DPI Update (Issue 50)

JOHN MITAS, General Manager Minerals and Extractive Operations reports on the role of the new Technical Review Board.

FOLLOWING the Yallourn mine wall collapse in 2007, an investigation by a specially appointed Mining Warden identified a number of areas where improvements could be made and highlighted a significant gap in Victoria’s geotechnical expertise.

The Government responded by implementing a range of measures in line with the Mining Warden’s recommendations to minimise the risk of a similar event happening again.

One of the initiatives was to appoint a team of experts, with international mining experience, to a Technical Review Board, which will provide advice to the Government on mine and quarry stability.

A proposed or existing quarry can be ‘declared’ by the Minister if there are geotechnical or hydrogeological factors within the quarry that pose a signifi cant risk to public safety, the environment or infrastructure.

Work plans for declared quarries are required to include additional information on geotechnical and hydrogeological conditions, risks, control measures and monitoring procedures. These aspects will be considered by the Technical Review Board.

BOARD MEMBERS

The TRB members were appointed under the Minerals Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990 on 31st August 2009 by the Hon. Peter Batchelor MP, Minister for Energy and Resources. The TRB membership comprises:

Tim Sullivan – TRB Chairman
Mr Sullivan was appointed Mining Warden who led the six-month independent inquiry into the cause of the Yallourn collapse. He has subsequently assisted the DPI with geotechnical audits of major mines. He is Adjunct Professor at UNSW and a geotechnical consultant on slope stability for some of the world’s largest mining operations and has worked on over 400 mining projects at all stages from planning to operation.

Adrian Brown – Board Member
Mr Brown is a civil engineer with international experience and specialist expertise in groundwater and earth science problems in mining, hazardous waste, water supply, manufacturing and civil construction industries. Mr Brown has extensive expertise in brown coal mining and assessments of mining impacts. Mr Brown also began his career in the Latrobe Valley and has a sound knowledge of the coal mining industry there.

Edward (Ted) Waghorne – Board Member
Mr Waghorne is a principal mining engineer with 35 years experience in the mining industry and provides strategic advice on mine planning, mine operation, operator training, mine infrastructure and mine management within Australia and Internationally. He has extensive experience in the Latrobe Valley.

Emeritus Professor Jim Galvin – Board Member
Professor Galvin was head of the School of Mining Engineering at UNSW until 2006. Prior to joining UNSW in 1992 he held a number of positions within the mining sector, including mine manager. Prof. Galvin has extensive international experience in mining and geotechnical engineering, risk management, expert opinion and independent review and advisory roles. He has specialist knowledge and experience in geotechnical engineering, risk management, incident investigation and emergency response.

The intention is that the TRB will comprise five members, the fifth member being the yet to be appointed Professor of Geotechnical Engineering at Monash University Latrobe Valley campus.

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