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| Exploration Issues
A SYSTEM TO MONITOR, RECORD AND AUDIT
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS AND REHABILITATION OF
MINERAL EXPLORATION ACTIVITY IN TASMANIA
By John Pemberton, David Gatehouse, Ken Bird, Carol Bacon and Matthew Tilyard
Introduction
The Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) between the State and the Commonwealth resulted in a need to formalise and record the approvals process and monitoring activities undertaken by Mineral Resources Tasmania (MRT) in its administration of the environmental effects of ground exploration. The recently completed work by the Resource Planning and Development Commission "Inquiry into areas to be reserved under the Tasmania-Commonwealth Regional Forest Agreement - Final Recommendations Report: CAR Reserves" [RPDC CAR Inquiry] discusses the role of the Mineral Exploration Code of Practice (MECOP) and the Mineral Exploration Working Group (MEWG) in relation to CAR Reserves.
In response to the RFA and the RPDC CAR Inquiry MRT instigated a Geographical Information System (GIS) based project to develop a recording system of on ground exploration activity which would allow compliance auditing of the MECOP and in the longer term outcome based auditing of the environmental effects of exploration in Tasmania.
The information system, Tasmanian Exploration Auditing and Monitoring System (TEAMS), was developed as a pilot project in December 1998. Following the 1998/1999 summer field season, data capture processes were reviewed and further development undertaken. The first trial audit was undertaken in 1999/2000. The most recent audit is available within the MRT Annual Review for 2000/2001
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| Annual Review
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An external auditor from Quality Assurance Services (QAS) was contracted to do a verification audit of TEAMS in late 2000. The QAS audit noted that the TEAMS process was sound. There was criticism of the lack of strict work instructions and formalisation of processes. MRT is currently implementing these recommendations while the TEAMS software will be rewritten to be compatible with the agency change to ARCGIS and the TIGER Information System.
RFA
The parties to the RFA recognised that subject to three clauses (80, 81 and 82) exploration and mining could take place in defined CAR reserves. Clause 80 and 82 refer to exploration and state:
- (Clause 80) - that all exploration will be subject to the MECOP and all proposals will be referred to the MEWG who will assess the potential impacts on CAR values and recommend appropriate conditions.
- (Clause 82) - in those parts of the CAR Reserve System with high quality wilderness values, as identified through the RFA process, measures will be taken under State processes to minimise the effects of mineral exploration and mining activities on wilderness values. Rehabilitation of any exploration activity impacts and rehabilitation of any mine site will be in accordance with the provisions of the Mineral Resources Development Act 1995 (Tas.), and the Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act 1994 (Tas.) in so far as any permit conditions are relevant, and will aim to both achieve world's best practice and to return the site to its wilderness condition.
Other sections of the RFA also need to be considered in the environmental management of exploration in CAR areas and on Public Lands. A brief summary of these clauses is as follows:
- Reserve Management Code of Practice (RMC) - Attachment 10 section 11 of the RFA states that a RMC will be developed and implemented by the year 2000 and it will cover all environmental practices, including guidelines concerning erosion risks from roads and tracks within reserves.
- National Estate - Attachment 1 discusses the States responsibilities with regard to areas with National Estate Values on Public Land. In summary the RFA states that management in all Public Land tenures should address National Estate Values and make provision for their maintenance in management plans.
- Resource Management and Planning System (RMPS) - as the RFA Act [Regional Forest Agreement (Land Classification) Act 1998] amends the Parks and Wildlife Act 1970 (PWSA) to include the objectives of the RMPS the RMC (which will be under the PWSA) will take into account the promotion of economic development within a sustainable development framework and with public consultation.
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| RPDC CAR Inquiry
The final recommendations report was tabled in Parliament on the 26 May 1999. It would be premature to assume that Cabinet will accept all the recommendations until government agencies have had the opportunity to review the report and advise the respective ministers. However, the changes to the management of the environmental aspects of exploration as required by the RFA are discussed and recommendations made, which may be modified, but will still require MRT to introduce a system which records, monitors and allows auditing of exploration works.
The following two recommendations are of particular importance;
- Recommendation 10 - That the MECOP, as far as it relates to CAR reserves, be maintained and approved as part of the Code of Practice for Reserve Management (RMC).
