Mount Thorley Warkworth
- Overview
- Mining and production
- Sustainable development
MTW is committed to sustainable development and ensuring positive environmental, social and economic outcomes for the community in which it operates.
The mine ensures that all employees and visitors comply with Rio Tinto Coal Australia's environmental management policies to minimise the mine's impact on the environment and to ensure that mined land is effectively rehabilitated.
MTW has implemented and set aside approximately 1,650 hectares of land as Green Offsets to provide long term management and protection to native plants and wildlife.
MTW is committed to the long term social and economic well being of the Upper Hunter. Through Coal & Allied's community relations programme and the Coal & Allied Community Trust, the mine is working to help provide positive long term outcomes for the region.
In addition, MTW is working to create sustainable post-mining opportunities through consultation with the community and local stakeholders, while ensuring the final land use is compatible with the surrounding environment and this expected to be achieved by a mixture of agricultural and native habitat land.
2007 Sustainable development report
| 2007 | 2006 | |
|---|---|---|
| Employees | 565 males, 30 females, Total 595 | 574 males, 26 females, Total 600 |
| Saleable production | 8.7 million tonnes. Production was impacted by decreased coal chain capacity, rail and port constraints and two flood events. | 11.2 million tonnes |
| Health & safety LTIFR (200,000) | Target 0.18 2007 performance 0.39 | 0.19 |
| Freshwater use (litres per tonne of product coal) | Target 47, 2007 performance 124. Flood events in June resulted in more fresh water available from site storages. | 226 |
| Energy use (gigagoules per tonne of product coal) | Target 0.205, 2007 performance 0.263 | 0.217 |
| Greenhouse gas emissions (kg -CO2 per tonne of product coal) | Target 98.57, 2007 performance 99.4. | 91.81 |
| Annual rehabilitation & disturbance (hectares) | Target rehabilitation 78, 2007 performance 69. Target disturbance 52, 2007 performance 66. MTW rehabilitation targets were reassessed and decreased due to the forecast decrease in production. | Rehabilitation 64, Disturbance 43. |
2007 Highlights
- MTW began a 12 month coal bed methane pilot project in 2007 in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- A collision avoidance system developed at MTW was recognised at the New South Wales Minerals Council Safety Innovation Awards. The new system, called 'Duck In' manages interactions between face shovels and dozers, reducing the risk of collisions.
- A combination of improved mine plans, increased plant yield, greater dragline productivity and an increased use of equipment resulted in a total of almost $13 million of additional value delivered at MTW through Business improvement initiatives.
- The safety of two on site silos were improved using technology that allowed the structures to be rebuilt instead of replaced.
- MTW began conducting Planned Maintenance Optimisation (PMO) exercises on heavy mobile equipment to improve the maintenance process.
- 69 hectares of rehabilitation undertaken in 2007, including large, targeted areas at the north of the operation to assist in screening of the site.
- MTW received all approvals to take part in the Singleton 'Tidy Town' Project and committed to sponsor eight community groups, which will undertake quarterly clean ups of Wallaby Scrub Road. The clean up supports local groups looking for additional funding as well as assisting in keeping the local area clean and tidy.
- Community complaints were lower than in 2006, with efforts focused on community visits to deal with any concerns raised.
