At AXM, our focus is on long-term service delivery to clients. AXM has staff and resources to undertake a wide range of general environmental work in addition to providing specialist advice and services for vegetation management and assessments.
Specialist Services:
- Rehabilitation management plans,
- Rehabilitation monitoring,
- Flora and fauna surveys,
- Weed surveys,
- Weed management plans,
- Developing closure criteria for rehabilitation,
- Grazing trials,
- Fire management plans,
- Final rehabilitation reports (FRR) for lease relinquishment,
- Regional ecosystem map changes.
General Environmental Services:
- Noise, dust and blast monitoring,
- Supply and installation of automated monitoring systems,
- Contract environmental officers.
Rehabilitation Management Plans
AXM are able to address your EA requirement for a Rehabilitation Management Plan. We work closely with on site staff to develop practical rehabilitation strategies that allow productive land use after mine closure.Rehabilitation Monitoring
AXM undertakes Rehabilitation Monitoring programs at various mine sites throughout the Bowen Basin using a variety of methods to assess soil, vegetation and erosion in relation to closure criteria and post-mine land capability classifications. We can work with sites using historical monitoring data or we can develop Rehabilitation Monitoring Programs for sites that do not currently have an appropriate program in place. We have strong contacts with other specialists and regularly undertake training and attend conferences to ensure we are up to date with current practices and technology. In 2010 staff attended the IQPC Mine Rehabilitation Closure and Planning Conference, the World Soils Congress and completed a study tour across the USA looking at mines that have been rehabilitated back to prime farming land.Fire Management Plans
Fire Management Plans are developed to protect human life and assets and to minimise the physical and environmental impacts of bushfires. Ongoing fire regimes can then be developed to conserve the environmental values found on the mining lease or property. A Fire Management Plan can also allow fire mitigation work to be undertaken in an environmentally sustainable and cost-effective manner.A Fire Management Plan would contain:
- Resource Information, such as fire history, infrastructure and fire breaks;
- Ecological Guidelines outlining appropriate landscape fire regimes;
- An Annual Planned Burning Program;
- Wildfire Response Procedures and
Weed Surveys
Weed Surveys are completed for linear infrastructure and mining projects throughout central and northern Queensland. AXM staff are familiar with declared plant species in these areas and have extensive experience in survey methodologies. Weed surveys can be conducted in conjunction with flora surveys, identification of ERE communities and management of offsets. AXM utilises cutting edge technology by incorporating GIS tools into field work and reporting. The Nomad Rugged PDA is used in the field with GBM Mobile software to ensure efficient, accurate data collection that is immediately transferable to desktop GIS software.Weed Management Plans
Weed management plans can be developed to provide a framework for the ongoing management and treatment of weeds. These plans identify biological and chemical treatment methods with consideration of biological attributes and seasonal variation.Flora and Fauna surveys
AXM is experienced in conducting Flora and Fauna surveys to establish baseline data for new mining projects, mine expansion projects and linear infrastructure projects. The Senior Environmental Scientists in the team have extensive knowledge of ecological communities throughout central and northern Queensland including coastal and rainforest communities. AXM staff hold appropriate licenses required to trap mammals and reptiles.Closure Criteria
When a site is first established, AXM can assess existing terrestrial ecology and develop practical, achievable Closure Criteria for proposed rehabilitation. We can then work closely with site personnel to develop management strategies to provide required outcomes.Grazing trials
For those sites with grazing as their end land use, a grazing trial should be an integral part of a lease relinquishment program. Grazing trials should involve more than running cattle on a rehabilitated area and weighing them to estimate weight gain. A grazing trial should test the stability of the land form, deliver quantitative results on soil, vegetation and animal production, assess erosion or soil loss due to hoof impact and provide future managers with strategies to ensure the rehabilitated ecosystem will be sustainable in the long term.Our program provides the following information to our clients:
- Scientifically robust data on soil condition, ecological state of vegetation, erosion and animal production before, during and after the trial.
- Recommendations for future management of the rehabilitated area including stocking rates, infrastructure layout for optimal productivity, management options to minimise impacts such as erosion and further work required before land is suitable for relinquishment.
- Recommendations on how cattle can be managed to improve the rehabilitated ecosystem.
Our approach includes:
- Utilising historical monitoring data from rehabilitated sites.
- Involving neighbours who are stakeholders in future lease relinquishment.
- Taking into consideration all relevant legislation, compliance conditions and existing management plans, closure plans, completion criteria and operational requirements.
- Reporting and Monitoring Framework.
