The importance of water management at mines in protecting the environment: principles and some examples from the Top End

P. H. Woods
Institution of Engineers, Australia, Barton ACT, 21-24 Apr 1996

The environmental aspects of mine water management systems have become as important as reliability of water supply in mining. This is illustrated by four case studies of mines at Ranger, Pine Creek, Rustler's Roost and the McArthur River near Borroloola NT. Water management systems must be included in mine design during the permitting stage and demonstrated by monitoring during operations. Such systems must be in the highly variable climate of the wet-dry tropics. Intelligent water management reduces or eliminates pollution problems and reduces operational and rehabilitation costs. There is a general move towards no-contaminated-release water management systems and where this is feasible it has many advantages in reducing or eliminating adverse effects off site and greatly simplifies regulation.

Daly River (Malak Malak) land claim

Report by the Aboriginal Land Commissioner, Mr Justice Toohey, to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and to the Administrator of the Northern Territory. 1982.
Issues relating to settlement of a land claim to an area of unalienated Crown land on the Daly River by the Malak Malak people are examined. Significance of the area to the claimants and possible detriment to other land users if the claim were acceded to are assessed. Mining and minerals exploration leases in the area are discussed.