mining operations plan mop amendment c

Wallerawang Quarry

MINING OPERATIONS PLAN – MOP AMENDMENT C (amendments in green text)

MOP AMENDMENT B amendments remain in red text

Name of Mine: Wallerawang Quarry

MOP Commencement Date: 14/08/2016

MOP Completion Date: 31/05/2018

Mining Authorisations: ML 1633

Name of Authorisation holder: Walker Quarries Pty. Ltd.

Mine Operator: Walker Quarries Pty. Ltd.

Name and contact details of the Mine Manager:

Mr. Ray Sharwood - Wallerawang Quarry

Lot 6, Great Western Highway,

WALLERAWANG NSW 2845

M: 0429 272 148 T: (02) 63 24-4066

rays@walkerquarries,com.au

Name and contact details of Environmental Representative:

Ms. Anne Eastwood – Rangott Mineral Exploration

Pty. Ltd.

M: 0408 601006 T: (02) 6362-5155

E: [email protected]

Name of Representative of the Authorisation Holder:

Mr. David Murray – Managing Director of Walker

Quarries Pty. Ltd.

Signed:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Date: 21.12.2017 Draft 1

Version 1

This MOP has been prepared in accordance with NSW Trade & Investment’s ESG3 Mining Operations

Plan MOP Guidelines September 2013 for a Level 1 mine.

Anne Eastwood

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page

1.0 Introduction 1

1.1 History of Operations 1

1.2 Current Consents, Authorisations and Licences 2

1.3 Land Ownership and Land Use 3

1.4 Stakeholder Consultation 4

2.0 Proposed Mining Activities 4

2.1 Project Description 4

2.2 Asset Register 5

2.3 Activities over the MOP term 7

3.0 Environmental Management 11

2.4 Environmental Risk Assessment 13

2.5 Environmental Risk Management 13

2.5.1 Specific Risks Relating to Rehabilitation 14

4.0 Post-Mining Land Use 17

4.1 Regulatory Requirements 17

4.2 Post-Mining Land Use Goal 17

4.3 Rehabilitation Objectives 18

5.0 Rehabilitation Planning and Management 19

5.1 Domain Selection 19

5.2 Domain Rehabilitation Objectives 20

5.3 Rehabilitation Phases 21

6.0 Performance Indicators, and Completion/Relinquishment Criteria 23

7.0 Rehabilitation Implementation 27

7.1 Status at MOP Commencement 27

7.2 Proposed Rehabilitation Activities in the MOP Term 28

7.3 Summary of Rehabilitation Areas during the MOP Term 30

7.4 Relinquishment Phase Achieved during the MOP Period 31

8.0 Rehabilitation Monitoring and Research 31

8.1 Rehabilitation Monitoring 31

8.2 Research and Rehabilitation Trials and Use of Analogue Sites 31

9.0 Intervention and Adaptive Management 31

9.1 Threats to Rehabilitation 31

9.2 Trigger Action Response Plan 32

10.0 Reporting 32

11.0 Plans 33

Plan 1A – PRE-MINING ENVIRONMENT – PROJECT LOCALITY

Plan 1B –PRE-MINING ENVIRONMENT – NATURAL and BUILT ENVIRONMENT

PLAN 1D – DIAGRAM OF PLANNED WESTERN STOCKPILE AREA

PLAN 2 – MINE DOMAINS AT COMMENCEMENT of MOP

PLAN 2A – MINE DOMAINS SHOWING PLANNED WESTERN STOCKPILE AREA

PLAN 3A – MINING AND REHABILITATION

PLAN 3B – MINNG and REHABILITATION INCLUDING WESTERN STOCKPILE AREA

PLAN 4 – FINAL REHABILITATION AND POST MINING LAND USE

11.4 Colour Coding for Plans

12.0 Review and Implementation of MOP 33

12.1 Review of the MOP 33

12.2 Implementation 33

TABLES

Table 1: Current consents, authorisations and licences 2

Table 2: Land ownership summary 3

Table 2.1 Asset Register 5

Table 2.2 Material production schedule during the MOP term 10

Table 3.1 Risk assessment matrix 11

Table 3.2 Risk matrix explanation 11

Table 3.3 Risk assessment results 12

Table 4.1 Regulatory requirements 17

Table 5.1 Coding for primary (operational) and secondary (post mining land use)

Domains 19

Table 5.2 Domain rehabilitation objectives 20

Table 5.3 Phases of rehabilitation 21

Table 5.4 Summary of rehabilitation phases proposed for completion at the end

of the MOP term 22

Table 6 Rehabilitation table 23

Table 7.1 Estimated disturbance and rehabilitation progression during the

term of the MOP 29

Table 7.2 Rehabilitation data table 30

LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendix I Development consent document

Development Consent – Modification 1

MOP amendment A May 2015

Environmental Protection Licence

Appendix II Environmental Management Plans (updated 2016)

Wallerawang Dam Notification Area Map

Appendix III Threatened species list

AHIMS Aboriginal Heritage Search results

1 | P a g e Mining Operations Plan | Wallerawang Quarry | Walker Quarries Pty. Ltd.

1.0 Introduction

1.1 History of Operations

The Wallerawang Quarry is located in the Central West region of New South Wales, and lies 2.5km

southeast of the town of Wallerawang (PLAN 1A), in the Lithgow City Council Local Government Area.

Extraction was begun in 2014 by Walker Quarries Pty. Ltd., a subsidiary of Sitegoal Pty. Ltd., and the quarry

was developed to extract quartzite rock, predominantly for use as aggregate and road base. The former

Hoskins Quarry is located adjacent to the current quarry and was last worked in 1927. The Wallerawang

Quarry will produce approximately 3.5Mt of product material over the initial approval period of twenty

years. Annual production will vary between 150,000 tonnes to 500,000 tonnes, depending on market

demand. Although initial approval is for a 20-year period, the mine life is expected to be around 35 years

The quarry is covered by a Mining Lease – ML1633 – held by Walker Quarries Pty. Ltd., and the Mine

Operator is Walker Quarries Pty. Ltd.. The quarry is in the first of the three development stages that were

outlined in the previous (and first) Mining Operations Plan (2009 – 2016). Following the submission of an

Environmental Impact Statement in 2001, and the granting of Development Consent by the NSW Minister

for Infrastructure and Planning in October, 2004, a Mining Lease (ML 1633) was granted to Walker Quarries

by the NSW Minister for Mineral Resources on the 15th July, 2009. Subsequently, in December, 2009,

notification was received from the Director General, Department of Planning, stating that Walker Quarries

Pty. Ltd. had satisfied all the applicable conditions of the Development Consent that was issued in 2004.

