Collingwood Tin remediation project
The Collingwood Tin mine was commissioned in late 2005 and the first commercial shipment of concentrates was produced in early 2006. The mine closed in May 2008 and liquidators disclaimed the mining leases in June 2015.
Since then, we have managed the former mine in a care and maintenance mode.
- View a glossary of mining terms used on this page.
The Collingwood Tin site consisted of several mine surface features including an underground portal, ventilation shaft, workshops areas and hardstand, water impoundments, tailings storage facility and processing plant.
We have worked closely with Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation and the Nyungkulwarra Traditional Owner sub-committee to develop site closure and final landform options. We have employed Traditional Owner representatives in water management and other site activities.
Project snapshot
Region: North Queensland
Location: 35km south of Cooktown and adjacent to the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, latitude -15.763455, longitude 145.230621
Commodity: Tin
Mining type: Underground
Date of abandonment: June 2015
Status: Care and maintenance
Native title interest: Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation
Public land registers: Listed on the Environmental Management Register and the Contaminated Land Register
Photo gallery
Key risks
Health and safety risks associated with:
- unmaintained plant and infrastructure
- open portal or mine entrance
- deep ventilation shaft
- drill core storage area storing potentially contaminating material.
Environmental risks associated with:
- un-remediated tailings storage facility, decant pond and water storage with associated poor water quality
- potential groundwater contamination.
Completed works
- Removal of the abandoned plant and equipment
- Closing the entrance to the mine, including installing a metal grate to allow wildlife to access
- Sealing of the 5m wide, 196m deep ventilation shaft
- Remediation of the drill core area, with consolidation and removal of crushed core and contaminated soil and installation of drainage channels
- Controlled water release program to reduce onsite stored water inventory and manage downstream impacts from releases
- Detailed designs for reshaping and stabilising the processing area and the tailings storage facility.
Planned works
- Ongoing care and maintenance
- Ongoing consultation with Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation and the sub-committee to ensure advanced designs meet the agreed vision and appropriately address any cultural heritage values
Planned works 2021-23
- Reshaping and stabilising the processing area into 3 large terraces with associated drainage
- Tailings storage facility work to lock away contaminated tailings waste below a stable cap and topsoil cover
- Designed earthworks to safely manage surface water runoff while minimising erosion, securing the contaminants, preventing downstream environmental harm, promoting long-term landscape stability, and minimising ongoing maintenance