Environmental discharges of water into Majors Creek, relocation of wombats and jobs for local people are among the Australian Government's conditions of approval for a major gold mine east of Canberra.
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Cortona Resources, the proponent of the $240 million underground mine, must give preference to Majors Creek, Braidwood and Araluen communities when hiring.
Community advocates have previously speculated on the mining company flying in staff from outside the local district, but under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act's conditions, villages around the mine will be given preference over candidates with equivalent experience and qualifications based elsewhere. The latest approval follows the recent NSW Government go-ahead for the project, which will extract and process up to 355,000 tonnes of gold ore a year for up to seven years.
The approval is also conditional on Cortona monitoring water to avoid downstream risks of national environmental significance to vegetation such as the Araluen gum and will include groundwater monitoring of bores, and checking for seepage and leachate from the tailings storage.
Monitoring will also be needed for surface water's acidity levels, turbidity, nitrogen, posphorous, salinity, temperature and for heavy metals, such as arsenic, iron, manganese and zinc. Monitoring must be in place before mining begins.
To offset a reduction in base flow to the Moruya Catchment, the miner must release water into Majors Creek and provide a surface water and groundwater response protocol setting out responses in case offsets are unlikely to be met.
Water sourced mainly from dams will be released into Majors Creek at the confluence of Spring Creek from the start of mining and until two years after dewatering operations.
Operating hours for clearing bush and construction of a box cut opening to the mine are restricted.
Underground mining, including blasting, maintenance and processing, except crushing and screening, will be permitted 24 hours a day.