Quarry development began in 2014. A modification to the Development Consent (Modification 1) was

approved by the NSW Department of Planning on the 25th August, 2017 (Appendix I). The Mining Lease

covers 44.33 ha and is located adjacent to the Great Western Highway. The Lease area includes Crown Land

administered by Forestry Corporation of New South Wales (Lidsdale State Forest) and other Crown Land,

and private land which is owned by Sitegoal Pty. Ltd.. The current area of disturbance is 11.7 hectares (10.2

hectares not including areas undergoing rehabilitation). The maximum area of disturbance during the

period covered by this Mining Operations Plan (MOP) will be 13.56 ha (12.6 ha not including areas

undergoing rehabilitation).

Walker Quarries is planning to create a new stockpile area to meet increasing demand for the quartzite

product. A Mining Operations Plan (MOP) was previously submitted to the Department of Primary

Industries by Walker Quarries for the period 15th July, 2009 to 14th July, 2016. MOP Amendment A (May,

2015) includes plans for an additional stockpile to be located to the west of the current stockpile, and has

been approved (Appendix I). The amended MOP (Amendment B) makes provision for resource definition

drilling. The planned drilling will not cause an increase in the area of disturbance. An additional activity


planned for the MOP period is the replacement of the northernmost part of the clean water drain with

encased polypipe, to allow access across the drain to the planned new stockpile area. This planned activity

is within the current area of disturbance.

This MOP Amendment C makes provision for the construction of the Western Stockpile Area (WSA) in

accordance with the WSA approved by the DPE (Modification 1) in the Environmental Assessment

prepared by R.W. Corkery & Co. The WSA as approved by the DPE is of a slightly larger area (0.74 ha

larger) than was approved in the MOP Amendment A, and includes the construction of a visual bund wall

(0.44 ha) to block the WSA visibility from the Great Western Highway. Another change described in this

amendment and approved in the Development Consent is the covering of the clean water drain (adjacent

to the WSA) along most of its length to prevent the inflow of dust and sediment, and to allow truck

movements over the drain. The WSA stockpile area will thus be continuous with the existing Stockpile

pad area.

Water management features in and around the WSA are changed in this amendment to accord with the

approved Development Consent – Modification 1. In particular – the twin pipes described in MOP

Amendment A to carry dirty water from the WSA to the sediment trap dam will not be constructed.

This MOP was prepared in accordance with the ESG3: Mining Operations Plan Guidelines September 2013.

1.2 Current Consents, Authorisations and Licences

ITEM GRANT DATE DURATION

Development Consent DA No. 344-11-2001 granted by the NSW Minister for Infrastructure and Planning for the operation of the quarry (Appendix I) Development Consent DA No. 344-11-2001 Modification 1

19th October, 2004 Approved 25th August 2017

15th July, 2019 (10 years from the grant of the ML)

Mining Lease – ML 1633 granted by the Department of Primary Industries (now NSW Trade & Investment) for the operation of the quarry

15th July, 2009 15th July, 2019

Environment Protection Licence No. 13172 (Appendix II) issued by the Department of Environment and Climate Change (now administered by the Environment Protection Authority) as approval to produce 500,000 tonnes per annum

21st October, 2009

Table 1: Currently held consents, authorisations and licences


The site is a Level 1 mine as it is classified by the Department of Infrastructure and Planning as State

Significant Development under the Section 76A(7) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979

because it is an extractive industry where the proposed extraction rate is greater than 200,000 tonnes per

annum. The construction and operation of the proposed stockpile will be in accordance with the

Development Consent – Modification 1, listed above, and with the EIS titled Proposed Wallerawang

Quarry, Report 01/206.1, dated November 2001 and with the report titled Supplementary Report to the EIS

for the Proposed Wallerawang Quarry, Report 02/206, dated July, 2002, both prepared by Pacrim

Environmental, and with the conditions of the Mining Lease and the Environmental Protection Licence, and

with the approved site management plans.

1.3 Land Ownership and Land Use (Figure 3)

The Mining Lease covers three titles, summarised in Table 2:

Lot DP LGA Parish County Owner Land Use

7071 1201227 Lithgow

City Lidsdale Cook

State of New South Wales – NSW Forestry

Native bushland

7322 1149335 Lithgow

City Lidsdale Cook State of New South Wales

Native bushland

6 872230 Lithgow

City Lidsdale Cook

Sitegoal Pty. Ltd. (Walker Quarries Pty. Ltd. is a subsidiary of Sitegoal Pty. Ltd.)

Quarrying

Table 2: Land ownership summary

The tenure of the general area is forestry- either Pinus radiata plantations or native bushland (Sub Alpine

Eucalypt woodland), large areas of native bushland held as Crown Land, and low-density residential blocks

to the east and north of the quarry. The nearest residence is located 650m northwest of the extraction pit.

The Marrangaroo National Park is located 650m south of the Mining Lease area. A high-voltage overhead

power line and easement traverses the Mining Lease area through its southeast corner. The Wallerawang

Dam (Lake Wallace) is located 1.3km north of the extraction area. Wallerawang Dam is a Prescribed Dam

under the Dams Safety Act 1978, and Condition 28 of the Mining Lease is that no mining is to take place

within the Wallerawang Dam Notification Area (WDNA) without the Minister’s written consent. There are

no plans to extract within the WDNA in the MOP period. A map of the WDNA is included in Appendix II. The

Great Western Highway is the major highway linking Sydney with the western areas of the state, and lies

immediately north of the quarry site. The Cox’s River, which feeds Warragamba Dam many kilometres

downstream on the outskirts of Sydney, lies at a distance from 50m to 400m east of the ML1633 boundary


(PLAN 1B). The river flows south from the Lease area. The steep slopes and rocky outcrops in the area make

the land generally unsuitable for farming.

Historic land use has been of low intensity, and has consisted of forestry, minor quarrying and limited areas

of grazing and ‘lifestyle blocks’. Tens of small prospecting pits and an abandoned quartzite quarry (Hoskins

Quarry) are present in the ML1633 area. The proposed land use is quarrying and infrastructure

development related to quarrying. Following mine closure, the final end use will be native bushland – sub-

alpine Eucalypt woodland.

1.4 Stakeholder Consultation

The stakeholders are the landholders, the local community, the statutory authorities, including the Division

of Resources & Energy (DRE), NSW Industry.

Consultation took place between Rangott Mineral Exploration on behalf of Walker Quarries and both

Forestry Corporation of New South Wales (Mr. Dan Kirby), and Crown Lands (Orange office). Walker

Quarries’ objectives and plans for land end use and final rehabilitation were discussed with both parties. A

more detailed Final Rehabilitation Plan will be prepared in the MOP period, in consultation with the

landholders, with regard to the fact that the mine life is at least 30 years. Consultants in conjunction with

the Bathurst Local Land Council previously assessed the entire site and identified an aboriginal camp site

north of Hoskins Quarry, and concluded that no other areas of the site were suitable for long-term

occupation. The company signed a deed of agreement with the Gundungurra Tribal Council in 2007.

