Alignment and differences between the Australian Water Accounting Standard and the Water Accounting Framework for the Minerals Industry

In 2012, the Bureau of Meteorology under the banner of the Water Accounting Standards Board released the Australian Water Accounting Standard 1 (AWAS 1). This standard has been in development since 2007 with key milestones being the release of the Preliminary Australian Water Accounting Standard in 2009, and the exposure draft of the Australian Water Accounting Standard in 2010. Throughout this period, the Minerals Council of Australia’s Water Accounting Framework has developed concurrently with the Australian standards and the standards have informed elements of the framework. However, the framework is not identical to the standard as the objectives between the two are different. The objective of the Water Accounting Framework is to create consistency in water reporting of the minerals industry and to assist companies reporting to corporate sustainability initiatives. The objective of AWAS 1 is to provide information to water management bodies to facilitate decisions about the allocation of water resources. Companies are to report on an annual basis, not only physical flows of water but contractual requirements to supply and obtain water, regardless of whether the transaction has been fulfilled in the reporting period. In contrast, the Water Accounting Framework only reports on flows that have physically happened. The paper will provide summary information on aspects of AWAS 1 that are most relevant to the minerals industry, show the alignment and differences between AWAS 1 and the Water Accounting Framework and explain how to obtain the information for the AWAS 1 reporting statements.

Social licence to operate and the coal seam gas industry : lessons from social issues in established mining operations?

The recent growth of the coal seam gas industry has increased pressure on regional communities. Debate surrounding the industry is intense and a social licence to operate has yet to be granted to the industry in its entirety. This article presents an analysis of social issues surrounding the coal seam gas industry, making comparisons between two case studies: the Ranger and Jabiluka mines and the Yandicoogina mine. It presents the results of a desktop study, focussed on three topics: community identity; procedural justice and distributive justice, which provides a means for comparison and draws attention to central concerns. It is found that: power imbalances; changing community identities; potentially inequitable distributions of long term benefits and the process to distribute those benefits and negative perceptions of the industry as a whole serve to undermine the provision of a social licence to operate by communities and has the potential to impose significant negative impacts on companies within the industry.

Which industry is greener? An empirical study of nine industries in OECD countries

This study analyzed the relationship between the CO2 emissions of different industries and economic growth in OECD countries from 1970 to 2005. We tested an environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis and found that total CO2 emissions from nine industries show an N-shaped trend instead of an inverted U or monotonic increasing trend with increasing income. The EKC hypothesis for sector-level CO2 emissions was supported in the (1) paper, pulp, and printing industry; (2) wood and wood products industry; and (3) construction industry. We also found that emissions from coal and oil increase with economic growth in the steel and construction industries. In addition, the non-metallic minerals, machinery, and transport equipment industries tend to have increased emissions from oil and electricity with economic growth. Finally, the EKC turning point and the relationship between GDP per capita and sectoral CO2 emissions differ among industries according to the fuel type used. Therefore, environmental policies for CO2 reduction must consider these differences in industrial characteristics. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Developments in mud filtration technology in the sugarcane industry

Dirt collected with sugarcane is processed and separated from the juice in the sugar factory by filtration equipment for return to the cane fields. New technologies over the past decade have enabled performance improvements to be obtained for this key unit operation. Filter mud product still contains a reasonable amount of sugar and the transportation of high moisture mud product has considerable cost. Australia’s traditional approach has been to use Rotary Vacuum Filters for processing and separating mud and other impurities from juice, but in recent years there has been interest in reducing sugar losses and transportation costs through utilisation of new technologies such as Horizontal Bed Filters, Vacuum Belt Press Filters, Membrane Press Filters and Centrifuges. Increasingly, these alternative equipment are being installed in new factories. This chapter describes the general principles of mud filtration theory and mud conditioning followed by a detailed description and review of the various filtration technologies and analysis of the relative merits associated with the equipment.

A discourse analysis on how the sustainability agenda is defined within the mining industry

The mining industry has positioned itself within the sustainability agenda, particularly since the establishment of the International Council of Mining and Minerals (ICMM). However, some critics have questioned this position, since mining requires the extraction of non-renewable finite resources and commercial mining companies have the specific responsibility to produce profit. Complicating matters is that terms that represent the sustainability such as ‘sustainability’ and ‘sustainable development’ have multiple definitions with varying degrees of sophistication. This work identifies eleven sustainability agenda definitions that are applicable to the mining industry and organises them into three tiers: first, Perpetual Sustainability, that focuses on mining continuing indefinitely with its benefits limited to immediate shareholders; second, Transferable Sustainability, that focuses on how mining can benefit society and the environment and third, Transitional Sustainability, that focuses on the intergenerational benefits to society and the environment even after mining ceases. Using these definitions, a discourse analysis was performed on sustainability reports from member companies of the ICMM and the academic journal Resources Policy. The discourse analysis showed that in both media the definition of the sustainability agenda was focussed on Transferable Sustainability, with the sustainability reports focused on how it can be applied within a business context while the academic journal took a broader view of mining’s social and environmental impacts.

