Goondicum remediation project
The Goondicum ilmenite and apatite mine ceased production in September 2019. The company was placed in liquidation, with the liquidators disclaiming the mining lease in October 2020 with no rehabilitation completed. Since that time, we have managed the site.
- View a glossary of mining terms used on this page.
The Goondicum site consists of 2 open-cut mining pits, a process water dam, 3 tailings storage facilities, remnants of the processing plant and other wastes.
We are working with the landowners to manage the site and plan future rehabilitation.
Project snapshot
Region: Central Queensland
Location: 30km east of Monto, Latitude -24.847000, Longitude 151.404400
Commodity: Ilmenite and apatite
Mining type: Open cut
Date of abandonment: October 2020
Status: Remediation ongoing
Native title interest: N/A
Public land registers: Not listed
Photo gallery
Key risks
Health and safety risks associated with:
- potential instability of the mining pit wall
- the condition of the tailings storage facility wall
- hydrocarbons and waste stockpiles that remain on site.
Environmental risks associated with poor-quality water as a result of sediment load in the downstream environment.
Completed works
- Care and maintenance operations, including water management, site security, general clean-up.
- Earthworks to repair and increase storage capacity of water-management structures.
- Initial investigations into remediation options, including water balance and regulated structure assessments and closure and final landform concepts.
- Detailed closure designs for the eastern domain.
2022 remediation works
Work has commenced on the next stage of works on site, targeting the area known as the eastern domain.
We are engaging regional businesses and local contractors to undertake the site works, which will include:
- decommissioning a dam, including removing its components
- reshaping the former mining pits so that they are stable and drain
- constructing drains to prevent erosion
- improvements to the soil and revegetation.
Work is expected to be completed by October 2022.
Further planned works
- Detailed closure design for the western domain, which contains 2 tailings dams, overburden stockpiles, pilot plant area and the original mining area.
- Execution of closure and rehabilitation works for the western domain.
- Ongoing site care and maintenance until rehabilitation is established and the site is stable, durable and productive.