Consultation with the landholders and the relevant government agencies regarding rehabilitation will be

ongoing until mine closure. The latest development consent document is included in Appendix I of this

MOP. Consultation with the Wollongong Office of the DRE has recently been regular, and included site

visits by Mr. Greg Kininmonth of the DRE’s Environmental Sustainability Unit.

2.0 Proposed Mining Activities

2.1 Project Description

Quartzite rock is extracted from the quarry to produce a variety of products including aggregate, road base

and decorative stone. The proposed activities at the quarry site are a continuation of the quartzite

extraction, crushing and processing activities that occurred previously under ML 1633. Rock is extracted

using drilling, blasting and rock breaking. Quarry product is crushed and stockpiled on site using mobile

equipment. Overburden material is used in silt and sediment control features. The quarrying is now in

Stage 1 of a three stage development plan, as described in the EIS and previous MOP. The three stages


involve expansion of the pit area (1, 2 & 3) and lowering of the pit floor (3). Two additional activities are

planned for the MOP period. Firstly, Walker Quarries proposes to add a mobile sand-washing plant to

produce a washed sand product, as a processing activity on its existing processing pad.

The Wallerawang Quarry site consists of one extraction pit, stockpiles and working areas for truck

movements, crushing facilities and mobile plant, transportable office and facilities, bituminised entrance

road, weighbridge and wheel wash, four main storage and siltation dams, and water management

structures – clean and dirty water drains. An access road and seagull intersection with the Great Western

Highway facilitates safe entry and departure from the site. Extraction of up to 500,000 tonnes of quartzite

per annum has been approved, the initial approval being for a twenty-year period, ending in 2019.

2.2 Asset Register

No fixed plant is present. There are three separate transportable buildings, incorporating a site office,

present. The following table lists domains and assets which are snapshots of the current disturbance.

Primary Domain

Secondary Domain (Post- mining land use)

Code

Rehabilitation Phases during MOP term

Asset Disturbance Area

Current (hectares)

End of MOP term (hectares)

Infrastructure Area

Infrastructure 1A No rehabilitation – Active Mining Area

Tracks and haul road

Entrance Visual bund

0.648 0.788

Infrastructure Area

Rehabilitation Area - Woodland

1E No rehabilitation – Active Mining Area

Tracks Haul road from

pit Working areas

around entrance

Small laydown area

Office and facilities – transportable buildings

Potable water tanks

Septic system Car park,

weighbridge and wheel wash

Processing pad Mobile

crushers and conveyors

Mobile sand

3.252 3.252


wash plant Mining

equipment and trucks

Infrastructure Area

Final Void 1I No rehabilitation – Active Mining Area

Roads on pit perimeter that will become part of the void

0 0

Water Management Area

Water Management Area

3B No rehabilitation – Active Mining Area

Main storage dam

Main sediment dam

Top storage dam

Tops sediment dam

3 x small sediment silt cells

Clean and dirty water drains

2.2 2.2

Stockpiled material

Rehabilitation area-woodland

5E No rehabilitation – Active Mining Area

Topsoil stockpile

Product stockpiles

2.343 4

Stockpiled material

Final void 5I No rehabilitation – Active Mining Area

Stockpiled material on the floor of Hoskins Quarry

0.443 0.443

Void Final void 6I No rehabilitation – Active Mining Area

Open cut, around 195m x 90m

1.24 1.24

Rehabilitation Area - pasture

Rehabilitation Area - Woodland

7E Phase –3 Ecosystem and Land Use Establishment

Areas around top dams and seeded slopes

1.525 1.525

Table 2.1: Asset Register

2.3 Activities over the MOP term


Exploration

Exploration activities will be conducted in the Lease area. The activities would include geological mapping

and surface sampling, percussion drilling and diamond drilling (up to twelve drill holes). The drill sites will

not require drill pad construction or dug sumps, and will be rehabilitated within a month following drilling.

All holes will be plugged below surface and recovered with subsoil and topsoil. Therefore, the drilling will

not result in an increase to the area of disturbance, or to the Rehabilitation Security amount.

Construction

The construction planned for the MOP period is the construction of a near- level stockpile pad to the

immediate west of the current stockpiles, in accordance with an amendment to the 2009 - 2016 MOP –

MOP Amendment C December 2017 (Appendix I). This planned stockpile pad will cover an area of up to

1.7 hectares. Also, most of the clean water drain, beginning at its northernmost point adjacent to the

Great Western Highway will be replaced by encased polypipe. The emplacement of the pipe will enable

trucks to cross between the existing stockpile area and the planned western stockpile area, in the future.

This construction will be entirely within the current area of disturbance.

Secondly, a near-level stockpile pad, 1.7 ha in area (the Western Stockpile Area or WSA) is planned to be

made in a cleared area to the immediate west of the existing Stockpile Pad, as described in the

Environmental Assessment document submitted in application for a modification of the Development

Consent, and approved August, 2017. The current area of disturbance is 11.7 hectares (10.2 ha not

including areas undergoing rehabilitation). In addition, a bund wall with vegetation plantings is required

to be built by the Consent conditions between the WSA and the Great Western Highway, and within the

Mining Lease, to provide a visual screen. These features are shown in Plans 1D and 2A in this document.

The features of the planned WSA are as follows:

A two level design has been chosen to replace the one-level design described in MOP

Amendment A. This new design will be safer, leading to less steep faces, and would be easier to

reshape to the original contours at final rehabilitation

Two battered slopes, one at the western edge of the WSA, and one in the centre, will be

constructed and hydromulched with grass seeds

The WSA will cover the current clean water drain, which will be replaced by a buried pipe. The

WSA will become continuous with the current Stockpile Pad

Dirty water will be channelled off the WSA via a constructed dirty water channel as shown in Plan

2A. The channel will join the existing sediment basin at the southern end of the WSA, and

continue through the stockpile areas to the Sediment Trap Dam

A bund wall will be constructed on the western and southern perimeters of the WSA to prevent

erosion and to contain sediment movement


Slopes on the WSA will be formed to assist drainage to the dirty water drain.

The features of the visual bund wall are as follows:

The visual bund will be constructed of excavated materials from the WSA construction

The wall will be up to 100m in length, and vary in height from around 2m to around 4m

Plantings will begin on the bund wall following construction, with plants as per the site

Landscape Planting Plan (R. W. Corkery & Co., 2017).

Mining Operations (including mining purposes)

Mining operations will be carried out complying with the noise, airblast overpressure and ground vibration,

air quality, and hours of operation limits imposed by the Development Consent (344-11-2001). No

explosives or fuel will be stored on site.

Land preparation

Topsoil removal will be done in the MOP period and will be done in accordance with the Flora and Fauna

Management Plan. Topsoil will be removed from the planned western stockpile area as described in an

amendment to the 2009 MOP (MOP Amendment A, May 2015). No topsoil will be removed for pit

expansion.

