National recognition for Mangoola Coal’s mine rehabilitation work
Media statement
A culture of continuous improvement at Glencore’s Mangoola Open Cut mine has seen the New South Wales Upper Hunter operation claim another national award.
Mangoola has won the Environmental Excellence category of the 2020 Prospect Mining Awards for its industry-leading natural landform rehabilitation work.
It is the latest in a growing list of achievements for the site, which included a trifecta of wins (Excellence in Safety, Coal Mine of the Year and Mine of the Year) in last year’s Prospect awards.
Mangoola’s Operations Manager, Nick Slater, said the latest award again underlined the site’s commitment to deliver the best possible outcomes in all areas of the operation.
“Our workforce pride themselves on setting and achieving challenging targets right across the mine, and our efforts with rehabilitation of mined land reflect this,” Mr Slater said.
“Like all State significant mining projects we’re required to undertake progressive rehabilitation.
“But we have gone above and beyond this requirement to restore a natural-looking, functional ecosystem that provides high quality fauna habitat and is creating a vital link in the Greater Eastern Ranges conservation corridor.”
Mangoola was the first operation in the Australian coal mining industry to incorporate natural landform into its rehabilitation.
This involves integration of a computer-generated landform model into mine planning, which ensures that rehabilitation of mined areas blends seamlessly with the surrounding environment.
The rehabilitation presently supports more than 70 woodland bird species; terrestrial fauna including wombats, red-necked and swamp wallabies, short-beaked echidnas and brush-tailed possums and eastern grey kangaroos; reptiles such as lace monitors, bearded dragons, brown snakes and eastern longneck turtles; and three species of frogs in dedicated aquatic habitat.
The Mangoola team is also successfully translocating endangered terrestrial orchids (Prasophyllum petilum and Diuris tricolor) into the rehabilitation, another Australian first that has been the subject of a published international scientific paper.
“While this approach to rehabilitation presents a number of challenges, our people are passionate about making a positive contribution to the area that future generations will enjoy,” Mr Slater said.
“Each and every one of our employees has played a part in achieving this award and the outstanding results we’re seeing in our rehabilitation.”
For further information, please contact:
Francis de Rosa
m: +61 417 074 751
e: Francis de Rosa
Allyn Hamonet
m: +61 418 228 075
e: Allyn Hamonet
Notes for editors
About Glencore
Glencore is one of the world’s largest global diversified natural resource companies and a major producer and marketer of more than 60 commodities. The Group's operations comprise around 150 mining and metallurgical sites and oil production assets.
With a strong footprint in over 35 countries in both established and emerging regions for natural resources, Glencore's industrial activities are supported by its global marketing network.
Glencore's customers are industrial consumers, such as those in the automotive, steel, power generation, battery manufacturing and oil sectors. We also provide financing, logistics and other services to producers and consumers of commodities. Glencore's companies employ around 160,000 people, including contractors.
Glencore is proud to be a member of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights and the International Council on Mining and Metals. We are an active participant in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.
Visit Glencore's website to learn more.
About Glencore Australia
Glencore has operated in Australia for over 20 years and holds significant interests in a range of commodity industries across all mainland states and the Northern Territory.
We employ about 18,720 people across the coal, copper, zinc, nickel and oil industries.
In 2019, Glencore contributed about $14.8 billion to the regional, state and national economies in Australia. The most significant economic contribution came from core business activities: employing people, sourcing from local communities, and paying taxes to host governments.
Visit Glencore Australia's website to find out more.