ADVISORY NOTE
EXPLORATION OPERATIONS MINING MANAGEMENT PLAN
Sections 35(3), 40 of the Mining Management Act
Minerals and Energy
March 2010
AA7-026
NORTHERN TERRITORY
DEPARTMENT OF MINES AND ENERGY
MINING MANAGEMENT PLAN (MMP)
STRUCTURE GUIDE FOR
EXPLORATION OPERATIONS
ADVISORY NOTE
INSTRUCTIONS ON THE USE OF THIS DOCUMENT
An Authorisation for Exploration Activities can only be issued on the completion and
acceptance of a MMP.
An MMP is required for new projects, when operations change significantly from the
previous plan or on an annual report basis for each active Exploration Area.
This Advisory Note contains instructions and some examples of environmental
management issues for consideration in the preparation of an MMP.
Each section contains examples of issues which may be relevant to an exploration
operation. The operator should assess which are relevant to their site, or whether
other factors need consideration, but are not listed here.
The commitments to continuous improvement should have a defined objective and
completion date placed on them so that there is a measurable time frame.
A Small MMP Template is available if required, on the department website at:
www.minerals.nt.gov.au/mineralsforms#mining
THIS ADVISORY NOTE AND PLAN IS NOT TO BE TAKEN AS A DEFINITIVE
RESPONSE TO THE DEPARTMENTS REPORTING REQUIREMENTS BUT
SHOULD BE UTILISED BY OPERATORS AS A BASIS TO THE DEVELOPMENT
OF A PROJECT-SPECIFIC MINING MANAGEMENT PLAN (MMP) THAT
INCORPORATES A PROGRAM OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.
Page 1 of 14
ADVISORY NOTE
EXPLORATION OPERATIONS MINING MANAGEMENT PLAN
Sections 35(3), 40 of the Mining Management Act
Minerals and Energy
March 2010
AA7-026
CONTENTS
AMENDMENTS
1.0
OPERATOR DETAILS
1.1 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE / CHART
1.2 WORKFORCE
2.0
PROJECT DETAILS
2.1 MAP OF SITE LOCATION AND LAYOUT
2.2 HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT AND CURRENT STATUS
2.3 PROPOSED ACTIVITIES
3.0
CURRENT PROJECT SITE CONDITIONS
4.0
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM / PLAN
4.1 ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND RESPONSIBILITIES
4.2 STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS
4.3 NON-STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS
4.4 IDENTIFIED STAKEHOLDERS AND CONSULTATION
4.5 INDUCTION AND TRAINING
4.6 IDENTIFICATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS AND IMPACTS
4.7 EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND INCIDENT REPORTING
4.8 ENVIRONMENTAL AUDITS AND INSPECTIONS
4.9 ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE REPORTING
5.0
EXPLORATION REHABILITATION
5.1 COSTING OF CLOSURE ACTIVITIES
6.0
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES
APPENDICES
Attachment A – GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Drillhole coordinates
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4
4
4
5
5
5
6
7
8
8
8
8
8
9
9
10
10
10
11
12
12
13
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ADVISORY NOTE
EXPLORATION OPERATIONS MINING MANAGEMENT PLAN
Sections 35(3), 40 of the Mining Management Act
Minerals and Energy
March 2010
AA7-026
AMENDMENTS
As per Section 41(2) of the Mining Management Act, an MMP reviewed and amended under Section
41(1)(a) is to clearly identify amendments made. These changes can be outlined in a table, as per the
example below.
Section
Section 1.1 – Organisational Structure / Chart
Section 2.0 - Project Details
Section 4.6 – Identification of Environmental
Aspects and Impacts
Amendment
Change in organisational structure
Additional title to be included in Authorisation.
A new potential impact identified, as a result of
change in procedure/process.
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ADVISORY NOTE
EXPLORATION OPERATIONS MINING MANAGEMENT PLAN
Sections 35(3), 40 of the Mining Management Act
Minerals and Energy
March 2010
AA7-026
1.0 OPERATOR DETAILS
This section should provide operator details including:
 Name of operator or company (as per Australian Securities and Investment Commission
(ASIC) if applicable)
 Key contacts (i.e. senior on site personnel, exploration manager)
 Postal and street address
 Phone/fax/email contact details
