RECENT PROJECTS

Environmental Assessment - Mining and Quarrying

Mount Pleasant Coal Mine, Muswellbrook, NSW 

Client: Rio Tinto Coal Australia

Mount Pleasant will be a major new coal mine in the upper Hunter Valley producing some 10.5 million tonnes per annum for the export market. EMM prepared applications for approval to modify the original development consent granted by the NSW Minister for Planning, a Public Environmental Report to satisfy Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act requirements and a set of management plans (covering- Noise and Air; Groundwater, Surface Water and Topsoil; and Rehabilitation and Landscaping). The management plans are to ensure sound environmental performance during the operational phase.

Warkworth Coal Mine, Bulga, NSW 

Client: Coal& Allied Industries

A major expansion of this existing open cut coal mine is proposed with new approvals urgently required to ensure continued output and operational efficiency. The extension area contained a number of constraints including the presence of conservation and heritage reserves, and local roads. The solutions derived in the EA included a comprehensive offsets package and on-site rehabilitation plan designed to meet all NSW and Commonwealth requirements.

Planning - Planning Submissions

Huskisson Hotel Redevelopment

Client: DOMA Group

Huskisson is located on Jervis Bay, an iconic part of the NSW south coast.  The hotel is a scheduled heritage item and this, combined with the sensitive coastal location, necessitated careful project planning. Another key aspect was a project design that would be financially feasible. 

The redevelopment was deemed State Significant. Our services encompassed the full chain of the approvals process: pre-application consultation, an environmental assessment report, a Preferred Project Report following exhibition of the EA, representation at a Planning Assessment Commission hearing and various project modification applications. The project was approved and is now under construction.

Planning - International Development Assistance

Australia- Africa Partnership: Mining Scoping Study

Client: AusAID

Australia is increasing its development assistance program in Africa and one of the priority sectors is mining. EMM prepared the scoping study to assist AusAID in defining its program for the mining sector. The study evaluated the potential of the mining sector in eleven target countries, determined the most appropriate forms of development assistance and provided a template for systematic assessment of assistance requests from target country governments.

Business Development Plan for Quarry Industry in Tonga

Client: Asian Development Bank

This technical assistance project helped the government of Tonga with institutional and operational arrangements for the quarrying industry in the country. The project was a prelude to major infrastructure investments in Tonga by the World Bank and other donors, and provided the basis for cost effective supply of necessary construction materials. 

ABORIGINAL heritage

Penrith Lakes Scheme

Client: Boral

EMM was engaged to provide Aboriginal heritage management advice across a western Sydney quarrying operation larger in area than Sydney Harbour. We prepared a series of Aboriginal Heritage Impact Permit applications and reports to meet the compliance requirements of past approvals. We also provided spot advice on legislative compliance issues in ongoing land management. Test excavations were conducted under the NSW Code of Archaeological Investigations and all analyses and reporting completed in a timely manner.

ACOUSTICS

Proposed Warkworth Extension 2010

Client: Rio Tinto Coal Australia Coal & Allied

EMM undertook the environmental assessment and reporting for an extension of open cut coal mining at the Warkworth Mine in the Hunter Valley. A large component of this assessment was the noise and vibration impact assessment that required extensive field validation (using speakers) and included detailed three-dimensional modelling. The results of the validated noise model for the operation of the proposal was illustrated as contours over surrounding communities.