Industry based rehabilitation and closure knowledge management system : scoping study

The Central Queensland Mine Rehabilitation Group (CQMRG) has hosted mine site rehabilitation inspections combined with technical workshops for more than 20 years. It was recognised at CQMRG's anniversary meeting in April 2013 that the vast body of knowledge held by rehabilitation and closure planning practitioners was being lost as senior rehabilitation experts retire from the industry. It was noted that even more knowledge could be readily lost unless a knowledge management platform was developed to capture, store and enable retrieval of this information. This loss of knowledge results in a significant cost to industry. This project was therefore undertaken to review tools which have the capability to gather the less formal knowledge as well as to make links to existing resources and bibliographic material. This scoping study evaluated eight alternative knowledge management systems to provide guidance on the best method of providing the industry with an up-to-date, good practice, knowledge management system for rehabilitation and closure practices, with capability for information sharing via a portal and discussion forum. This project provides guidance for a larger project which will implement the knowledge management system to meet the requirements of the CQMRG and be transferrable to other regions if applicable. It will also provide the opportunity to identify missing links between existing tools and their application. That is, users may not be aware of how these existing tools can be used to assist with mine rehabilitation planning and implementation and the development of a new platform will help to create those linkages. The outcomes of this project are directed toward providing access to a live repository of rehabilitation practice information which is Central Queensland coal mine-specific, namely: highlighting best practice activities, results of trials and innovative practices; updated legislative requirements; links to practices elsewhere; and informal anecdotal information relevant to particular sites which may be of assistance in the development of rehabilitation of new areas. Solutions to the rehabilitation of challenging spoils/soils will also be provided. The project will also develop a process which can be applied more broadly within the mining sector to other regions and other commodities. Providing a platform for uploading information and holding discussion forums which can be managed by a regional practitioner network enables the new system to be kept alive, driven by users and information needs as they evolve over time. Similar internet-based platforms exist and are managed successfully. The preferred knowledge management system will capture the less formal and more difficult to access knowledge from rehabilitation and mine closure practitioners and stakeholders through the CQMRG and other contributors. It will also provide direct links, and greater accessibility, to more formal sources of knowledge with anticipated cost savings to the industry and improved rehabilitation practices with successful transitioning to closure and post-mining land use.

Design, manufacturing and maintenance of sugar milling equipment : observations from the 2008 ISSCT Engineering Workshop

An International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists (ISSCT) Engineering Workshop was held in Piracicaba, Brazil from 30 June to 4 July 2008. The theme of the workshop was Design, manufacturing and maintenance of sugar mill equipment. The workshop consisted of a series of technical sessions and site visits. The Brazilian sugar industry is growing rapidly. The growth has occurred as the result of the sugar industry’s position as a key provider of renewable energy in the form of ethanol and, more recently, electricity. The increased focus on electricity is seeing investment in high pressure (100 bar) boilers, cane cleaning plants that allow an increased biomass supply from trash and digesters that produce biogas from dunder. It is clear that the Brazilian sugar industry has a well defined place in the country’s future. The ISSCT workshop provided a good opportunity to gain information from equipment suppliers and discuss new technology that may have application in Australia. The new technologies of interest included IMCO sintered carbide shredder hammer tips, Fives Cail MillMax mills, planetary mill gearboxes, Bosch Projects chainless diffusers, Fives Cail Zuka centrifugals and Vaperma Siftek membrane systems.

Design, manufacturing and maintenance of sugar mill equipment

The ISSCT Engineering Workshop 2008 in Brazil was well attended with 62 participants including 39 overseas visitors from 15 countries. The workshop addressed the theme Design, manufacturing and maintenance of sugar mill equipment. From the technical sessions, the following conclusions were drawn: • Several speakers articulated a shared vision of the future of the Brazilian sugar industry. This shared vision gives considerable confidence that the vision can become a reality. • There is an increased focus on energy products. As a result, the reduction of factory energy consumption in order to maximise the energy available for products is also a focus. • New equipment and products are being developed with reduced power consumption, lower capital and maintenance costs, and better performance. • Methods presented for reducing maintenance costs included the use of a maintenance management system, condition monitoring and material selection. The workshop was held in conjunction with Piracicaba’s annual SIMTEC exhibition for the sugar and alcohol industries that provides a forum for technical presentations and discussion, and showcases products and services from manufacturers and service providers. In return for holding the workshop in conjunction with SIMTEC, SIMTEC provided sponsorship for the workshop, including paying travel and accommodation costs for two invited speakers, and organisation for the workshop. The ISSCT and SIMTEC technical programs were arranged so that their technical sessions did not clash, and the ISSCT program was extended a day to provide an opportunity for ISSCT participants to attend the SIMTEC exhibition. Informal feedback from workshop participants suggested that the arrangement between ISSCT and SIMTEC worked well. Site visits to two manufacturing facilities and two sugar mills were arranged as part of the workshop.