Extraction

Quartzite will be continue to be extracted from the pit in the MOP period, and mining methods will be

unchanged from the previous MOP period. A maximum of 400,000 tonnes per annum is planned to be

extracted over the MOP period, within the Stage 1 plan outlined in the EIS. Stage 1 involves the

development of an initial trench approximately 350m long, 50m wide and 18m deep, oriented SSE. A haul

road to the trench (pit) was constructed, and the remainder of Stage 1 involves the widening of the trench,

with the quarry perimeter established within a 50m setback from the power transmission line located at

the SW corner of the quarry. Walls of between 6m and 8m height will be left at the southern and northern

extremities of the cut to reduce noise emissions.

Roughly 12% of the extracted material will be overburden (weathered quartzite). Overburden will not be

emplaced on site, except as temporary stockpiles in the stockpiling area, but will be used for hardstand

areas, and for bund walls on the new stockpile pad to be constructed in the MOP period. The highest face

in the pit is currently 15m (benched), and the walls are stable. Extraction will be done by drilling and

blasting (around six blasts per year) and rock breaking. Blasting will be carried out in accordance with the

site Blast Management Plan (including a Blast Monitoring program and Blasting/Vibration Protocol) which is

currently being reviewed and assessed.

Rock/ overburden emplacement


No overburden emplacements have been made or will be made in the MOP period, as overburden is used

for the maintenance of hardstand areas and sediment control features, and will be used in the MOP period

for bund walls around the new stockpile pad.

Stockpiling and processing

No tailings will be produced in the MOP period. Stockpiles of different size ranges and product type will

continue to be kept in the current stockpile area, in the Hoskins Quarry floor, and on the new stockpile pad

when it is constructed in the MOP period. Crushing and sorting will continue on the processing pad, with

the introduction of a mobile sand washer to produce a sand product. Water from the sand washing plant

will be transported by pipe to the three silt cell dams near the top storage dam, where any contained silt

fraction will settle. Water from these silt cells will then be re-used for further sand washing. Silt will be

dredged from the silt cells regularly, and sold as a product. No residues will be produced from the

processing that are not either sold or used to maintain infrastructure on site.

Waste management

No waste will be produced in the mining operations as reject material is used on site to as constructed

bund walls. Personal waste – e.g. food wrappers, will be removed at the end of each day. In the event that

soil is contaminated by hydrocarbon spills, the affected soil will be removed for disposal at an approved

waste facility. Office waste will be regularly removed to an approved waste facility. The septic system is

pumped out regularly.

Decommissioning and demolition activities

No decommissioning or demolition activities will be done in the MOP period

Temporary stabilisation

Temporary stabilisation will consist of:

Applying timber battering to the bases of slopes on the perimeter of the disturbed areas.

Progressive rehabilitation and completion

Rehabilitation during the MOP period will involve maintenance and monitoring of areas where revegetation

has been initiated (Phase 3 – Ecosystem and Land Use Establishment). No new areas will be rehabilitated

because currently disturbed areas are being used in quarrying operations.

Material Production Schedule during MOP Term


Material production will depend on demand and weather conditions, but is expected to proceed at a

regular pace as shown in Table 2.2, below. Maximum expected figures are given. A density figure of 1.5 t/m3

was used to convert overburden tonnages to cubic metres.

Table 2.2: Material production schedule during the MOP term

Material Unit Year 1 Year 1.5

Stripped topsoil

m

3

0

1,920

Waste rock (overburden) (Maximum)

m3 32,000 16,000

Ore (maximum) t 400,000 200,000

Reject material/ Processing waste

t Minimal Minimal

Product (maximum) t 352,000 176,000


3 Environmental Issues Management

3.1 Environmental Risk Assessment

Environmental risks were identified and tabulated, as follows.

PROBABILITY

CO

NSE

QU

ENC

E A B C D E

1 H H H H M

2 H H H M M

3 H H M M M

4 M M M L L

5 M L L L L Table 3.1: Risk Assessment Matrix

PROBABILITY

CONSEQUENCES

A

Almost certain Expected to occur, quite common

1 Major Major environmental harm

B

Likely Will probably occur, has happened

2 Significant Long-term or serious environmental damage

C

Possible Might occur at some time

3 Moderate Moderate environmental impact

D

Unlikely Could occur at some time although unlikely

4

Minor Minimal environmental harm

E

Rare Might occur at some time in exceptional circumstances

5 Insignificant Little or no environmental harm

Table 3.2 Risk Matrix Explanation


ISSUE POTENTIAL IMPACTS

PROBABILITY CONSEQUENCE RISK RATING

Geology and Geochemistry

None E 5 LOW

Soil type and suitability

Erosion, degradation

C 5 LOW

Erosion/sediment control

Soil, stockpile, bunding, rehab area erosion and sedimentation of dams

C 4 MEDIUM

Surface water quality

Sedimentation of dam and drainage

C 4 MEDIUM

Groundwater quality

Contamination and loss of groundwater

E 5 LOW

Air quality Dust sedimentation on neighbouring residences, adverse health effects

E 4 LOW

Soil contamination Soil and overburden contaminated with fuel or oil

D 5 LOW

Flora Significant growth of weed species

C 3

MEDIUM

Fauna Loss of threatened species and significant increase in number of feral species

D 4 LOW

Weed control As for Flora C 3

MEDIUM

Noise Noise impacts closest residents

D 5 LOW

Aboriginal Heritage Heritage objects or places disturbed

D 4 LOW

Bushfire Plant and equipment fire, fire in bush surroundings

C 3 MEDIUM

Public safety Public wander on to site and fall

E 4 LOW

Slope management Slopes over 18° are left unstabilised and are eroded

D 4 LOW

Table 3.3: Risk Assessment Results


3.2 Environmental Risk Management

Table 3.3, above, lists the identified environmental risks of the proposed mining operation over the MOP

period. The following management plans will be used during the MOP period and have been approved or

are pending approval by the Secretary of the NSW Department of Planning and Environment:

Environmental Management Strategy

Water Management Plan

Noise Management Plan

Blast Management Plan

Air Quality Management Plan

Flora and Fauna Management Plan

Bushfire Management Plan

Environmental Monitoring Program.

Management of environmental impacts during the MOP period will be in accordance with the listed

management plans, and the conditions of the Development Consent and the Environmental Protection

Licence.

3.2.1 Specific Risks relating to Rehabilitation

Geology and geochemistry

The mineral to be extracted – quartzite (SiO2), is generally inert and is non-hazardous to the environment.

The processed product does not differ chemically from the ore.

Soil type(s) and suitability

Two soil landscapes occur at the site – Mount Walker Landscape (8931mw) soils and the Cullen Bullen

Landscape (8931cb) soils. The Cullen Bullen Landscape soils comprise yellow podzolic soils and yellow

earths. The soils are infertile (Land Capability IV) and are suffer localised sheet erosion and gully erosion.

