Environment
Norton Gold aims to preserve regional biodiversity alongside its mining operations through a robust environmental policy.
Norton has a highly prospective tenement package covering the Paddington and Binduli operations. This tenement package is nestled within the Great Western Woodlands and characterised by a semi-arid climate with long, hot summers and mild winters. Rainfall averages are only 266mm per year yet within the woodland there are 160 eucalypt species (20% of Australia’s total) and over 3,000 flowering plants. This is reflected in the varying landscapes across Norton’s tenements with areas of dense woodland vegetation, open areas of shrubland, to one of the many salt lake systems in the region. Each area preserves unique habitat and biodiversity.
At Norton, we operate with a vision to ensure biodiversity in the region is preserved alongside open cut and underground mining operations.
This is done fundamentally by implementing an environmental policy aimed at ensuring compliance, environmental responsibility and commitment to the preservation of local and regional biodiversity values and sustainability.
Environmental Management
Norton elected to refer the Binduli North project to the Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia (EPA) to provide an open and transparent process for environmental approval.
The EPA has examined the referral, conducted preliminary inquiries and determined the proposal was not to be assessed under Part IV of the Environmental Protection Act.
The proposal has a disturbance footprint of 924.2ha, which includes 270.1ha of previously disturbed land and a 1,653.7ha development envelope in a long-established mining corridor.
Norton respects its responsibilities to manage potential noise and dust emanating from the Binduli North development. The Company has adopted mitigation measures to limit the impact of operations on neighbouring stakeholders.
A significant range of noise studies has been completed to ensure compliance with noise regulations. As part of its proposal, Norton will construct three significant bunds to help manage noise leaving the site.
With regard to dust, Norton’s proposal includes management measures to prevent dust generation, including the use of water carts to spray water on roads and the cessation of potentially dusty activities during windy conditions.
Environmental Compliance
Norton is required to comply with 62 separate pieces of legislation associated with environmental management. Fundamental to this, is seeking and maintaining approvals and demonstrating compliance to independent Government agencies during the life of mining operations.
Examples of critical environmental legislation governing approvals includes but is not limited to:
- Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972;
- Mining Act 1978 and Regulations 1981;
- Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994 and Regulations 1995;
- Dangerous Goods Regulations 1992;
- Environmental Protection Act 1986 and Regulations 1987;
- Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cmth);
- Wildlife Protection Act 1950; and
- Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914.
Norton maintain a number of legal instruments and licenses for the purposes of water abstraction, bore and well construction, dewatering and dust suppression activities, storage and handling of dangerous goods, and clearing permits. Each instrument is bound by conditions that must be adhered to, and Norton are regularly audited to ensure compliance.
Any incidents resulting in non-compliance or environmental harm are reported as soon as possible to relevant authorities. Remedial measures and investigations are initiated immediately to prevent harm to the environment, keeping within our goal of Zero Harm.
Environmental Monitoring
Norton is committed to understanding the environmental setting prior to constructing any project to ensure that infrastructure is positioned in a way to minimise the impact to the environment. In addition, monitoring is ongoing during the life of the project to continue to ensure that we are meeting our Zero Harm goals.
Baseline studies
Baseline studies are undertaken prior to any mining project commencing to understand the proposed affected ecosystem biome and its unique characteristics to ensure impacts to the environment are kept minimal. Management options are identified in the pre-feasibility stage to further reduce potential impacts when mining commences.
Baseline studies undertaken include native fauna, flora and Aboriginal Heritage. Experienced consultants are engaged to undertake these studies and provide advice on management recommendations or a requirement for further consultation or approvals prior to commencement of any mining activities. Considerations given highest priority and expertise include the presence of threatened or priority flora and fauna species, and the presence of significant sites of Aboriginal heritage or importance.
Ongoing monitoring
Once assessed and approved to mine, Norton not only ensure all legal responsibility is met as minimum practice but often expand the scope of monitoring to obtain a more extensive understanding of potential impacts to the surrounding environment.
Environmental parameters monitored during active operations include; regular monitoring of groundwater quality, annual surveying for impacts to local flora and fauna species, monitoring of dust generation, assessing waste landform characterisation, etc.
Monitoring continues well after the cessation of mining activities to further ensure the environment is not still being impacted from those previous mining activities, and future activities in the area then become directed towards closure goals of returning the land to its anticipated and agreed upon future land use.
Each year, Norton submit an Annual Environmental Report (AER), as required by the Department of Water and Environment Regulation and the Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety. A copy is also provided to the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder for their information. The AER provides information to satisfy the conditions of a number of issued legal instruments and licenses, and also serves to provide the public with a record of all environmental activities that have taken place on Norton’s tenements throughout the calendar year.
Rehabilitation and Closure
Norton are responsible for managing just under 6000ha of mining related disturbance over its tenement package (meaning that only 5.5% of the tenure has been disturbed), and of this disturbed land, 49% to date has been rehabilitated.
Norton’s tenement package is divided into eight separate areas. This grouping ensures that each locality can be more thoroughly assessed and managed on its individual merits, have more relevant engagement with local stakeholders, and focus on future land use and management considerations post mine closure. The areas are:
- Carbine Zulieka;
- Golden Cities;
- Paddington;
- Mount Pleasant;
- Lady Bountiful;
- Binduli; and
- Ora Banda
Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation of all mining related disturbances occurs both progressively, alongside active mining, but also once the project has reached completion stage. Priorities include;
- the final shaping and revegetating of all waste dumps with monitoring points established soon after;
- the closure of pits with abandonment bunds to prevent inadvertent access; and
- the ripping of all tracks and open cleared areas to encourage revegetation and new habitat to re-establish.
Each year, Norton commit a substantial budget towards the ongoing rehabilitation of both active and legacy sites, where possible prioritising those deemed a priority by the community.
Rehabilitation efforts and results are highly dependent on the local surrounding environment and Norton’s primary aim is to remediate all features to a safe, stable and non-polluting state. Effort is then placed in promoting the ecosystems to return to a self-sustaining habitat capable of supporting local flora and fauna species.
Sustainability Policies
Norton’s senior management commits the organisation to sustainability in the following policy.
