We are continuing to transition the environmental approvals for our mining operations to contemporary assessment processes.
We started this in 2020 with the referral of the future Myara North and Holyoake mine regions of our Huntly mine for environmental assessment in accordance with state and federal regulations.
Both state and federal regulators play an important role in assessing the identification and management of environmental impacts.
In WA, environmental assessments are managed by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) who makes assessments on matters where there are potential significant environmental impacts.
The federal regulator, Department of Climate Change, Energy the Environment and Water, will also assess a proposal where it impacts certain nationally significant animals, plants, habitats or places, known as Matters of National Environmental Significance.
Sometimes proposals can be assessed under accredited assessments where the federal regulator authorises the state authority to assess the proposal and the Federal Minister then uses the state’s report to decide whether to approve it.
Our future Huntly mining and Pinjarra refining activities are being assessed through a combination of accredited assessments and standalone federal and state approvals processes.
Under the accredited assessment process, the projects are being assessed at the highest level - being a Public Environmental Review. This included a 12-week public comment period.
In 2026, we entered into a Strategic Assessment process with the federal regulator which will provide a holistic assessment of potential impacts to significant flora and fauna over a broad geographic area encompassing current and potential future mining activities.
As part of the assessment process, regulators seek to understand our proposed future activities, potential impacts on the environment and the ways we will manage them. At the state level the assessment relates to matters covered under the Environmental Protection Act (WA), while at the federal level the focus is on matters of national environmental significance, such as threatened species listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
The assessments and management plans are informed by studies, which can include:
Surveys to identify and record data on the location, diversity and health of species. This includes conservation-significant flora and fauna, and threatened and priority ecological communities.
Surveys to identify areas of spiritual, historical, scientific, aesthetic and social values – including recreation areas, tracks and trails.
Baseline monitoring and studies to assess and understand water quality, quantity and movements of both surface and groundwater.
Assessment of potential emissions from mining and refining operations.
