SUSTAINABLE MINING Acknowledgements

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

SUSTAINABLE MINING Acknowledgements SUSTAINABLE MINING ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This document was based on A Guide to Leading Practice Sustainable Development in Mining (2011). It was developed by the Australian Centre for Sustainable Mining Practices with the support of the Leading Practice Sustainable Development Program for the Mining Industry Steering Committee. The Steering Committee involved leading experts from university research and education centres, industry, state and federal governments and was chaired by the Australian Government Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism. This initiative is also part of the Australian Government’s commitment to the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate. The Leading Practice Sustainable Development Program for the Mining Industry (LPSD) is a program that promotes sustainable development and industry self-regulation through proactive adoption of leading practice principles. The program was launched in 2006 and is administered by the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism (RET). For more information about the LPSD and to download a copy of the report, visit ret.gov.au/resources/resources_programs/ lpsdpmining/handbooks/Pages/default.aspx Austrade gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Associate Professor David Laurence, Australian Centre for Sustainable Mining Practices at the University of NSW, with the preparation of this document. Cover image: ’Tree planting involving miners and their families’ by Joel Forte. Snowden Photo Competition 2011. Photo courtesy of Snowden DISCLAIMER Austrade does not endorse or guarantee the performance or suitability of any introduced party or accept liability for the accuracy or usefulness of any information contained in this Report. Please use commercial discretion to assess the suitability of any business introduction or goods and services offered when assessing your business needs. Austrade does not accept liability for any loss associated with the use of any information and any reliance is entirely at the user's discretion. ©Commonwealth of Australia 2013 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth, available through the Australian Trade Commission. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Marketing Manager, Austrade, GPO Box 5301, Sydney NSW 2001 or by email to [email protected] Publication date: May 2013 2 SUSTAINABLE MINING td L ining M ewcrest ewcrest N uinea. Photo courtesy of uinea. Photo courtesy G ew N ine, Papua M old G ihir L LEADING PRACTICE orkshop about the SOlutiONS USED W AROUND THE WORLD ultural Heritage C SUSTAINABLE MINING 3 INTRODUCTION Australia has a mature mining and resources industry INDUSTRY OVERVIEW built on nearly 200 years of experience. The strength of Australia’s resource In recent decades, Australia has developed INDUSTRY STRENGTHS sector has fuelled much of its economic advanced capabilities in environmental and development and helped underpin water management as well as innovative COMPANIES AND social development. approaches to community engagement and development. CAPABILITIES This growth has also seen the rise of sustainable mining methodologies, where This industry capability statement provides FURTHER Australian companies have developed an overview of Australian capabilities in several leading practice solutions now used in aspects of sustainable mining: environmental INFORMATION Australia and across the world. and water management, community engagement and development. It includes The Australian mining industry is at examples of some of the many Australian the forefront of the global pursuit of companies with specialist expertise. sustainable mining, recognising that environmental accountability, social Talk to your local Austrade representative responsibility and commercial success for tailored advice and information on are now inseparable concepts. connecting and partnering with the Australian mining industry. 4 SUSTAINABLE MINING ‘Kalgoorlie’s Underbelly’ by Greg Tossel. Landscape/General Setting Winner, Snowden Photo Competition 2010. Photo courtesy of Snowden S U ST AI N AB LE M I N I NG 5 Australia has an abundant supply Australia’s mining sector has built a In the field of sustainable mining, INTRODUCTION reputation as a world leader in the Australian companies have of mineral resources, including the world’s largest reserves of lead, development and manufacture of developed leading practice INDUSTRY OVERVIEW mining equipment, technology and solutions being used in Australia nickel, uranium and zinc. services (METS). and across the world. INDUSTRY STRENGTHS It is a world leader in the production of Australian firms are competitive 1,2 key mineral commodities including: right across the supply chain, COMPANIES AND the world’s leading producer of including exploration, engineering, 1 minerals processing, environmental CAPABILITIES bauxite, alumina, rutile, zircon and tantalum management, mine safety, research and development and education FURTHER the second largest producer of and training. 