Xstrata Copper North Queensland.pdf - Mount Isa Mines

Sustainable communities
Indigenous rights and
Aboriginal cultural
heritage
There were no known incidents of
Indigenous rights being violated in 2010
and we recorded no breaches of Aboriginal
cultural heritage. We conducted a series of
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage surveys under
the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003
Duty of Care Guidelines in 2010. Through this
process a number of artefacts and sites were
identified and we will continue to engage the
traditional custodians in relation to these.
A Cultural Awareness Training Package was
scheduled for roll out in 2010. This has been
deferred to 2011 so that the program can
be reviewed and refined. During 2010 we
recruited seven local Indigenous employees
into the Indigenous-specific employment and
training pathway, Structured Training and
Employment Projects Employment Related
Services (STEPers). We also awarded one
National Indigenous Cadetship Support
Program place to a local Indigenous
tertiary student.
Mine closure
EHM continued to revise its mine closure
strategy in 2010. Studies continued into the
potential impacts of closure on the local
groundwater resource and the stability of
waste rock dumps and the tailings dam in
the long term.
EHM continued working with its pastoral
neighbours in 2010 to progress its bore
census on properties surrounding the
operation’s lease so that potential impacts
on groundwater can be measured and
managed on these properties.
The Mine Closure Plan was reviewed in
2010 and updated to reflect the latest
closure strategies developed in response
to EHM’s ongoing groundwater studies
and revegetation, tailings capping, and
evaporation trials. It was also updated to
incorporate plans for underground mining
and magnetite processing.
70 XSTRATA COPPER NORTH QUEENSLAND