Bravus Mining and Resources recognised for taking groundwater monitoring to new heights at the Carmichael mine

Bravus Mining and Resources' high-tech approach to groundwater research near the Carmichael mine in central Queensland has earned national recognition in a prestigious industry award.

The regional Queensland business has been named a finalist in the Excellence in Environmental Management and Sustainability category at the 2024 Australian Mining Prospect Awards for applying military-grade drone technology to discover and protect previously unknown groundwater springs.

Bravus Mining and Resources Chief Operating Officer Mick Crowe said the company had partnered with Eco Logical Australia to add multispectral and thermal imaging to its comprehensive scientific programs that help to safeguard the health of the Great Artesian Basin-fed Doongmabulla springs.

“Carmichael has some of the strictest environmental conditions of any resources project in Australia’s history,” Mr Crowe said.

“That means we also have some of the best environmental monitoring and scientific research programs in the world, especially in the areas of groundwater, species, and biodiversity management.

“We have scientists on the ground every two months to observe and record water levels and water quality at more than 135 sites around our Carmichael mine, and we have scientists who routinely map the extent of vegetation at key groundwater springs.

“What we have done with Eco Logical Australia is take that expert on-the-ground science into the air as well with new multispectral and thermal imaging drone technology.

“This has allowed us to map the large and remote study areas faster and in greater detail than ever before, and that has produced some outstanding environmental outcomes, including finding previously unmapped spring vents that are as small as 10 centimetres in diameter and sit within hectares and hectares of bush.

“The award nomination is deserved recognition of the team’s expertise and efforts to drive new approaches to monitoring complex ecosystems and we’re enormously proud that what they’ve done at Carmichael can now be applied to best-practice environmental management across the world.”

Bravus Mining and Resources has been recognised before for its innovative use of technology with the creation of an artificial intelligence-powered bioacoustics recorder that tracks the movements of Black-throated finches in the company’s 33,000-hectare conservation area earning widespread acclaim.

The winners of the Australian Mining Prospect Awards will be announced at a gala ceremony in Perth on Wednesday. More information about the awards is available here.

ENDS

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