Mining operations that are temporarily suspended may enter a period of ‘care and maintenance’. The Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety’s (DEMIRS) requires environmental management continue during care and maintenance, as per existing mining environmental approvals issued under the Mining Act 1978.
Mining tenements may also have conditions imposed requiring preparation and lodgement of a care and maintenance plan to ensure risks to the environment are actively managed.
Prepare a Care and Maintenance Plan
A Care and Maintenance Plan provides further information as to how key risks to the environment will be managed during this period, clarifying how this differs from existing environmental management practices that occur when the mine is operational. The department has general guidance on environmental considerations for placing a mine into care and maintenance.
However, this guidance does not replace the need for a thorough site-wide environmental risk assessment to support risk-based management during all phases of mining, including care and maintenance.
It is important to review the current and future risks to the environment during your transition into Care and Maintenance. It is strongly recommended the site risk assessment is reviewed as part of this planning process to identify key risks that require management during care and maintenance, particularly where there are changes to risk management procedures or risk controls.
Contact the Resource Environmental Compliance Division for guidance on specific environmental risks that may need to be included in the Care and Maintenance Plan.
Lodge a Care and Maintenance Plan
Only lodge a Care and Maintenance Plan if mining operations are entering temporary suspension and operations are planned to recommence in future.
Where a mine is permanently decommissioning and closing (either in-part or fully), contact DEMIRS to discuss requirements for mine rehabilitation and closure.
A Care and Maintenance Plan can be lodged online using the link below.
Submit a Care and Maintenance Plan online.
What happens after I lodge a Care and Maintenance Plan?
Once a Care and Maintenance Plan is lodged, it will be registered and reviewed to ensure it meets DEMIRS requirements. DEMIRS will then provide notification in writing of the outcome of the review and any further information that may be required.
Are there any other requirements during care and maintenance?
Mines placed into care and maintenance are required to meet other environmental conditions and requirements for mining set out as per the Mining Act 1978. These requirements are typically included as tenement conditions or, in future, may be stated in an Approvals Statement.
WorkSafe also require notification when a mine site enters care and maintenance, further information is available on the WorkSafe website.
These may include:
- Annual environmental reporting
- Annual geotechnical reporting (for tailings storage facilities)
- Lodgement of revision Mine Closure Plans
- Incident reporting for breach of tenement conditions
Requirements under other State legislation (e.g. Environment Protection Act 1986, Contaminated Sites Act 2003, Work Health and Safety Act 2020) should also be considered in relation to mine safety, geotechnical stability, pollution prevention, dangerous goods, and contaminants / hazardous materials.
