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Our work

Case studies

How Green Values Australia delivers environmental approvals, water licensing, mine closure, compliance and ESG outcomes for mining and resource projects across Western Australia — from the Pilbara to the Goldfields.

Environmental ApprovalsPilbara

Multi-agency approvals for an iron ore expansion

Iron ore producer · Pilbara, WA

Challenge

An operating iron ore mine needed to expand its pit and waste landforms into areas with heritage values and groundwater-dependent vegetation — triggering EPA WA referral, Mining Proposal amendments and potential EPBC Act significance.

What GVA did

Scoped and sequenced the full approvals pathway, coordinated baseline flora, fauna and heritage surveys, prepared the Part IV referral and supporting environmental review documentation, and managed regulator engagement across EPA, DWER and DMIRS in parallel rather than in series.

Outcome

Approvals secured without a public review escalation, with conditions the operation could actually live with — and months saved by running agency processes concurrently.

Water ManagementMurchison

Dewatering licence and water balance for a gold project

Gold developer · Murchison region, WA

Challenge

A gold project moving to construction required a groundwater abstraction licence for pit dewatering in a proclaimed area, with limited hydrogeological data and a tight development schedule.

What GVA did

Designed a targeted hydrogeological investigation, built a whole-of-site water balance model covering dewatering, processing demand and discharge, prepared the 5C licence application and operating strategy, and negotiated monitoring commitments with DWER.

Outcome

Licence granted in time for construction, with a monitoring program scaled to actual risk — avoiding over-commitment that would have cost the operation for years.

Mine ClosureGoldfields

Mine Closure Plan and progressive rehabilitation strategy

Mid-tier gold miner · Goldfields, WA

Challenge

An ageing gold operation faced a periodic Mine Closure Plan review with legacy landforms, incomplete completion criteria and a closure cost estimate the board didn't trust.

What GVA did

Rebuilt the MCP against current DMIRS and EPA guidance, developed measurable completion criteria, re-estimated closure liabilities, and designed a progressive rehabilitation schedule that used existing mining fleet capacity during operations.

Outcome

MCP accepted by the regulator, a defensible closure provision for financial reporting, and rehabilitation liabilities reducing year on year instead of accumulating to the end of mine life.

Regulatory ComplianceGoldfields

Audit-ready compliance framework for a lithium operation

Lithium producer · Goldfields, WA

Challenge

A fast-ramping lithium operation had accumulated conditions across Part IV Ministerial Statements, Part V licences, water licences and its Mining Proposal — with no single view of obligations, deadlines or evidence.

What GVA did

Consolidated every condition into a single obligations register, built monitoring and reporting calendars, drafted and updated environmental management plans, and ran an internal compliance audit to close gaps before the regulator found them.

Outcome

A clean external audit, no compliance-related interruptions to operations, and a framework the site team maintains in-house with periodic GVA reviews.

Sustainability & ESGCorporate

ESG audit and five-year roadmap for a listed explorer

ASX-listed resources company · WA

Challenge

An ASX-listed explorer moving toward development needed credible ESG positioning for investors and financiers — but had no baseline, no emissions inventory and no disclosure framework.

What GVA did

Ran a full ESG audit across environment, emissions, health & safety, governance, HR and community; prioritised gaps by materiality; established a Scope 1 and 2 emissions baseline; and built a practical roadmap from six-month quick wins to a five-year, disclosure-ready strategy aligned with TNFD and TCFD expectations.

Outcome

A board-endorsed ESG roadmap the company now reports against — strengthening its position with institutional investors and project financiers.

Biodiversity & OffsetsMid West

Threatened species surveys and offset strategy

Critical minerals developer · Mid West, WA

Challenge

A proposed development footprint intersected habitat for listed threatened species, putting both state approval and an EPBC Act referral outcome at risk — and threatening project financing timelines.

What GVA did

Designed and delivered targeted threatened species and stygofauna survey programs, quantified residual impacts after avoidance and minimisation, and developed an offset strategy consistent with WA and Commonwealth offset policies — including land-based and financial contribution options.

Outcome

An approved offset package proportionate to actual impact, an EPBC pathway without escalation, and biodiversity risk reporting the proponent now uses in its nature-positive disclosures.

These case studies are representative of Green Values Australia's project experience. Client names and identifying project details are withheld for confidentiality. References are available on request.

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