2 gold, iron ore, lead, manganese INFORMATION and lithium the third largest producer of 3 ilmenite, nickel, uranium and zinc ‘Sustainable resource management in Australia 4 the fourth largest producer of is something that’s always been at the forefront black coal and silver of the mining industry. It’s something our the fifth largest producer 5 of aluminium, brown coal, communities and our people demand and diamonds, and copper. something the people involved in the mining This wealth of mineral resources, underpinned by significant investment sector particularly are passionate about. in research and development (A$3.8 billion in 2010-2011)3, has We plan our mines for mine closure, so we take generated a skilled industry of into account rehabilitation regeneration at the professionals, advanced extraction processes and cutting-edge very outset of any mine development.’ technology. Michael Wright Executive General Manager, Australian Mining Thiess 6 SUSTAINABLE MINING ooper Basin at dawn C ightning Rig operating at Jolokia 1 in the L SUSTAINABLE MINING 7 WORLD’S LEADING This in turn has created a broad It also assists the industry to operate in INTRODUCTION framework of ongoing demand for, a manner which aligns with community PRACTICE IN and the continued development of, expectations, and which seeks to INDUSTRY OVERVIEW SUSTAINABLE MINING innovative technologies and services maximise the long-term benefits in sustainable mining practices. to society through the effective The Australian mining industry management of Australia’s natural INDUSTRY STRENGTHS The Minerals Council of Australia’s has considerable experience in resources. All member companies of Enduring Value Framework For bringing together the concepts of the Council are required to sign off on Sustainable Development provides COMPANIES AND environmental accountability, social the Enduring Value framework. responsibility and commercial critical guidance to mining companies CAPABILITIES success. Sustainable mining depends on applying the International Council Conscious of the importance of on excellence in mine safety and on Mining and Metals (ICMM) environmental sustainability, the FURTHER health as well as optimising the Sustainable Development Framework Australian mining industry has invested INFORMATION extraction of the mineral resource, Principles at an operational level. heavily in personnel, training, scientific or resource efficiency. research and development to ensure that the highest environmental, safety Australia is a world leader in and community standards sustainable mining thanks to are achieved. a combination of a long history of implementing strong environmental and Resource efficiency Environment safety regulations as well as adopting voluntary codes of practice and standards. SUSTAINABLE MINING Community PRACTICES Economics Safety Diagram courtesy of Associate Professor David Laurence, University of NSW 8 SUSTAINABLE MINING SUSTAINABILITY These initiatives are further supported INTRODUCTION and enhanced by the Leading ACROSS THE MINING Practice Sustainable Development ‘Australian companies INDUSTRY OVERVIEW LIFE CYCLE Program in Mining initiative, are committed to the which was launched in 2006 by Australia’s mining companies the Australian Government and management of the INDUSTRY STRENGTHS recognise the need to manage the mining industry. The program their mining and mineral projects established best-practice procedures resource for its whole life COMPANIES AND in an environmentally and socially that encompass all stages of the cycle, from the discovery CAPABILITIES responsible manner. To do this, they mining process and the key issues have developed a range of initiatives which affect sustainable mining. of the resource through and protocols that cover all stages FURTHER of the mining process, from initial Australian expertise in mining the exploitation phase INFORMATION exploration to mine rehabilitation sustainability and social responsibility and closure. covers a number of areas across the and importantly through typical mining project cycle. the wind-down and the regeneration phase.’ 4 Phases of a mining project which need to be considered in evaluating mining sustainability John McGagh Head of Innovation RioTinto Exploration Feasibility Planning and design Closure Sustainable planning and development Completion principles implementation
Recommended publications
  • Inquiry Into Greenfields Mineral Exploration and Project Development in Victoria
    ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE Inquiry into greenfields mineral exploration and project development in Victoria May 2012 ORDERED TO BE PRINTED Victorian Government Printer Parliamentary Paper No. 136 Session 2010–11 Parliament of Victoria Economic Development and Infrastructure Committee Inquiry into greenfields mineral exploration and project development in Victoria ISBN: 978‐0‐9808214‐2‐0 Economic Development and Infrastructure Committee Parliament House, Spring Street EAST MELBOURNE VIC 3002 Phone: +61 3 8682 2832 Email: [email protected] Website: <http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/edic> This report is also available online at the Committee’s website. Cover design by Matt Clare of Mono Design. Rear cover image provided by Iluka Resources. This report is printed on recycled paper. Table of Contents Committee members and staff ix The Economic Development and Infrastructure Committee xi Committee contact details xi Terms of reference xiii Chair’s foreword xv List of recommendations xvii List of tables xxi List of figures xxiii List of abbreviations xxv Chapter one: Introduction 1 1.1 Scope of the Inquiry 3 1.1.1 Terms of reference 3 1.1.2 What types of minerals are the focus of the Inquiry? 4 1.2 Inquiry process 5 1.3 Report overview 5 Chapter two: The mining and extractives sectors in Australia 7 2.1 Overview of mineral exploration and mining project development 8 2.1.1 ‘Greenfields’ versus ‘brownfields’ exploration 9 2.1.2 Why is greenfields mineral exploration important? 9 2.1.3 The relationship between junior
    [Show full text]
  • Taking Responsibility for Australia's Mining Legacies
    GROUND TRUTHS: TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR AUSTRALIA’S MINING LEGACIES Charles Roche and Simon Judd ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Research: Charles Roche, Simon Judd and Sangita Bista We recognise and pay tribute to the communities, researchers and mining professionals who have long understood the need for mining legacies reform in Australia. This project was sponsored by a grant from the Australian Conservation Foundation. Editors: Charles Roche and Simon Judd Design and layout: Elbo Graphics All images (c) MPI unless attributed Cover artwork: Trying to Protect Our Land, Jacky Green Prints available, monies raised will support community response to mining at McArthur River. ISBN: 978-0-9946216-0-3 A publication by the Mineral Policy Institute www.mpi.org.au | [email protected] GROUND TRUTHS: TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR AUSTRALIA’S MINING LEGACIES 2 CONTENTS Executive Summary 4 Recommendations 4 Mining In Australia 5 Mine Closure Or Mining Legacy? 6 Success or failure? Mine closures in Australia 6 Mining legacies 7 The Australian response to mining legacies 7 International recognition and response 9 Risk 11 Environmental and social risk 11 Financial Risk 12 Textbox 1. Yabulu Refnery 14 Examples Of Mining Legacies In Australia 15 New South Wales coal – case studies 15 Textbox 2. Financial risk at Russell Vale 18 Victorian coal – case studies 19 Textbox 3. A lack of closure planning at Anglesea 21 The Carmichael coal mine; project viability and closure risk 23 McArthur River Mine 23 Ranger Uranium Mine 24 Textbox 4. Burning rocks and technical risk at McArthur River 26 Regulation and Management of Mine Closure and Mining Legacies 28 Coordinated action on Australian mine closure 28 The state system and environmental fnancial assurance 28 The bonds system 29 Mining levies 29 New South Wales 29 Textbox 5.
    [Show full text]
  • HERITAGE PLACE REPORT Greater Bendigo City 
    HERITAGE PLACE REPORT Greater Bendigo City HERITAGE CITATION REPORT Name Carlisle United / Garden Gully Heritage Heritage Overlay Precinct Address Casley, Bennett, Duncan, Louis, Victoria Streets Property No: Building Type VHR Number N/A Residential buildings private, former church, HI Number N/A special uses land, reserved former mine lands Heritage Status Recommended listing of File Number N/A Carlisle United / Garden Gully Heritage Precinct as an individual item within the heritage overlay Precinct Recommended significant and Hermes Number contributory places within the Precinct Heritage Study Author Year Grading Ironbark Heritage Study Mandy Jean 2010 Local significance Designer/Architect Architectural Style unknown Vernacular to Modern 1950s Bungalows Maker/Builder unknown Date 1870s to 1950s Type of Place Hermes Number Heritage Place Report %#S HERITAGE PLACE REPORT Greater Bendigo City History and Historical Context History of the Area Bendigo gold field commenced in 1851 and continued over the next 153 years through times of boom, decline, revival and stagnation. The last underground historic mine closed in 1954 with continued production locally. The Bendigo Goldfields is Australia's second largest in terms of historical production after Western Australia's Golden Mile (Boulder, Kalgoorlie).1 It produced the largest amount of gold of any field in Eastern Australia and retains the largest evidence of its mining past within the inner city area. The history of mining shaped and created Bendigo. It left a chaotic industrial landscape which was in a state of perpetual flux with seemingly random, scattered, small and often very isolated settlements of people across a wide area.2 The Bendigo goldfields, about 12 kilometres wide, extend 30 kilometres from north to south.
