THE EPA is considering whether it will need to assess a mineral sands project proposed for about 21km east of Ledge Point and 800m south of the Moore River and which if approved could require about 6 GL of groundwater abstraction each year.
Public comment for the Bidaminna project referral closed just before Christmas with residents and stakeholders allowed seven days to make a submission.
The Image Resources project proposed for south of Orange Springs Rd in the locality of Cowalla in the Shire of Gingin includes dredge mining with the progressive development of a dredge pond, processing facilities, groundwater bores and water management infrastructure, temporary waste dumps, solar drying ponds and associated infrastructure (power supply, accommodation, communications, workshop, laydown, offices etc).
An Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) spokeswoman said the proposal to develop the mineral sands project about 15km south-west of Regan’s Ford was referred to the authority in September last year.
“The Bidaminna project referral was published for seven-day public comment on December 14, 2022,’’ she said.
“The EPA is now considering submissions and advice obtained and is expected to make a determination in the coming weeks on whether or not to assess the proposal, and if so, the level of assessment.’’
Documents included with the Bidaminna project referral outline a proposed mining area of about 950ha within a 1950ha development envelope and proposed external infrastructure of about 50ha within a 75ha development envelope.
The proposed mining envelope is about 16.3km to the east of the Seaview Park reserve public drinking water source area.
Public comment for the Bidaminna project referral closed just before Christmas with residents and stakeholders given seven days to make a submission.The ore body is to the west of the Moore River National Park and the proposed mine pit is 7km long, 500m to 600m wide and 50m to 60m deep with Image Resources proposing progressive backfill to pre-mining levels and rehabilitation for the mine, which is estimated to produce 300kt per annum of heavy mineral concentrate over a 10-year period if it gets approved.
The proposed site, which is described as being unallocated Crown land, is about 30km south of the Lancelin defence training area.
The site contains native vegetation constituting potential threatened ecological communities, habitat for threatened species of black cockatoo and mapped conservation category wetlands (damplands).
In relation to groundwater usage on the southern side of the Gingin Brook and Moore River, groundwater from the Gnangara groundwater system is used to grow pasture, fruit, vegetables, nursery plants and turf.
According to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) about 14 GL a year across almost 100 licences is abstracted in the Gingin area.
In an ASX statement on December 22 Image Resources said a final report on the results of a feasibility study on the Bidaminna project had been delayed until the first half of 2023.
The statement said Bidaminna was being evaluated as a standalone greenfield mineral sands project utilising low-cost dredge mining with a floating wet concentration plant to produce heavy mineral concentrate.
The Bidaminna deposit has estimated mineral resources of 102 million tonnes at 2.2 per cent total heavy minerals.
The heavy minerals contain 93 per cent valuable heavy minerals including 36 per cent leucoxene, 48 per cent ilmenite, 5 per cent zircon and 4 per cent rutile.
The deposit contains very low slimes (3.3 per cent) and very low oversize (2.2 per cent) with the mineralisation being below the water table and amenable to dredge mining technology.
Image Resources also has the Boonanarring project 80km north of Perth and 16km north of Gingin, which produces a heavy mineral concentrate which is exported to international markets through the port of Bunbury.
