Whitehaven Coal : VIC-Annual Rehabilitation Report 2024

VICKERY COAL MINE ANNUAL REHABILITATION REPORT

ARR0001199 | Sunday 1 January 2023 to Sunday 31 December 2023

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VICKERY COAL MINE ANNUAL REHABILITATION REPORT

ARR0001199 | Sunday 1 January 2023 to Sunday 31 December 2023

Summary table

DETAIL

Important

The department may make the information in your report and any supporting information available for inspection by members of the public, including by publication on its website or by displaying the information at any of its offices. If you consider any part of your report to be confidential, please communicate this to the department via the message function on this submission within the NSW Resources Regulator Portal.

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VICKERY COAL MINE ANNUAL REHABILITATION REPORT

ARR0001199 | Sunday 1 January 2023 to Sunday 31 December 2023

Mine details

Project description

The Vickery Coal Mine (VCM) is an open cut coal mine located in the Gunnedah Coal Basin, approximately 25 kilometres (km) north of Gunnedah in New South Wales (NSW). The VCM is operated by Vickery Coal Pty Limited (VCPL) (a wholly owned subsidiary of Whitehaven Coal Limited [Whitehaven]). Development Consent (SSD-7480) was granted to VCPL on 12 August 2020. VCM encompasses the closed site, Canyon Coal Mine, for which a development consent is still active. This and a previous development consent for VCM, SSD-5000, are planned to be relinquished prior to 28 April 2024. Planned activities over the next three years (this Forward Program term) will include: • completion of construction of the mine infrastructure area (MIA); • completion of run-of-mine (ROM) pads; • continued development of the box cut and associated infrastructure; • continued establishment of western overburden emplacement area.

Life of mine

21 years

Current development consents, leases and licences

Development consents granted under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979

SSD-7840

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VICKERY COAL MINE ANNUAL REHABILITATION REPORT

ARR0001199 | Sunday 1 January 2023 to Sunday 31 December 2023

Authorisations covering the mining area granted under the Mining Act 1992

ML 1718 (1992), ML 1471 (1992), ML 1464 (1992), ML 1838 (1992), CL 316 (1973)

Any other approvals, licences, or authorities issued by government agencies that are relevant to the progress of mining operation and rehabilitation activities

DA 8-1-2005

SSD-5000

Summary of the scope and/or purpose of the new applications or modifications to existing approvals (if applicable)

N/A

Changes to land ownership and land use

The land ownership and land use has not changed in this reporting period.

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VICKERY COAL MINE ANNUAL REHABILITATION REPORT

ARR0001199 | Sunday 1 January 2023 to Sunday 31 December 2023

Surface disturbance and rehabilitation activities during the reporting period

Surface disturbance and rehabilitation activities that were conducted and an analysis of the progress against the rehabilitation schedule

The surface disturbance activities undertaken at Vickery Mine in the reporting period included:

• The stripping of topsoil and subsoil from the MIA area, MWD2, the initial stages of the western emplacement area and the boxcut and the western water management infrastructure;
• The construction of the water management infrastructure (drains and sediment dam) on the western edge of the planned disturbance area;
• The construction of a workshop, build pad, initial haul roads and temporary offices for the initial mining development;
• The commencement of construction of the Mine Infrastructure Area (MIA), workshop, stores and administration office;
• The construction of the water management infrastructure to divert clean surface water flows away from the mining area;
• The construction/excavation of Mine Water Dam 2 (MWD2);
• The construction of topsoil and subsoil stockpiles.

Rehabilitation planning activities that were conducted, including any specialist studies

Landform design has occurred to refine the final landform design as per the EIS rehabilitation strategy. This will incorporate geomorphic landform design.

Overview of subsidence repair and/or remediation works undertaken

No remediation works were undertaken.

Overview of rehabilitation management and maintenance activities

No activities were undertaken at the existing rehabilitation areas within the mining leases associated with Vickery Mine. This is due to the commencement of construction of the Vickery Coal Mine Extension Project (SSD7480). No erosion control works were required.

Details of any rehabilitation actions taken as required by any letters, notices or directions issued by government agencies, including the NSW Resources Regulator

No notices received by government agencies regarding rehabilitation.

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VICKERY COAL MINE ANNUAL REHABILITATION REPORT

ARR0001199 | Sunday 1 January 2023 to Sunday 31 December 2023

Details of any rehabilitation areas that have achieved the final land use

Not applicable

1 This includes coarse rejects, tailings and any other wastes resulting from beneficiation.

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VICKERY COAL MINE ANNUAL REHABILITATION REPORT

ARR0001199 | Sunday 1 January 2023 to Sunday 31 December 2023

Disturbance and rehabilitation statistics

Current disturbance and rehabilitation progression

Rehabilitation key performance indicators (KPIs)

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VICKERY COAL MINE ANNUAL REHABILITATION REPORT

ARR0001199 | Sunday 1 January 2023 to Sunday 31 December 2023

Progressive achievement of established rehabilitation

Variation to the rehabilitation schedule

Identify the components of the most recent forward program that were not achieved

N/A

Key factors that delayed progressive rehabilitation

N/A

Outline actions that will be included in the forward program and carried out to minimise disturbance and undertake progressive rehabilitation as far as reasonably practical

N/A

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VICKERY COAL MINE ANNUAL REHABILITATION REPORT

ARR0001199 | Sunday 1 January 2023 to Sunday 31 December 2023

Rehabilitation monitoring and research findings

Rehabilitation monitoring

The rehabilitation monitoring carried out in the annual reporting period

Woodland Domain Groundcover

Five individual sites met the completion criterion 50% minimum target.

Woodland Domain seedling densities

Overall established tree health was good with all trees in plots heathy and growing, and fruits were present across a range of species.

Pasture Domain Groundcover

All Pasture Domain sites exceeded groundcover targets. Pasture Domain rehabilitation met key completion criterion target analogue mean value for grass biomass (kg/ha). Pasture composition is measured comparable to analogue values.

Fauna

Native Vegetation Domain rehabilitation sites contained a variety of habitat features. Hollows have yet to develop in planted trees due to maturity of rehabilitation

Status of performance against rehabilitation objectives and rehabilitation completion criteria

The monitoring program that has been implemented

A detailed annual ecological assessment of rehabilitated areas and analogue sites was undertaken during October/November 2023. Monitoring was undertaken using the Whitehaven Annual Rehabilitation Monitoring Methodology (WARMM) which compares progression of site against closure criteria.

Are all rehabilitation areas in Landform Establishment phase or higher represented in the monitoring program to assess performance against the rehabilitation objectives and approved or, if not yet approved rehabilitation completion criteria and final landform and rehabilitation plan?

Yes

Year rehabilitation areas will be included as part of the monitoring program

An appraisal of whether rehabilitation is moving towards achieving the proposed rehabilitation objectives, approved or, if not yet approved, rehabilitation completion criteria and final landform and rehabilitation plan as soon as reasonably practicable.

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