The Queensland Department of Mines believes it is in the best interests of the gold mining industry to reduce and control the environmental impacts from gold mining since that is the community expectation._x000D_
The Department of Mines has set as a special condition of many recently granted Mining Leases the requirement to submit a "Description of Operations" for the approval of the Minister, prior to commencing initial mining operations. In order to facilitate compliance by lessees with this condition an explanation is given of the reasons for this condition and how it is intended to achieve the objective of environmental protection._x000D_
Environmental impact is operations dependent. Impact on a lease will vary quite significantly with the scale and methods employed. Before a lease can be granted and mined it is therefore necessary to have this information. The parameters of operations most critical both in terms of environment impact and economic viability are worked out and agreed with the lessee before the lease is granted. An approved description of operations which is required now, prior to the start of mining, provides the details of that agreement for the security and benefit of the lessee and the inspectors._x000D_
It also provides the details of operations and environmental controls which were not required prior to the grant of the lease but are nevertheless required and necessary for compliance with the environmental standards.