In keeping with modern environmental
guidelines and community expectations,
Ensham actively pursues a sustainable
development model for its coal mining
operations.
Ensham’s sustainable development
approach extends to the protection of
the physical environment and economic
sustainability of its operations and
also recognises the importance of local
communities to the ongoing viability of
regional Australia (see community
section).
Ensham mine’s industry
leading safety record is underpinned by
an extremely well developed Health and
Safety Management System built on
procedures and processes mapped directly
against the Australian Standard: AS
4804.
This has resulted in a
sustained reduction in recordable
injuries and incidents despite a
significant increase in exposure hours
as production increases.
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Continuous Improvement
The cornerstone of Ensham’s safe working
approach is competency based training
and risk management combined with a
considered approach to implementation in
the workplace revolving around systems
developed by the mines’ workgroups. This
process of systematic implementation,
review and evaluation drives our
“continuous improvement” commitment to a
safe workplace.
All employees and contractors at Ensham
are coached to have a well established
sense of their personal obligations to
themselves, their workmates, the
business as a place of work, and towards
their families – recognising that safety
and health does not start or finish at
the mine gate.
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Workforce Involvement |
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Enshams’ Standard Operating Procedures
(SOP’s) are developed with heavy
employee involvement based on rigorous
risk assessments with the aim of
building core skill competence and
managing risk. These SOP’s consider the
purpose, relevant standards and
regulations, accountabilities and key
performance indicators of each task.
Where no specific SOP’s are in place,
all coal mine workers adopt a ‘SLAM’
approach to risk management based on the
following steps:
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On-site training |
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Onsite training is provided by
accredited trainers and assessors in
accordance with the required standards
e.g. QMITAB, AQF and MNC 04.
The key to Ensham’s outstanding safety
record is not the procedures as such,
but the involvement of all our people to
gather their input into the health and
safety system to ensure a practical and
systematic approach to all tasks.
Another hallmark of the health and
safety management system is the
willingness of all coal mine workers to
embrace realistic incident reporting,
together with ongoing reviews of all
SOP’s to ensure they remain relevant and
current.
Idemitsu Australia Resources Pty Ltd (Idemitsu) is a controlling corporation for the purposes of the Energy Efficiencies Opportunities Act 2006 (Cth) (Act) and was registered as such on 31 March 2007. Ensham Resources Pty Ltd (Ensham) is a Group Member of the Idemitsu group, authorised to report separately on the operations of the Ensham Coal Mine. The operations at the Ensham Coal Mine (operated by Ensham) constitute the sole operation to be reported on by Idemitsu pursuant to the Act.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Act, Ensham submitted an Assessment and Reporting Schedule to the Department of Energy, Resources and Tourism (Department) on 21 December 2007, which was subsequently approved by the Department on 28 April 2008.
Ensham has prepared the First Public EEO Report, which is attached below. This report provides broad information about initial energy efficiency opportunity assessments carried out by Ensham since April 2007, however very limited assessment was possible during 2008 due to the impacts suffered by Ensham the devastating flood events in the Central Highlands Area in January 2008. Ensham has sought extension of the assessment period from the Department.
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| Ensham’s approach to environmental
management is supported by strict
controls and a proactive rehabilitation
program.Importantly, Ensham has adopted
a “life of mine” approach to all future
developments - including forward
planning for rehabilitation of mined
areas. |
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In addition to protection of the
physical environment, Ensham has also
commissioned heritage studies into the
indigenous cultural significance of the
extensive area of freehold and a smaller
area of leasehold land on which its
operations are based. Representatives of
the Kangoulu, Garingbal and Kara Kara
have been involved in these studies in
recognition of their long association
with this region.
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Mine Site Rehabilitation |
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Ensham aims to demonstrate its
commitment to rehabilitation by
reinstating a section of the adjacent
Nogoa River floodplain to its former
natural state and reintroducing natural
species as part of its mine plan for the
proposed Ensham Central Project.