The emergent imperatives from a design-led innovation engagement within the mining industry

This research seeks a better and more detailed understanding of the processes of implementing design-led innovation in the mining equipment technology services (METS) sector, in a context where the traditional approach to manufacturing is being challenged. This longitudinal research specifically investigated the barriers to design-led innovation and opportunities that developed throughout this research, to understand how the organisation and culture of a METS company evolved, in order to progress towards design-led change. The significance of these findings is shown in the combined implementation of design imperatives leading towards design-led change at all business levels of an organisational structure.

Collaborative learning in the rural Indonesian craft industry

The research explores the potential for participatory and collaborative approaches in working with the Indonesian glass-bead rural craft industry, which currently struggles to sustain its business. Contextual inquiry and participatory action research were used to understand the local context, including motivations, barriers and opportunities and to collaboratively develop strategies for advancement and innovation. The study documents participatory design projects undertaken to make, sell and promote hedonic products. It identifies the importance of understanding local context and individual craftsperson aspirations in designing collaborative support programs. It also provides an in depth insight into the Indonesian rural craft industry.

Soil moisture variability in a temperate deciduous forest: insights from electrical resistivity and throughfall data

Hydrogeophysics is a growing discipline that holds significant promise to help elucidate details of dynamic processes in the near surface, built on the ability of geophysical methods to measure properties from which hydrological and geochemical variables can be derived. For example, bulk electrical conductivity is governed by, amongst others, interstitial water content, fluid salinity, and temperature, and can be measured using a range of geophysical methods. In many cases, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is well suited to characterize these properties in multiple dimensions and to monitor dynamic processes, such as water infiltration and solute transport. In recent years, ERT has been used increasingly for ecosystem research in a wide range of settings; in particular to characterize vegetation-driven changes in root-zone and near-surface water dynamics. This increased popularity is due to operational factors (e.g., improved equipment, low site impact), data considerations (e.g., excellent repeatability), and the fact that ERT operates at scales significantly larger than traditional point sensors. Current limitations to a more widespread use of the approach include the high equipment costs, and the need for site-specific petrophysical relationships between properties of interest. In this presentation we will discuss recent equipment advances and theoretical and methodological aspects involved in the accurate estimation of soil moisture from ERT results. Examples will be presented from two studies in a temperate climate (Michigan, USA) and one from a humid tropical location (Tapajos, Brazil).

Robotics for the mining industry

The mining industry is highly suitable for the application of robotics and automation technology since the work is both arduous and dangerous. However, while the industry makes extensive use of mechanisation it has shown a slow uptake of automation. A major cause of this is the complexity of the task, and the limitations of existing automation technology which is predicated on a structured and time invariant working environment. Here we discuss the topic of mining automation from a robotics and computer vision perspective — as a problem in sensor based robot control, an issue which the robotics community has been studying for nearly two decades. We then describe two of our current mining automation projects to demonstrate what is possible for both open-pit and underground mining operations.

Issues in autonomous navigation of underground vehicles

This paper describes current research at the Australian Centre for Field Robotics (ACFR) in collaboration with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) within the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Mining Technology and Equipment (CMTE) towards achieving autonomous navigation of underground vehicles, like a Load-Haul-Dump (LHD) truck. This work is being sponsored by the mining industry through the Australian Mineral Industries Research Association Limited (AMIRA). Robust and reliable autonomous navigation can only be realised by achieving high level tasks such as path-planning and obstacle avoidance. This requires determining the pose (position and orientation) of the vehicle at all times. A minimal infrastructure localisation algorithm that has been developed for this purpose is outlined and the corresponding results are presented. Further research issues that are under investigation are also outlined briefly.

Case study: Dragline swing to dump automation

Dragline Swing to Dump Automation By Peter Corke, CSIRO Manufacturing Technology/CRC for Mining Technology and Equipment (CMTE) Peter Corke presented a case study of a project to automate the dragline swing to dump operation. The project is funded by ACARP, BHP Coal, Pacific Coal and the CMTE and is being carried out on a dragline at Pacific Coal's Meandu mine near Brisbane. Corke began by highlighting that the minerals industry makes extensive use of large, mechanised machines. However, unlike other industries, mining has not adopted automation and most machines are controlled by human operators on board the machine itself. Choosing an automation target The dragline automation was chosen because: ò draglines are one of the biggest capital assets in a mine; ò performance between operators vary significantly, so improved capital utilisation is possible; ò the dragline is often the bottleneck in production; ò a large part of the operation cycle is spent swinging from dig to dump; and ò it is technically feasible. There has been a history of drag line automation projects, none with great success.

Review and future options for computer modelling in the sugar industry

Computer modelling has been used extensively in some processes in the sugar industry to achieve significant gains. This paper reviews the investigations carried out over approximately the last twenty five years, including the successes but also areas where problems and delays have been encountered. In that time the capability of both hardware and software have increased dramatically. For some processes such as cane cleaning, cane billet preparation, and sugar drying, the application of computer modelling towards improved equipment design and operation has been quite limited. A particular problem has been the large number of particles and particle interactions in these…