1.1 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE / CHART
This section should include an organisational structure chart or particulars of the organisations
structure, as per Section 40(e) of the Mining Management Act. See example below.
Exploration
Manager
Senior Geologist
Exploration
Geologist
Contractors
Field assistant
Figure 1. Sample organisational chart.
1.2 WORKFORCE
The following information should be provided:
 Number in workforce
 Number of contractors
 Any relevant socio-economic aspects e.g. source of labour, contractors/employees
 Work descriptions
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ADVISORY NOTE
EXPLORATION OPERATIONS MINING MANAGEMENT PLAN
Sections 35(3), 40 of the Mining Management Act
Minerals and Energy
March 2010
AA7-026
2.0 PROJECT DETAILS
This section should provide details of the proposed exploration project including:
 Project name
 Location in context of distance to nearest town/major features/roads
 Mining interest/s (i.e. titles)
 Title holder/s
NOTE: if operator is not the title holder, a Nomination of Operator form should be completed by
the title holder, appointing the operator for the site – this is a requirement under section 10 of
the Mining Management Act.
2.1 MAP OF SITE LOCATION AND LAYOUT
Provide a legible and detailed site location map and site diagram with the following information:
 Lease boundaries
 Site access
 Tracks and grid lines (including proposed tracks)
 Easements - above or below ground electrical cables, gas pipelines, water pipelines,
telephone
 Existing topographic features
 Areas to be cleared
 Undisturbed areas/areas of existing vegetation
 Drillhole/costean locations
 Target areas
 Waterways
 Buffer zones
 Rehabilitated areas
 Sensitive areas
 Cultural/heritage zones
 Hydrocarbon/hazardous chemical storage area/s
NOTE: All maps must include a scale, date of drawing, orientation (i.e. North point), contours and be
able to be overlaid on the previous site plan.
2.2 HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT AND CURRENT STATUS
The MMP is a backward and forward looking document for ongoing operations and should provide
details of previous exploration activities carried out in the last twelve months under a current
Authorisation. This information may be included in the form of a table and should include: Number of holes drilled
 Maximum depth of holes
 Size and number of drill pads (m2), sumps (m3), tracks (km), camp areas (ha) cleared
 Size and number of costeans and bulk sample pits excavated (m3)
 Total area rehabilitated (ha) – before and after photo evidence must be provided
This section should also outline any previous site activities that are to be accounted for under the
plan e.g. any previous mining/exploration or rehabilitation completed by previous or current
operators. If known, a brief outline of any historical mining or exploration carried out in the area
could also be provided here.
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ADVISORY NOTE
EXPLORATION OPERATIONS MINING MANAGEMENT PLAN
Sections 35(3), 40 of the Mining Management Act
Minerals and Energy
March 2010
AA7-026
An appendix should be included containing drillhole coordinates.
2.3 PROPOSED ACTIVITIES
This section must detail the proposed activities for the next twelve months:
 Details of the exploration program including target commodity
 Size and number of disturbances e.g. drill pads, sumps, costeans, pits etc
 Type of machinery to be used
 Type of exploration to be undertaken e.g. RAB, RC, Diamond, bulk sampling, etc.
 Number of holes and their location
 Depth of pits, holes etc
 Km of track clearing/construction
 Size of camp area required
This information may be included in the form of a table.
Page 6 of 14
ADVISORY NOTE
EXPLORATION OPERATIONS MINING MANAGEMENT PLAN
Sections 35(3), 40 of the Mining Management Act
Minerals and Energy
March 2010
AA7-026
3.0 CURRENT PROJECT SITE CONDITIONS
This information is requested to allow the Department to gain an understanding of the current site
conditions and to accurately assess risks. Maps at appropriate scales may also be used to illustrate
current site conditions.
Information that should be provided here includes:

Geology (i.e. outline of ore resource, soil description and geological characterisation of the
area)

Hydrology (i.e. surface water flows onto and out of the site area, surface and groundwater
quality, groundwater occurrence locally, and location of bores)

Flora and fauna (i.e. identification of any rare and endangered species, description of any
feral animals and weed species at the site, outline of flora and fauna native to the area, and
any flora and fauna of cultural significance)
Information may be sourced from the NT Department of Natural Resources, Environment,
the Arts and Sport (http://www.nt.gov.au/nreta/) and the Commonwealth Department of
the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Environmental Reporting Tool
(http://www.environment.gov.au/apps/boobook/mapservlet?app=ert)

Land use (i.e. pastoral, traditional Aboriginal ownership, parks and reserves, mining,
communities and townships)

Historical, Aboriginal, Heritage sites (i.e. identification of historical, Aboriginal, and/or
heritage sites that may be affected by the exploration activities)
This information could be supported by documentation such as results of an inspection of
the Register of Sacred Sites maintained by the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority.
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ADVISORY NOTE
EXPLORATION OPERATIONS MINING MANAGEMENT PLAN
Sections 35(3), 40 of the Mining Management Act
Minerals and Energy
March 2010
AA7-026
4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM / PLAN
Companies with a structured EMS and EMP may attach this to the MMP.
4.1 ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The company’s environmental policies and commitments should be outlined here.
 What targets have been set for environmental performance?
 Who is the person responsible for implementing environmental management?
4.2 STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS
This section should include a list of current applicable legislation, permits and conditions under which
the project will be operated. List may include, but is not limited to:
 Mining Management Act
 Mining Management Regulations
 Mining Act
 Weeds Management Act
 Bushfires Act
 Australasia Railway (Special Provisions) Act
 Heritage Conservation Act
 NT Aboriginal Sacred Sites Act
 Native Title Act
 Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act
 Environment Protection & Biodiversity Conservation Act
 Atomic Energy Act
 Workplace Health and Safety Act
 Radioactive Ores and Concentrates (Packaging and Transport) Act (NT)
 Code of Practice for Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials 2001
 Code of Practice for Radiation Protection and Radioactive Waste Management in Mining and
Mineral Processing
 Reporting requirements such as those for; production statistics; employment/injury and
safety statistics; frequency of water quality reporting
 Lease conditions
 Authorisation conditions
4.3 NON-STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS
What are the operator’s non-statutory requirements? (i.e. land use agreements, pastoral
agreements, pre-eminent practices, Land Council agreements, and agreements with other
Authorised operators on site if relevant).
4.4 IDENTIFIED STAKEHOLDERS AND CONSULTATION
This should include an outline of interested parties and their connection. This may include:
 Lease owner
 Land owner / occupiers
 Land claimants (Native Title)
 Neighbours and communities
 Tenement manager
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ADVISORY NOTE
EXPLORATION OPERATIONS MINING MANAGEMENT PLAN
Sections 35(3), 40 of the Mining Management Act
Minerals and Energy
March 2010


