DMP Abandoned Mines Team working on results of preliminary site assessment and identifying stakeholders for community engagement
| Date: | Friday, 27 May 2016 |
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The Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) will host a community workshop in Coolgardie later this year to bring all stakeholders up to date with rehabilitation plans for the former Pro-Force gold processing site.
The Pro-Force site has been identified as a pilot abandoned site for rehabilitation under the Abandoned Mines Program using funds from the award winning and innovative Mining Rehabilitation Fund implemented in 2014.
The department is working with the Shire of Coolgardie to rehabilitate the area, located about 2 km east of the town.
DMP Environment Executive Director Dr Phil Gorey said the workshop would include information about the MRF and Abandoned Mines program and an opportunity for the community to share thoughts on the Pro-Force project.
“We’re working towards holding the workshop in July or August at this stage, and as soon as plans and a venue are finalised, we’ll let everyone know,” he said.
DMP’s Abandoned Mines Team, with officers from the department’s Environment, Mineral Titles and Resources Safety Divisions, and the Geological Survey of WA, held a workshop in Coolgardie in February to begin the stakeholder identification process for future community engagement.
“The visit also gave the team an opportunity to check on the removal of plant and other infrastructure following the successful auction held in November 2015,” Dr Gorey said.
“The purchaser of the plant had been granted an extension over summer to remove the plant, but the site is now vacant and ready for the next stages of rehabilitation.”
The team also undertook a preliminary site assessment to identify key environmental and safety risks at the site.
“The purpose of the assessment was to identify which features are of greatest environmental and safety concern,” Dr Gorey said.
“In the case of Pro-Force, the areas of immediate concern are the derelict processing plant, an unsealed vertical shaft and a 5m deep excavated trench next to the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway.”
Dr Gorey said that the next stage of the project would be to carry out a detailed site assessment and consult further with the Shire and other stakeholders to rehabilitate the site now that the plant had been removed.
“All of this information will be factored in to the rehabilitation plan and we hope to complete works by the end of the year,” he said.
The Pro-Force rehabilitation plan is available to download from the DMP website.
For more information about the Pro-Force rehabilitation project, please contact the Abandoned Mines Team on 9222 3162 or email abandonedmines@dmp.wa.gov.au
