Australia’s first government and industry collaboration on mine closure criteria
| Date: | Tuesday, 20 August 2019 |
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- New guidance will help deliver better rehabilitation of Western Australian mine sites
Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston today announced a new guidance for the rehabilitation of Western Australian mine sites.
The guidance ‘A framework for developing mine-site completion criteria in Western Australia’ outlines environmental criteria that mine operators can use to demonstrate they have successfully and sustainably rehabilitated their site after mining.
The work is the first in Australia to be produced by government agencies, leading science experts and a wide range of industry representatives.
It was developed by the Western Australian Biodiversity Science Institute and endorsed by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.
While the new guidance primarily targets the resources sector, other industries can potentially use the guidance when undertaking ecological restoration.
A copy of the guidance is available at https://wabsi.org.au/category/publications/
Comments attributed to Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston:
“The new Western Australian guidance for mine closure is a great example of government and industry working together to deliver better rehabilitation outcomes for our State.
“It provides industry with greater clarity and consistency in the development of mine closure plans across different locations and commodities.
“Effective mine closure is critical to ensure the long-term environmental sustainability of the industry.
“Working together with industry to improve regulation and regulatory practice is a key part of the McGowan Government’s Streamline WA initiative.”
