4603.0 - Environment Protection, Mining and Manufacturing Industries, Australia, 2000-01  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 04/09/2002   
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MEDIA RELEASE

September 4, 2002
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
113/2002
Mining and manufacturing industries spend $1.5 billion on the environment

Australian mining and manufacturing industries spent $1.5 billion on measures to protect the environment in 2000-01, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). This was approximately 1% of their total expenditure.

The dominant environment protection activities in the mining industry were on waste management (55% or $214 million (m)), although there was also significant expenditure on minesites under rehabilitation ($105 m). Western Australia spent more on environment protection than any other state (43% or $166 m). Queensland had the highest expenditure on minesite rehabilitation ($41 m).

Land newly disturbed for mining operations was nearly 40,000 hectares and the area of minesites under rehabilitation held by the mining industry was nearly 35,000 hectares.

Manufacturing businesses spent almost $900 m or 81% of their total environment expenditure on waste management. Significant expenditure was also spent on administration of environment protection ($134 m). New South Wales and Victoria were the two highest spending states ($351 m or 32% and $312 m or 28% respectively).

Combined, the mining and manufacturing industries used over a 1,194 Gigalitres (GL) of water or more than twice the volume in Sydney Harbour. The mining industry used approximately 401 GL and the manufacturing industry used over 793 GL.

Approximately 57% of mining businesses had an environment management plans as a part of their management operations by the end of June 2001, in comparison, 13% of manufacturing businesses had environment management plans.

Further information on environmental expenditure by the Mining and Manufacturing Industries is in Environment Protection, Mining & Manufacturing Industries, Australia, 2000-01 (cat. no. 4603.0).