Council seeks help on Pit 23

Muncipal leaders fear the Horsham community might be left with the costs of managing and monitoring a controversial mining waste pit at Douglas.

Horsham Rural City Council is worried that without State Government intervention, it will ultimately and inappropriately find itself responsible for Iluka Rescources’ Pit 23.

Despite arrangements in place to meet pit-management requirements, the council believes a cease in operation of Iluka’s Hamilton minerals separation plant would significantly delay site rehabilitation work.

The council has asked the government, through Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, to continue to hold a bond for the pit.

In 2016, Iluka Resources won the right to use the pit to dispose of waste material from its Hamilton plant after the Victorian Civil Administrative Appeals Tribunal overturned a council refusal to grant a permit. But Iluka suspended operations at the Hamilton plant in November 2017, leaving a significant unfilled pit and community speculation about how it would be filled and eventually rehabilitated.

Council development services director Angela Murphy said Iluka Resources had so far met conditions of the planning permit, including the production of environmental rehabilitation and vegetation management plans.

She added the plans had also undergone review in response to the Hamilton plant closing.

“The major delay on a proposed agreement with Iluka has centred on a rehabilitation bond,” Ms Murphy said.

“The council has requested the department continue to hold the bond for Pit 23 until it has been filled. This is based on the Hamilton separation plant suspending operations and that the monitoring of rehabilitation of mine sites is a core function of Earth Resources, which sits in the mining and resources area of the department.

“The department has advised it is not its responsibility to hold the bond, given Pit 23 is under a planning permit.

“But unlike the department, if filling of Pit 23 is substantially delayed, the Horsham council does not have the skills, expertise and resources to monitor and manage the pit’s rehabilitation bond over many years.

“The interdependence between Pit 23 and the balance of the rehabilitation activities, and the efficiencies with Earth Resources holding the bond until Pit 23 is filled, would be beneficial for all parties.”