Computerisation of mine planning activities, specifically in the areas of
geology, design and surveying, has been in progress for a number of years
in underground metalliferous mines. The combined capabilities of
hardware and software have only recently reached the levels necessary to
fully support integrated mine planning computer systems in a graphical
three dimensional environment. Despite the apparent capabilities of
systems now on the market, many sites retain significant parts of their
older paper based systems, and employ a mix of two or more software
packages. This paper examines what underground metalliferous sites are
doing in this area in Australia, and discusses the factors which are
inhibiting full implementation of fully integrated computerised systems.
Future directions for further developments in the field are also briefly
discussed.