Peabody Engergy: Burton Mine on track for sustainable rehabilitation

Peabody’s Australian operations continue working towards certification under the Minerals Council of Australia’s Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) protocol. These efforts are driving performance, transparency and excellence in key areas of our environmental and social programs.

The TSM Water Stewardship Protocol recognises that water is a precious shared resource with high social, cultural, environmental and economic value. Access to water by the community has been recognised as a right; integral to wellbeing, livelihoods and the spiritual and cultural practices of community members. It’s also essential to the healthy functioning of ecosystems and the services they provide.

Through Peabody’s risk management framework, each of our mines aligns its water management strategy with the specific challenges of its region and regularly monitors performance to meet environmental and social values.

Peabody’s Burton Mine is currently progressing through the mine closure phase. By the end of 2024, the Burton team will have completed a total of 1,479 hectares of rehabilitation, including all closure works, three years ahead of schedule. This achievement will significantly reduce sediment runoff and erosion. Additionally, the rehabilitation project completed the Spade Creek Diversion in 2023 that was in line with Australian Best Practices and maintains the existing Bullock Creek Diversion. These activities will improve the quality and quantity of water available in the Fitzroy Basin via the Isaac River.

As part of our community engagement strategy, Peabody actively participates in catchment working groups including the Fitzroy Partnership for River Health and industry associations to ensure a holistic approach to water management. In Queensland, Peabody has been a long-term major partner in the Fitzroy Partnership for River Health which includes organisations from government, industry, research and the community, who all have an interest in the health of waterways in the Fitzroy Basin.