Mt Arthur Coal

Annual Review FY24

27 September 2024

ANNUAL REVIEW FY24

Table of Contents

1

Statement of Compliance

7

2

Introduction

10

3

Approvals

13

4

Operations Summary

15

4.1

Mining Operations

15

4.2

Other Operations

15

4.3

Employment Details

16

4.4

Next Reporting Period

16

5

Actions Required from Previous Annual Review

17

6

Environmental Performance

18

6.1

Noise

18

6.2

Blasting

21

6.3

Meteorological Data

22

6.4

Air Quality

23

6.5

Biodiversity

28

6.6

Visual Amenity and Lighting

43

6.7

Aboriginal Cultural Heritage

44

6.8

European Cultural Heritage

45

6.9

Contaminated Land and Hydrocarbon Contamination

46

6.10

Spontaneous Combustion

46

6.11

Bushfire

47

6.12

Greenhouse Gas and Energy

48

6.13

Waste Management

49

6.14

Public Safety

50

7

Water Management

51

7.1

Water Balance

51

7.2

Erosion and Sediment

52

7.3

Surface Water

55

7.4

Ground Water

58

8

Rehabilitation

62

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ANNUAL REVIEW FY24

8.1

Buildings and Infrastructure

62

8.2

Topsoil

62

8.3

Landform Design

62

8.4

Other Activities

66

8.5

Rehabilitation Activities for Next Reporting Period

69

9

Community

70

9.1

Community Engagement

70

9.2

Community Investment

72

10

Independent Audit

73

11

Incidents and Non-Compliances

88

12 Activities during Next Reporting Period

90

Appendix 1 - Surface Water Quality Monitoring Results

93

Appendix 2 Ground Water Monitoring Results and Groundwater Level Drawdown Analysis

96

Appendix 3 Community Complaints

97

Appendix 4 Annual Coal Transport Report FY24

100

Appendix 5 Rehabilitation Plan

108

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 Mt Arthur Coal FY24 (tonnes)

50

Figure 5 Riparian Vegetation and Channel Stability Monitoring Locations

54

Figure 6: Groundwater and surface water monitoring locations

56

Figure 7: FY24 pasture rehabilitation in the OPD emplacement

63

Figure 8 Bulk shaping and topsoil spreading at VD4 and VD5 Box Gum Woodland rehabilitation

64

Figure 9 Rehabilitation Area Nomenclature

68

Figure 10: Comparison of complaints received during current and previous financial years

71

List of Tables

Table 1: Annual Review title block

6

Table 2: Statement of compliance

7

Page 3 of 108

ANNUAL REVIEW FY24

Table 3: Non-compliance summary

7

Table 4: Mt Arthur Coal management contact details

10

Table 5: Mt Arthur Coal's existing statutory approvals as at 30 June 2024

13

Table 6: Production summary

15

Table 7: Actions required from FY23 Annual Review and additional requirements for FY24 Annual Review

17

Table 8: Monthly attended night-time noise monitoring results in decibels

18

Table 9: Attended noise monitoring results in decibels in comparison to previous years

19

Table 10: Summary of blast monitoring results

22

Table 11: Comparison of annual average deposited dust results

24

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

27

Table 15 FY24 rehabilitation monitoring sites

29

Table 16: Summary of native and introduced flora species within 20 x 20 m plots and condition scores across FY24

rehabilitation sites

29

Table 17 SDS1: Comparison between reference site and benchmark values

30

Table 18 SDS1 assessment against phase and domain specific criteria

30

Table 19 CD1: Comparison between historic data, reference site and benchmark values

32

Table 20 CD1 data comparison to draft completion criteria

32

Table 21 VB2: Comparison between historic data, reference site and benchmark values

34

Table 22 VB2 data comparison to draft completion criteria

34

Table 23 VB3: Comparison between historic data, reference site and benchmark values

35

Table 24 VB3 data comparison to draft completion criteria

36

Table 25 MD1: Comparison between historic data, reference site and benchmark values

37

Table 26 MD1 data comparison to draft completion criteria

38

Table 27 Dump 11: Comparison between historic data, reference site and benchmark values

39

Table 28 Dump 11 data comparison to draft completion criteria

40

Table 29 Pest animal control program results for FY24

42

Table 30: Summary of spontaneous combustion at Mt Arthur Coal in FY24 (July 23 - June 24)

47

Table 31 Annual GHG Emissions (Scope 1 & 2)

48

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ANNUAL REVIEW FY24

Table 32: Water take for FY24

51

Table 33: Riparian vegetation assessment - FY24 RARC and CSIRO Assessment Results

