General discussion, page-10256

"You do realise that most mines take a staged approach to pit development. This keeps the strip ratio to manageable levels.
A lot of the intial waste strip is used for civil and construction works ROM pad etc to expose a section of ore, which you mine while exposing the next section and so it goes on."

Exactly. No one removes all of the overburden, then builds civil works, then starts mining.

You're building a working mine site with remediation rules, cost managers & civil works requirements, not a bloody swimming pool for Turramulli the Giant Quinkin.