DoIR helps industry clean up their act

The Department of Industry and Resources (DoIR) in collaboration with the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) will hold a workshop in Kalgoorlie next month to help industries improve compliance with exploration tenements.

The workshop, scheduled for Tuesday 20 May, will focus on promoting a high standard of environmental performance by explorers operating in the Goldfields, as well as provide information on the DoIR 2008 inspection program. 

DoIR’s Director of the Environment Division Graham Cobby said the workshop was part of an overall departmental strategy to encourage improved environmental performance in the mineral exploration sector.

“This workshop will help address the increased levels of non-compliant mining companies found to be in breach of exploration tenement conditions. “ Mr Cobby said.

“A series of DoIR inspections during 2007 identified increasing levels of non-compliance with exploration tenements. 

“An inspection of 56 different sites revealed 46 were in breach, that’s an 82 per cent failure.

“This was attributed to a significant increase in exploration activity and inexperienced industry staff.

“Following the inspections, Resources Minister Francis Logan issued a media release highlighting this non-compliance and urged the industry to clean up its act.”

The workshop will also introduce the newly created AMEC booklet titled, The Interim Code of Conduct for Mineral Exploration in Western Australia.

Mr Cobby said the Interim Code was important because it emphasised industry ownership of exploration best practice principles in Western Australia.

He said DoIR encouraged industry to self-audit their operations using the Interim Code as a minimum standard for assessment.

“A final publication is being prepared which will reflect input from a wider range of stakeholders such as exploration drilling contractors, Department of Environment and Conservation, Chamber of Minerals and Energy, Conservation Council of WA and the Environmental Consultants Association,” Mr Cobby said.

Mr Cobby said that DoIR had increased the number of inspections with a focus on environmentally sensitive areas.

In addition to the workshop, a three-day Goldfields Environmental Management Group Conference will also take place.

The conference will provide information on environmental management practices and will run from 21 to 23 May at Curtin University’s Kalgoorlie Campus.

To register for the DoIR and AMEC workshop contact Amanda Shepherd at DoIR on (08) 9222 3156 or email amanda.shepherd@doir.wa.gov.au.