Programs for environment protection and rehabilitation (PEPR) and mine operation plans (MOP)
All mining operations are regulated through approved programs. Mining leases (MLs/EMLs) and miscellaneous purposes licences (MPLs) must be operated in accordance with an approved program for environment protection and rehabilitation (PEPR), while operations on a private mine must be in accordance with an approved mine operations plan (MOP).
When a ML or MPL is granted the tenement holder must submit a PEPR within the required timeframe specified in the lease conditions. Operations cannot commence until an approved PEPR is in place.
MOPs must be prepared in accordance with the regulatory guideline MG12: Mine operations plans:
PEPRs must be prepared in accordance with the relevant terms of reference:
- Terms of Reference 002 - Extractive mineral quarry PEPRs (PDF 444 KB)
- Terms of Reference 005 - Metallic and industrial mineral PEPRs (PDF 464 KB)
Further information on PEPRs and MOPs can be found on the Regulatory guidelines page of this website.
Approved programs
A list of PEPRs and MOPs approved in the last 12 months can be found in the table below.
| Program type | Approved program | Tenement holder(s) or Operator(s) | Tenement number(s) | Commodity or Resource | Location | Approval date and letter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PEPR | Iron Baron Mining Area | OneSteel Manufacturing Pty Limited operating as SIMEC Mining (Administrators Appointed) | MPLs 6, 148, MLs 2386 – 2392, MLs 2397 – 2403, MLs 2560 – 2568, MLs 2631 – 2632, ML 2661, ML 2674, MLs 2678 – 2681, MLs 2684 – 2699, MLs 2702 – 2703, ML 2713, MLs 2721 – 2728, ML 3061, ML 3359, MLs 3786 – 3788, MLs 4068 – 4072, MLs 4289 – 4291, MLs 4498 – 4499, ML 4592, MLs 4653 – 4657, MLs 4748 – 4760, MLs 6465 – 6466, MLs 6472 – 6473, ML 6517 | Iron Ore | Iron Baron | 03/04/2025 |
| PEPR | Goolwa Quarry | Goolwa Quarries Pty Ltd | ML 5483 | Quartzite | Currency Creek | 28/03/2024 |
| PEPR | Neils Pit | SA Crushing & Minerals Pty Ltd | EML 6558 | Limestone | Lower Light | 06/03/2025 |
| PEPR | Mercunda/ Lone Pine Strandlines | Murray Zircon Pty Ltd | ML 6219 | Heavy Mineral Concentrate | Loxton area | 23/12/2024 |
| PEPR | Beverley and Beverley North Mines | Heathgate Resources Pty Ltd | MLs 6321 and 6387 | Uranium Oxide | Leigh Creek area | 15/11/2024 |
| PEPR | Morgan Pit | Brenton Morgan and Susan Morgan | EMLs 5866, 6423 | Calcrete | Approximately 7.2 km south of Murray Bridge | 8/11/2024 |
| PEPR | Cooke Plains Gypsum Mine | PP Paterson Holdings Pty Ltd | MLs 196, 206, 6541, 6542 | Gypsum | Cooke Plains area | 28/10/2024 |
| PEPR | Springvale Estate Sand Pit | Springvale Estate Pty Ltd | EML 5540 | Sand , Gravel | Approximately 2 km west of Mount Compass township | 24/10/2024 |
| PEPR | Carrapateena Mine | OZ Minerals Carrapateena Pty Ltd and OZM Carrapateena Pty Ltd | ML 6471, MPLs 149, 152, 153, 154, 156 | Contained Copper Contained Gold Contained Silver | Approximately 62 km east of Woomera | 01/10/2024 |
| PEPR | Moculta Shale Quarry | Adelaide Brighton Cement Limited | MLs 4887, 4888, 4889, 5874, 5875 | Cement shale | Moculta | 18/09/2024 |
| MOP | White Rock Quarry MOP MOP Attachments | Hanson Construction Materials Pty Ltd | PM 188 | Quartzite | Approximately 10 km east of Adelaide | 5/09/2024 |
| PEPR/MOP | Penrice Quarry | Adelaide Brighton Cement Limited | ML 6233, PMs 86 & 120, MPLs 75 & 118 | Limestone | Approximately 3 km north of Angaston | 26/08/2024 |
| PEPR | Bugle Hut | Stoney Pinch Pty Ltd | EML 6490, ML 6554 | Limestone | Approximately 12 km southeast of Renmark | 22/08/2024 |
| MOP | Marte Limestone Quarry | Gambier Earth Movers Pty Ltd | PM 115 | Limestone | Mount Gambier area | 9/07/2024 |
| PEPR | Mindarie Sands Project - Mercunda Strandline | Murray Zircon Pty Ltd | MLs 6137, 6220, 6225, MPLs 77 and 79 | Zircon, Ilmenite, Rutile, Leucoxene and Monazite | Approximately 150 km east of Adelaide in the Murray Mallee Region | 30/05/2024 |
| PEPR | Long Sand Pit | Longs Sands and Metal Pty. Ltd. | EML 6029 | Sand | Murray Bridge area | 16/05/2024 |
| PEPR | A & G Willson Earthmovers (SA) Pty Ltd | ML 6549 | Basalt | Approximately 11 km west of Kingscote | 23/04/2024 | |
| PEPR | Truro Quarry | Kara Resources Pty Ltd | EMLs 6408, 6518 | Quartzite | Approximately 5 km east of Truro | 05/04/2024 |