- Recommendation 11 - That the MECOP be subject to the same review requirements as those prescribed in clause 94 of the RFA for the Forest Practices Code and the Code of Practice for Reserve Management.
Clause 94 of the RFA states:
The State agrees to publish, and make available, its:
- annual compliance audits of the implementation of the Forest Practices Act 1985 (Tas), the Forest Practices Code (being the Code issued pursuant to Section 30 of the Forest Practices Act 1985 (Tas)) and its code of reserve management specified in Attachment 10; and
- 5 yearly independent expert reviews of the operation of the above mentioned codes of practice (the code itself, auditing processes and staff competencies) where they are associated with Forest lands.
Development of a system to record, monitor and audit exploration activity
Prior to the RFA, exploration work programs, within conservation areas and other 'environmentally sensitive' areas, were submitted to the MEWG for comment.
In response to the RFA (clause 80 and 82) all work programs in CAR reserves were, also, to be referred to the MEWG and work in High Quality Wilderness (HQW) areas was to be managed to minimise its effect on the wilderness values. During this time (1998), it was realised that a system was required that would show:
- the complex layers of the State's land tenure;
- land management systems such as Forestry Tasmania's Management Decision Classification (MDC) system;
- areas of High Quality Wilderness;
- areas outside of formal reserve classification eg RAMSAR sites, heritage sites, forest communities etc;
- information, including digital photographic images, on current and historical on ground exploration activity.
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| The information system - Tasmanian Exploration Auditing and Monitoring System (TEAMS) was developed on MRT's Geographic Information System (GIS) and will soon be incorporated into MRT's TIGER database.
Spatial and textual data is initially captured from information supplied by the proponent of the works program. Relevant information about approval processes and site visits is recorded via an interactive data entry screen. Data depicting 'photograph' locations is also included in the system.
The GIS has been developed for on screen viewing, hardcopy and PDF file output. Information depicted for viewing and output includes - the type of activity, relevant tenement information (Exploration Licences) and land tenure data (including High Quality Wilderness). PDF files of hardcopy output and 'Shape Files' of the spatial data are used for the effective dissemination of information to relevant government agencies or MEWG members for comment on the proposed work programs. The data is analysed and interrogated for monitoring / auditing purposes.
Previously a 'traditional' camera was used for the photographic recording of sites. The resultant photographs were contained within an inefficient 'stand alone' cataloguing system. To overcome this inadequacy, a digital camera was purchased and the resultant digital images form an integral part of the data within the information system. Exploration activity sites are to be monitored over time, and as a result, a digital 'photographic' record will be built up, showing original work carried out and the rehabilitation of that site, over a number of years. Selected 'photographic' image data are 'directly linked' to the exploration site data and available for on screen viewing or hardcopy output .
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|  | | Pre-approval on site inspection photo |
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|  | | Post approval compliance inspection photo |
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| What will be audited
As each work program is required to go through a similar process compliance auditing required the information system to show that the various processes leading to approval have been complied with. The MECOP requires that all on ground work is approved in writing and all requests for work are required in writing with all relevant details. All this information is on the EL file. In many instances discussions with explorers is by phone with file notes or written approval later. If details of any approvals are required the information will be contained in the files. The following is a list of the sorts of data, which will be readily available from this information system:
- As the MEWG is required to comment on all work within CAR reserves a button will record if their approval has been gained. The MEWG is required to check their agencies databases for likely impact on values such as threatened species, European and Aboriginal cultural heritage and geoheritage. Other factors to be commented on include possible impacts on other licence or franchise holders such as tourism. These details would be noted on the recording system.
- All types of land tenure will be able to be related to the exploration activity. The system will allow the reporting of details required by the RFA such as the amount and type of work done in HQW and the approximate area of disturbance. It will also allow statistics to be produced indicating what work was done in each type of CAR reserve or in areas of Public Land with National Estate values.
- Information on exploration in other sensitive areas such as RAMSAR sites will be readily available.
- The timeliness of these processes will be recorded to illustrate that at least 90% of work applications are approved within two working weeks. If there are delays it will be recorded in the notes as to why targets were not met.
- A photographic record will be available to illustrate rehabilitation success over time.
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