The Mount Walker Landscape soils comprise colluvial yellow podzolic soils, red and yellow earths, and

structured earths on quartzite hills. Moderate sheet erosion and mass movement are present throughout

the landscape. The rural Land Capability is VII. These soils represent a moderate to very high erosion hazard

(e-spade), a low salinity hazard, and have a pH of between 6 and 7.3.

The topsoil stockpile will be managed by maintaining a stockpile height of less than 2m with a side slope of

3:1 (H:V), in accordance with the Flora and Fauna Management Plan. The stockpile will be regularly

monitored for stability and evidence of erosion. Due to the inherent low fertility of the soil, ameliorants will

be added to the soil at such time as it is used for rehabilitation. The topsoil will not be used in the MOP

period.


Erosion and sediment control

Erosion and sediment movement is of medium risk at the site due to the hilly nature of the topography and

the relatively high rainfall events that occur sporadically. Also, revegetation of disturbed areas is at an early

stage, increasing the risk of erosion from these areas. To date, sediment movement mitigation methods

described in the site environmental management plans have been effective in counteracting sediment

movement. Erosion and sediment control will be continued according to the Water Management Plan.

Clean and dirty water diversion channels and silt fences are in place to manage erosion during the MOP

period. Also, maintenance of revegetating slopes will minimise erosion during the MOP period. The planned

WSA will include perimeter bunds and a dirty water diversion channel. New water management features

associated with the planned WSA are approved by the modified Development Consent and are described

in Section 2.2.

Surface water quality

Surface water will be managed according to the site Water Management Plan (an updated version of the

previous plan is awaiting approval from the Secretary of the NSW Department of Planning and

Environment). Surface water drains to one of two sediment dams. The clean water drain releases clean

water to the unnamed creek to the immediate south of the Main Storage Dam. It is noted that the clean

water drain collects some run-off from the Great Western Highway, to the north of the Mining Lease area.

Water in the storage dams is available for irrigation of rehabilitating areas in times of low rainfall. The dirty

water drain on the eastern side of the pit carries any silt-laden run-off north to the top storage dam. There

are no water contaminants on site or in the rock material, therefore, the water quality in the storage dams

is suitable for irrigation and dust suppression. The results of routine water sample analysis during 2015-

2016 of the stored water on site indicate that it is of good quality. The stored (and released) water quality is

expected to remain high in the MOP period and beyond. Regular monitoring of the water quality will

continue in the MOP period, according to the site Environmental Monitoring Program. New water

management features associated with the planned WSA are approved by the modified Development

Consent and are described in Section 2.2.

Ground water

Groundwater is absent from the site at the levels of quartzite extraction and dam construction, and no

groundwater will be extracted for any purpose during the MOP period. The adherence to the Water

Management Plan during the MOP period will prevent contamination of any groundwater that may be

present on site. Contamination or depletion of groundwater in this case is very unlikely.


Dust/ Air quality

Dust levels will be managed to meet the limits imposed by the Development Consent and the

Environmental Protection Licence (EPL). Monthly monitoring of the air quality parameters required by the

conditions of the Development Consent and the EPL will continue in the MOP period, according to the site

Environmental Monitoring Program.

The following dust mitigation methods will be used in the MOP period:

Blasting will be done by a certified shotfirer in such a way as to minimise dust production

A water cart using water stored on site will be used to control dust levels. Any water sprayed will be

sprayed in accordance with the Water Management Plan approved by the Secretary of the NSW

Department of Planning and Environment

Truck loads will be covered when travelling.

The native bush that surrounds the quarry acts as a barrier to the dispersion of dust. Dust levels to date

have not caused a deterioration in the vegetation surrounding the site.

Soil contamination

Care will be taken to avoid fuel spills in the machinery laydown/refuelling area. Any stored fuel will be kept

in an existing concrete containment tank. Any contaminated soil will be removed for disposal at an

approved waste facility.

Flora

Impacts to flora will be mitigated using the site Flora and Fauna Management Plan.

The WSA has been approved for clearing under the Modified Consent.

During the MOP period, the risks to rehabilitation are drought, and proliferation of weeds on the

rehabilitating areas. Using spray irrigation (in accordance with the Water Management Plan) and weed

sprays will manage these risks. The progress of the rehabilitation will be monitored during the MOP period.

Fauna

Impacts to fauna will be mitigated using the site Flora and Fauna Management Plan.

As part of a monitoring programme, any observations of Threatened Species, including the Bathurst Copper

Butterfly Paralucia spinifera, will be recorded. The current mining areas and rehabilitation areas have

limited potential for providing fauna habitats. The WSA has been approved for clearing under the

Modified Consent. During the MOP period, the risk to rehabilitation is the incursion of feral animals.

Ensuring that no food waste is accessible will minimise the risk of feral animals being attracted to the site.

Weed control

Weed growth will be managed according to the Flora and Fauna Management Plan. The main risk to

rehabilitation is significant weed growth dominating the ecosystem of the rehabilitating areas. Weeds will

be identified and sprayed during the MOP period.


Noise

Noise will be monitored in accordance with the conditions of the Development Consent and the EPL, and

according to the site Noise Management Plan. There is a minor risk to rehabilitation posed by noise. The

Threatened Species Yellow Sheath-tailed bat has been found by echo-location in a flora and fauna survey.

However, individuals of this species are able to find alternative roosting places in less noisy areas in the

surrounding bushland.

Aboriginal heritage

The known site of Aboriginal heritage is a mining exclusion zone and will remain undisturbed in the MOP

period and beyond.

Bushfire

The potential for bushfire will be managed according to the site’s Bushfire Management Plan. The site is

not mapped as bushfire-prone by Lithgow Council, however, it is surrounded by native bushland. A bushfire

is unlikely to be started on site because it is a mostly cleared area. The risk to rehabilitation is from a fire

started outside the Mining Lease area. Native vegetation is likely to regenerate quickly after a bushfire, as it

does elsewhere. The Bushfire Management Plan will be followed in the MOP period.

Material prone to spontaneous combustion

No materials prone to spontaneous combustion will be used in the ML area.

Mine Subsidence

The planned mining during the MOP period will not exceed a depth of 25m, will be open-cut, and will

therefore not result in mine subsidence. No subsidence has occurred in the areas previously mined at the

site.

Other Risks

Slope management

Most slopes on site are less than 18°. The pit walls are strong and stable, and the main risk would come

from stockpiles. Stockpile slopes will not exceed 2m in height and will be battered to as low a slope as

possible.

Public safety

During the MOP period, members of the public will continue to be banned from entering site without prior

notice. A warning sign at the entrance gate and a fence along the Lease boundary are in place to help

manage public safety.


