Resources regulator acts on dam management practices

Two resources site operators in central Victoria have been issued with notices due to a lack of diligence and failure to meet their obligations.

Two resources site operators in central Victoria have been issued with notices due to a lack of diligence and failure to meet their obligations.

Resources Victoria’s Earth Resources Regulator continues to highlight examples of non-compliance to send a reminder to operators in the minerals and quarry sectors that they must comply with the safeguards in place and set site conditions.

Mines and quarries must ensure that their dams are maintained so they do not pose unacceptable risks to the community, infrastructure or the environment. This is true for small freshwater dams and major tailings storage dams.

Recently a central Victoria mine operator was issued with notices for failing to monitor and assess the risks of its tailings storage facilities. Compliance with dam management requirements is critical to ensure that storage structures function as designed and do not pose unacceptable risk to surrounding areas.

The notices require the mine operator to install monitoring equipment and to engage a suitably qualified engineer to properly assess risks associated with its tailings storage facilities.

Compliance officers have also issued a central Victorian quarry with four notices for breaching conditions in its Work Plan. The notices relate to the release of sediment off-site, failing to properly maintain a dam, processing materials from another location without approval and failing to remove unused equipment.

The notices require the installation of sediment controls preventing off-site discharge, obtaining a report regarding the state of the dam, the stopping of processing material from unauthorised sites and removing derelict equipment.

Failure to comply with the notices being issued under Victoria’s mining legislation can result in further enforcement action, including prosecution and may result in additional disruptions to operations.

More information about the work of Resources Victoria can be found on our regulatory actions page.

Quotes attributable to Earth Resources Regulator Chief Inspector Michael Fitzgerald

“Operators across Victoria’s resources sector must do the right thing and comply with regulations to be able to develop and extract the state’s minerals and quarry materials.”

“Industry will see us continue to promote use of notices to formalise our requirements when we find risks not being managed appropriately or authority holders not complying with their Work Plans. A strong and active regulator reflects well on the broader resources sector.”

Contact: Mark Farrugia

Phone: 0438 874 293