    [Show full text]
  • CORRUPTION RISKS: MINING APPROVALS in AUSTRALIA Mining for Sustainable Development Programme
    CORRUPTION RISKS: MINING APPROVALS IN AUSTRALIA Mining for Sustainable Development Programme OCTOBER 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS 07 26 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY QUEENSLAND Description of activity - p7 Mining Leases Queensland - p26 Summary of risk assessment Coordinated projects - p29 outcomes - p8 11 37 NATIVE TITLE INTRODUCTION Determination of native title - p37 Transparency International Mining for Sustainable Development Programme The expedited process – exploration - p11 licences, Western Australia - p38 The M4SD Programme study - p11 Right to negotiate and ILUAs, Mining Glossary - p12 Leases – Western Australia - p38 Acronyms and abbreviations - p13 Background - p14 46 Methodology - p15 CROSS CUTTING ISSUES Industry influence - p46 16 Whistle blowing - p50 WESTERN AUSTRALIA Due Diligence - p50 Exploration Licence and Mining Lease Approvals Process Western Australia - p16 State Agreements Western Australia - p22 2 54 DISCUSSION OF RESULTS Distribution of results - p54 Risks distributed across approvals processes - p56 Large mining infrastructure projects - p56 Native Title - p57 Aggregated risks - p57 Other minor risks - p57 Limitations of results - p57 58 CONCLUSION 60 BIBLIOGRAPHY 68 APPENDIX A 3 FOREWORD For the past 15 years, I have been working in corporate Without adequate due diligence—even basic research into accountability, good governance, and business and human the track record of mining applicants—there is a risk that rights. This has included the mining sector, with a focus permits will be awarded to companies with a history of non- on the policy and practice of Australian mining companies compliance or corruption, including in their operations in operating abroad – often in corruption and conflict-prone other countries. countries. The risk assessment also identified a high potential for Understanding corruption risks in the mining approvals industry influence and state and policy capture in the process is vital to ensuring mining contributes to sustainable awarding of mining approvals.
    [Show full text]
  • The Mining Industry: from Bust to Boom
    2011-08 Reserve Bank of Australia RESEARCH DISCUSSION PAPER Th e Mining Industry: From Bust to Boom Ellis Connolly and David Orsmond RDP 2011-08 Reserve Bank of Australia Economic Research Department THE MINING INDUSTRY: FROM BUST TO BOOM Ellis Connolly and David Orsmond Research Discussion Paper 2011-08 December 2011 Economic Analysis Department Reserve Bank of Australia This paper was first presented at the Reserve Bank of Australia Conference on ‘The Australian Economy in the 2000s’ at the H.C. Coombs Centre for Financial Studies, Kirribilli, on 15–16 August 2011. We would like to thank our colleagues at the RBA and participants at the Conference for their helpful comments. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Reserve Bank of Australia. Responsibility for any remaining errors rests with us. Authors: connollye and orsmondd at domain rba.gov.au Media Office: [email protected] Abstract The Australian mining industry experienced a remarkable turnaround during the 2000s. The rapid growth of emerging economies in Asia drove a surge in demand for commodities, particularly those used in steel and energy generation. With global supply unable to respond quickly, prices surged to historically high levels. In response, mining investment in Australia rose to record levels as a share of the economy by the end of the decade. The rise in commodity prices has boosted activity and incomes and encouraged the factors of production to shift towards the mining industry. The boom has also been associated with a large increase in the real exchange rate, affecting trade-exposed industries.
    [Show full text]
  • The Lithium-Ion Battery Value Chain
    THE LITHIUM-ION BATTERY VALUE CHAIN New Economy Opportunities for Australia Acknowledgment Austrade would like to express our appreciation to Future Smart Strategies, especially Howard Buckley, for his professional guidance, advice and assistance, with earlier versions of this report. We would also like to thank Adrian Griffin at Lithium Australia for his insights and constructive suggestions. And we would like to acknowledge the insights provided by Prabhav Sharma at McKinsey & Company. More broadly, we would like to thank the following companies and organisations for providing data and information that assisted our research: › Association of Mining and Exploration Australia (AMEC); › Geoscience Australia; › Albemarle; and › TianQi Australia. Disclaimer Copyright © Commonwealth of Australia 2018 This report has been prepared by the Commonwealth of Australia represented by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade). The report is a general overview and is not intended to The material in this document is licensed under a Creative Commons provide exhaustive coverage of the topic. The information is made Attribution – 4.0 International licence, with the exception of: available on the understanding that the Commonwealth of Australia is • the Australian Trade and Investment Commission’s logo not providing professional advice. • any third party material While care has been taken to ensure the information in this report • any material protected by a trade mark is accurate, the Commonwealth does not accept any liability for any • any images and photographs. loss arising from reliance on the information, or from any error or More information on this CC BY licence is set out at the creative omission, in the report.
