Ellendale

Description

Ellendale

Ellendale is located within Bunuba Native Title determined area 140 km east of Derby in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Mining for internationally acclaimed high-quality Fancy Yellow diamonds occurred at Ellendale between 2002 and 2015. Ellendale was constituted of two conventional open cut mining operations which included supporting infrastructure extending across an area of approximately 18 km in length. Mining activities ceased at Ellendale in July 2015, when Kimberley Diamond Company (KDC) entered into administration, and subsequently into liquidation. The site was declared an abandoned mine following a Notice of Disclaimer of Onerous Property being lodged in accordance with the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). Despite clearance auctions during the liquidation period in 2015, much of the plant remained on site. The site was declared an abandoned mine site in December 2015 covering a legacy of unrehabilitated mining features. The Ellendale mining operations were eligible to pay into the Mining Rehabilitation Fund (MRF) while KDC was operating and as such the project is fully funded from MRF Principal.

The Ellendale mine consisted of two open cut mining operations, three processing plant areas, numerous lay downs and associated maintenance areas, two bore fields, a camp and an air strip. Constructed landforms include: four tailings storage facilities (TSF), numerous waste rock landforms, run-of-mine (ROM) pads, water storage areas, and stockpiles including low grade ore (lights stockpiles).

The initial works program under the Abandoned Mines Program undertook a preliminary assessment and addressed immediate management measures to secure the site prior to the onset of the wet season. The subsequent planning works led to the completion of the Phase One works program in 2022. This covered the site-wide clean-up, including the bore fields and the deconstruction of the redundant plant and equipment from across the site.

The Phase Two works program is currently underway, with the Stage 1 earthworks contract in progress, addressing significant safety and landform stability issues.

The MRF Yearly Reports provide an overview of the work completed to date and can be viewed on the MRF webpage.

Planning for rehabilitation across the project area takes into careful consideration the potential for incoming tenement holders to recommence exploration or mining activities, ensuring the site remains viable for future responsible resource development.

Strategic objectives

  • To minimise significant environmental and safety risks associated with mining activities on the Ellendale site.
  • With consideration of heritage values, to enhance the potential future use of the site through rehabilitation.

Ellendale

Program implementation framework

 
Desktop assessment Investigation Planning Implementation Monitoring
Stakeholder engagement plan and preliminary stakeholder engagement 2019-2020 (C) Preliminary site inspection 2015 (C) Phase 1 site wide clean-up 2019-2022 (C) Declaration of mining area as an abandoned mine site 2015 (C) Ongoing aerial, LiDAR and InSAR monitoring (U) 
Project risk assessment 2019 (C) Geotechnical audit tailings storage facilities TSF1D and TSF2A 2019 (C) Disposal of Unclaimed Goods Act 1970 process undertaken to enable Deconstruction contract 2020-2022 (C) Pre-wet season general clean-up 2015 (C) Post works monitoring of environmental indicators to ensure the site has met objectives for post-project landuse (at minimum the site is safe, stable and non-polluting) (P)
Project risk assessment 2024 (P) Site inspection and risk assessment 2019 (C) Structural engineering site wide review and Deconstruction Contract support 2020-2022 (C) Declaration of bore field areas as an abandoned mine site 2020 (C) Revoke declaration of abandoned mine (P)
Stakeholder engagement ongoing (U) Infrastructure audit 2020 (C) HAZMAT report 2020 (C) Hydrocarbon removal 2020 (C)  
  Baseline landform monitoring aerial imagery and LiDAR 2020 (C) AS4000 procurement templates developed to enable AMP works program 2020-2021 (C) Bore field clean up – DWA Industrial Resources 2021 (C)  
  Review material characterisation studies 2020 (C) Phase 2 rehabilitation earthworks Stage 1 safety 2022-2023 (C) Deconstruction and site wide clean up contract – Liberty Industrial 2022 (C)  
  Competent rock review for pit safety bunds 2022 (C) Phase 2 rehabilitation earthworks Stage 2 rehabilitation 2024-2026 (P) TSF1D containment bund 2022 (C)  
  Geotechnical investigation TSF1D 2025 (P) TSF1D and TSF2A rehabilitation options implementation strategy 2025 (P) Phase 2 Stage 1 Safety Earthworks Contract – Buru Rehab 2023-2025 (U)  
  Preliminary Site Investigation 2024 (U)   Construction of pit safety bunds 2023 (C)  
      Weed control 2024-2030 (P)  
      Phase 2 Stage 2 Rehabilitation Earthworks Contract 2026-2029 (P)  

Schedule: Completed (C); Underway (U); Planned (P)

 

Ellendale

Ellendale

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