Anglo American’s commitment to sustainable final land use was reaffirmed this month with the launch of a livestock grazing trial on 49.6 hectares of rehabilitated mine land at Dartbrook.
The three-to-five year trial will evaluate whether the rehabilitated land can sustainably support productive and commercially viable livestock grazing.
Rehabilitation of the land was completed in 2007 after the surface was shaped to the required slope and revegetated with a mixture of improved pasture species including rhodes grass, rye grass, green panic, kikuyu and phalaris.
Rural Property Manager Ian Curtis said after consistently good pasture growth, a herd of 27 cattle were introduced onto the property on 2 April 2015 to begin the trial.
“The objective of the trial will be to demonstrate that the rehabilitated mining land can be successfully grazed at a reasonable and commercial stocking rate,” Mr Curtis said.
“There is now full cover and good bulk in the pasture, and a number of legumes have successfully established including lucerne and white clover, so we are quite positive that the land will be able to sustain cattle grazing.”
Mr Curtis said to prepare the property for productive cattle grazing a significant amount of work was undertaken including fencing and gate construction.
The trial would involve extensive monitoring of the land and stock, including regular counting and weighing of the cattle, and background structural and chemical assessments on the soil to monitor changes or evidence of erosion.
Pastures would be monitored monthly for quantity and quality parameters including dry matter yield, ground cover and changes to species composition.
Mr Curtis said it was important for Anglo American to continue to demonstrate that the land has a sustainable future after mining.
“We’re at the forefront of strategies for sustainable final land use and we’re committed to the rehabilitation of mining sites with the long term in mind,” Mr Curtis said.
“This is yet another example of Anglo American’s commitment to the environment and sustainability.”
ENDS
Contact: Corporate Affairs, Vanessa Davies – 0400 927 185
Notes to editors:
Anglo American is a global and diversified mining business that provides the raw materials essential for economic development and modern life. Our people are at the heart of our business. It is our people who use the latest technologies to find new resources, plan and build our mines and who mine, process and move and market our products – from bulk commodities and base metals to precious metals and diamonds (through De Beers) – to our customers around the world. Our diversified portfolio of products spans the economic development cycle and, as a responsible miner, we are the custodians of precious resources. We work together with our key partners and stakeholders to unlock the long-term value that those resources represent for our shareholders, but also for the communities and countries in which we operate – creating sustainable value and making a real difference. Our mining operations, growth projects and exploration and marketing activities extend across southern Africa, South America, Australia, North America, Asia and Europe.
www.angloamerican.com