Solving legacies

摘要

THE SO-CALLED "LEGACY mine sites" can potentially pose risks to the natural environment. Most of these sites ceased operations before 2005 and pre-dated the Northern Territory government's policy of requiring operators to lodge a full 100% rehabilitation security bond. As a result, many mines that operated prior to 2005 have either inadequate or non-existent securities. Currently the estimated level of historical mining liabilities for the Northern Territory is $1 billion. The NT's Department of Mines and Energy (DME) said it was in the collective interest of the mining sector to see legacy issues addressed, as their continuing presence was potentially having adverse impacts on the environment and could reinforce community opposition to mining, especially when new developments are being proposed.