Monitoring Country
Mining
Mining is when companies dig up valuable resources from the land like coal, iron ore, gold, copper and uranium. This includes exploring for these resources, building the mine site, operating and maintaining the mine, and rehabilitating the land after the mine has closed.
Mining can be a threat to healthy Country
Mining impacts are the ways these activities affect Country, including:
- Polluting oil, water and air
- Habitat loss and fragmentation
- Soil erosion and changed water flows
- Biodiversity loss, including injury or death of native animals
- Weeds
- Feral animals like cats, foxes and pigs
- Contribute to climate change
Mining impacts can be especially significant if they disturb culturally important sites, reduce access to Country and affect the health of ecosystems on Country.
Managing mining impacts
Under national, state, territory and local government laws, mining projects are assessed for potential environmental impacts. Good management of mines includes taking care of Country during mining and after the mining is finished, but it can still leave long-lasting changes.
Where they live
Better understand:
Mining projects usually hire consultants to undertake monitoring of the environment before, during and after mining to make sure mining isn’t causing unexpected or long-lasting damage to Country, including:
- Water, air and soil quality monitoring
- Biological assessments of native species and ecosystems
- Biological assessments of habitat restoration
- Noise and vibration monitoring
Any time you do work that might disturb or interfere with native animals and vegetation, check with the state authorities to see if you need any approvals.
VIEW PERMIT INFOPrimary sources
This landing page was developed using the following sources:
Primary sources
This landing page was developed using the following sources:
- Leyton-Flor, S.A., Sangha. K. (2024). The socio-ecological impacts of mining on the well-being of Indigenous Australians: A systematic review. The Extractive Industries and Society 17(2024): 101429. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exis.2024.101429
- Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (2013). National Environment Law: The Basics – Environmental Impact Assessments and Approvals of Projects. https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/epbc/publications/national-environment-law-basics-environmental-impact-assessments-and-approvals-projects#dcceew-main
- CSIRO (2024). Environmental Management for Mine Sites. https://www.csiro.au/en/work-with-us/industries/mining-resources/Social-and-environmental-performance/Minesite-environmental-management
Tools and resources
- Find a range of open-access resources in the Indigenous Peoples and Mining Resource Hub: https://www.indigenousminingfutures.net/
Tools and resources
No additional tools or resources found.