Is my Progressive Rehabilitation and Closure Plan (PRCP) compliant?
Organisations carrying out mining activities in Queensland (QLD) are legally obligated to rehabilitate the land. A progressive rehabilitation and closure plan (PRC plan) is a critical element of the QLD Government’s Mined Land Rehabilitation Policy. When submitting a site-specific application for an Environmental Authority (EA) for a new mining activity relating to a mining lease, applicants are required to develop and submit a proposed PRC plan as part of their application. Download your free guide below to find out: https://www.decipher.com.au/MineRehabilitationGuideQLD
Useful links:
- National consortium on mine closure passes first hurdle
- What are the different types of mine rehab?
- Speak to our team for a free demo of our mine rehabilitation tool, DecipherGreen
- See how our solutions help manage environmental, standard and approval requirements for mine rehabilitation here
