Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation

	CMLR

	Paul Dielemans

	Senior Environmental Officer Cracow Gold Mine Newcrest Mining Limited

	I am a geology and zoology-trained earth scientist who has always had a keen interest in the environment. I had worked for 18 years as a geologist in the gold exploration and mining industry, within arid to subtropical terrains in Australia, and the equatorial tropics in Indonesia. 4 years ago I made a career change, switching from geology to the environmental field in the form of Senior Environmental Officer working at Newcrest’s Cracow Gold Mine, located 225km west of Bundaberg. To facilitate my transition to the environmental field, I also undertook a part-time postgraduate master’s course at UQ through the Centre of Mined Land Rehabilitation. To date I have completed units in Mine Waste (rock) Management (CIVL7290); Mine Environmental Risk (MINE 7022); Mineral Industry Water Management (MMNE7401) Environmental Regulation in Mining (LAWS7011); and Vegetation Habitat Rehabilitation (ENVM7301). I also completed two units of cross-institutional study at Griffith Uni - Environmental Pollution (7421AES) and Wetland Systems in Environmental Management (7465EVE). I am currently doing an elective research topic, “Provenance of Contaminated Groundwater at a Tailings Dam Facility, Cracow Gold Mine.”(MINE7004). The study units above both complement and augment my understanding of the varied and challenging job role I perform at the mine. Current activities include environmental monitoring (surface water and groundwater, waste water, Acid Mine Drainage and characterisation of newly developed waste rock and existing waste rock, waste/rubbish stream flows and recycling, weed management, and topsoil & wastewater management. The monitoring is undertaken to observe trends in the character of the environment around the mine as well as ensure that the mine meets the compliance requirements for water and air quality, storage management of hazardous chemicals, and disposal of secondary-treated effluent. Planning work involves setting up of environmental management systems and plans, workforce environmental awareness programmes, developing strategies for mine closure planning and liaison with the community and government. During my career I have witnessed the negative impact of mining on water quality, including abandoned acid-generating open pits, waste rock dumps, and tailings dam pollution of river and groundwater. Most mining companies are very cognisant that they are under close public scrutiny, and realise that they must protect their “social licence” to operate. Newcrest Mining Limited is such a company that fully endorses sustainable, responsible development. This means that they must do so in a sustainable manner through all stages of a mine (development, operation and closure) so that the benefits of mining are passed on to state economies and society, at the same time being mindful not to compromise the environmental and spiritual values of the biosphere. Mining in a modern world is being challenged by a rapid population growth and a commensurate increasing demand on natural resources. The pursuit of postgraduate study at UQ helps the student understand these real and immediate challenges to the world in a mining context, and provides them with tools in helping to develop real strategies and implementing them in the work place.
	Watch a short vodcast of my project (iPod mp4 format, 23Mb, 3m59s).

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