Elsewhere Ensham is working hard to find
the best land uses for previously mined
areas, such as developing optimum
landforms and vegetation profiles. This
includes reducing the final level of the
floodplain to assist in management of
flood flows and possible future use of
the area for farming, grazing and
forestry.
Current work focuses on the contouring
of spoil piles to reduce runoff and
erosion and make these areas more
suitable for post-mining land use. In
one previously mined area a wheat crop
was successfully grown on an area of
spoil just 12 months after the cessation
of mining. Elsewhere native and improved
pasture species and trees have already
been established on re-contoured
sections of spoil piles.
Future rehabilitation is assisted by
careful removal and preservation of
topsoil layers to facilitate subsequent
re-plantings of previously mined areas.
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Water Management |
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As part of its day to day operations,
Ensham places a heavy emphasis on water
management in recognition of the
importance of this resource for
irrigated agriculture and in supplying
stock and domestic water along the Nogoa
River.
Particular attention is paid to the
treatment of contaminated water from
pits or work areas. All potentially
contaminated water is collected onsite
in sediment ponds. Much of this water is
recycled for routine activities such as
wetting down haulage roads to contain
dust.
Any discharge of natural run-off and
treated water into water courses is
routinely monitored by Ensham’s
environmental staff who measure water
quality both upstream and downstream of
Ensham’s operations to ensure no adverse
impacts from mining are experienced by
other river users. Some of the water
collected on the mine site is used for
domestic purposes including drinking
water and Ensham’s dams have become a
haven for local wildlife.
Ensham is also involved in industry
efforts aimed at identifying best
practice in water management and
knowledge-sharing across the industry
through its membership of a coal
industry working party.
The coal industry funded ACARP project
focuses on water and salt management
practices in the minerals industry in
the North Bowen Basin. The project is
being coordinated by the Centre for
Water in the Minerals Industry – part of
the University of Queensland’s
Sustainable Minerals Institute.
Greenhouse Gas Reduction
Ensham has also been involved in a study
on rehabilitation techniques in
partnership with Japan’s New Energy and
Industrial Technology Development
Organisation (NEDO) and Australia’s
Scientific and Industrial Research
Organisation, CSIRO.
This five year study commenced in the
year 2000 and involved tree planting on
rehabilitated and spoil areas at
Ensham’s mine, to identify optimum
planting techniques, soil management and
species selection.
The techniques learned through this
trial (a first in the Queensland
coalfields) may eventually be useful for
generating carbon credits supporting
international CO2 emission trading
recommended under the Kyoto Protocol.
This work has been partly sponsored by
Ensham’s Japanese Joint Venture
partners, Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd and J
Power.
Ensham is a major employer with a
workforce of some 600 employees and
contractors at its Emerald mine site.
Ensham’s senior mine staff live in the
nearby town of Emerald and the company
is involved in a number of community
initiatives.
These include Ensham scholarships for
talented individuals interesting in a
mining career and involvement in a local
working party to attract skilled people
to the region.
A key focus of Ensham’s community
sustainability model is to invest in the
region wherever practical including
sourcing supplies locally and supporting
local community programs.
This commitment is evidenced by the
purchase of a new $100 million dragline
which features an unprecedented level of
local content in which some 85% of key
components will be fabricated in
Australia.
Construction of the dragline – one of
the world’s largest – involves
Australian companies in Brisbane,
Mackay, Rockhampton, Albury, Wollongong
and Adelaide and a construction
workforce of 80 people which will be
based at Comet (near the Ensham mine
site) between mid 2005 and 2007.
As part of its commitment to the local
community, Ensham has invested some
$250,000 in upgrading local facilities
including expansion of the Comet water
treatment works and donations to local
community groups.
The company also encourages its
contractors to invest in the region and
to support local communities and rural
charities such as the Royal Flying
Doctor Service.
Ensham encourages interest in the mining
industry from visitors such as local
schools, playing an important role in
industry education and careers
development.
Recruitment –
see link to people
section
The company offers traineeships for
school leavers, trade apprenticeships
and graduate traineeships and employs
people in a range of roles from
operators and tradespeople through to
professionals in the fields of
engineering, environmental science,
accounting and geology.
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