The Managing Rail Safety over Longwall Coal Mining project won the Excellence in Project Economy and Ingenuity award from Engineering Australia, along with several other excellence awards.

“The systems and technologies successfully developed and implemented for this project have been the culmination of a sustained period of research and development over many years,” Tahmoor manager of environment and community Ian Sheppard said.

“The outcome has demonstrated that coal mining operations can be undertaken in complex environments when supported by rigorous applied science and modern engineering systems.”

“This award is a tribute to the dedication and innovation of the joint team, consisting of Xstrata Coal, GHD and a range of other partners, in delivering a real first for the engineering community – a safe and sustainable method for mining beneath existing and operating rail infrastructure,” GHD Newcastle manager Tasos Katopodis said.

“The technical advancements of this project leave a legacy to the rail and coal industries not only within Australia, but also globally.”

The positive recognition comes at a tough time for Tahmoor, as the mine still needs a new enterprise agreement.

The workplace agreements for the colliery and the wash plant expired in April 2009, and industrial action at Tahmoor started on October 23.