Striving for Excellence in the Australian Mining and Resources Sector

The very best exploration and mining companies strive for excellence across all their operations.

For many, excellence is a goal in itself. Excellence from extraction to exploration can play a pivotal role in sustaining and improving the reputation of mining and resources in Australia. It can reflect well on one’s particular company and projects, improve stakeholder engagement and collaboration, and enhance one’s social licence to operate.

Of course, excellence in the mining and resources sector also helps to improve one’s operations, and the likelihood of successful and efficient exploration and extraction projects. If one operates excellently, they are more likely to experience financial success.

In this article, we touch on a few ways in which exploration and mining companies can achieve excellence with the help of environmental consultants, mining lawyers, and a tenement management company.

Having a strong reporting and governance culture

Exploration and mining companies that truly achieve excellence have a strong corporate governance structure. This ensures that they are following a sound strategy, which can then guide operations. Without this strong overarching strategy, the risk is that the company could fall into a scattergun, improvised approach. Corporate governance in the mining and resources sector involves everyone, but it does start at the top through the board and the team of directors in establishing a structure that supports excellence.

Mining consultants such as Hetherington who can help with tenements, mine work health and safety, environmental consultancy, mining law, tenement compliance, and programs of work, can be a strong partner in corporate governance. They can help to establish a strong reporting culture through activities such as auditing and environmental reporting and reporting on tenement compliance.

Build from strong foundations

The building block of any mining project is a secure tenement that allows your exploration and mining company to operate with confidence. If this foundation is denied, or if it is tenuous, then the risk is the mining project will be hamstrung by limitations, and excellence will not be achieved despite the best of intentions.

Therefore, to achieve excellence, it may be helpful for an exploration and mining company to onboard the services of a consultant who can help them to judge the prospects of success in connection with the acquisition and maintenance of a particular tenement. Such a tenement consultant can also help to guide your practices to ensure tenement compliance during your tenement holding. Excellence can only thrive in an environment of confidence and certainty.

Develop an in-depth understanding of mining regulation

Excellence may not be measured by the extent of compliance with regulation, but 100% compliance with regulation is certainly a prerequisite for excellence. By its very definition, breaking the rules that govern mining and the tenements you hold precludes you from achieving excellence worthy of recognition by the sector as a whole.

Meanwhile, working within these regulations and staying on the correct side of regulation allows room for your operations to thrive and not be limited by fines or restrictions on operations. Because regulations can halt a project in its tracks and completing project goals is a measure of excellence, there is certainly a call to improve one’s compliance with the support of a tenement compliance expert or tenement consultant, such as Hetherington.

Maintain an excellent relationship with stakeholders

Mining is defined by its stakeholders. Positive relationship with stakeholders can allow a project to thrive, and for excellence in operations to be achieved by your exploration and mining company. Conversely, a negative relationship with stakeholders can limit your ability to achieve results and embody the best practice principles which define excellence. Stakeholders may have the ability to slow down or prevent a project if the relationship is damaged, and even if it goes ahead, excellence cannot be achieved without social licence and a well-earned reputation to go with it.

The nature of the relationship with stakeholders involves public relations and organisational decision-making, but also the strength of how your company is represented in consultation and discussion with stakeholders. By relying on the services of a mining lawyer who can provide legal services and negotiation for land access and compensation agreements as well as Native Title and Aboriginal Heritage matters, you can lay the groundwork for excellence to be achieved.

Achieving excellence in the mining and resources sector

The above points outline a few of the ways for excellence to be achieved, but it is worth noting that all mining operations are different, and the route to excellence depends for example on the mineral being mined and the local jurisdiction. Therefore, excellence in the mining and resources sector is not a one size fits all approach. It requires a national understanding and a broad skill set, which may be hard to encompass within an employment structure.

Excellence may be more achievable than you realise. By drawing upon the services of an experienced consultant such as Hetherington, you can empower your exploration and mining company to achieve excellence. For more information on our services, browse our website or contact our team.