Sustainable development

Fish hotels have been placed in the river to help restore native habitats and biodiversity in the Hunter Valley

The Hunter Valley in New South Wales is one of the most important biodiversity regions in Australia and we are doing everything we can to ensure it stays that way.

Our Dartbrook mine is located in the Hunter Valley and, although it is no longer operational and has been placed under care and maintenance, the land owned by the mine is still home to one of the largest remaining populations of the endangered River Red Gum tree.

In partnership with the Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority, the mine has extended this stand of trees by planting more than 2,500 seedlings, as part of a project to restore native flora and fauna in the area. These new trees will help reduce the erosion of the river bank, support the re-introduction of habitats for wildlife and improve the stability of the river system. They will also provide a source of seeds for river bank regeneration downstream.

Development of the river itself has also been achieved, having completed a vital component of the Hunter River Restoration Project in conjunction with the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.

As part of this initiative, the mine has introduced 1,000 logs into the river to create 11 logjams designed to redirect the flow of water to the centre to improve bank stability and provide more varied and complex habitats. In addition, two box structures – referred to as fish hotels – have been placed in the river to help restore native habitats and biodiversity.

These offer the indigenous bass a more complex habitat to populate, favouring their natural breeding requirements and giving them increased competitiveness over the introduced carp species.

Mine closure initiatives such as these aim to create a legacy that benefits the communities and environments that we leave behind.