4 Post Mining Land Use

4.1 Regulatory Requirements

SOURCE DOCUMENT POST-MINING LAND USE REQUIREMENT

NSW Minister for Infrastructure and Planning

Development Consent 344-11-2001

Condition 1.9 The Applicant shall ensure that all demolition work is carried out in accordance with AS2601-2001: The Demolition of Structures Condition 2.38 The Applicant shall prepare and implement a Flora and Fauna Management Plan for the development Condition 2.55 The Applicant shall rehabilitate the development site in accordance with the requirements of any Mining Lease granted by the Minister for Mineral Resources

The Minister for Mineral Resources of the State of New South Wales

Mining Lease No. 1633 dated 15th

July 2009

Disturbed land must be rehabilitated to a sustainable/agreed end land use to the satisfaction of the Director-General

Table 4.1 Regulatory requirements

4.2 Post Mining Land Use Goal

The post mining land use goal for the site is for it to be returned to native bushland – sub-alpine Eucalypt

woodland – that is safe, stable, non-polluting and self-sustaining. The 2001 Environmental Impact

Statement and 2009-2016 Mining Operations Plan both state as an objective: “re-establish progressively a

Eucalypt woodland similar to that which currently exists”. This is considered the best option in order to

preserve the local ecological community. The final rehabilitation plan includes:

Retaining, modifying and revegetating the open cut void. The Hoskins Quarry will remain as a void (as it

has been since the 1920s)

Reshaping and revegetating the processing and stockpile pads to replicate the original landform as

much as possible

Retaining two main access roads

Removing, ripping and revegetating hardstand areas, office buildings and weighbridge

Retaining of all water management features, including dams.


4.3 Rehabilitation Objectives

The objectives of the mine rehabilitation area:

Stabilisation of the land to minimise environmental impacts

1. Reshaping the processing pad and stockpile areas to resemble, as much as possible, the original

landform

2. Establishing a native ecosystem over the entire site (minus the access tracks to be retained and the

water management features) that is self-sustaining, low maintenance, and closely resembling the

ecosystem surrounding the quarry site –that is, sub-alpine Eucalypt woodland

3. Modifying the final void to make it safe and stable

4. Removing stockpiles from Hoskins Quarry

5. Removing all buildings and equipment

6. Removing the bitumen road within the Lease area

7. Retaining all water management features, including drains and dams

8. Ongoing consultation with landholders regarding the final rehabilitation (as the quarry expands).

The long term objective is to restore the site to resemble the surrounding bushland and to not require

maintenance in addition to what may be required in the surrounding bushland.


5 Rehabilitation Planning and Management

5.1 Domain Selection

Code Primary Domains (Operational) Code Secondary Domains (end Land Use) Code

1 Infrastructure Area (some access tracks)

A Retained as infrastructure for the landowners and to provide access for environmental monitoring

1A

1 Infrastructure Area (hardstand working areas, processing pad, laydown areas)

E Rehabilitation area - Woodland 1E

1 Infrastructure Area (pit perimeter access/haul road)

I Final Void (Expanded void will consume road)

1I

3 Water Management Area B Retained Water Management Area 3B

5 Stockpiled Material E Rehabilitation Area - Woodland 5E

5 Stockpiled material (those stockpiles stored on the floor of the disused Hoskins Quarry)

I Final void (stockpiles removed) 5I

6 Void (open cut) I Modified void remaining with revegetation with native to bushland

6I

7 Rehabilitation Area – Pasture (Seeded banks and other areas that will not require reshaping at mine closure)

E Rehabilitation area – Woodland (Areas will be progressively planted with trees and shrubs)

7E

Table 5.1: Coding for primary (operational) and secondary (post mining land use) domains


5.2 Domain Rehabilitation Objectives

Primary Domain Secondary domain (Post-mining)

Rehabilitation Objectives

Infrastructure Area (1) Infrastructure Area (A) Selected access tracks will remain

Infrastructure Area (1) Rehabilitation Area – Woodland (E)

All services and infrastructure removed

Surfaces ripped and reshaped as much as possible to the original landform

Establishment of self-sustaining vegetation with a similar density and composition to the surrounding native bushland

Infrastructure Area (1) Final Void (I) As for Final Void (I)

Water Management Area (3) Water Management Area (B) Retention of water management areas to control run-off and to provide water for wildlife

Stockpiled material (5) Rehabilitation Area - Woodland All stockpiles to be removed Surfaces ripped and reshaped

as much as possible to the original landform


Stockpiled material (I) Final Void (Hoskins Quarry) Remove stockpiles and thereby leave the Hoskins Quarry as it was before the Mining Lease was granted

Void (6) Final Void (I) To be infilled as much overburden material as possible, with overburden and reshaping making safe-angled batters

perimeter bund walls to be retained for public safety

Establishment of self-sustaining vegetation of similar composition to the surrounding native bushland

Rehabilitation Area -Pasture (7) Rehabilitation Area – Woodland (E)


Table 5.2: Domain Rehabilitation Objectives


5.3 Rehabilitation Phases

For reference, rehabilitation phases identified in the ESG3 Guidelines are presented in the following table.

Phase No.

Rehabilitation Phase Examples of possible measures

1

Decommissioning Infrastructure removed, contamination remediated, electricity decommissioned, heritage buildings retained

2

Landform Establishment Slope, drainage (characteristics, grade and density), substrate material characterisation, morphology, density, aspect

3

Growth Medium Development

Physical, chemical and biological characteristics (organics, nutrients, soil biota etc.)

4

Ecosystem and Land Use Establishment

Species selection, species presence, and germination rate. OR Subsurface Development

5

Ecosystem and Land Use Sustainability

Floristics and structure, recruitment and recovery, fauna presence, growth, ecosystem resilience OR Infrastructure Development

6

Land Relinquishment Demonstrated ultimate success of rehabilitation process. This may be biophysical or physical.

Table 5.3: Phases of rehabilitation.


During the MOP term, Phase 3 will be implemented at the quarry site.

DOMAIN

Re

hab

ilita

tio

n

Ph

ase

1A

Infr

astr

uct

ure

1E

Infr

astr

uct

ure

1I I

nfr

astr

uct

ure

3B

Wat

er

Man

agem

en

t

Are

as

3B

Wat

er

Man

agem

ent

Are

as

5E

Sto

ckp

iled

mat

eria

l

5I

6I

7E

Decommissioning

x x x x x x x x

Landform Establishment x x x x x x x x

Growth Medium Development x x x x x x x

Tube stock planting

Ecosystem and Land Use Establishment

x x x x x x x x

Ecosystem and Land Use Sustainability

x x x x x x x x

Land Relinquishment

x x x x x x x x

Table 5.4: Summary of Rehabilitation Phases proposed for completion at the end of

the MOP term


6 Performance Indicators, and Completion/Relinquishment Criteria

The following is a detailed rehabilitation table for each phase of rehabilitation.

Table 6: Rehabilitation Table

Ob

ject

ive

PI

Co

mp

leti

on

Cri

teri

a

Just

ific

atio

n

Co

mp

lete

?