    [Show full text]
  • Mining Equipment, Technology and Services | a Roadmap for Unlocking Future Growth Opportunities for Australia Executive Summary
    Mining Equipment, Technology and Services A Roadmap for unlocking future growth opportunities for Australia MAY 2017 www.csiro.au CSIRO Futures is the strategic advisory and foresight CSIRO FUTURES arm of Australia’s national science agency. CSIRO FUTURES ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CSIRO Futures is the strategy and innovation advisory CSIRO would like to acknowledge the METS Ignited business of Australia’s national science agency. Industry Growth Centre and Austmine for their input and We work with senior decision makers in Australia’s support in the development of this report. largest companies – and government – to help We are also grateful for the time and input of industry them translate science into strategy and plan for an representatives consulted throughout this project and the uncertain future. We build on CSIRO’s deep research many researchers who provided invaluable review and expertise to help our clients create sustainable growth feedback on this report. and competitive advantage by harnessing science, technology and innovation. COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER CSIRO MINERAL RESOURCES © 2017 CSIRO. To the extent permitted by law, all rights are reserved and no part of this publication covered by CSIRO’s Mineral Resources business works across the copyright may be reproduced or copied in any form or by minerals value chain to grow Australia’s resource base, any means except with the written permission of CSIRO. increase the productivity of the minerals industry and reduce its environmental footprint, both in Australia and globally. As one of the largest minerals research groups in the world, we work with more than 150 partners internationally, including exploration and mining companies, METS sector businesses, research institutions and government.
    [Show full text]
  • Mining by Aborigines – Australia's First Miners
    FEBRUARY 2007 PRIMEFACT 572 (REPLACES MINFACT 84) Mining by Aborigines – Australia's first miners Mineral Resources While 1997 was the bicentenary of mining in Australia by people of European descent, the history of mining in this country stretches back much further. For more than 40 000 years before the arrival of the First Fleet in Sydney Harbour, Australian Aborigines had been mining the land for ochre and stone. Aborigines depended on their stone implements to gather and process their food; ochre was a vital ingredient in art and religious practices; quarries and ‘processing’ sites were developed to cater for Ochre was mined by Aborigines for use in cave and the demand for these products; and transport body painting and for the decoration of artefacts. routes were established to allow for their trade. Ochre figures from a cave near Cobar While ochre and stone of one sort or another can The quarried flint nodules from the cave were taken be found almost anywhere in Australia, the ochre elsewhere to be made into tools. and stone deposits that were exploited by Aborigines were of particularly high quality. Operations at most major Aboriginal mines appear to have ceased no later than 50 years ago, The higher the quality, the larger the mining although deposits of ochre are still being exploited operation and the greater the distance over which for use in art and ceremonies. the product was traded. Ochre from north western South Australia and from eastern Western Australia There are 416 recorded Aboriginal mine sites in and stone axes from Mount Isa-Cloncurry were eastern Australia (Queensland, NSW, Victoria), traded far outside these districts.
    [Show full text]
  • Western Australian Mineral and Petroleum Statistics Digest 2018-19
    Government of Western Australia Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MINERAL AND PETROLEUM STATISTICS DIGEST 2018-19 years 125 OF PUBLISHING RESOURCE INDUSTRY STATISTICS FOR WA Disclaimer Information provided in this digest is made available without charge, as a public service, in good faith. The information provided is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of publication. However, use of the information in the digest is at your own risk. The digest is provided solely on the basis that users will be responsible for making their own assessment of the information provided therein and users are advised to verify all representations, statements and information for decisions that concern the conduct of business that involves monetary or operational consequences. Each user waives and releases the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety and the State of Western Australia and its servants to the full extent permitted by law from all and any claims relating to the use of the material in the digest. In no event shall the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety or the State of Western Australia be liable for any incidental or consequential damages arising from any use or reliance on any material in this digest. Prices and values provided are in Australian dollars, unless otherwise stated. There may be some discrepancies in percentages owing to the rounding of values. Copyright © 2019 Copyright in this document is reserved to the State of Western Australia. Reproduction
    [Show full text]
  • Economic Geography of the Australian Mining Industry
    Munich Personal RePEc Archive Economic Geography of the Australian Mining Industry Bayari, Celal The University of Sydney Business School 24 March 2015 Online at https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/102831/ MPRA Paper No. 102831, posted 15 Sep 2020 14:41 UTC ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY OF THE AUSTRALIAN MINING INDUSTRY CELAL BAYARI THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY BUSINESS SCHOOL ABSTRACT This paper is a discussion of the economic geography of Australia. It provides a history of foreign investment in mining, and discusses several resources booms that shaped the landscape of the continent and the role of governments (state, federal and territory governments) in this process. The paper presents a chronological account of the development of the Australian mining industry, the primary activities of which are the extraction, and export of unprocessed coal, iron, minerals and increasingly natural gas. The paper analyzes the industry’s interaction with foreign investment and government assistance (that is government spending in relation to the industry such as subsidies, loans and infrastructure construction etc). Australia’s trade and foreign investment environment have long been deregulated. The Australian mining industry has benefited from this deregulation. But its most spectacular period has been the “commodities super-cycle” of the 2000s-2010s. Overall, its contribution to exports has long typified the mining industry. The discussion herein draws attention to the applicability of the ‘eclectic theory’ in reference to foreign investment in mining. That is, investing mining MNEs (multinational enterprises) have three main types of ‘locational advantages’ in Australia, 1) volume of the availability of resources, 2) foreign investment regulatory environment and 3) government assistance that benefits the mining industry’s expansion.
