Overview
Staff from Gaia Resources have been involved in disturbance mapping (read our 2014 blog about disturbance mapping and the Mining Rehabilitation Fund) for Environmental Impact Assessment reporting with Newcrest Mining since 2005. We have undertaken disturbance mapping for the Telfer mine site from 2005 through to 2016, and have even undertaken retrospective mapping of the site from earlier years using historical imagery.
Each year, we have sourced appropriate imagery (either aerial photography or satellite imagery) and then worked to develop up the areas of change since the previous year, attributed areas with bond categories and calculated the totals for each tenement and bond type. This semi-automated process has several quality assurance steps built in and results in the provision of a wide range of products, including maps, statistics (as Excel spreadsheets) and spatial data.
We have also undertaken a range of other associated projects with Newcrest Mining at the Telfer site, including mapping pipelines and disturbance areas, and undertaking detection of mesa formations using remote sensing.
