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Please note that the following Annual Review is awaiting
endorsement from the Regulatory Authorities
Expected Endorsement/Approval Date: 5th April 2024
BHP Group Limited ABN 49 004 028 077, BHP Group Plc. registration number 3196209 and their respective subsidiaries are members of the BHP Group. The BHP Group is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
Mt Arthur Coal
Annual Review FY23
29 September 2023
ANNUAL REVIEW FY23 | |||
Table of Contents | |||
2 | Introduction | 10 | |
3 | Approvals | 13 | |
4 | Operations Summary | 14 | |
4.1 | Mining Operations | 14 | |
4.2 | Other Operations | 14 | |
4.3 | Employment Details | 15 | |
4.4 | Next Reporting Period | 15 | |
5 | Actions Required from Previous Annual Review | 16 | |
6 | Environmental Performance | 17 | |
6.1 | Noise | 17 | |
6.2 | Blasting | 21 | |
6.3 | Meteorological Data | 22 | |
6.4 | Air Quality | 23 | |
6.5 | Biodiversity | 27 | |
6.6 | Visual Amenity and Lighting | 40 | |
6.7 | Aboriginal Cultural Heritage | 41 | |
6.8 | European Cultural Heritage | 42 | |
6.9 | Contaminated Land and Hydrocarbon Contamination | 43 | |
6.10 | Spontaneous Combustion | 44 | |
6.11 | Bushfire | 45 | |
6.12 | Greenhouse Gas and Energy | 45 | |
6.13 | Waste Management | 46 | |
6.14 | Public Safety | 47 | |
7 | Water Management | 47 | |
7.1 | Water Balance | 48 | |
7.2 | Erosion and Sediment | 49 | |
7.3 | Surface Water | 52 | |
7.4 | Ground Water | 56 | |
8 | Rehabilitation | 62 | |
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ANNUAL REVIEW FY23 | |||
8.1 | Buildings and Infrastructure | 62 | |
8.2 | Topsoil | 62 | |
8.3 | Landform Design | 63 | |
8.4 | Other Activities | 67 | |
8.3 | Rehabilitation Activities for Next Reporting Period | 74 | |
9 | Community | 75 | |
9.1 | Community Engagement | 75 | |
9.2 | Community Investment | 77 | |
10 | Independent Audit | 78 | |
11 | Incidents and Non-compliances | 102 | |
12 Activities during Next Reporting Period | 105 | ||
Appendix 1 - Surface Water Quality Monitoring Results | 107 | ||
Appendix 2 Ground Water Monitoring Results and Groundwater Level Drawdown Analysis | 110 | ||
Appendix 3 Community Complaints | 111 | ||
Appendix 4 Annual Coal Transport Report FY23 | 118 | ||
Appendix 5 Rehabilitation Plan & and Monitoring Results | 126 | ||
Appendix 6 Baiting & Weed Management Reports | 127 | ||
List of Figures | |||
Figure 1: Mt Arthur Coal mining leases, approved disturbance boundary and offset areas | 11 | ||
Figure 2: Mt Arthur Coal locality plan | 12 | ||
Figure 3: Air quality, blasting, noise and meteorological monitoring locations | 20 | ||
Figure 4: Waste disposal from Mt Arthur Coal FY23 | 46 | ||
Figure 5 Riparian Vegetation and Channel Stability Monitoring Locations | 51 | ||
Figure 6: Groundwater and surface water monitoring locations | 54 | ||
Figure 7: Topsoil spreading at OPD emplacement | 64 | ||
Figure 8 Bulk shaping and topsoil spreading at the Saddlers North emplacement | 65 | ||
Figure 9 Rehabilitation Area Nomenclature | 70 | ||
Figure 10 Relocated Tiger Orchid (Cymbidium canaliculatum) | 71 | ||
Figure 11: Comparison of complaints received during current and previous financial years | 76 |
Page 3 of 128
ANNUAL REVIEW FY23 | |
List of Tables | |
Table 4: Mt Arthur Coal management contact details | 10 |
Table 5: Mt Arthur Coal's existing statutory approvals as at 30 June 2023 | 13 |
Table 6: Production summary | 14 |
Table 7: Actions required from FY22 Annual Review and additional requirements for FY23 Annual Review | 16 |
Table 8: Monthly attended night-time noise monitoring results in decibels | 17 |
Table 9: Attended noise monitoring results in decibels in comparison to previous years | 18 |
Table 10: Summary of blast monitoring results | 22 |
Table 11: Comparison of annual average deposited dust results | 23 |
Table 12: Summary of TEOM PM10 monitoring results using validated data | 25 |
Table 13: 24-hour PM10 exceedances and calculated Mt Arthur Coal incremental impact for statutory TEOMs | 26 |
Table 14: Summary of total suspended particulate results | 26 |
Table 15 FY23 rehabilitation monitoring sites | 28 |
Table 16: Summary of native and introduced flora species within 20 x 20 m plots and condition scores across FY23 | |
rehabilitation sites | 29 |
Table 17 MS1: Comparison between reference site and benchmark values | 30 |
Table 18 MS1 assessment against phase and domain specific criteria | 30 |
Table 19 MS1 data comparison to draft completion criteria | 31 |
Table 20 VB6: Comparison between historic data, reference site and benchmark values | 32 |