Lin

k to

TA

RP

Pro

gre

ss a

t

star

t o

f M

OP

REHABILITATION PHASE - DECOMMISSIONING

Domain – Infrastructure (1)

All infrastructure to be removed

Removal of Fixed and

mobile plant, water tanks,

transportable buildings, concrete footings,

weighbridge, Wheel wash,

Lease boundary fence,

Bitumen road, Services

Complete removal of all

items and foundations

Required to achieve

objectives No NA

Not commenced

Domain – Stockpiled material (5E)

All stockpiles to be removed

All Stockpiles removed


extracted material

Required to achieve objective

No NA Not

commenced

Domain – Stockpiled material (5I)

All stockpiles to be removed

All Stockpiles removed


extracted material

Required to achieve objective

No NA Not

commenced

REHABILITATION PHASE – LANDFORM ESTABLISHMENT

Domain – Infrastructure (1E) Make domain stable

Rip and reshape areas to a slight slope to the WSW

All ripped l areas reshaped to a slope of around 10° to the WSW

Best practice to return the topography to closely resemble the pre-mining topography.

No NA Not commenced

Effective surface water drainage by constructing two contour banks on the slope, and a two water diversion Bunds to direct

Two contour banks are constructed and two water diversion bunds are constructed

Required to achieve objective. Condition 18 of Mining Lease Authority.

No NA Not Commenced


runoff to the main sediment dam

Domain – Stockpiled materials (5E) Stabilisation of the land

Rip and reshape areas to a slight slope to the WSW (east of clean water drain) and a moderate slope to the east in the area west of the clean water drain.

Ripped areas east of the clean water drain are reshaped to a slope of 10° to the WSW. Ripped areas west of the clean water drain are reshaped to a slope of 25° to the east.

Best practice to return the topography to closely resemble the pre-mining topography.

No NA Not commenced

Effective surface water drainage by constructing four contour banks and four water diversion bunds to channel runoff into the main sediment dam.

Two contour banks are constructed on the slopes each side of the clean water drain Runoff from the slope west of the clean water drain is diverted into the main sediment dam with existing pipes crossing the clean water drain. Two water diversion banks are constructed on this slope. Runoff from the slope east of the clean water drain is diverted into the main sediment dam. Two water diversion bunds are constructed for this purpose

Required to achieve objective. Condition 18 of Mining Lease Authority.

No NA Not Commenced

Domain –Void (6I) Stabilisation of the land

Any available overburden material available and in-pit material has

Batter has a slope of less than 18°.

Best practice low, safe angle. Angle not specified in Mining Lease Authority conditions

No NA Not commenced


been made to form safe-angled batters at the toes of all faces at all faces

or Development Consent.

A 1m-high bund wall surrounding the pit perimeter is retained to divert runoff from entering the pit and for public safety

Complete, 1m-high bund wall surrounds the void

Required to achieve objectives

No NA Bund wall present

REHABILITATION PHASE – GROWTH MEDIUM DEVELOPMENT

Domain - Infrastructure (1E) Establishment of a native ecosystem that is self-sustaining and closely resembles surrounding bushland

Topsoil applied to reshaped infrastructure areas

Topsoil covers reshaped infrastructure areas with a depth of at least 100mm

Required to achieve stated land end use.

No NA Not commenced

Domain –Stockpiled material (5E) Establishment of self-sustaining vegetation with a similar density and composition to the surrounding native bushland

Topsoil applied to reshaped stockpile areas

Topsoil covers reshaped stockpile areas with a depth of at least 100mm


No NA Not commenced

Domain – Void (6E) Establishment of a native ecosystem that is self-sustaining and closely resembles surrounding bushland

Topsoil applied to flatter slopes of void

Topsoil covers the flatter slopes of the void to a depth of at least 100mm


No NA Not commenced

REHABILITATION PHASE – ECOSYSTEM AND LAND USE DEVELOPMENT

Domain – Infrastructure (1E), Stockpiled material (5E), Void (6I) and Rehabilitated Areas – Pasture (7E) Establishment of a native ecosystem that is self-sustaining and closely

Fallen timber is spread over site, some containing

5 x timber logs per hectare, 2 of which are hollow-

Required to achieve stated objective.

No NA Not commenced


resembles surrounding bushland

hollows for habitat

bearing

Survey domain area to establish types and number of

seeds/tubestock

required

Complete survey , results

depending on density

and diversity of

vegetation

Required to achieve stated objective

No Section 9.2

Not commenced

Grass and tree seeds from species existing in the surrounding bushland are spread over the site.

1 kg seed per hectare. Establishment success 50-70% within 5 years


No Section 9.2

Not commenced Seeding with sterile cereal has commenced on Domain 7E

REHABILITATION PHASE – ECOSYSTEM AND LAND USE STABILITY

Domains – Infrastructure (1E), Stockpile material (5E), Void (6I), Rehabilitation Areas (7E)

Establishment of a native ecosystem that is self-sustaining and closely resembles surrounding bushland

Vegetation type, density and diversity is comparable to the surrounding bushland

Ecological consultant confirms comparability to surrounding bushland


No Section 9.2

Not commenced

Weed growth is under control

Weed species are not present in greater numbers in the rehabilitated site than in the surrounding bushland

Required to achieve stated objective. Landowners’ requirements

No Section 9.2

Not commenced

REHABILITATION PHASE – LAND RELINQUISHMENT

Entire site Stabilisation of the land to minimise environmental impacts

Objectives for the landform stability met

All land stability criteria met

Requirements of the MOP

No Not commenced

Establishment of a native ecosystem over

Entire site successfully rehabilitated according to

All completion criteria met for all

Requirements of the MOP

No Section 9.2

Not commenced


the entire site that is self-sustaining, low maintenance and closely resembles the ecosystem surrounding the quarry site

the completion criteria

rehabilitation phases

Table 6: Rehabilitation Table

7 Rehabilitation Implementation

7.1 Status at MOP Commencement

DOMAIN 1 – Infrastructure

This domain is currently active and includes:

Visual bund

Access tracks and haul road

Mobile plant - crushers, conveyors, screens and sand washing machine

Transportable office buildings and amenities – 2 buildings, potable water tanks, septic system, concrete

paving and footings

Electrical services

Car park and hardstand laydown and working areas

Processing pad

Bitumen entrance road with wheel wash and weighbridge

Rehabilitation of the infrastructure areas will not commence until mine closure.

DOMAIN 3 – Water Management Areas

The domain is currently active and comprises two sediment trap dams with rock spillways

Two storage dams

Rock lined water diversion drains and a clean water drain (to unnamed creek) and a dirty water drain (to

top storage dam)

Three small silt settlement dams (silt cells) near the top storage dam

The immediate surroundings of the dams are revegetating naturally. The water management areas will be

retained at mine closure.

This domain will remain active over the MOP period.


DOMAIN

5 – Stockpiled material

Stockpile pad (main and southern areas) + stockpile storage on the floor of the abandoned Hoskins Quarry

+ Western Stockpile Area + Eastern Stockpile Area.

This domain is currently active and will remain active over the MOP period. No rehabilitation will be done

until mine closure.

