The New South Wales Resource Regulator has launched a comprehensive mine safety compliance campaign for the second half of this year, aimed at ensuring safety and rehabilitation standards.
Priorities will include risk management and supervision in open-cut coal mines, airborne contaminants in metalliferous mines, mobile plant work platform attachments, and safety management systems for tier-two quarries.
The regulator will also look at revegetation, surface and groundwater management, and tailings dam management, as well as compliance with exploration licence conditions such as community consultation and rehabilitation sign-off.
Executive director Peter Day says these priorities have been developed in response to incidents and feedback from the mining sector and communities.
“By listening to industry and analysing incident data, we can implement targeted strategies that enhance operational safety, protect the environment, and promote sustainable practices across the resources sector,” he says.
“Mining is a temporary use of the land, which is why the regulator’s focus on rehabilitation is so important. We are working directly with mine operators and inspecting sites to ensure everyone is aware of their obligations in achieving sustainable rehabilitation outcomes.”
In the latest budget, the government announced it is investing $13.6 million for mine rehabilitation over four years.
The investment will include further regulatory resources to oversee rehabilitation and ensure compliance, additional investigators to conduct investigations into alleged breaches of the Mining Act, and establish a mine closure team to work with the industry to ensure economic opportunities are maximised.
Day says reporting on compliance priorities ensures that “best practices” are upheld, providing a transparent framework for safety and operational standards.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
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