PRCP Has Been Approved By DETSI!

In an exciting new development, Oaky Creek Coal’s (OCC) Progressive Rehabilitation and Closure Plan (PRCP) and Schedule has been approved by the Queensland Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI).

“The approval conditions of the PRCP include specific requirements detailing how the areas disturbed by our mining activities are to be rehabilitated, and by when,” explains Joel May, Environment and Community Manager, OCC. 

“As we head towards the final years of the mine, this provides clarity and certainty for both OCC and the wider community of the quality and timeliness of completing activities that safely and responsibly rehabilitate the landscapes we have operated upon to post mine land uses reflective of the natural and pastoral activities around us.”

Whilst progressive land rehabilitation has been an integral part of OCC’s operations since the very beginning, the E&C team has been working specifically on the PRCP since 2020. Now that it has been approved, the immediate next steps are to align OCC’s internal closure planning activities with the finalised PRCP and schedule.

Longer term, some of the key milestones planned for progressive closure on and offsite include:

1 – In the lead up to last coal, completing major projects such as the rehabilitation earthworks at the Son Of Cattle and Recovery pits, surface infrastructure areas of 500 and 700 series longwall panel areas, and some completed and dried out inpit Tailings Storage Facilities (TSF).

2 – After last coal, there’s likely to be increased activity with demolition works across the mine’s infrastructure areas, including the Coal Handling and Processing Plant, and further rehabilitation earthworks across legacy open cut areas and the Out of Pit TSF.

3 – Post closure of the mine, there will continue to be ongoing monitoring and maintenance on site.

As rehabilitation work is carried out, the OCC E&C team will track and monitor activities and completion against the PRCP and Schedule requirements.

As always, you – the community – will be kept informed through existing communication and engagement channels, including the Tieri Community Reference Group, Tieri website (www.tieri.com.au), and right here in Tieri News.