Timbarra Gold Mine
Encyclopedia
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
. 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.
who were in turn taken over in 2006 by Barrick Gold
.
Placer Dome undertook an intensive rehabilitation programme at the mine site, setting new standards for mining rehabilitation in New South Wales.
Ross Mining countered the criticism with arguments in favour of the mine:
Anti-mine action took on different forms:
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 and landowners in a protracted battle over the mining operation.
The decision of Talbot J of the Land and Environment Court was appealed to the Supreme Court in Timbarra Protection Coalition Inc v Ross Mining NL [1999] NSWCA 8;(1999) 46 NSWLR 55; 102 LGERA 52. The central issue for determination was whether the decision of council to accept a development application without Species Impact Statement (SIS) was reviewable. The Supreme Court had to rule on the question of whether a development 'likely to significantly affect threatened species' involves a jurisdictional fact and whether evidence of the existence or non-existence of that fact was admissible in appeal from council's decision. Spigelman CJ held that the issue of "likely to significantly affect threatened species" involves a jurisdictional fact. It was held that the decision of council regarding need for SIS was reviewable and related evidence was admissible.
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 throughout 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.
Gold mining
Gold mining is the removal of gold from the ground. There are several techniques and processes by which gold may be extracted from the earth.-History:...
located on the Timbarra Plateau, at the head waters of the Clarence River
Clarence River (New South Wales)
The Clarence River is situated in northeastern New South Wales, Australia. The river originates on the watershed that marks the Queensland border. After flowing south and northeast for 394 km it then empties into the Pacific Ocean at Iluka/Yamba. On its journey it passes through the towns of...
, near Tenterfield, New South Wales
Tenterfield, New South Wales
Tenterfield is a town in New South Wales, Australia. It is located in the New England region at the intersection of the New England and Bruxner Highways. Tenterfield is a three-hour drive from Brisbane, 2.5 hours from Byron Bay, two hours from Armidale, New South Wales and 10 hours from Sydney....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
body consisted of a greisen
Greisen
Greisen is a highly altered granitic rock or pegmatite. Greisen is formed by autogenic alteration of a granite and is a class of endoskarn.Greisens appear as highly altered rocks, partly coarse, crystalline granite, partly vuggy with miarolitic cavities, disseminated halide minerals such as...
type granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
. The protracted controversy attracted national and international attention, and catalysed an anti-cyanide
Cyanide
A cyanide is a chemical compound that contains the cyano group, -C≡N, which consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. Cyanides most commonly refer to salts of the anion CN−. Most cyanides are highly toxic....
extraction campaign in Australia.
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 into "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 DomePlacer Dome
Placer Dome Inc. was a large mining company specializing in gold and other precious metals, with corporate headquarters in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada....
who were in turn taken over in 2006 by Barrick Gold
Barrick Gold
Barrick Gold Corporation is the largest pure gold mining company in the world, with its headquarters in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and four regional business units located in Australia, Africa, North America and South America...
.
Placer Dome undertook an intensive rehabilitation programme 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:- 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 AboriginalAustralian Aboriginal mythologyAustralian Aboriginal myths are the stories traditionally performed by Aboriginal peoples within each of the language groups across Australia....
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 roadblocks by protestors, with over 100 arrests.
- Court cases by Aboriginal native title claimants and environmentalists.
- 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
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
and featured miners, protesters, environmental and legal specialists, local farmers and landowners in a protracted battle over the mining operation.
Litigation
The project was the subject of much litigation in the NSW courts. Ross Mining NL had been granted a development consent by the Tenterfield Shire Council pursuant to the EP&A Act 1979. Under s. 77(3)(d1) EPAA, a Species Impact Statement (SIS) was required to be submitted with an application for development consent if the development is "likely to significantly affect threatened species". The respondent did not submit a SIS, and the TPC (the applicants) sought to rely upon this to invalidate the development consent. Talbot J who heard the Class 4 proceedings in the Land and Environment Court held that the decision of the Council to accept the application without a SIS was not reviewable as it was not an error of jurisdictional fact and, accordingly, refused to admit evidence on the issue of "likely to significantly affect threatened species".The decision of Talbot J of the Land and Environment Court was appealed to the Supreme Court in Timbarra Protection Coalition Inc v Ross Mining NL [1999] NSWCA 8;(1999) 46 NSWLR 55; 102 LGERA 52. The central issue for determination was whether the decision of council to accept a development application without Species Impact Statement (SIS) was reviewable. The Supreme Court had to rule on the question of whether a development 'likely to significantly affect threatened species' involves a jurisdictional fact and whether evidence of the existence or non-existence of that fact was admissible in appeal from council's decision. Spigelman CJ held that the issue of "likely to significantly affect threatened species" involves a jurisdictional fact. It was held that the decision of council regarding need for SIS was reviewable and related evidence was admissible.
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 throughout 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.