Hail Creek Mine
- Overview
- Mining and production
- Sustainable development
- Community engagement
- Library
Hail Creek Mine is committed to sustainable development and ensuring positive environmental, social and economic outcomes for the community in which it operates.
The mine ensures all employees and visitors comply with Rio Tinto Coal Australia's approach to environmental management to minimise the mine's impact on the environment and to ensure that mined land is effectively rehabilitated.
Hail Creek Mine is also committed to making a sustained contribution to social and economic well being of the Mackay and Nebo region. Through Rio Tinto Coal Australia's community relations programme and the Hail Creek Mine Community Development Fund, the mine is working to help provide positive long term outcomes for the region.
2007 Sustainable development report
| 2007 | 2006 | |
|---|---|---|
| Employees | 298 males, 56 females, Total 354 | 269 males, 45 females, Total 314 |
| Saleable production | 5.0 million tonnes. Saleable coal production increased due to the expansion project completed in 2006, whcih increased the capacity of the mine by nearly one third, only three years after its opening in 2003. | 4.5 million tonnes |
| Health & safety LTIFR (200,000) | Target 0.36, 2007 performance 0.96 | 0.40 |
| Freshwater use (litres per tonne of product coal) | Target 364, 2007 performance 1864. A very high rainfall event in 2007 meant that a high volume of water was impounded. However lack of storage facilities due to previous years of drought meant that freshwater use remained high. | 94 |
| Energy use (gigagoules per tonne of product coal) | Target 0.0211, 2007 performance 0.266 | 0.252 |
| Greenhouse gas emissions (kg -CO2 per tonne of product coal) | Target 30.4, 2007 performance 43.4. | 42.79 |
| Annual rehabilitation & disturbance (hectares) | Target rehabilitation 36, 2007 performance 0. Target disturbance 105, 2007 performance 258. No land was available at Hail Creek Mine for rehabilitation, due to areas being too small and inaccessible to make rehabilitation viable. | Rehabilitation 44, Disturbance 20. |
| Community | The Hail Creek Mine Community Development Fund provided $208,500 to 14 programmes ranging from apprentice programmes and school based training to tourism development and a biodiversity monitoring programme. | The Hail Creek Mine Community Development Fund provided $142,100 to community programmes. |
2007 Highlights
• Work on the Hail Creek Mine life plan continued with a draft knowledge base developed.
• Hail Creek Mine was awarded a major national award for boosting female employment in non traditional roles.
• In partnership with the Mackay Area Industry Network (MAIN), Hail Creek Mine developed the Wiri Traineeship programme to enhance traineeship opportunities for the Wiri people, the traditional owners of the land on which Hail Creek Mine operates.
• Hail Creek provided support and funding to 9 apprentices employed at local engineering firms throughout Mackay in partnership with MAIN and 6 member businesses.
• The business improvement programme delivered $6.5 million in benefits to the operation.
• In 2007 Hail Creek introduced Simulator Training at site. This has improved training rates and the safety of employees whilst also decreasing the training time for operators training on heavy mining equipment.
• Hail Creek obtained ISO14001 recertification for its site Environmental Management System.
• The Hail Creek Emergency Response Team participated in the QLD Mines Rescue Competition in September 2007 and were placed fourth overall.
• Hail Creek Mine was presented with a 'Commended' Award at the 2007 Queensland Mining Industry Safety Innovation Awards. The award was in recognition of Hail Creek's innovation in developing 'load cells' that reduce the risks associated with changing dragline hoist ropes.
• Hail Creek enhanced its commitment to training local people by increasing the number of trainees employed within the business, with a school based trainee position being created in 2007.
