Overview
Iluka ceased operations at Douglas mine in 2012 and rehabilitation of the site has been ongoing since then.
Iluka’s Douglas Mineral Sands Mine is located 60km southwest of Horsham and 300km northwest of Melbourne, within the Horsham Rural City Council local government area. The mine is comprised of the Bondi Main, Bondi East and Bondi West deposits.
The Douglas Mine was approved through Mining Licence 5367 (MIN5367) and associated Mining Work Plan (as varied) under the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990.
Works conducted in accordance with the Work Plan (as varied) included:
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the development of open pits;
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on-site concentration of ore from pits within the licence area and from the Echo Mine to produce heavy mineral concentrate (HMC);
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transport of HMC to the Hamilton mineral separation plant (MSP);
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placement of tailings (coarse sands and clay fines) from on-site processing in open pits and a tailings storage facility (TSF); and
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the disposal of by-products from the MSP in open pits.
REHABILITATION
Mining and on-site mineral processing commenced at the Douglas mine in 2004 and was complete by 2012. Following the cessation of mining and concentrating activities, site operations have been limited to mine rehabilitation earthworks and the demolition of on-site infrastructure (such as mineral processing facilities). Rehabilitation earthworks commenced at the Douglas mine in 2007 with the rehabilitation of pits 1, 2 and 3.
From 2011 to 2016 rehabilitation earthworks were completed on pits 11, 12, 10 and 19. Following the completion of rehabilitation earthworks, newly rehabilitated pits were sown with a cover crop to stabilise the surface and introduce organic matter and nutrients into the soil profile.
In 2021, rehabilitation earthworks at the Douglas mine have recommenced with rehabilitation earthworks anticipated to be complete at the mine by 2025. The monitoring of rehabilitation success is ongoing at all areas where rehabilitation earthworks have been completed at the Douglas mine.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
The Douglas Environmental Review Committee has been dissolved as of May 2021 and replaced with a revised community engagement strategy. This follows a detailed review of community stakeholder engagement requirements along with extensive consultation with the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions (DJPR). Approval of administrative changes to the Douglas Work Plan and Community Engagement Plan was approved by DJPR May 5 2021.
Iluka will address items such as progress with rehabilitation activities and environmental performance in its six-monthly stakeholder update, with the frequency adjusted according to the level of community interest.
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