CONTAMINATED water from Bendigo’s historic mine shafts will be pumped to the New Chum mine workings as an interim solution to the city’s rising groundwater problem.
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The interim solution will mean the toxic water will no longer be pumped to evaporation ponds at Woodvale, paving the way for the site’s eventual rehabilitation. Pumping to the Woodvale ponds concluded in June. It’s expected the new arrangement will be able to continue for at least 10 months.
Water Minister Lisa Neville said the state government would provide $1.5 million to fund a feasibility study which will investigate a medium term solution involving pumping water from the North New Moon shaft to Coliban Water’s Epsom treatment plant.
Ms Neville said the announcement of an interim solution was “really good news” for Woodvale residents, who have long expressed concern about having the toxic water, which contains arsenic and other hazardous metals, close to their homes.
“This has been a very complex issue and what people have said to me is that this is very much not just a mine issue now, it’s a Bendigo issue and that’s why we’ve come to the table with really strong support to find a solution on this,” she said.
Ms Neville said while the issue was made more complex by the news of the impending sale of the Kangaroo Flat gold mine and related assets including the Woodvale ponds by Unity Mining to GBM Gold, she was confident a long term solution would be found.
“We’ve had some initial conversations which are very positive about [GBM Gold’s] understanding around the groundwater issue,” she said.
Unity Mining issued an ASX release earlier this month announcing the sale but no transfer applications have yet been lodged with the government. The sale is expected to be made final by the end of October. Should the sale go through, the responsibility to rehabilitate the Woodvale ponds will rest with the mine’s new owners.
Ms Neville said she, along with Resources Minister Lily D’Ambrosio and Member for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan had met with the prospective new owner to discuss the groundwater issue.
“Certainly those conversations over the next few weeks will become clearer and the community will be engaged in understanding what it means, and what can be done and what can’t be done,” she said.
Ms Neville said the state government would cover the costs of the Bendigo Trust, which has been footing some of the bill to pump the groundwater to ensure it doesn’t flood the Central Deborah Gold Mine.
