Irvinebank tailings storage facility and state treatment works

The Irvinebank state treatment works processed tin ore from the surrounding mining fields until the 1990s. The site currently contains remnants of the processing buildings and tailings.

• View a glossary of mining terms used on this page.

Historically, tailings from the state treatment works were discharged into Loudon Dam on Gibbs Creek. However, following the introduction of environmental regulation in the 1980s, tailings deposited in the dam were removed, reprocessed and placed in the Target Gully tailings storage facility.

In 2018, we started remediation of the Target Gully tailings storage facility to revegetate and mitigate environmental impacts from the site. A key consideration of the project was the management of the critically endangered Purple Wattle Acacia purpureopetala, which has been identified on-site and in the surrounding area.

We worked with key stakeholders including the Mareeba Shire Council, the Mbabaram Aboriginal Corporation (representing the Traditional Owners), and local community groups in developing the remediation options for the site.

Photo gallery

Key risks

Health and safety risks associated with:

• unauthorised access onto the tailings storage facility by recreational motorbike riders creating a potential exposure to breathing or consuming tailings dust
• insufficient drainage of the tailings storage facility to prevent against erosion of the embankments during extreme rainfall events.

Environmental risks associated with:

• potential impacts of exposed loose surface tailings susceptible to wind and rainfall erosion at the treatment works and tailings storage facility
• groundwater contamination at the treatment works and tailings storage facility
• poor-quality water as a result of acid and metalliferous drainage at the treatment works and tailings storage facility.

Completed works

• Restricting access to the treatment works and tailings storage facility
• Installation of groundwater bores for ongoing groundwater quality monitoring downstream of the tailings storage facility
• Improved drainage diverting water from the tailings storage facility including re-profiling of the tailings surface
• Construction of new spillways for both embankments of the tailings storage facility that are appropriately sized for extreme events
• Improved signage
• Application of an interim soil-binding treatment across the tailings surface on the tailings storage facility
• Revegetation of the tailings surface with native species to reduce future tailings erosion and restore biodiversity

Planned works

• Monitoring and maintenance activities to ensure the remediation activities achieve desired outcomes