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Rehabilitation

Downer Mining offers a suite of mine rehabilitation services to help restore disturbed land to a state agreed by the client and its stakeholders. These services include:

• Site drainage and water management
• Final landform profiling
• Topsoil management
• Revegetation
• Creek diversions

Site drainage and water management
We develop site-specific water management solutions, facilitated by OPSIM^TM  modelling software.

OPSIM^TM is a general-purpose operational simulation model for water resources systems and has been specifically tailored for mining/industrial applications. It includes extensive data management tools for risk management assessments in both design and forecasting applications. 

OPSIM^TM has been successfully applied at a number of sites and facilities, addressing risks associated with potential non-compliant water discharges and providing solutions to significantly improve water-use efficiency.

Final landform profiling
We have the capability and experience to shape landforms to meet client planning and licence conditions. We also provide dump designs to clients and ensure progress with these designs through periodic surveying.

Topsoil management
We ensure topsoil stripping is undertaken in accordance with site soil conditions and that the integrity of topsoil resources is retained. We plan topsoil stockpile locations to minimise erosion, encourage vegetation cover and consider water ponding and flow.

We undertake direct topsoil placement on landforms wherever possible and spread topsoil with due care with regard to depth, in order to meet rehabilitation requirements.
Throughout all topsoil handling activities we use dust suppression and frequently survey topsoil regions to ensure a current inventory is available at all times.

Revegetation
We work closely with our clients to establish a specific habitat type and choose the appropriate seeding mix for their rehabilitation licence conditions.

Direct seeding is undertaken with equipment or, where it is not practical to use equipment, we seed areas of revegetation by hand.

Our experience in this area ranges from grazing management to native grasslands and tree corridors. 

Creek diversions
Case study: Blackwater Creek Diversion
The diversion of approximately 10.2 kilometres of Blackwater Creek at the Curragh Mine in Central Queensland was an ambitious and technically challenging project to re-establish an important ecological corridor.

Undertaken for Wesfarmers Curragh, the project involved relocating the creek to enable access to coal reserves beneath it. It comprised bulk earthworks, civil works, and the rehabilitation of approximately 167 hectares of land with 35,000 seedlings, hydromulch pastures and native shrub species. With key objectives of reinstating habitat, creek biodiversity and ecological function, the project exceeded its vegetative cover and flora species diversity targets 12 months ahead of schedule.

The project has demonstrated that such diversions can deliver a high standard of environmental outcomes through the application of sustainable design principles, collaborative partnerships and innovative solutions. Its success was externally recognised through its selection as a finalist in the 2010 Civil Contractors Federation Earth Awards. 

View the Downer Mining Sustainability capability statements

ReGen Capability Statement - East ReGen Capability Statement - West