Closure planning is a consideration during all stages of our operations. It is our intention that through careful and proactive planning we will mitigate the social and environmental impacts of eventual mine closure. Our Sustainability Management Closure Standard aims to ensure that potential closure and post-closure risks and opportunities are effectively identified and managed throughout the mining life cycle.
The potential impacts of closure are an ongoing consideration in our engagement with governments and local communities and our support for community development activities, including development of local businesses not related to mining activities.
For our Prominent Hill operation, a ‘Conceptual Mine Closure and Rehabilitation Plan’ was submitted to Primary Industries and Resources South Australia (PIRSA) in 2006 as part of the Mining and Rehabilitation Programme (MARP). The conceptual plan outlines the anticipated closure strategies and potential liability for the Prominent Hill operation based on the information available at the time. The operation has since developed a closure plan, which is reviewed annually and independently audited every second year in accordance with internal accounting policy. The MARP was updated in 2009 to include the proposed underground project.
Provisions are made for the estimated cost of rehabilitation, decommissioning and restoration relating to areas disturbed during the mine’s operations. Further detail on our provisions is available in our 2009 Annual Report set out in the Provisions Note (Note 22) of the Financial Statements under the heading ‘Mine rehabilitation, restoration and dismantling’.