    [Show full text]
  • Australian Attitudes Toward Mining Citizen Survey – 2014 Results
    MINERAL RESOURCES www.csiro.au Australian attitudes toward mining Citizen Survey – 2014 Results Kieren Moffat, Airong Zhang & Naomi Boughen September 2014 #csiromining CSIRO Mineral Resources Flagship Citation Moffat, K., Zhang, A., & Boughen, N. (2014). Australian attitudes toward mining: Citizen survey – 2014 results. CSIRO, Australia. EP 146276. Copyright and disclaimer © 2014 CSIRO To the extent permitted by law, all rights are reserved and no part of this publication covered by copyright may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means except with the written permission of CSIRO. Important disclaimer CSIRO advises that the information contained in this publication comprises general statements based on scientific research. The reader is advised and needs to be aware that such information may be incomplete or unable to be used in any specific situation. No reliance or actions must therefore be made on that information without seeking prior expert professional, scientific and technical advice. To the extent permitted by law, CSIRO (including its employees and consultants) excludes all liability to any person for any consequences, including but not limited to all losses, damages, costs, expenses and any other compensation, arising directly or indirectly from using this publication (in part or in whole) and any information or material contained in it. For more information Lead author contact details: Dr Kieren Moffat Senior Research Scientist CSIRO Mineral Resources Flagship e [email protected] @kierenmoffat Acknowledgements This research project was funded by CSIRO. Thank you to Dr Justine Lacey for her contributions to earlier versions of this report. i Australian attitudes toward mining Table of contents Mining in Australia iii ◆ Mining is big business, but not without its problems.
    [Show full text]
  • Australian Mining
    Australian Mining A great mining nation adapts to new challenges and fresh opportunities by applying unmatched operational expertise and incorporating home grown innovation. A REPORT BY GBR FOR E&MJ A Supplement to E&MJ This report was researched and prepared by Global Business Reports (www.gbreports.com) for Engineering & Mining Journal. Editorial researched and written by Ramona Tarta, Thomas Willatt, Joseph Hincks, Camille Veillon and Patricia Matey. For further information, contact [email protected] Cover photo courtesy of Newmont - Underground heavy machinery workshop - Tanami SEPTEMBER 2011 AUSTRALIAN MINING A Vast Nation of Abundant Opportunities A brief introduction to Australia’s mining industry Conveyors at Newmont Boddington Gold Mine (photo courtesy of Newmont) Australia, the sixth largest country in the largest export sector. According to Michael of technology. Anne Nolan, former director world, stands out for vastness and the abun- Roarty , a member of Australia’s parliament, general of the Western Australia Department dance of its natural resources. Its territory in 2008-09, the resources sector accounted of State Development, underlines the region contains 28 billion mt of demonstrated iron for more than 80% of total commodity ex- is world-leading in terms of mining software ore resources. Australia is the world’s larg- ports, contributing A$160 million to export and design and sees this as a key route to est coal exporter, the world’s second largest earnings. From global industry-leading play- ensure wider economic benefit from com- producer of gold and nickel and the third ers like BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto to mid- modity exports.
    [Show full text]