Timbarra Gold Mine

The Timbarra Gold Mine was a highly controversial gold mine located on the Timbarra Plateau, at the head waters of the Clarence River, near Tenterfield, New South Wales, Australia. (Coordinates: 29°07′S 152°18′E). The gold ore body consisted of a greisen type granite. The protracted controversy attracted national and international attention, and catalysed an anti-cyanide extraction campaign in Australia. [Mining Amendment (Cyanide Leaching) Bill 2004, presented to the NSW Parliament [http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/gold/cyanide.htm] ]

Mine history

The mine was initially developed in the late 1990s by a medium sized mining company, Ross Mining. After six months the mine went onto "care and maintenance", and never re-opened. Delta Gold acquired the mine through a take-over of Ross Mining. Eventually the mine was acquired by Placer Dome who were in-turn taken over recently by Barrick Gold.

Placer Dome undertook an intensive rehabilitation progaramme at the mine site, setting new standards for mining rehabilitation in New South Wales.

Controversy

Timbarra Gold Mine was subject to intensive protest for several reasons [Memo (2002) and Press Release (2001), Big Scrub Environment Center [http://www.bigscrub.org.au/timbarra.html] ] :
* The perceived risk of pollution to the Clarence River, especially from the use of the Cyanide process.
* High diversity of threatened species, including rare frogs, on the site.
* Disturbance to an Aboriginal site.
* Unsuitable site for heap-leach cyanide mining due to wetland conditions and high rainfall.

Ross Mining countered the criticism with arguments in favour of the mine:
* Mine provided needed employment and economic stimulus to the local Tenterfield district.
* Cyanide would be contained in a closed system designed to handle a one in 400 year heavy rainfall event.
* Mine site was not pristine, being subject to disturbance from previous mining.

Anti-mine action took on different forms:
* Direct action, including road blocks by protestors, with over 100 arrests.
* Court cases by Aboriginal native title claimants and environmentalists [Timbarra Protection Coalition Inc v Ross Mining NL [1998] NSWLEC 19 (23 February 1998) [http://www.austlii.edu.au//cgi-bin/disp.pl/au/cases/nsw/NSWLEC/1998/19.html?query=timbarra%20] ] .
* An intensive media campaign.

The controversy surrounding the mine was the subject of a 2002 documentary, Demon Fault, which was commissioned by Australia's Special Broadcasting Service and featured miners, protesters, environmental and legal specialists, local farmers, landowners in a protracted battle over the mining operation.

Closure

The mine was closed in 2001 after heavy rainfall resulted in two successive overflows from the cyanide ponds vindicated concerns about the site. Fortunately, cyanide extraction had ceased and actual cyanide levels were low.

Then owners, Delta Gold, undertook a Mine Closure Plan which included former protestors as stakeholders. This resulted in a pioneering consensus approach to the rehabilitation that continued through-out the Mine's ownership by Placer Dome.

The impact from the improved road access to the mine site is an ongoing concern to environmentalists as it has opened up the Timbarra Plateau to potential development, especially agriculture.

References