Now is the time to be asking the questions, says Bill Waterhouse. As a member of the Dargues Reef gold mine community consultative committee (CCC), the Majors Creek wildlife carer just wants to see the best for the community.
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Mr Waterhouse says his community has concerns about the tailings storage facility planned for the nearby gold mine, after a partial collapse of a tailings wall at Newcrest’s Cadia Valley operations near Orange, NSW.
The Cadia Valley breach in early March came in the wake of two earthquakes in the Orange area. Its tailings were contained, but Newcrest took precautions to evacuate the site and stop work. Cadia Valley was often referenced, though not compared directly, in discussions during the Dargues Reef tailings planning process, Mr Waterhouse said.
“My only concern is to get the best outcomes for Majors Creek village,” he said. “So my concerns about the tailings storage facility are only to do with its safe construction and operation.”
Earthquake activity is infrequent but not unknown near Majors Creek. A seismograph measured the most recent tremor, in October 2016, as 1.1 Richter in magnitude; the greatest, at 3 Richter. There have been seven localised quakes in the past 10 years; 35 in the past 50.
The Dargues Reef tailings storage facility build is expected to begin in the second half of 2018. Project development manager for diversified minerals, James Dornan, told the Braidwood Times the structure had been designed in line with seismic, environmental and engineering requirements and guidelines.
“Construction, operation and future monitoring of the tailings storage facility will fully comply with the guidelines and regulations ... that are in place at that time,” Mr Dornan said.
A Geoscience Australia representative said earthquakes of the strength experienced in Majors Creek would not be expected to damage any Australian-standard building. A Department of Planning and Environment spokesperson said potential seismic activity was thoroughly considered during the original assessment of Dargues Reef in the Land and Environment Court.
The CCC was due to meet on Tuesday afternoon.