Table 21 VB6 data comparison to draft completion criteria | 32 |
Table 22 VB6 assessment against phase and domain specific criteria | 32 |
Table 23 VB4: Comparison between historic data, reference site and benchmark values | 34 |
Table 24 VB4 data comparison to draft completion criteria | 34 |
Table 25 VB4 assessment against phase and domain specific criteria | 35 |
Table 26 VB5: Comparison between historic data, reference site and benchmark values | 37 |
Table 27 VB5 data comparison to draft completion criteria | 37 |
Table 28 VB5 assessment against phase and domain specific criteria | 37 |
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ANNUAL REVIEW FY23 | |
Table 29 Pest animal control program results for FY23 | 40 |
Table 30: Summary of spontaneous combustion at Mt Arthur Coal in FY23 | 44 |
Table 31: Water take for FY23 | 48 |
Table 32: Riparian vegetation assessment - FY23 RARC and CSIRO Assessment Results | 50 |
Table 33: Summary of statutory surface water quality monitoring results | 55 |
Table 34: Groundwater Level Trigger Exceedances | 57 |
Table 35: Groundwater Quality Trigger Exceedances | 60 |
Table 36 Topsoil stockpiles maintained in the reporting period | 62 |
Table 37 Mt Arthur Coal pasture seed mix | 65 |
Table 38: Mt Arthur Coal rehabilitation claimed for FY22 | 66 |
Table 39: Mt Arthur Coal rehabilitation summary | 66 |
Table 40 Diversity Tube stock mix used in McDonalds South | 67 |
Table 41 Diversity ground cover seed mix used in MacDonalds South | 68 |
Table 42 Box Gum Woodland Mix used in MacDonalds South diversification | 68 |
Table 43 Alternative Growth Media Trials | 73 |
Table 44: Summary of IEA Non-Compliances and Recommendations | 78 |
Table 45: 2020 Independent Environmental Audit Non-compliance Recommendations and Actions | 79 |
Table 46: 2020 Independent Environmental Audit Improvement Recommendations and Actions | 91 |
Table 47: Mt Arthur Coal's performance against targets for FY22 | 105 |
Page 5 of 128
ANNUAL REVIEW FY23
Table 1: Annual Review title block
Document Details
Name of Operation | Mt Arthur Coal |
Name of Operator | Hunter Valley Energy Coal Pty Ltd |
Project Approvals | PA 09_0062 (MOD 1) |
PA 06_0091 | |
Name of holder of project approvals | Hunter Valley Energy Coal Pty Ltd |
Mining Leases | CCL 744, CL 396, ML 1358, ML 1487, ML 1548, |
ML1593, ML1655, ML 1739, ML 1757, MPL 263 | |
Name of holder of mining leases | Hunter Valley Energy Coal Pty Ltd; Mt Arthur Coal |
Pty Limited | |
WAL 917, WAL 918, WAL 1296, WAL 18141, WAL | |
Water Licences | 18247, WAL 41495, WAL 41556, WAL 41557, WAL |
18175 | |
Name of holder of water licences | Hunter Valley Energy Coal Pty Ltd |
Forward Program Commencement Date | 1 August 2022 |
Forward Program Completion Date | 30 June 2025 |
Annual Review Commencement Date | 1 July 2022 |
Annual Review Completion Date | 30 June 2023 |
I, Hannah Farr, certify that this audit report is a true and accurate record of the compliance status of Mt Arthur Coal for the period 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 and that I am authorised to make this statement on behalf of Hunter Valley Energy Coal Pty Ltd.
Note. | ||
• | The Annual Review is an 'environmental audit' for the purposes of section 122B(2) of the Environmental Planning and | |
Assessment Act 1979. Section 122E provides that a person must not include false or misleading information (or | ||
provide information for inclusion in) an audit report produced to the Minister in connection with an environmental audit | ||
if the person knows that the information is false or misleading in a material respect. The maximum penalty is, in the | ||
case of a corporation, $1 million and for an individual, $250,000. | ||
• | The Crimes Act 1900 contains other offences relating to false and misleading information: section 192G (Intention to | |
defraud by false or misleading statement-maximum penalty 5 years imprisonment); sections 307A, 307B and 307C | ||
(False or misleading applications/information/documents-maximum penalty 2 years imprisonment or $22,000, or | ||
both). | ||
Name of authorised reporting officer | Hannah Farr | |
Title of authorised reporting officer | Manager HSE - Mt Arthur Coal | |
Signature of authorised reporting officer | ||
Date | 11/09/2023 | |
Page 6 of 128
ANNUAL REVIEW FY23
1 Statement of Compliance
A statement of Mt Arthur Coal's compliance with its project approvals and mining leases is presented in Table 2 with four identified non-compliances during the reporting period being discussed in Table 3.
Table 2: Statement of compliance
Were all conditions of the relevant approval(s) complied with?