DOMAIN 6 –Void (open cut)

This domain is currently active, and is gradually expanding. No rehabilitation has been done or will be done

in the MOP period.

DOMAIN 7 – Rehabilitation Areas –Pasture

This area is gradually revegetating, having been spray-seeded, and stabilising. Rehabilitation work will

continue in the MOP period.

7.2 Proposed Rehabilitation Activities during the MOP Term

DOMAIN 1 – Infrastructure

No rehabilitation activities are planned as the domain areas are active

DOMAIN 3 – Water Management Areas

No rehabilitation activities are planned as the domain areas are active

DOMAIN 5 – Stockpiled materials

No rehabilitation activities are planned as the domain areas are active.

DOMAIN 6 – Void (Open cut)

No rehabilitation activities are planned as the domain area will be active.

DOMAIN 7 – Rehabilitation Areas

1. Ecosystem Establishment

Rehabilitation in the MOP period will involve a site survey of the density and relative abundance

of the revegetation species. The results of the survey will indicate:

1. Which areas need reseeding/planting to progress revegetation

2. Which species, such as native grasses, are predominant, and which species need to be

introduced with seeding or planting to replicate the species diversity of the surrounding bushland.

Fallen timber not currently inhabited will be imported from the surrounding bushland areas and

placed in the rehabilitation areas. Depending on the results of the survey, reseeding and/or

planting of tubestock will be done. Mulch will be placed around the tubestock.


Year

Total Disturbance area (ha)

Total Rehabilitation Area (ha) (per MOP Year)

Cumulative Rehabilitation Area

Comments/Explanation

At Start of

MOP (14th

August, 2016)

10.1

0

1.525

Total disturbance is 11.7 ha if rehabilitation areas are included Rehabilitation areas will not expand because rehabilitation will progress on existing rehab areas

1

10.1 0 1.525

End of MOP (14

th

February, 2018)

12.6 0 1.525 Extra disturbance will be due to the construction of the new stockpile as per MOP Amendment C (Dec 2017)

Table 7.1: Estimated Disturbance and Rehabilitation progression during the term of the MOP


7.3 Summary of Rehabilitation Areas during the MOP Term

Primary Domain

Secondary Domain

Code

Rehabilitation Phase

Area at Start of MOP (ha)

Area at end of MOP (ha)

Infrastructure Areas

Rehabilitation Area – Woodland (E) 1E

Active 2.91 2.91

Landform establishment 0 0

Growth Medium Development 0 0

Ecosystem Development 0 0

Infrastructure

1A

Active 0.648 0.788




Final Void 1I Active 0.293 0.293

Water Management Areas

Water Management Areas

3B Active 2.2 2.2

Stockpile materials

Rehabilitation Area – Woodland (E)

5E

Active

2.3 4



Ecosystem Establishment 0 0

Final Void (I) 5I Active 0.443 0.443

Void (open cut) Final Void (I)

6I

Active 1.24 1.24



Ecosystem Establishment 0 0

Rehabilitation Areas

Rehabilitation Area – Woodland (E)

7E

Active 0 0



Ecosystem Establishment 1.525 1.525


Relinquished lands 0 0

Table 7.2: Rehabilitation Data Table


7.4 Relinquishment Phase achieved during the MOP period

No areas of the Relinquished Lands category will be achieved during the MOP period.

8 Rehabilitation Monitoring and Research

8.1 Rehabilitation Monitoring

The following monitoring activities will be used throughout the MOP period to test the success or

otherwise of the rehabilitation:

1. Once every month, an inspection of the rehabilitated (infilled, reshaped, revegetating) areas will be

done to check site stability, erosion and sedimentation, weeds, presence of native animals and the

extent and health of vegetation regrowth. The results will be documented in a diary. Action will be

taken to ameliorate any problems found and to stop them recurring

8.2 Research and Rehabilitation Trials and Use of Analogue Sites

The analogue site is the bushland surrounding the quarry site, as the objective is to restore the

active areas to native bushland closely resembling the bushland surrounding the site.

9 Intervention and Adaptive Management

9.1 Threats to Rehabilitation

Threats to rehabilitation include prolonged drought and insect plagues (e.g. locusts) and disease

(e.g. Phytophera).


9.2 Trigger Action Response Plan

THREAT TO REHABILITATION SUCCESS

TRIGGER LEVEL

RESPONSE ACTION

REASON/ VALIDITY OF RESPONSE

MITIGATION/ REMEDIATION

Prolonged drought

Over 10% of vegetation on rehabilitation areas is dead.

Buy water and spray weekly over rehabilitating areas. Notify DRE Orange.

Losing vegetation over rehabilitation areas is contrary to the rehabilitation objectives.

Establish vegetation as soon as possible as mature plants are more drought tolerant.

Insect plague or disease

There is evidence of plague or disease in the local area

There is no appropriate response for insect plague. Hygiene protocols to be instigated at entrance to prevent the introduction of disease. Consult the Department (DRE).

Best practice Reset Rehabilitation goals

10 Reporting

The following reporting mechanisms will verify compliance with the MOP and support progression

towards the post-mining land use and rehabilitation objectives:

Progressive rehabilitation tables

Results of progressive rehabilitation, as reported in the Annual Environmental

Management Report.


11.0 Plans

PLAN 1A- Project Locality

PLAN 1B –Pre-Mining Natural and Built Environment

PLAN 1D – DIAGRAM OF PLANNED WESTERN STOCKPILE AREA

PLAN 2 - Mine Domains at Commencement of MOP

PLAN2A – MINE DOMAINS SHOWING PLANNED WESTERN STOCKPILE AREA

PLAN 3 - Mining and Rehabilitation year 1.5

PLAN 3B – MINING AND REHABILITATION INCLUDING WESTERN STOCKPILE AREA

PLAN 4 - Final Rehabilitation and Post Mining Land Use

11.4 Colour coding and symbols for Plans

12.0 Review and Implementation of the MOP

12.1 Review of the MOP

The MOP will be reviewed by the Titleholder yearly to measure the planned rehabilitation areas against the

areas actually rehabilitated. GPS surveying of the domains will be done regularly to aid in digital mapping

for annual reporting and demonstrating rehabilitation progression.

12.2 Implementation

The titleholder, Walker Quarries Pty. Ltd., is responsible for the monitoring, review and implementation of

this MOP. Anne Eastwood and Max Rangott, geological consultants of Rangott Mineral Exploration Pty.

Ltd., will be available throughout the MOP period to provide technical advice and help with digital mapping

and reporting, if required.

Mining Operations Plan | Wallerawang Quarry | Walker Quarries Pty. Ltd.

APPENDIX 1 – Development Consent documents from NSW Department of Planning

Environmental Protection Licence

MOP 2009

MOP Amendment A (May 2015)


APPENDIX II - Wallerawang Dam Notification Area Map


APPENDIX III – AHIMS search results

Threatened species list

mining operations plan mop amendment c

Documents