Golden Geckos endorse resource industry's environmental commitment (North-West)

11/4/02
Five nominations from the State's North-West have been submitted to the 2002 Golden Gecko Awards for Environmental Excellence.
State Development Minister Clive Brown today said the nominations were among 15 high quality submissions demonstrating the dedication of Western Australia's resources sector to improving environmental practices.
"The Golden Gecko Awards recognise outstanding contributions by individuals or organisations to protecting and improving the quality of the environment within the framework of the resources sector," Mr Brown said.
Initiated by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources 11 years ago, the awards promote and encourage advances in environmental management and rehabilitation and are regarded as the highest award of its type in WA.
"A Golden Gecko acknowledges the outstanding contribution a recipient has made to balancing environmental responsibility with resources development," Mr Brown said.
"Receiving an award symbolises company or individual commitment to go far beyond basic compliance with regulations."
The nominations from the North-West are:

• BHP Billiton Iron Ore for management of net acid generating material at the Mt Whaleback Mine near Newman;

• Onslow Salt Pty Ltd and Biota Environmental Sciences Pty Ltd for their Onslow solar saltfield mangrove monitoring program;

• BHP Billiton Petroleum for their ISO 14001 certified Environmental Management System for the Australian Operations Asset Team's Perth Office, Griffin Venture and Griffin Export Facility near Onslow;

• Woodside Energy Ltd, for the reduction in flare gas emissions from Cossack Pioneer, located on the North West Shelf; and

• ChevronTexaco for its quarantine management on Barrow Island.

Mr Brown said the Golden Gecko Awards were also an excellent opportunity for the minerals and petroleum industry to showcase their environmental endeavours.
"The body of this year's nominations represents a powerful endorsement of the commitment that WA's resources sector has to achieving sustainability and environmental excellence," he said.
"A detailed assessment of each nomination will now begin to see which are worthy of an award."
The Golden Gecko Awards will be presented in September. Recipients receive a Golden Gecko sculpture individually crafted by WA artist George Kosturkov.
The other nominees for the 2002 Golden Gecko Award are:

• Esperance Port Authority for its operations and upgrade of the Esperance Port;

• AurionGold Paddington Operations, for rehabilitation and overall environmental performance at the Paddington Operations, north of Kalgoorlie;

• Newmont Golden Grove Operations for the 2001 Annual Environmental Report for the Golden Grove Minesite, located near Yalgoo;

• Lionore Australia (Nickel) Ltd for the Emily Ann Mine project development, west of Norseman;

• Sons of Gwalia Ltd for its integrated approach to satellite mining in the north Leonora area;

• Simcoa Operations Pty Ltd and Sally Robinson (Strategic Environmental Services), for the extension of quartz mining and strategy for resource access and biodiversity conservation at the Moora Quartz Mine;

• Iluka Resources Ltd for the development of the Stratham West Minesite near Capel;

• Boddington Gold Mine, Alcoa World Alumina Australia, Centre for Land Rehabilitation and Murdoch University for their gold residue rehabilitation project at Boddington Gold Mine;

• Alcoa World Alumina for restoration of the botanical diversity of the jarrah forest after bauxite mining in South-Western Australia; and

• Outokumpu Mining Australia Pty Ltd for progressive rehabilitation and closure of the Forrestania Nickel Mines, east of Hyden.

Minister's Office - 9222 9699