Rehabilitation

Rio Tinto Coal Australia (RTCA) conducts progressive rehabilitation of areas that have been mined, wherever possible, to reduce our impact on the environment and minimise the residual impact of our operations. 

Rehabilitation involves the reshaping and revegetation of land that has been mined with a selection of plant species that create habitats which improve biodiversity and restore the value of the land for use by future generations. Rehabilitation also reduces erosion by limiting the areas of a mine exposed to wind and water.

Results

In 2007, RTCA Queensland sites rehabilitated 104 ha of land, which was below our 2007 target of 366ha. The result was due to no rehabilitation at Kestrel Mine, as areas identified for rehabilitation were deferred for two years. Rehabilitation at Kestrel is undertaken on a campaign basis, which allows large areas to be completed at one time. In addition, the Hail Creek Mine did not undertake any rehabilitation during the period due to changes in the mine plan.

Blair Athol Mine met the target for rehabilitation and with the mine working towards closure in 2015, 4.5 hectares of research trials of a range of seeds were planted in 2007.

RTCA Queensland sites disturbed 454ha of land, which was above the target of 399ha. The target was not met due to expansion of mining areas at the Hail Creek Mine.

The Clermont Mine is a new site owned and operated by RTCA, however coal production is not planned to commence until January 2010.  As the site is under construction, 688 hectares of land was disturbed during 2007. This has not been included in the RTCA total as under the Rio Tinto reporting requirements a site is not required to report against targets until operational.

In 2007, Coal & Allied sites rehabilitated 183ha of land, which was below the target of 249ha due to changes in mine plans.  However, Bengalla mine completed a weed control and revegetation programme along a 16km stretch of the Hunter River and also planted 3,000 seedlings with the ultimate aim of returning the riparian zone along the river to native vegetation.

Coal & Allied sites met their disturbance target in 2007, disturbing 220ha of land, below the target of 233ha.