Rehabilitation cost estimate requirements streamlined for renewal or transfer of titles

The Mining Act 1992 requires a rehabilitation cost estimate (RCE), prepared in accordance with the departmental guidelines, to accompany applications for renewal or transfer of exploration and mining titles.

The guidelines have recently been amended and the department now only requires a single dollar amount for each title - not a detailed costing (or associated calculations) to comprise the RCE that accompanies renewal/transfer applications. This avoids duplication as a detailed costing is already required at other trigger points during the term of the title (e.g. with the annual report).

Links to the amended guidelines are provided below.

Exploration and mining rehabilitation report released

The bi-annual exploration and mining rehabilitation report for January to June 2021 has been released to provide information about our regulatory activities under the Mining Act 1992.

During the reporting period, our compliance priorities included operational rehabilitation reforms and progressive rehabilitation.

Narrabri Coal convicted and fined for mining offences

Narrabri Coal Pty Ltd and Narrabri Coal Operations Pty Ltd were convicted and fined a total of $372,500 in the NSW Land and Environment Court on 13 August 2021, for a range of offences under the state’s mining laws.

The convictions follow a prosecution by the NSW Resources Regulator concerning breaches of Exploration Licence EL6243 and Mining Lease ML1609, which form part of Whitehaven Coal’s Narrabri Operations located 23 kilometres northwest of Boggabri.

Geomorphic landform establishment at Mount Pleasant Operations

We have published a Rehabilitation Information Release about geomorphic landform establishment on part of the Mount Pleasant Operations coal mine near Muswellbrook, NSW (the mine).

The mine incorporates a comprehensive rehabilitation control system which includes significant landform design modelling to validate that the landform design and associated surface water drainage network will be stable in the long term.

New guidance material available

Additional guidance material has been published on our website to assist lease holders understand and meet their obligations under the new rehabilitation conditions on mining leases. Resources include:

• Fact sheet: 'Reasonably practicable’ for mine rehabilitation
• Transitioning to the new rehabilitation conditions on mining leases - What should the mining industry do to prepare?
• Mine Rehabilitation Portal workshop - recording

Latest compliance audit reports

TAP reports

We manage the risks to rehabilitation as part of a risk-based and outcomes focused approach to compliance and enforcement. This includes targeted assessments and planned inspection programs across mines in NSW.

Our recent Targeted Assessment Program (TAP) reports can be viewed below.

Consultation on Exploration Package

As a NSW exploration stakeholder, we are seeking your feedback on a suite of policy and operational reforms to encourage high-quality exploration in NSW and ensure that exploration is undertaken responsibly and efficiently to maximise the benefit of the state’s resources.

These reforms are known as the Exploration package. Industry and community feedback is welcome and should be submitted by 8 October 2021.

In case you missed it

• 2020 - 2021 Business Activities Overview
• Compliance Priorities July - December 2021