Black Diamond pilot project
The historical abandoned mine site Black Diamond is located within the Gnaala Karla Booja Indigenous Land Use Agreement area in the town of Allanson 5km west of Collie. Black Diamond was mined for coal between the late 1940s and early 1950s. The discontinuation of mining resulted in the pit filling with water, creating a pit lake around 700m in length. Black Diamond was the first pilot project under the Abandoned Mines Program. It was selected in response to community concerns regarding safety at the site, which had become a popular, unmanaged recreation area.
The focus of the project was to address the safety risks associated with the steep slope on the southern side of the pit. Following stakeholder consultation and endorsement of the engineering design by land owners and the Black Diamond Working Group, earthworks to batter down the southern pit wall were completed in 2016, along with additional site management of heavily eroded areas at the western and northern end of the pit lake. Revegetation works were undertaken in 2017.
As the primary safety risk associated with the Black Diamond site has been mitigated, Abandoned Mines Program involvement with the project is complete.
Pro-Force pilot project
The Pro-Force site is located 2km southeast of Coolgardie on the Coolgardie–Esperance Highway, adjacent to popular public use area and water reserve ‘the Gorge’. The old processing site had been abandoned for more than a decade and was a public safety concern for the Shire of Coolgardie and the local community. In response to community concern, Pro-Force was selected as a pilot site for inclusion in the Abandoned Mines Program.
To address public safety concerns, the Abandoned Mines Program held a public auction in 2015 for the sale of the Pro-Force infrastructure. Following the removal of the processing plant, works to clean up the site were carried out in 2016 including the removal of tyres and scrap material. Additional works to fence an open mine shaft and install signage were completed in 2019.
As safety concerns at the Pro-Force site have been addressed, Abandoned Mines Program involvement with the project is complete.
Emerald Reward mine shaft
The Emerald Reward mine shaft is located within the Yamatji Nation Native Title Determined Area within the townsite of Yalgoo. Gold was first discovered in Yalgoo in 1892. The Emerald Reward gold mine was established and mined for gold until it closed in 1908. The mine has left a legacy of abandoned shafts and a shallow pit.
The local community raised safety concerns about the Emerald Reward mine shaft, which is located 250m from Yalgoo Primary School across an open field. Works to install fencing and signage at the site were completed in 2019. The shaft falls within the scope of the current Safer Shafts for Towns project at Yalgoo and will be reassessed as part of that project.
