Environment

Environmental Management
Environmental management is a major aspect of New Hope's mining operations and is ideally designed to ensure that environmental impacts generated by its mining operations are eliminated, or at least minimised to an acceptable level or contained on site in a responsible manner. New Hope sees protection of the environment as an important function of modern mining operations and a necessity to allow long-term sustainable development within Queensland's mining industry.

New Hope is also required to meet strict statutory limits under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 for air and water quality, noise levels, waste management and rehabilitation standards. Queensland's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the State Government authority responsible for environmental regulation of mining, which includes monitoring compliance with statutory limits and ensuring environmental performance is satisfactory and unauthorised environmental harm is not being generated.

To achieve a high standard of environmental management and meet statutory requirements, New Hope ensures that:

1. environmental management is integrated into all phases of project development and planning from initial exploration to mine construction, operation and closure;
2. all potential environmental impacts are identified and fully understood prior to commencement of new operations;
3. the necessary environmental control strategies are developed, resourced and implemented to manage the specific impacts of a particular mining operation;
4. the required environmental monitoring is undertaken to ensure that the environmental control strategies implemented are successful and achieve their desired goals in terms of environmental protection and compliance with statutory limits;
5. each operation has the necessary environmental approvals;
6. new and innovative environmental control measures are evaluated for possible implementation;
7. where possible, 'best practice' environmental management practices are employed; and
8. environmental management is reviewed on a regular basis to maintain current standards and to assess areas for possible improvement.

New Hope's environmental management practices are based on professional scientific studies, internal and external environmental expertise, long-term operational experience, environmental guidelines and advice provided by the EPA, relevant Australian standards and 'best practice' environmental management practices, as defined by Environment Australia.

Importantly, New Hope understands that environmental management of its mining operations is a dynamic process that must keep pace with increasing environmental standards and higher community expectations for protection of the environment. Accordingly, New Hope has recently undertaken steps to improve community consultation in the local communities where its mining operations are established to improve relationships and provide a greater understanding of New Hope's environmental management practices and performance.