The importance of coal cannot be understated, it powers everything from our homes to our economy. But it does come at a cost to the environment.

That’s why it is great to see our industry at the forefront of sustainable practices. From rehabilitation, decarbonisation, technological innovations, offset land uses, biodiversity and waste management, to providing financial assistance to environmental projects or organisations, the great work coal mining companies are doing that positively impacts the environment often goes under the radar.

CONSERVATION IS GLIDING AHEAD

The Squirrel Glider, a gliding marsupial species, has experienced significant population and distribution declines and is listed as a vulnerable species in NSW under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.

Hollow loss has had a particularly strong impact on the species as it is unable to forage in otherwise suitable young woodlands if there are no tree hollows present. Hollows can take up to 100 years to develop in many species of Eucalyptus tree.

Within a 50-kilometre radius of Whitehaven’s Maules Creek Mine there were just 37 records of the species noted on the government-managed database in the prior years to 2016. This led Whitehaven to increase its focus on assessing and acquiring biodiversity offset properties that enhance habitat connectivity and ecological function between old growth remnant woodland patches.

Since 2016, over 100 records of the Squirrel Glider have been made on Maules Creek’s offset properties. Specific actions Whitehaven has undertaken to improve habitat resilience and conservation outcomes for the Squirrel Glider include Box Gum Woodland revegetation and regeneration, nest box installation, pest animal control, barbed wire fence removal and ecological burning.

It is expected that Squirrel Glider numbers will continue to grow as trees planted on the biodiversity offsets continue to mature, more nest boxes are installed within the landscape, habitat connectivity improves, and pest animals and fire continue to be managed.

TICK OF APPROVAL FOR LIDDELL

52 hectares of rehabilitated mined land at Glencore’s Liddell Coal mine has received NSW Government sign-off.

The rehabilitation now represents agricultural grazing pasture and has met all closure criteria and objectives set out by the Department of Planning and Environment and the NSW Resources Regulator.

This significant milestone has been achieved in just under a year since the mine ceased operations in 2023.

Ben de Somer, Environment and Community Manager at Liddell Coal, said closure planning and rehabilitation work began while the mine was still operational.

“To achieve government sign-off on 52 ha of rehabilitation within the 12 months since operations closed is a great achievement for our site and reflects the importance of progressive rehabilitation throughout the mine’s life,” Ben said.

“This rehabilitation also represents the first sign-off under the latest New South Wales rehabilitation reforms, which support best practice mine site rehabilitation and sustainable final land uses following the completion of mining.”

“As we continue to focus on mine closure and rehabilitation work, we are committed to leaving behind a positive legacy.”

Since 2017 Glencore has had 15 rehabilitation areas across NSW and Queensland signed off by Governments as meeting completion criteria.

LISTEN AND LEARN

The Bloomfield Group’s Rix’s Creek Mine is close to the community of Singleton. To minimise noise impacts on the community, the mine has pioneered and continually refined a proactive noise management framework that combines boots on the ground with the latest science of real-time monitoring.

Underpinning the system is real-time in-person monitoring. Throughout the evenings, the mine deploys an environmental officer into the community. Using a hand-held monitor and informed by daily noise enhancement forecasting, the Environmental Officer can position themselves at the location in the community where predicted noise enhancement may occur. The Environmental Officer can then inform the mine’s Open Cut Examiner if noise levels are approaching defined limits in order to make changes to the mining operation and maintain compliance.

Through pre-emptive modelling, assessment of noise levels with feedback and operational adjustments, the noise compliance framework has supported Rix’s Creek Mine to operate efficiently while minimising the risk of adverse noise impacts on its neighbours.

WETLANDS GETS A MAKEOVER

Hunter Wetlands Centre unveiled a new-look conference space, thanks to a $20,000 joint funding donation from Glencore Coal and Port Waratah.

The unveiling was particularly special as it coincided with the Centre’s 40th anniversary, marking four decades of dedication to conservation, education, and community engagement.

The upgrades to the existing conference space make Hunter Wetlands Centre a go-to conference and meeting destination for local community groups, corporate businesses, and government organisations.

With the now completed renovations, the conference space boasts a contemporary refreshed interior, new wiring, upgraded conferencing equipment and an 85-inch presentation system.

Hunter Wetlands Centre General Manager, James Wilson, said the new-look space will have a positive impact across all aspects of the Centre.

“Not only will the renovated space provide our volunteers with a professional training space, but also greatly improve the meeting facilities for our community partners,” James said.

“By providing a modern, well-equipped space we can expand our offerings to corporate and government organisations. The financial sustainability this provides our Centre will help us keep entry costs low and support the conservation and restoration of the Wetlands.”

