20974 29Metals AR23 WEB V1 - Flipbook - Page 50
46
29Metals 2023 Annual Report
Responsible environmental stewardship continued
Environmental performance
29Metals is committed to effectively
managing the environmental impact
of its operations. During the Reporting
Period, this commitment was
reflected in the significant investment
in infrastructure, organisational
capacity and capability.
29Metals opera琀椀ons and explora琀椀on ac琀椀vity are subject to policy,
guidelines and site-speci昀椀c permits and licences with obliga琀椀ons
for the ongoing protec琀椀on of the environment directly or
indirectly impacted by mining and explora琀椀on ac琀椀vi琀椀es.
Environmental compliance and performance at our opera琀椀ons are
upheld by our commi琀琀ed site environment teams, who implement
their Environmental Management System (‘EMS’) that includes the
delivery of training and educa琀椀on for relevant site sta昀昀.
Compliance
During the Repor琀椀ng Period, we con琀椀nued e昀昀orts to enhance
internal systems and processes related to environmental
compliance and performance improvement.
The number of environmental incidents that triggered
no琀椀昀椀ca琀椀ons to the relevant regulatory body during the Repor琀椀ng
Period is outlined in Table 3. The number of reportable incidents
at Golden Grove decreased by 40% compared to 2022, with
no enforcement ac琀椀ons received by the opera琀椀on in 2023.
The number of reportable incidents at Capricorn Copper
increased in 2023, many of which were a direct and indirect result
of the impacts of the Extreme Weather Event in March 202324.
Table 3 Reportable environmental incidents in 2023
Site
Capricorn
Copper
Reportable
incidents
Enforcement ac琀椀on
6
A pre-enforcement le琀琀er was issued by the regulator,
following surface water quality exceedances
in Gunpowder Creek in 2022 and 2023.
The pre-enforcement ac琀椀on requested further
informa琀椀on to inform inves琀椀ga琀椀ons and next steps.
In mid-2023, the regulator advised 29Metals
that it was inves琀椀ga琀椀ng the failure to meet
Design Storage Allowance in the Esperanza
Pit at 1 November 2022 and certain alleged
non-compliance in early 2023 (including during
the Extreme Weather Event24).
Golden
Grove
3
Engagement with regulatory authori琀椀es
regarding one reportable incident from 2022
remains ongoing.
Redhill
Nil
N/A
24. Refer to: “Impact of Extreme Rainfall on Capricorn Copper Opera琀椀ons”
released to the ASX announcements pla琀昀orm on 9 March 2023; “Capricorn
Copper Opera琀椀ons Update” released to the ASX announcements pla琀昀orm on
15 March 2023; and “Strategic Update” released to the ASX announcements
pla琀昀orm on 23 May 2023.
The Queensland Department of Environment, Science and
Innova琀椀on (‘DESI’) issued an Environmental Protec琀椀on Order
(‘EPO’) to Capricorn Copper in January 2023. This EPO was
disclosed in the 2022 Annual Directors’ Report, and was related
to the forecast heavy wet season and volume of water held in two
regulated structures on site. The EPO covered the remainder of
the wet season and expired on 1 May 2023.
Training and inspections
Our Environmental team conducts inspec琀椀ons of various mine
areas throughout the year to ensure compliance of our ac琀椀vi琀椀es
with local regula琀椀ons.
For example, at Golden Grove, inspec琀椀ons and training conducted
during the Repor琀椀ng Period included:
■
■
■
approximately 45 inspec琀椀ons and 52 Safety Leadership
Interac琀椀ons with a focus on environmental ma琀琀ers
were conducted;
an Environmental Awareness Training package was dra昀琀ed in
2023 which will be rolled out in 2024; and
as part of the EMS, toolbox topics on environmental
awareness, biodiversity in the region, and sustainability e昀昀orts
in the region were delivered in the Repor琀椀ng Period.
Approvals summary
In both Western Australia and Queensland, mining opera琀椀ons are
obligated to obtain environmental approvals for proposed new or
changed developments under State-based mining, environment,
biodiversity and water legisla琀椀on. Across the Group, there is an
ongoing focus on implemen琀椀ng long-term approvals plans to
enhance planning and certainty regarding approval requirements
for the Life of Mine (‘LOM’) given the depth, complexity and
琀椀ming associated with these applica琀椀on processes.
At 29Metals, we engage with government agencies throughout
the life of our projects as part of the planning and approvals
processes for each of our opera琀椀ons. Our dedicated Environment
teams provide support across the opera琀椀ons during all stages of
approvals. In turn, the site teams are supported by subject ma琀琀er
experts in our corporate o昀케ces.
