Thiess Rehabilitation has secured a two-year contract for the rehabilitation of Idemitsu Australia’s Muswellbrook coal mine in the Hunter, NSW.
The rehabilitation company will conduct detailed design and construction of the roughly 180-hectare post-mining land. Thiess Rehabilitation works with the ruts left in the land to create a finished product that is more organic and natural. At Muswellbrooke, Thiess will create a combination of native ecosystem and pastureland.
This is the company’s second contract with Idemitsu, having been awarded the rehabilitation services contract for Idemitsu’s Ensham mine in Queensland in 2022.
“Now that mining and processing operations have been completed at Muswellbrook, Idemitsu is progressing plans to develop the Muswellbrook Clean Industries Precinct at the site,” Idemitsu chief executive officer Steve Kovac said.
“A critical part of these future plans is the rehabilitation of the mining operational areas, and we are pleased to have a specialist with proven experience to help deliver our rehabilitation goals. We look forward to working with Thiess Rehabilitation once again.”
Thiess Group chief executive officer Michael Wright reacted to the new contract.
“We have delivered award winning rehabilitation programs globally for more than 30 years. We’re proud that Thiess Rehabilitation is continuing this tradition of excellence as a trusted partner in sustainable mining operations.”
In 2021, the NSW Resources Regulator recognised the company for its high-quality rehabilitation work at the Mount Pleasant coal mine.
It was such a success that in the following year Thiess decided to spin off Thiess Rehabilitation as a standalone rehabilitation service.
Thiess Rehabiltation group manager, James Anderson, said there was more benefits to effective rehabilitation than simply ticking boxes.
“The implementation of these controls is an example of how we channel our global experience and insight to create advantages for our projects,” Anderson said.
“Our proven systems and processes help deliver immediate efficiencies, reduce rework time and lower life of mine costs for our clients.”