Rehabilitation
Vegetation monitoring
Quarterly vegetation monitoring is undertaken by FGM Environmental staff to assess the health of the vegetation, canopy cover, species diversity and ground cover. These are compared to a background site to monitor for any operational impacts.
Vegetation monitoring is used to measure:
- rehabilitation success,
- the need for any additional management such as infill planting or weed spraying, and
- to ensure vegetation is not being impacted by any operational activities.
Monitoring also ensures that statutory requirements and community expectations for progressive rehabilitation are met and that the final landforms are safe and stable.
Many components of rehabilitation vegetation monitoring are undertaken by qualified external consultants and for many years following planting to determine the success of species survival through early vulnerable stages and towards a self-sustaining ecosystem over time.
This monitoring also assists with planning for future rehabilitation, as some species may be particularly suited or sensitive to the location.
Ecosystem Function Analysis monitoring
Ecosystem Function Analysis (EFA) is completed yearly in selected rehabilitated areas by qualified FGM employees and/or external consultants.
The EFA technique uses repeatable transects to assess the soil stability, infiltration, nutrient cycling, erosion and habitat complexity. Vegetation parameters are assessed including lower and upper story cover, diversity and density.
The data gathered can then be used to determine trends over time at each monitoring site.
FGM’s rehabilitation bond
The Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990 and the MIN5404 mining licence under which FGM operates requires the mine have a rehabilitation bond.
A rehabilitation bond is a financial security provided by mine operators prior to works commencing to ensure that site rehabilitation can be undertaken by the regulatory department should the operator be unable to meet their rehabilitation obligations.
FGM’s rehabilitation bond addresses the works required to achieve the closure concepts and final rehabilitated landforms as detailed in the site Rehabilitation and Closure Plan which encompasses all aspects of the site.
FGM also undertakes progressive rehabilitation of disturbed areas no longer utilised by the mine. Where a significant reduction in the rehabilitation liability of the site is demonstrable via progressive rehabilitation, the operator may request a reduction in value of the rehabilitation bond.
