The passage of a vast array of new State and Federal
environmental legislation over the last couple of years has
required many mine operators to sharpen their focus on
environmental requirements. Established requirements, such as
environmental impact assessment, minimising disturbance and
rehabilitation must now be complemented by mine environmental
management plans. These may not only require regular
monitoring of mine operations and detailed forward planning to
prevent or reduce environmental harm caused during mine
operation, but annual updating. It is likely that in future these
plans will be required to incorporate general principles such as
pollution prevention, sustainable development, waste
minimisation and conservation of biodiversity and ecological
integrity.