A Mining Rehabilitation Advisory Panel (MRAP) has been established under the Mining Rehabilitation Fund Act 2012. This statutory panel meets quarterly to discuss and provide independent expert advice to the Director General of the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) on Mining Rehabilitation Fund (MRF) matters. The current Panel was appointed for a three year term from August 2022, this marked the commencement of the Panel's fourth term. The inaugural Panel was appointed in December 2013.
Panel members
Renee Young - Chairperson
Renee Young has specialised knowledge in mine site ecological restoration with over 15 years’ experience across academia and industry. Renee is the lead and primary author on the forthcoming SER ‘International Principles and Standards for the Ecological Restoration and Recovery of Mine Sites' and was also primary author on ‘A framework for developing mine-site completion criteria in Western Australia’.
Angela Bishop - Deputy Chairperson
Angela Bishop has over 20 years’ experience working for government and industry in an operational and corporate capacity in the areas of environmental management and regulatory compliance, environmental approvals, rehabilitation, closure and relinquishment.
Vern Newton
Vern Newton’s expertise includes working for several construction material and mining companies in senior roles in areas that include operations, logistics, budgeting, strategic planning and marketing. Vern has also been involved in driving sustainable policies and has engaged with research institutes to help achieve partnerships between industry and science so that a higher standard of restoration is achieved on the ground, receiving environmental awards including two Golden Geckos.
Naomi Hutchings
Naomi Hutchings’ is a senior private practice lawyer with over 20 years’ experience in environment planning, land access, native title and heritage law. She has worked as an in-house lawyer for mining companies and in strategic environmental policy development for the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. Naomi holds a Masters in Law (Environmental) and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She has experience with mine closure, contamination and pollution issues across various States in Australia as well as internationally, in Canada and the United Kingdom.
Helen Chernoff
Helen Chernoff is an environmental scientist with a geology qualification and 20 years’ experience in the resources sector. Helen has worked throughout Western Australia and her experience includes executing environmental regulatory requirements at all phases of mining projects. Helen also has experience in implementing environmental management systems, risk analysis, with a particular interest in innovation and emerging technologies in the industry.
Contact
Phone: +61 8 9222 3162
Email: mrfenquiry@dmirs.wa.gov.au