Conservation
All our managed operations must have biodiversity conservation plans in place to protect - and, in many cases, enhance - local ecology. The plan takes careful account of the proximity of any protected or high biodiversity value areas. We are also committed to properly rehabilitating and restoring the land, both during the life of the mine and after mining has finished.
Before we operate in a new area, acquire an operation or make major changes to an existing operation, we always:
- carry out baseline surveys to establish existing biodiversity and landscape conditions and identify vulnerable species and ecosystems
- complete an Environmental Impact Assessment to identify other potential effects
- design a conservation plan that covers all stages of the mine’s development, operation, rehabilitation and post-closure
We monitor biodiversity throughout the life cycle of an operation, making a concerted effort to identify and mitigate any potential impacts. Where these do happen, we restore the area as closely as possible to its original condition.
We have committed to not mine or explore in World Heritage properties. While none of our sites are within protected areas, several sites are adjacent to protected areas, or within or adjacent to biodiversity-rich areas. In these situations, we engage with external stakeholders (including local and national governments, communities, conservation organisations and universities) to develop and implement biodiversity conservation programmes.
Compensatory offsets
When we cannot restore local biodiversity (or to compensate for impacts), we look for opportunities to create biodiversity ‘offset’ reserves. These reserves are ecologically sensitive areas within our mining or exploration leases that we protect from future disturbance or development.
At our McArthur River Mine in Australia, it was necessary to divert 5.5km of the McArthur River. We have been working closely with external, internationally recognised biodiversity offset experts to develop a plan for creating the Glyde River Preservation Zone.
The aim of the proposed offset project is to achieve a net gain in biodiversity by preserving and protecting the habitat and associated eco systems of a neighbouring river, equally significant in terms of biodiversity.
