ACARP said safety would remain a key driver in its program and would continue to be the focus for much of the underground work and a significant component of the opencut and coal preparation programs.

The underground research requirements for 2005 and beyond cover sustainability in health, safety and environment initiatives and improved productivity and reduced costs.

Under the health and safety banner, ACARP said the focus would be on management practices; improvement in equipment operator interfaces including vibration impacts, ergonomics and appropriate operator skills and practices; safe controls for dust and diesel emissions and noise exposure; management improvement of hazards including gas, fires and explosions; and incident prevention and response measures.

For the management and mining conditions program, ACARP requires improved efficiency and effectiveness in characterising ground conditions using innovative methods of drilling and remote sensing; improved ground control systems; development of techniques and procedures to evaluate the effectiveness of ground control systems; trial drilling techniques – including scroll rod drilling, casing advance methods and borehole pressurisation systems - that could potentially overcome difficult drilling conditions.

Under the higher productivity banner, ACARP said projects should address improvements in roadway development methods and equipment through continuous improvement as well as stepped change; research into innovative, low cost mining methods for thin-, medium- and thick seam applications in Australia; and wider application of remote control and automation processes.

For reliability of mining systems, ACARP highlights improvements to the design of underground equipment to maximise safety, fitness for purpose, reliability and maintainability; increases in the availability and uptime of mining and services processes; development of real-time response systems; and the investigation and support of the introduction of higher voltage standards and equipment in mines.

In its full report ACARP also outlines the priority areas for environmental, opencut, coal preparation, technical market support and greenhouse mitigation.

Short proposals are due May 25, with applicants notified of success in moving to the full proposal stage on July 29. Funding allocation will be released mid-December. Further information can be found at www.acarp.com.au.