Great Southern is exploring for gold in Western Australia and Queensland. All activities to date are taking place on private farmland within granted exploration licences (Permits in the case of Queensland) and mining licences.
Current activities include exploration drilling (using both reverse circulation and diamond core rigs) and non-ground disturbing exploration (e.g. soil sampling, ground-based geophysics and airborne geophysics).
ENVIRONMENT
Great Southern has a strong approach to sustainability with the Company aiming to practice responsible environmental, social and governance activities that create economic returns for our shareholders and stakeholders.
The Company takes its environmental responsibilities seriously and is committed to achieving excellence in environmental management through acknowledging the range of potential environmental impacts associated with exploration activities and has developed frameworks, policies and procedures to facilitate the reduction of the impacts of these activities as low as reasonably practicable.
To achieve its objectives, Great Southern commits to:
• Promoting an environmentally sensitive culture at all levels of the company;
• Demonstrating corporate commitment by adequate funding of environmental initiatives;
• Minimising the company’s carbon footprint;
• Conserving water and energy and minimising waste in the office and in the field;
• Developing and actioning a reporting system to continuously improve environmental standards;
• Performing at all times within legislative & regulatory requirements and ensuring contractors act within the relevant guidelines;
• Assessing potential environmental risks and developing appropriate control measures procedures prior to commencing operations;
• Following procedures and acting quickly to remedy any adverse environmental impacts that may occur during operations;
• Ensuring that on completion of operations, sites are left clean, tidy and remediated in line with the Mining Act and Regulations.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Great Southern understands that the health and safety of our employees and stakeholders is at the core of its business. Our primary objectives are to maintain a culture of integrity and ownership, provide a safe working environment at all of our locations and maintain the health and wellbeing of our employees and stakeholders.
Great Southern is committed to adopting and adhering to best practice safety standards, which are regularly reviewed and updated. The standards aim to identify health and safety hazards at each site and location and to implement and monitor the controls in place to reduce risk to as low as reasonably practicable.
To achieve best practice in occupational health and safety, we will;
DEMONSTRATE LEADERSHIP
Managers and site supervisors will provide leadership by ensuring that all work is undertaken with safety as the first priority.
EMPOWER OUR PEOPLE
We are all empowered to make decisions that will create a safe workplace, even if it means stopping work to make a situation safe.
TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
We are all responsible for maintaining our own safety and ensuring that we do not cause harm to others. By following safe work processes, identifying hazards and reporting incidents or near misses we can eliminate workplace risks.
MAINTAIN EFFECTIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS
We provide and use safe systems to enable us to work without harm. We commit to providing measurable objectives and targets and reviewing our systems to continuously improve our safety and health performance.
We will provide the necessary resources, training and mechanisms to achieve positive safety outcomes. In compliance with all applicable legislation we are dedicated to maintaining the safety of all people associated with our operations including employees, contractors and members of the communities in which we work.
COMMUNITY
Great Southern aims to uphold the highest corporate, social and environmental standards and is committed to open communication with the community in which it operates.
Great Southern has a social responsibility to identify all stakeholders within its community who may be affected by its operations, directly or indirectly and recognises and respects the traditions and cultures of Indigenous People. This is reflected in the undertaking of our activities in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.
We are committed to building and sustaining mutually beneficial relationships with our community by:
– Maintaining a high level of consultation with local landholders and key stakeholders.
– Protecting and respecting human and property rights, and sites of heritage or cultural significance.
Through the provision of local employment opportunities, use of local businesses and other initiatives, Great Southern look to engage with the community in manners consistent with our values.