A Survey of Sustainable Development Initiatives in the Australian Mining and Minerals Industry

Abstract

This paper describes 13 case studies illustrating initiatives to embed sustainable development in the Australian minerals industry spanning a decade and a half from 1990. For each case study, a brief background to the mining site or mineral processing operation is given, a description of the existing processes prior to implementing the initiatives, a description of the initiatives, and the drivers, barriers and conclusions drawn from each set of initiatives. The key outcomes from the case studies are that minerals companies in Australia are putting sustainable development into operation at their sites and these are as follows: environmental and social improvements at operations and communities in which they operate can realize economic benefits and will not always incur a major financial cost; local communities provide the means by which a mining or minerals processing operation can realize its full potential in contributing to a region's economic and social well‐being; improvements to waste management practices and waste prevention, can lead to cost reductions and often increased revenues; energy and water efficiency improvements will be needed by any mining company planning to remain viable in the future, particularly in Australia; at the operations level, there needs to be clear commitment from senior management to make the case for change to a more sustainable mining or minerals processing operation; and mining companies need to work closely with businesses and suppliers to identify new processes that increase the sustainability of their businesses. The most commonly employed mechanisms for implementing sustainable development across the 13 case studies surveyed were two elements of cleaner production, technology modification and on‐site recycling (or re‐use) of wastes (each >60%), as well as stakeholder engagement (>50%).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author is grateful to Dr W. J. Altham, Western Australian Government, for his assistance in compiling case studies. The opinions herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of his employer, Shell Australia.