Anglo American has rehabilitated 82 hectares at the Dawson coal operation in the Bowen Basin in Queensland, restoring the land future agricultural use such as cattle grazing.
The area has achieved progressive certification for rehabilitation under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 by Queensland’s Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.
Dawson is the first of Anglo American’s five steelmaking coal operations to achieve this accreditation.
“We’ve been working towards this since 2012 and it’s incredibly rewarding to see the land thriving again – this time as productive grazing country,” Anglo American environmental manager Jason Fittler said.
“Our goal has always been to return the land to a sustainable use and this certification shows we’re doing just that.
“It is a significant step forward in building trust with our communities. Ultimately, the land will return to them, so it’s important we prove we’ve been responsible custodians.”
The certification was achieved by returning carefully stockpiled topsoil containing native seed banks and beneficial bacteria and sowing grass seed as ground cover to prevent erosion and provide food for grazing animals.
The rehabilitation initiative demonstrated greater weight gain in the cattle compared to non-mining grazing land.
“Cattle grazing trials provided clear evidence of the land’s productivity, reinforcing the viability for future agricultural use to the regulator,” he said.
“This Dawson mine certification is just the beginning. We’re continuing to seek opportunities to reinforce our commitment to sustainable mining and positive environmental outcomes on the lands where we operate.
“We want to demonstrate mining and sustainable land use can go hand in hand – leaving a positive legacy for future generations in our communities.”
Anglo American is currently finalising the sale of its whole steelmaking coal business – including Dawson – to Peabody Energy for up to $US3.775 billion ($5.8 billion).
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