Derelict Mines to Get $430,000 in Rehab Works

The State Government announced today that two new mine site rehabilitation projects in regional NSW valued at $430,000 are set to begin before Christmas.

The works are part of more than $1.7 million allocated this year through the State Government’s Derelict Mines Program to help improve the safety and environmental standards of old mines across the State.

While old mine sites are an important part of the country’s heritage, they can also pose a very serious safety risk to communities.

The NSW Labor Government is dedicating significant resources to minimising those risks and improving environmental standards, through its Derelict Mines Program.

This includes a $300,000 project at the old Burraga Copper Mine near Oberon, and a $130,000 project at the Collisons Silver Mine near Glen Innes.

At the old Burraga Copper Mine, teams will backfill, seal and fence-off open shafts to help minimise potential safety risks at the site.

They will also seal-off an old brick chimney stack and contain remaining tailings to help prevent possible pollution in downstream water ways.

The Collisons Silver Mine near Glen Innes hasn’t been used since the 1960s, and rehabilitation work at this site will include erosion and sediment control, filling of a number of open shafts, and providing fencing and gates to a number of areas within the overall site. A number of old buildings and storage bins will also be removed.

Works at both sites are being carried out with the help of the Soil Conservation Service, a division of the NSW Department of Lands.

Several other mine site rehabilitation projects are planned for later this year, including a $280,000 project at Yerranderie Silver Mine in the Sydney Catchment area, a $200,000 project at Webbs Consul in the Northern Tablelands, and a $150,000 effort planned for Oakdale Colliery, near Picton. Timeframes for these projects have not yet been determined.