AA7-026
Government departments
Shareholders
Outline the consultation process undertaken with the underlying landowners (e.g. as detailed in the
Code of Conduct for Mineral Explorers in the NT). The Code of Conduct can be downloaded from the
NT Resources Council (formerly NT Minerals Council) website:
http://www.ntrc.org.au/publications.html
4.5 INDUCTION AND TRAINING
This information should include the following:
 Overview of environmental training and education process e.g. Induction, meetings.
 Outline of environmental issues covered in the induction?
 Is additional training required or carried out? E.g. weed identification, emergency response
training, etc.
4.6 IDENTIFICATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS AND IMPACTS
This section should identify environmental aspects and impacts associated with the site and
proposed activities.
As defined by ISO14001:2004:
 Environmental aspects are the elements of an organisations activities or products or services
that can interact with the environment (i.e. drilling, clearing, fuel storage, vehicles and
machinery, etc)
 Environmental impacts are any change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial,
wholly or partially resulting from an organisation’s environmental aspects.
Table 1. Examples of environmental aspects and impacts related to exploration activities.
Aspect
Impact
Clearing of drill pads /
tracks / camp
Loss of native flora and
fauna
Driving between drill
sites / tenements
Spread of weeds / pests
Drilling
Fuel Storage
Risk Rating
Management
measures
(prevention)
Management
measures
(remediation)
Hydrocarbon spills –
contamination of soil,
surface and ground
water
Dust and noise emission
– pollution and
disturbance to fauna
Hydrocarbon leak / spill
– contamination of soil,
surface and ground
water
A risk assessment of the potential and actual impacts should also be conducted and management
measures identified. This section must address management of water, invasive species, flora and
fauna, hydrocarbons and hazardous materials, waste, noise and air, and cultural and heritage sites.
Page 9 of 14
ADVISORY NOTE
EXPLORATION OPERATIONS MINING MANAGEMENT PLAN
Sections 35(3), 40 of the Mining Management Act
Minerals and Energy
March 2010
AA7-026
Outline the procedures in place for identifying impacts i.e. workplace inspections, risk assessment,
etc.
KEY
Critical
Risk
High Risk
Moderate
Risk
Low Risk
CONSEQUENCE (C)
Low
Little to no
impact
Medium
High
Medium term
-ve impact
Irreversible
or long term –
ve impact
4
7
9
2
5
8
1
3
6
LIKELIHOOD (L)
High
>75% Chance
event will occur
in life of plan
Medium
25%<>75%
Chance event will
occur in life of
plan
Low
<25% Chance
event will occur
in life of plan
Figure 2. Sample risk matrix and key.
4.7 EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND INCIDENT REPORTING
This section should, at a minimum, give an outline of the procedures followed in the event of an
environmental emergency and how incidents are reported.
 What environmental emergency procedures have been developed? I.e. hydrocarbon spills.
Formal procedures should be attached as an appendix to this plan, for the Department’s
assessment.
 Provide an overview of management of environmental incidents and identified hazards.
 Describe the companies incident reporting procedure both internal and external (i.e.
environmental incidents must be reported to the Department as soon as practicable as per
section 29 of the Mining Management Act).
4.8 ENVIRONMENTAL AUDITS AND INSPECTIONS
Environmental audits and inspections should be carried out at regular intervals to assess the
company’s environmental performance at the site.
 Have any environmental audits or inspections been carried out or planned to be done?
 What were the findings of any reviews?
 How are issues/problems identified?
4.9 ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE REPORTING
Factors for consideration:
 Results of monitoring programs should be presented e.g. water, noise, dust, weeds etc
 Pollution and waste management and minimisation progress
 Progress made against environmental targets
 Progress towards achieving revegetation and closure objectives
Page 10 of 14
ADVISORY NOTE
EXPLORATION OPERATIONS MINING MANAGEMENT PLAN
Minerals and Energy
Sections 35(3), 40 of the Mining Management Act
March 2010
AA7-026
5.0 EXPLORATION REHABILITATION




