Summary For Green Stakeholders
As at May 2002, the situation regarding the rehabilitation at Timbarra Mine is as follows:

MINING CLOSURE PLAN;
DELTA GOLD/RESOURCE STRATEGIES COMMUNITY CONSULTATION: Resource Strategies, contracted to undertake rehabilitation at Timbarra Mine, has conducted several successive meetings since June 2001 on-site to discuss specific issues including the disposal of excess water; levelling back and stabilising the leach heaps; and, rehabilitation of the pits. They anticipate exhibiting the MINING CLOSURE PLAN by the end of May in regional centres.

*Members of the public are welcome to make comments and submissions on the Mining Closure Plan for a month after the display period.

HEAPS: The leach heaps have been flattened and spread for stabilisation as the heaps were previously eroding severely especially after heavy rains in early 2001. The heaps have also been capped with clay to reduce water penetration and leaching of possible leachates. The clay capping has been covered with a layer of topsoil, including surface erosion control swales and recreated rock outcrops.

WASTE WATER IRRIGATION: previously stored excess water (containing some breakdown products from the cyanide including nitrates and ammonium) has been irrigated into the surrounding bush and also disposed via evaporation due to the relatively dry Summer season. The need to irrigate into bushland was fortunately not as great. We are also anticipating top-soil fraction testing (from the top 1 cm) for any potential accumulation of waste water pollutants in the irrigated bushland area.

FROG STUDIES: Frogs on the Timbarra Plateau includes several rare species like the Mountain Mist Frog, Stuttering frog, and possibly the Peppered frog. There has been a lot of discussion over their wellbeing, especially re the irrigation. Also, given frogs known sensitivity to nitrates, nitrites and ammonia (potentially contained in the leachates from the heaps and waste water), they are perceived as a good indicator species for potential impacts on the wetland ecology, as well. David Newell, our nominated frog specialist, has been contracted by Resource Strategies to do frog studies, and his first report is anticipated.

ENTRANCE ROAD: The mine access road, Timbarra Road, has been the subject of a court case in the Land and Environment Court, and is subject to court orders. However, it is understood that this does not prevent normal road maintenance by Tenterfield Council. It's been observable that the road has been severely eroding. The latest report is that Tenterfield Council IS undertaking erosion works.

NO "CYANIDE" REMAINING: It's understood from analysis of leachate and excess water that there is no free cyanide remaining on site (at undetectable levels). However, it's possible there may be traces of cobalt cyanide (a residual cyanide complex), molybdenum, nitrates, nitrites, ammonium and arsenic leaching from the heaps. It's important to do ongoing monitoring and watch for accumulation of leachates below the levelled heaps. NB. The nitrogen compounds are derived from the breakdown of the cyanide.

PITS: The plan is to landscape the pits, allowing for free draining of all the existing ponds in the pits(which don't store waste water from the old cyanide circuit). Access and stability is an issue, especially in the RMT pit site.

RAW WATER AND STORM PONDS: All major ponds are supposed to be decommissioned and mostly levelled out. I'm hoping that dam walls will be dismantled adequately so as to not have a linear landscape feature.

REVEGETATION: All disturbed areas on the mine site are to be revegetated at the same proportions of habitat types that previously existed, but not in exactly the same locations.

WILDLIFE: Due to the high numbers of threatened wildlife species on the Timbarra Plateau, it's hoped that the best wildlife experts will be used to monitor and advise during rehabilitation, and post rehabilitation.

STRUCTURES REMAINING: In the last draft rehabilitation proposals that I saw it appeared that some structures (Timbarra Mine administration offices) were being left for use by cattle grazing lessees, the Petrei's. This includes leaving a portion of a reduced-in-size sediment-trap pond for cattle drinking.

Peter Hardwick.
Environmental Stakeholders Representative
1st May, 2002.

HISTORY:
Media release, March 5th, 2001
CONTROVERSIAL GOLD MINE CLOSED
Environmentalists are celebrating after it was announced that the controversial Timbarra Gold Mine is to be closed.

Using cyanide to extract gold, the mine became the target of a protracted and sometimes heated campaign, with over 100 arrests during the mines' construction.

"The mines'location at the headwaters the Clarence river, is far too wet for a cyanide mine. While miners have done the right thing in closing the mine, we need a firm promise that the mine will never reopen," said environmentalist Peter Hardwick.

"The recent wastewater overflow into nearby wetlands and waterways during heavy rains highlighted the risk. If the mine had been operating with higher cyanide levels, that overflow would have been a major disaster. There are still concerns that wildlife were effectedby pollutants.

"People are also reliant on the water downstream of the mine and they need reassurance that the mine will stay closed. No one needs a leaky cyanide mine in their drinking water catchment.

"There's also the ongoing issue of rehabilitation. A significant wetland site has been effected. The wetland is the habitat for several rare frog species, and we know that frogs are extremely sensitive to the types of pollutants that come from the breakdown of cyanide, such as nitrites. Therefore, the rehabilitation needs to be of the of highest quality.

"While Delta Gold have done the right by closing the mine, they should agree to close the mine permanently, and the NSW Government should do everything to encourage them in this direction.

"It defies imagination that a cyanide mine could have been allowed on top of a wetland. Somewhere the system failed the public by not preventing this mine, and we're owed an explanation," Mr Hardwick said.

Mining operations at Timbarra ceased in 1999 following a period of unanticipated high rainfall. Ross Mining NL, the original mine developers, were later bought-out by Delta Gold Pty Ltd.

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