Annual Compliance Report 2024-2025 (annual compliance report 2024 2025)

CONTENTS

DECLARATION OF ACCURACY iii

DOCUMENT CONTROL iii

1. INTRODUCTION 1

   1. EPBC Approval Details 1

   2. Purpose 1

   3. Description of Activities in the reporting period 5

      1. Annual Malleefowl survey 5

      2. Stakeholder Engagement and the amendment of the offset management plan 5

      3. Annual weed monitoring 5

      4. Hydraulic modelling and assessment of TSF Cell 4 surface water management features 5

      5. Annual TSF Compliance Audit 5

      6. EPBC Approval third party independent audit 5

2. COMPLIANCE AUDIT 8

   1. Non-Compliances and Corrective Actions 23

      1. Review of Corrective Actions 23

3. STATUS OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLANS 27

   1. Construction Environmental Management Plan 27

   2. EEL55 Offset Management Plan 29

4. ANNUAL REPORT ON MALLEEFOWL PRESENCE WITHIN EEL55 32

   1. Results of the Malleefowl Survey 32

      1. Current Mound Status 32

      2. Previous Mound Statuses 36

      3. Malleefowl Activity 36

   2. General Environmental Observations 39

      1. Predator Activity 39

      2. Livestock Activity 39

5. References 40

Figure 1: Regional location of Carosue Dam Operations. 3

Figure 2: Location of Controlled Action Area 4

Figure 3: TSF Cell 4. 6

Figure 4: TSF Cell 4 Clearing 7

Figure 5: TSF Cell 4 Disturbance 22

Figure 6: Photo Monitoring Points of Overcleared area at A2. 24

Figure 7: Active Malleefowl Mound (EEL_009), 2025/26 breeding season 33

Figure 8: Malleefowl detected on Motion Camera at EEL55, 2023 34

Figure 9: Malleefowl detected on Motion Camera in Jan 2025 34

Figure 10: Malleefowl detected on the motion sensor camera in 2025/26 breeding season 36

Figure 11: Malleefowl Activity at EEL55 for 2025/2026 Breeding Season. 37

Figure 12: Predators captured on the motion sensor cameras in 2025 39

Table 1: Compliance Table of conditions. 8

Table 2: Rehabilitation Monitoring Photos. 25

Table 3: Schedule of Clearing and Construction Activities associated with Controlled Action. 27

Table 4: Compliance with Environmental Management Objectives. 27

Table 5: Compliance Assessment of the Offset Management Plan. 30

Table 6: Malleefowl Activity Trends 36

Table 7: Monitoring data for EEL55 2025 38

In making this declaration, I am aware that sections 490 and 491 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act) make it an offence in certain circumstances to knowingly provide false or misleading information or documents. The offence is punishable on conviction by imprisonment or a fine, or both. I declare that all the information and documentation supporting this compliance report is true and correct. I am authorised to bind the approval holder to this declaration and that I have no knowledge of that authorisation being revoked at the time of making this declaration.

1. ‌INTRODUCTION

   The Carosue Dam Operation (CDO) is located approximately 120km northeast of Kalgoorlie in the Pinjin area of the Eastern Goldfields. CDO is situated within the Shire of Menzies and the Shire of Kalgoorlie- Boulder (Figure 1). The CDO Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) is located 1km north of the processing plant shown in Figure 2. The TSF Cell 4 and associated infrastructure was constructed in 2022 and 2023 under EPBC Approval EPBC 2021/9026 and developed as a paddock-type facility to the west of existing Cell 3 (Figure 2). The new cell was constructed as part of the approved strategy to provide an additional 10-year tailings storage capacity for underground operations.

   1. ‌EPBC Approval Details

      EPBC Approval Number	EPBC 2021/9026
      Project Name	Carosue Dam TSF Cell 4
      Approval Holder	Northern Star (Carosue Dam) Pty Ltd
      ACN/ABN	141 166 491 22
      Approval Date	22 November 2022
      Duration	This approval has effect until 1 November 2052
      Action	To expand the Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) at the Carosue Dam Operations site with the construction of TSF Cell 4 and associated infrastructure, including roads, topsoil stockpiles, diversions, construction laydown and access.
      Reporting Period	22 November 2024 - 21 November 2025
      Responsible Person	Nils Spanoghe (General Manager - Carosue Dam Operations)

   2. ‌Purpose

      Condition 21 of EPBC 2021/9026 requires that an Annual Compliance Report (ACR) detailing the previous twelve-month period is prepared and submitted to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW). The assessment review period for this ACR is 22 November 2024 - 21 November 2025. The ACR has been prepared in accordance with the DCCEEW's Annual Compliance Report Guidelines (2023), in compliance with Condition 22.

      The purpose of this report is to document compliance for the reporting period with conditions under EPBC 2021/9026 as required by the conditions outlined below.

      "ANNUAL COMPLIANCE REPORTING

      1. The approval holder must prepare a compliance report for each 12-month period following the date of this approval, or as otherwise agreed to in writing by the Minister.

      2. Each compliance report must be consistent with the department's annual compliance report guidelines (2014) or any subsequent version.

      3. Each compliance report must include:

         1. Accurate and complete details of compliance and any non-compliance with the conditions and the plans, and any incidents.

         2. One or more shapefile showing all clearing of any protected matters, and/or their habitat, undertaken within the 12-month period at the end of which that compliance report is prepared.

         3. A schedule of all plans in existence in relation to these conditions and accurate and complete details of how each plan is being implemented.

      4. The approval holder must:

         1. Publish each compliance report on the website within 60 business days following the end of the 12-month period for which that compliance report is required

         2. Notify the Department electronically, within 5 business days of the date of publication that a compliance report has been published on the website