For each disturbance type listed, detail rehabilitation activities to be conducted including details of plugging/capping/infilling of drill holes, replacement of
topsoil, revegetation techniques, ripping/scarification, infilling of sumps, etc.
A schedule of proposed works needs to be provided (i.e. will drill holes be plugged immediately after the completion of the drilling program, when will tracks be
rehabilitated, etc).
Closure objectives/targets should be provided.
Detail how rehabilitation success will be monitored e.g. in terms of water, erosion, vegetation, stabilisation etc.
NOTE: Department Advisory notes are available online for general guidance however these are not statutory requirements and should be assessed for
appropriateness for individual sites. Advisory notes are reviewed regularly and may change. If referencing this material it must be attached to the MMP for
assessment against the site and proposed disturbance.
Disturbance
Drill holes
Rehabilitation Activities
e.g. plugging with plastic cone
below ground level, backfilling, and
mounding.
Schedule (Timing)
e.g. at the completion of each hole.
Closure Objectives / Targets
Monitoring and Remediation
e.g. all holes plugged/capped and
stable/safe prior to end of program.
e.g. inspection of holes to be
undertaken at end of wet
season/within six months to ensure
no hole failures. Remediation to be
undertaken
at
inspection
if
necessary.
Drill pads
Sumps
Costeans
Bulk sample pits
Tracks / Gridlines
Sample bags
Camp
Page 11 of 14
ADVISORY NOTE
EXPLORATION OPERATIONS MINING MANAGEMENT PLAN
Sections 35(3), 40 of the Mining Management Act
Minerals and Energy
March 2010
AA7-026
5.1 COSTING OF CLOSURE ACTIVITIES
Determine a cost for closure activities as per the Department Security Calculation spreadsheet
(available on the website at www.minerals.nt.gov.au/mineralsforms#mining) or equivalent.
Costing should cover issues such as:
 Removal of infrastructure and contamination
 Earthmoving
 Ripping
 Revegetation, including costs of materials
 Drainage works
 Capping of drill holes
 Infilling of sumps
Details of calculations, including units of measure and cost per unit of measure used, should be
included e.g. ripping (ha) at $/ha. The DoR Security calculation spreadsheet, if used, should be
appended to the plan.
6.0 PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES
Performance objectives are a list of proposed improvements to environmental management issues
on site. The objectives should include a measurable outcome (i.e. meeting a specific level), the time
frame in which it will be completed (i.e. by when) and the person responsible for ensuring it is
completed (i.e. a specific person).
Page 12 of 14
ADVISORY NOTE
EXPLORATION OPERATIONS MINING MANAGEMENT PLAN
Sections 35(3), 40 of the Mining Management Act
Minerals and Energy
March 2010
AA7-026
APPENDICES
Any other document(s) referred to in the MMP should be included in the Appendix, such as:

Radiation Management plan.

Copies of approvals may be included in an Appendix.

Copies of monitoring reports to meet statutory requirements may be included in an
Appendix.

Copies of rehabilitation agreements.

Copies of AAPA search results.
Page 13 of 14
ADVISORY NOTE
EXPLORATION OPERATIONS MINING MANAGEMENT PLAN
Sections 35(3), 40 of the Mining Management Act
Minerals and Energy
March 2010
AA7-026
Attachment A – GLOSSARY OF TERMS
TERM
Audit
CEO
Contractor
Critical Incidents
Emergency Response
Employee
Environment
Environmental Aspects
Environmental Impacts
Hazardous Material
Issues
MMA
MSDS
Operator
Plant
Serious Accidents
MEANING
Means any systematic investigation or appraisal of procedures or
operations for the purpose of determining conformity with prescribed
procedures.
Means the Chief Executive Officer, within the meaning of the Public
Sector Employment and Management Act, of the Agency administering
this Act.
Means a person who under a contract performs work or supplies a
service in connection with an exploration activity on a site.
Means an event on a mining site that has the potential to cause a
significant adverse effect on the environment.
A plan for the minimisation of environmental harm in the event of an
emergency.
Means a person employed by a company.
Means land, air, water, organisms and ecosystems on a site and includes:
 the well-being of humans;
 structures made or modified by humans;
 the amenity values of the site; and
 economic, cultural and social conditions
The elements of an organisations activities or products or services that
can interact with the environment.
Any change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or
partially resulting from an organisation’s environmental aspects.
A substance having properties capable of having adverse affects on the
environment.
An important topic of discussion or point in question i.e. management of
risk.
Mining Management Act.
Material Safety Data Sheet. It is provided by manufacturer or supplier of
hazardous materials, and describes the properties and nature of the
material.
Means the operator for a mining site referred to in Mining Management
Act section 10.
Includes machinery, pressure vessels, equipment, appliances,
implements, scaffolding and tools, any component of the plant and
anything fitted or connected to the plant.
Means an event on a site that causes material environmental harm.
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