Effective tailings and dam management has become one of mining’s most critical operational disciplines, with safety, compliance and long?term environmental performance under increasing scrutiny. Across Australia’s mining regions, operators are seeking partners with the technical capability, specialist plant, and risk?mature workforces required to deliver safe, resilient and fit?for?purpose tailings storage solutions.
For more than 20 years, Robson has supported mining clients with exactly that expertise, providing dam wall raises, greenfield TSF construction and tailings dam capping solutions that meet stringent geotechnical, environmental and operational requirements. Our delivery model integrates specialist operators, quality?assured material placement, and sophisticated risk management practices to ensure certainty across every stage of a tailings facility’s lifecycle.
One example is the Tailings Dam Stage 2 Embankment Raise at BHP’s Mt Arthur Coal Mine, where Robson placed approximately 1,000,000m³ of mine spoil to construct new embankments and spillway structures while realigning critical pipelines to maintain operational continuity. The team also installed geosynthetic clay liners, revetment systems and a full decant water system upgrade, delivering more than 45,000 man-hours with zero LTI incidents and no environmental events. The project highlights Robson’s ability to execute complex raise works safely while identifying cost-saving efficiencies in material handling.
Robson also supports mine operators through closure and rehabilitation phases. At the Mount Thorley Warkworth Tailings Dam Capping project, our team delivered more than 750,000m³ of mine spoil placement across perimeter haul roads and the main dam area, while managing real?time monitoring of dam surface movement through specialised survey and alarm systems. By adapting plant and methodologies to variable bearing capacities, Robson ensured safe, compliant progress across high?risk zones and maintained seamless coordination with mine operations throughout.
Complementing our raise and capping capability is our proven experience in delivering greenfield tailings facilities. At a mine operation in the Central West of NSW a secondary residual storage facility was constructed with Robson undertaking a full cut?to?fill earthworks program involving more than 1.45 million m³ of bulk earthworks, embankment construction and clay core placement, supported by detailed QA systems and close collaboration with geotechnical engineers. The result was a high?specification, structurally robust two?cell facility delivered to exacting standards.
Across construction, raising, capping and closure, Robson brings deep experience, disciplined quality control and a skilled workforce trained specifically for risk?inherent tailings environments. As the mining industry continues to demand safer, more resilient and compliant tailings solutions, Robson remains a trusted partner delivering certainty where it matters most.
