Safety in mining operations and the health of mine workers is of the utmost priority for industry and for governments.
While the primary responsibility for safety and health rests with the industry parties, governments have a crucial role in ensuring their delivery. With this in mind, the Ministerial Council for Mineral and Petroleum Resources (MCMPR), which consists of the Commonwealth Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources and State and Territory Ministers with responsibility for minerals and petroleum, released in March 2002 the National Mine Safety Framework - Realising a Safe and Healthy Mining Industry: the contribution of Government.
The MCMPR also commissioned officials to prepare, in consultation with stakeholders, a plan for its implementation. There followed a period of detailed analysis and consultation, culminating in the release of a discussion paper and background documents in late 2003, inviting public comment on possible paths to the Framework's implementation.
With the benefit of input from a wide cross-section of parties interested in mine safety issues, the MCMPR endorsed in December 2004 a plan for the detailed implementation of the National Mine Safety Framework, available below:
Implementation is in the hands of the CCIM, under the auspices of the MCMPR's Standing Committee of Officials. Ministers will review progress at each meeting of the MCMPR. Progress reports will also be posted to this site.
The key documents which led to the development of the National Mine Safety Framework Implementation Plan are as follows.