Mount Garnet abandoned mine project
The Mount Garnet copper, silver, and zinc lode was discovered in 1882. Over time, John Moffat and his associates acquired control of the property, and established the Mt. Garnet Freehold Copper and Silver Mining Company in 1899. Despite initial success, smelting operations came to a halt in 1903. The site saw a resurgence in activity in 2000 with the revival of underground and open-cut zinc mining operations.
Over the years, various companies have operated on the site until the most recent operator, Aurora Metals Limited, put the site into care and maintenance in 2021. Aurora Metals was subsequently liquidated and associated mining leases disclaimed in March 2024.
We are actively managing the Mount Garnet site under the Abandoned Mine Lands Program.
Mount Garnet is a polymetallic open-cut and underground mine with a mine industrial area, a core yard, a large tailings storage facility, several evaporation and process water dams and an open cut pit.
We are consulting with landholders and Native Title interest holders about management activities on site.
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Project snapshot
Region: North Queensland
Location: 160km south-west of Cairns, latitude 17.40 S, Longitude 145.06 E. Program site is approximately 500Ha.
Commodity: Copper, Silver, Zinc, Lead
Mining type: Open cut and underground
Date of abandonment: March 2024
Status: Investigation and development of long-term management options
Native title interest: Bar-Barrum People represented by Mbabaram Aboriginal Corporation
Public land registers: Listed on the Environmental Management Register
Photo gallery
Key risks
Health and safety risks associated with:
- waste rock dumps and stockpiles
- processing plant
- potential explosives remaining on site
- high walls, unstable ground and subsidence areas
- cyanide and other dangerous chemicals
- potential for collapse and fall from heights of aging infrastructure
- high-voltage electricity.
Environmental risks associated with:
- contaminated water storages, including open cut pit
- tailings storage facility
- potential for contaminated sediment and water runoff.
Planned works
- Investigation into long-term management options including the development of a site water balance model and management plan.
- Removal and safe disposal of hazardous wastes and hydrocarbons.
- Isolation and decommissioning of obsolete and hazardous electrical infrastructure.
- Clean-up of outlying infrastructure areas and remediation and revegetation works.
- Ongoing stakeholder management.