| PEPR | Kiroka Quarry | Robert Hagerstrom | EML 6259 | Limestone, Sand | Approximately 23 km south-southeast of Kingscote | 27/03/2024 |
| PEPR | Uley Graphite Mine | Quantum Graphite Operations Pty Ltd | ML 5561, ML 5562 | Graphite | Approximately 23 km southwest of Port Lincoln | 28/03/2024 |
| PEPR | Clinton Sand Pit | Clinton Quarries Pty Ltd | EML 5792, ML 6548 | Sand | Approximately 19 km southwest of Port Wakefield | 06/03/2024 |
| PEPR | Waikerie Sand | Clay & Mineral Sales Pty Ltd | ML 6544 | Sand | Approximately 10 km southwest of Waikerie | 27/02/2024 |
| PEPR/MOP | Ardrossan Dolomite Quarry | OneSteel Manufacturing Pty Limited | PM 291, MLs 4040, 4041, 4042, 4044, 4045, 4046, 5317, MPLs 46 and 132 | Dolomite | Ardrossan area | 01/02/2024 |
| MOP | Stirling North Quarry | Boral Resources (SA) Limited | PM 154 | Gravel | Approximately 5 km northeast of Stirling North | 20/12/2023 |
| PEPR | Honeymoon Uranium Mine | Boss Uranium Pty Ltd | ML 6109, MPLs 15 & 92 | Uranium Oxide | Approximately 90 km northeast of Olary | 18/12/2023 |
| PEPR | Four Mile Uranium Mine | Quasar Resources Pty Ltd | ML 6402 | Uranium Oxide | Approximately 115 km northeast of Leigh Creek | 23/11/2023 |
| MOP | Wistow Flagstone Quarry | Wistow Stone Quarries Pty Ltd | PM 194 | Meta-silt Stone | Approximately 10 km southeast of Mount Barker | 15/11/2023 |
| PEPR | Springvale Estate Sand Pit | Springvale Estates Pty. Ltd. | EML 5540 | Gravel, Sand | Approximately 2 km west of Mount Compass | 15/11/2023 |
| PEPR | Boxer Rd Quarry | A & G Willson Earthmovers (SA) Pty Ltd | EML 6549 | Basalt | Wisanger area, approximately 11km west of Kingscote | 8/11/2023 |
| PEPR | Snowtown Quarry | S.C. Heinrich & Co Pty Ltd | EML 6550 | Quartzite | Approximately 5 km northwest of Snowtown | 02/11/2023 |
| PEPR | Childs Pit | Steven John Childs | ML 6551 | Laterite Gravels | Kangaroo Island | 31/10/2023 |
| MOP | Mount Muirhead Quarry | Hard Rock Quarries SA Pty Ltd | PM 240 | Basalt | Approximately 6 km north-east of Millicent | 23/10/2023 |
| PEPR | Iron Knob Mining Area | OneSteel Manufacturing Pty Ltd (SIMEC) | ML1659, ML1660, MPL145 etc | Iron Ore (Haematite) | Approximately 50 km Northwest of Whyalla | 19/10/2023 |
Note: All MOPs received prior to the implementation of the new Mining Act and regulations effective 1 January 2021 are listed for reference only, the associated documentation is not publicly accessible. MOPs received after 1 January 2021 are listed above inclusive of documentation.
Previously approved PEPRs can be accessed via the following:
- Georeference section of the South Australian Resources Information Gateway (SARIG)
- South Australia Mining Register
Change to a mining operation
If a change to existing operations or circumstances is proposed within an existing mining tenement, the tenement holder must submit a change in operations application in accordance with:
A list of change in operation approvals approved in the last 12 months can be found in the table below.
| Approved program | Tenement holder or Operator | Tenement number | Requested change | Location | Approval date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mindarie Mineral Sands Project - Mercunda Strandline | Murray Zircon Pty Ltd | MLs 6137, 6220, 6220, MPLs 77, 79 | As a result of a slower ramp up and commissioning issues associated with Mercunda’s processing plant, mining including pre-stripping of topsoil, subsoil and overburden has progressed ahead of the processing production rate and expected clearing schedule. This has resulted in a larger than expected disturbance area open at any point in time. The scope of the proposed change is limited to the disturbance area and stockpile volumes through operations. The rehabilitation method remains as per that described in MPEPR2022/167. Whilst the rehabilitation method remains the same, the mine and rehabilitation plan and timing requires minor scheduling changes to accommodate variations in plant performance which is a key driver for the provision of rehabilitation material to enable backfilling of the pit. | Approximately 150 km east of Adelaide in the Murray Mallee Region | 17/05/2024 |
All associated documentation can be accessed via the South Australia Mining Register.