PA 09_0062
EPL 11457
EPBC 2011/5866
EPBC 2014/7377
ML
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
Table 3: Non-compliance summary
Relevant | Condition | Description | Compliance | Comment | Report | ||||||||||||||
approval | Summary | Status | Reference | ||||||||||||||||
EPL | O2.6 | Missing quarterly | Non-compliant | Written records of required STP quarterly | Section 11 | ||||||||||||||
11457 | STP records | (Administrative) | inspections misplaced. | ||||||||||||||||
EPL | Noise exceedance | Non-compliant | Misalignment between EPL and PA led to | ||||||||||||||||
R4.2 | noise exceedance in October 2021 not | Section 11 | |||||||||||||||||
11457 | not reported to EPA | (Administrative) | |||||||||||||||||
being reported to EPA. | |||||||||||||||||||
EPL | M2.3 | <100% data capture | Non-compliant | Communication error with device sending | Section 11 | ||||||||||||||
11457 | at Discharge Point 6 | (Low) | data to Water NSW and BHP systems. | ||||||||||||||||
EPL | M2.3 | <100% data capture | Non-compliant | Communication error with device sending | Section 11 | ||||||||||||||
11457 | at Discharge Point 6 | (Low) | data to Water NSW and BHP systems. | ||||||||||||||||
<100% data capture | Non-compliant | Monitor servicing; technical issues / | |||||||||||||||||
EPL | equipment malfunction; invalid data; and | ||||||||||||||||||
M2.2 | at dust Monitoring | Section 11 | |||||||||||||||||
11457 | (Low) | power outages all contributing to minor | |||||||||||||||||
Points | |||||||||||||||||||
data loss. | |||||||||||||||||||
Airblast overpressure exceedance of | |||||||||||||||||||
Blast incident | Non-compliant | 120.6 dB was recorded at Sheppard Ave. | |||||||||||||||||
EPL11457 | L6.3 | overpressure | Exceedance was notified to the DPE and | Section 11 | |||||||||||||||
(Low) | |||||||||||||||||||
exceedance | EPA. DPE determined no breach of | ||||||||||||||||||
approval occurred. | |||||||||||||||||||
Note: Compliance Status key for Table 3
Risk Level | Colour code | Description | |||||
High | Non-compliant | Non-compliance with potential for significant environmental consequences, regardless | |||||
of the likelihood of occurrence | |||||||
Medium | Non-compliant | Non-compliance with: | |||||
➢ | potential for serious environmental consequences, but is unlikely | to occur; or | |||||
➢ | potential for moderate environmental consequences, but is likely | to occur | |||||
Low | Non-compliant | Non-compliance with: | |||||
➢ | potential for moderate environmental consequences, but is unlikely to occur; or | ||||||
➢ | potential for low environmental consequences, but is unlikely to occur | ||||||
Administrative | Non-compliant | Only | to be applied where the non-compliance does not result in any risk of | ||||
non-compliance | environmental harm (e.g. submitting a report to government later than required under | ||||||
approval conditions) | |||||||
Page 7 of 128 |
ANNUAL REVIEW FY23
Acronyms
Acronyms | |
AHMP | Aboriginal Heritage Management Plan |
ARA | Annual rapid assessment |
BioMP | Biodiversity Management Plan |
BMP | Blast Management Plan |
CASA | Civil Aviation Safety Authority |
CCC | Community Consultative Committee |
CCL | Consolidated coal lease |
CHPP | Coal handling and preparation plant |
CL | Coal lease |
CRD | Cumulative rainfall departure |
DAWE | Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment |
DoEE | Former Federal Department of the Environment and Energy is now part of DAWE |
DPE | NSW Department of Planning and Environment |
DRE | Former Division of Resources and Energy |
DRG | Former Division of Resources and Geoscience |
EA | Environmental assessment |
EIS | Environmental impact statement |
EL | Exploration licence |
EMS | Environmental management system |
EPA | NSW Environment Protection Authority |
EPBC | Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 |
EPL | Environment Protection Licence |
FY | Financial year |
GPA | Ground pasture assessment |
HRSTS | Hunter River Salinity Trading Scheme |
HSE | Health, Safety and Environment |
Page 8 of 128
ANNUAL REVIEW FY23
HVEC | Hunter Valley Energy Coal (Mt Arthur Coal) |
IROC | Integrated Remote Operations Centre |
MAC | Mt Arthur Coal |
ML | Mining lease |
MOP | Mining Operations Plan |
MSC | Muswellbrook Shire Council |
NGER | National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007 |
NRAR | Natural Resources Access Regulator |
NSW | New South Wales |
OEH | NSW Office of Environment and Heritage |
PA | Project Approval |
RACI | Responsible, accountable, consult and inform |
RAW | Rapid assessment walkover |
ROM | Run of mine |
RR | NSW Resources Regulator |
UAV | Unmanned aerial vehicle |
VPA | Voluntary Planning Agreement |
VWP | Vibrating wire piezometers |
Page 9 of 128
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BHP Group Limited published this content on 06 March 2024 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 06 March 2024 23:55:05 UTC.