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NSW Mining Excellence Award Winners Announced

Moolarben-CoalFour companies have been recognised at the NSW Mining Excellence Awards for implementing high quality projects that can be shared across the industry.

BHP Billiton Mt Arthur Coal has been recognised for its Warrae Wanni Pathways to School Program. The school readiness scheme at Muswellbrook South Public School helps to develop social skills and  learning opportunities before kindergarten for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Glencore Xstrata has been recognised for developing an integrated system to improve noise and air quality awareness and management at Hunter and Western coalfields mines. The project increases awareness of environmental management amongst employees and allows them to plan their operations to minimise impacts.

A further two mining operations have been highly commended for their projects to manage noise impacts and mine rehabilitation.

Yancoal’s Moolarben Coal Project near Mudgee was highly commended with “The Quiet Achievers – Implementation of the Stealth Fleet”. A team at the Moolarben mine retrofitted dump truck bodies with rubber
mats replacing steel floors. Tests showed that this substantially reduced noise impacts.

Also highly commended and winner of the People’s Choice Award as voted by conference delegates was Barrick (Australia Pacific). Barrick’s “Timbarra Gold Mine Closure” project near Tenterfield in Northern NSW is a valuable example of a successful relinquishment strategy involving high quality mine rehabilitation.

The awards were independently judged by an expert panel, including  senior representatives from the NSW EPA, the Department of Planning, the Department of Trade and Investment, the Australian Centre for Corporate
Social Responsibility, and engineering firm Umwelt.

NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee announced the awards last night as part of the industry’s annual Environment and Community Conference. Around 300 delegates are attending to discuss topics such as
sustainability, mine rehabilitation and air quality.

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