This required co-ordination, negotiation and a certain amount of compromise on all sides. The final endorsement and co-publication of the guideline by the Department of Environmental Affairs, Department of Mineral Resources and the industry body, the Chamber of Mines, was a significant achievement that lends much credibility to the guideline. An important feature of the guideline is the focus on the mitigation hierarchy, which directs decision-makers to first avoid, then minimise, rehabilitate and finally offset biodiversity impacts from mining.