SUSTAINABLE MINING Acknowledgements
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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