53

Table 34: Summary of statutory surface water quality monitoring results

57

Table 35: Groundwater Level Trigger Exceedances

59

Table 36: Groundwater Quality Trigger Exceedances

60

Table 37 Mt Arthur Coal pasture seed mix

65

Table 38: Mt Arthur Coal rehabilitation claimed for FY24

65

Table 39: Mt Arthur Coal rehabilitation summary

66

Table 40 Diversity Tube stock mix used on VD5

67

Table 41: Summary of IEA Non-Compliances and Recommendations

73

Table 42: 2023 Independent Environmental Audit Non-compliance Recommendations and Actions

74

Table 43: Mt Arthur Coal's performance against targets for FY24

91

Table 44. Daily train movements FY24

101

Page 5 of 108

ANNUAL REVIEW FY24

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 2023

Forward Program Completion Date

30 June 2026

Annual Review Commencement Date

1 July 2023

Annual Review Completion Date

30 June 2024

I, Sarah Bailey, certify that this audit report is a true and accurate record of the compliance status of Mt Arthur Coal for the period 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024 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

Sarah Bailey

Title of authorised reporting officer

Manager Approvals, Land Access, Heritage and

Environment - Mt Arthur Coal

Signature of authorised reporting officer

Date

10/01/2025

Page 6 of 108

ANNUAL REVIEW FY24

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

Workshop Drain

EPA issued Warning Letter due to

EPL

Non-compliant

partially clogged hardstand drainage

O2.1

Condition Warning

Section 11

11457

(Low)

grates and a drainage line containing

Letter

other items and rubbish.

EPL

<95% data capture

Non-compliant

Mt Arthur Coal recorded <95% data

M9.6

at EPL Air Quality

capture at one EPL air quality monitoring

Section 11

11457

(Low)

Monitoring Point

point.

Sewage Treatment

The STP flow meter ceased to continue

EPL

Non-compliant

totalisation of flow rate and as such, the

M7.1

Plant (STP) Flow

Section 11

11457

(Low)

data could not be recovered between 31

Capture

October 2023 and 16 January 2024.

Additional STPs

MAC recently identified additional minor

STP's that discharge to land/water on-site

EPL

O2 and

On-site

Non-compliant

where maintenance records were unable

Section 11

11457

R5.5

Maintenance

(Low)

to be provided for the Annual Return

Records

Reporting Period

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 108

ANNUAL REVIEW FY24

Acronyms

Acronyms

AHMP

Aboriginal Heritage Management Plan

ARA

Annual rapid assessment

BioMP

Biodiversity Management Plan

BMP

Blast Management Plan

CCC

Community Consultative Committee

CCL

Consolidated coal lease

CHPP

Coal handling and preparation plant

CL

Coal lease

DCCEEW

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

DPHI

Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure

DPIE

Former NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, superseded by DPHI

DPE

Former NSW Department of Planning and Environment, superseded by DPIE, then superseded by DPHI

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

HRSTS

Hunter River Salinity Trading Scheme

HVEC

Hunter Valley Energy Coal (Mt Arthur Coal)

MAC

Mt Arthur Coal

ML

Mining lease

MSC

Muswellbrook Shire Council

NGER

National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007

NRAR

Natural Resources Access Regulator

Page 8 of 108

ANNUAL REVIEW FY24

Acronyms

NSW

PA

ROM

RR

VPA

VWP

New South Wales

Project Approval

Run of mine

NSW Resources Regulator

Voluntary Planning Agreement

Vibrating wire piezometers

Page 9 of 108

ANNUAL REVIEW FY24

2 Introduction

The Mt Arthur Coal Complex is located approximately five kilometres southwest of Muswellbrook in the Upper Hunter Valley in New South Wales (NSW) and includes the Mt Arthur Coal Open Cut, the Mt Arthur Coal Underground Project (no underground operations are currently taking place), Coal Handling and Preparation Plant (CHPP), rail loop and rail load out. The Mt Arthur Coal Complex (including biodiversity offset areas) and surrounding region is shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2.

This Annual Review details the environmental and community performance for the period from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024 for operations at the Mt Arthur Coal Complex.

This document has been prepared in accordance with the Annual Review guidelines issued by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment in October 2015 and fulfils statutory reporting requirements required in mining leases and Schedule 5 Condition 3 of the Mt Arthur Coal Mine Open Cut Consolidation Project Approval Modification 1 (09_0062 MOD 1).

This report was prepared in consultation with the NSW Resources Regulator (RR), the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI), NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and the Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR). The report is distributed to a range of external stakeholders and is available on the BHP website at https://www.bhp.com/sustainability/environment/regulatory-information/.

Contact details for personnel associated with environmental management at Mt Arthur Coal can be found in Table 4.

Table 4: Mt Arthur Coal management contact details

Name and role

Phone contact details

Grant Clouten - General Manager, BHP Mt Arthur Coal

(02) 6544 5800

Sarah Bailey - Manager Approvals, Land Access, Heritage and Environment, BHP Mt Arthur Coal

(02) 6544 5800

Page 10 of 108

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BHP Group Limited published this content on January 15, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on January 15, 2025 at 01:28:04.426.