REHAB DONE RIGHT

Malabar Resources are committed to establishing and maintaining processes to minimise land disturbance and achieve a safe, stable, and non-polluting final landform.

Since taking ownership of the site, Malabar has rehabilitated over 880 hectares of land and planted over 165,000 trees in the woodland corridor, with the total trees planted onsite now exceeding 355,000.

Every year Malabar undertakes extensive land management activities such as weed spraying, feral animal management and erosion control as these key strategies help to manage the site and biodiversity offset areas.

All pasture and woodlands seed mixes that are used to target species likely to occur in the local area are reviewed by Malabar to ensure they are compatible with climatic conditions.

Malabar has successfully established grazing cattle on mine rehabilitated pastures, and increased diversity of grass species.

SEEDING THE FUTURE

The Whitehaven Coal Mine Closure team have run a native seed collection campaign again this year, harvesting a selection of native woody herbaceous shrubs, vines, and grasses.

This involves collecting seed from within the mining lease, and historical mine rehabilitation across the Gunnedah Open Cut Operations. These efforts aim to improve rehabilitation outcomes by supplementing the seed supplied by commercial seed suppliers and improving security around seed availability of targeted species that are dominant in the desired Plant Community Types.

The team is very proud of this project and has slowly built on the range of species collected each year from 3 mid storey species 2 years ago to now collecting 8 species including herbaceous shrubs, vines, and grasses.  Whitehaven have set up a nursery that includes a seed shed for drying and sorting the seed and a temperature-controlled seed storage contain to ensure the seed is stored appropriately until it is ready to be returned to the rehabilitation as seed or planted as seedlings.

Whitehaven are working with a local indigenous group, YMG, who are assisting in the collection of seed.

A YMG spokesperson explained why these seed collection campaigns are important for the local region.

“It is very important for the seed collection campaigns to continue so that all future rehabilitation projects have local endemic species going back into the sites that are being rehabilitated. It’s not always a good idea to bring seed stock in from other places due to accidental introduction of weeds or other invasive species.

“Being part of the rehabilitation process of mining sites is rewarding because as Aboriginal people we are actively caring for country as our forefathers have for many years before us.”

IT’S HAPPENING NOW

With BHP set to close Mt Arthur Coal (MAC) in 2030, the site Environment, Planning and Projects Teams have ramped up progressive rehabilitation activities across site.

The MAC team completed a massive 145 hectares of mine rehabilitation during the 2023 – 2024 financial year, with a target of a 135 hectares in the 2024 – 2025 financial year. 

Superintendent Environment, Jimmy Nixon, says MAC utilises a geomorphic design methodology for rehab.

“The completed rehabilitation has been a combination of native woodland and pasture final land use outcomes, and we’re starting to see evidence of good native germination in the woodland areas which is a great sign,” Jimmy said.

The completion of progressive rehabilitation involves a number of site teams and local contractors.

“Robson Civil has completed rehabilitation works as a contractor at MAC for many years, with the organisation ticking over a site presence of 15 years which is impressive.”

MAC is focused on delivering responsible closure to achieve positive outcomes for the environment, as well as economic and social outcomes for the community.

“We are immensely proud of what we’ve been able to achieve this past year and it’s a credit to the team.”

TURNING TREES INTO ENERGY

MACH Energy Mount Pleasant Operation (MACH) has been working with the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) over the past four years to undertake a Bioenergy Crop Trial on MACH owned land on Roxburgh Road. The bioenergy project is looking at how trees can help sustain energy needs and give farmers a supplementary income.

Project lead Fabiano Ximenes, DPI Senior Research Scientist said there were several objectives for the trial plot, including identifying and testing the suitability of specific crops to supply biomass for bioenergy in collaboration with industry, to test the potential of pellets for electricity generation and to understand community perceptions around bioenergy.

MACH assisted Dr Fabiano Ximenes and the team from DPI to undertake a massive tree planting exercise on MACH off-set land, planting 6,400 trees as part of the $4 million Biomass for Bioenergy project funded under the NSW Primary Industries Climate Change Research Strategy.

The main purpose of the crop trials is to investigate biomass production for bioenergy under short rotation cycles (3-4 years) which would target marginal unproductive areas, for example on farming or mining land. This could be achieved using integrated land management techniques which would result in additional co-benefits associated with increased native vegetation cover. These may include carbon sequestration in the trees, improved biodiversity and soil improvement.

Dr Ximenes said in terms of Bioenergy applications it could replace coal emissions and provide heat for major institutions.