Each year the minerals industry in NSW extracts millions of tonnes of ores and materials from the ground so that they can be transformed into consumer goods, electricity and other everyday products and services. Mining makes an important contribution to our lives.
The local and environmental impact of this primary step in the overall production chain tends to be much higher than the impact downstream. The environmental performance of the minerals industry has consequently been under closer and longer scrutiny than that of other industries. As a result the minerals industry takes its environmental responsibilities very seriously. These extend to a number of different aspects of our operations including working with local communities and adhering to stringent planning approval processes and operating regulations.
This growth in the social and environmental accountability of the minerals industry has translated into greater transparency and corporate accountability across all industries and all levels of the supply chain. It is now an integral part of doing business. Efficiencies in production that deliver commercial improvements also deliver improved environmental performance.
Building on this legacy, the minerals industry looks to a future in which the industry, governments and the community forge partnerships and commit to a common path in which goods and services are assessed across the whole of their life cycle for their impact on community aspirations, the environment and economic benefits.
The minerals industry’s commitment to this course is expressed in the industry’s policy statement Enduring Value – the Australian Minerals Framework for Sustainable Development. Enduring Value extends the previous Australian Minerals Industry Code for Environmental Management in recognition that responsible decision-making and operational practice by the minerals industry are at the forefront of sustainable development.
Read on for information about the NSW mineral industry’s initiatives to: