Aquarius Underground Project: Mining Proposal

Aquarius Underground Project:

Mining Proposal

(Addendum to Reg ID: 36144)

Version 1, Revision 2

18 January 2021

Reg ID: 92163

Version Revision Author Reviewer Date

1 1 A. Ruschmann D. Harper 18/01/2021

Company: Avoca Mining Pty Ltd (100% owned by Karora Resources Pty Ltd) Mining Tenements M15/231, M15/348, M15/375, M15/610 and M15/748 EGS Code: S0223024 (Higginsville Environmental Group Site) Project Code J00152 (Higginsville) Registered office: 6 Outram Street, West Perth, WA 6005 Company Contact Details: Postal: PO Box 1250 WEST PERTH WA 6872 Phone: 9039 6030

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

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2020 Mining Proposal Checklist

Q No Mining Proposal (MP) Checklist Y/N/ Comments Changes Section/ Summary NA from Page previous No. Version (Y/N)

Has the checklist been endorsed by a Y Y Environmental tenement holder(s) or a senior Manager 1 representative authorised by the tenement holder(s), such as a Registered Manager or Company Director? 2 Are you the tenement holder of all Y Y Avoca Mining tenements associated with the Mining Pty Ltd wholly Proposal /group site? owned Mining Proposals which have not been subsidiary of submitted by the tenement holder must Karora include an authorisation from the Resources tenement holder or an explanation of the Pty Ltd company linkage to the tenement holder (e.g. for subsidiary companies). 3 For tenements with multiple tenement N/A holders, have all of the other holders consented to this proposal being submitted? Mining Proposals which have not been submitted by the tenement holder must include an authorisation from the tenement holder or an explanation of the company linkage to the tenement holder (e.g. for subsidiary companies). 4 Have contact details for questions on the Y Y Mining Proposal been provided? 5 Are all mining operations within granted Y Y tenement boundaries or does this Mining Proposal support a lease application? 6 Is this the first Mining Proposal submitted for N Version 1 for these tenements? Aquarius If No, the version number of the revised underground Mining Proposal must be stated on the cover operations and a summary of changes included

7 Have all tenement conditions been reviewed Y Karora has to ensure activities proposed in the Mining reviewed Proposal are in compliance? compliance with tenement conditions

8 Has a Mine Closure Plan been provided? Y N Higginsville Mine It is a requirement that every mining Closure Plan proposal include a mine closure plan. (Reg ID 61112)

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Q No Mining Proposal (MP) Checklist Y/N/ Comments Changes Section/ Summary NA from Page previous No. Version (Y/N)

PUBLIC AVAILABILITY 9 Are you aware that this Mining Proposal is Y publicly available? 10 Is there any information in this Mining N Proposal that should not be publicly available? If Yes, refer to Appendix B, section 7 of the guidelines for more information. Note: A non-confidential version of all mining proposals will be made available to the public 11 If ‘Yes’ to Q10, has confidential information N/A been submitted in a separate document?

MINING PROPOSAL DETAILS 12 Does the Mining Proposal cover page Y include:  Environmental Group Site name  Environmental Group Site code  company name (including telephone numbers and email addresses)  contact details  version number  date of submission.

13 Has information regarding the Environmental Y Y Section 2; Table Group Site (EGS) been provided in 1 accordance with the requirements of Appendix G of the guidelines?

14 Has a disturbance table been provided in Y Y accordance with the requirements of Appendix G of the guidelines? 15 Has spatial data for all Mine Activity Types Y Y Disturbance been provided in accordance with the envelope specified properties and allowances? 16 Has a site plan, consistent with all spatial Y Y data and activity details, been provided?

The site plan must show existing and proposed activities and other relevant information including tenement boundaries and other land tenure (e.g. Reserves and pastoral lease boundaries). 17 Do you have and maintain an Environmental Y N Appendix K & L Management System?

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Q No Mining Proposal (MP) Checklist Y/N/ Comments Changes Section/ Summary NA from Page previous No. Version (Y/N)

ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK 18 Does the Mining Proposal include a list of all Y Full list N relevant environmental approvals that have provided been sought or are required before the proposal may be implemented? 19 Does the Mining Proposal trigger any criteria N N for referral to the EPA within the DMP/EPA Memorandum of Understanding? 20 Has the Mining Proposal been referred to N N the EPA? If Yes, indicate date of referral in comments 21 Has the proposal been deemed to not N N warrant formal assessment under Part IV of the EP Act, is currently under assessment by the EPA, or has been approved via a Ministerial Statement? If Yes, ensure details of Ministerial Statement, assessment level and/or assessment number are provided within the Mining Proposal 22 Is a clearing permit required? If ‘No’ then Y Y CPS 8152/3 explain why in space below issued 23 If ‘Yes’ at Q22 then has a clearing permit Y Y CPS 8152/3 been applied for? issued 24 Is the Mining Proposal located on reserve Y N Crown Reserve land? If “Yes” state reserve types 10305 (Common)

25 Is the Mining Proposal wholly or partially N N within Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) managed areas? 26 If ‘Yes’ at Q25 has DPaW been consulted? N/A

27 Will any threatened or protected flora and/or N N fauna be impacted by this proposal? 28 Have the DAA/DPC ‘Aboriginal Heritage Due Y N Heritage survey Diligence Guidelines’ been used to identify completed the risk of impacts to aboriginal heritage sites? (HSA 200036 1) 29 If any aboriginal heritage sites will be N/A impacted, has appropriate consent been sought under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972?

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Q No Mining Proposal (MP) Checklist Y/N/ Comments Changes Section/ Summary NA from Page previous No. Version (Y/N)

30 Does the Mining Proposal include a tailings N TSF is N Reg ID 89038 storage facility? located at Mining Proposals that include tailings HGO; 2 km storage facilities must include the relevant north of design reports outlined in the Guide to the Aquarius. preparation of a design report for tailings storage facilities (TSFs), August 2015.

31 Does the Mining Proposal include the Y Small N backfilling of mine voids? quantities If Yes, the Mining Proposal must include a to be Sterilisation Report. backfilled that will not sterilise the resource.

32 Is the mining proposal located on pre-1899 N N Crown Grant lands? (not subject to the Mining Act) 33 Has the construction of an airstrip been N N proposed? If Yes, indicate the date when Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Airservices Australia and the Local Government Authority were advised (in writing) of the proposal to construct an airstrip.

Corporate endorsement:

I hereby certify that to the best of my knowledge, the information contained within this Mining Proposal and checklist is true and correct and addresses all the requirements of the 2020 Statutory Guidelines for Mining Proposals in Western Australia approved by the Director General of Mines.

Name: Alexander Ruschmann Signed:

Position: Environmental Manager Date: 18/01/2021

(NB: The corporate endorsement must be given by tenement holder(s) or a senior representative authorised by the tenement holder(s), such as a Registered Manager or Company Director.)

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Contents

INTRODUCTION ...... 1 ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP SITE DETAILS ...... 3 PROPOSAL DESCRIPTION ...... 4 Mining Operations ...... 4 Portal Development ...... 5 Mine Development ...... 6 Mine Methodology ...... 8 Blasting ...... 8 Ventilation ...... 12 Waste Rock Management ...... 12 Material Balance ...... 13 Mine Dewatering...... 13 Ore Processing & Tailings Storage ...... 14 Infrastructure Corridors and Transportation ...... 14 Topsoil / Much Stockpiles ...... 14 Abandonment Bund ...... 15 Support Facilities ...... 16 Workforce ...... 16 ACTIVITY DETAILS ...... 17 Spatial Information ...... 17 Activity & Disturbance Details ...... 17 Key Mine Activities ...... 20 Mining Void ...... 20 Waste Rock Dump ...... 20 Run-of-Mine ...... 21 Disturbance Envelope ...... 21 Site Plans ...... 23 ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK ...... 25 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ...... 27 Stakeholder Engagement Strategy ...... 27 BASELINE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA ...... 29 Climate ...... 29 Landscape...... 32 Soils ...... 32 Biodiversity, Flora, Fauna and Ecosystem ...... 33 Vegetation and Flora ...... 33 Fauna ...... 34 Hydrology ...... 37 Surface Water ...... 37 Surface Water Management ...... 40 Groundwater ...... 41 Groundwater Management...... 43 Material Characterisation ...... 44 Regional Geology ...... 44 Local Geology ...... 44 Subsurface Materials Characterisation ...... 48 Environmental Threats and Other Factors ...... 49 Introduced Species ...... 50 Contamination Sources ...... 50 Air Quality and Noise ...... 51

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Fire ...... 51 Cultural Heritage ...... 52 Land Use ...... 52 ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESMENT ...... 54 Risk Assessment Criteria ...... 55 ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES, PERFORMANCE CRITERIA AND OUTCOMES ...... 69 Environmental Outcomes and Performance Criteria ...... 69 Environmental Reporting ...... 73 Incidents ...... 73 Internal Reporting ...... 73 External Reporting ...... 73 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ...... 74 Environmental Policy and Objectives ...... 74 Environmental Planning ...... 74 Implementation and Operation ...... 74 Measurement and Evaluation ...... 75 Management Review ...... 75 Mine Closure ...... 76 Post Mining Land Use ...... 76 Rehabilitation ...... 76 Strategic Framework for Mine Closure ...... 77 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 78

List of Tables

Figure 1: Project location map ...... 2 Figure 2: Karora Resources Corporate Structure ...... 4 Figure 3: Aquarius boxcut design ...... 6 Figure 4: Typical underground level development and infrastructure ...... 7 Figure 5: Aquarius Underground Mining Method ...... 9 Figure 6: Isometric View of Aquarius Underground Project ...... 10 Figure 7: Example of Underground Stope Mining ...... 11 Figure 8: Aquarius Boxcut design and abandonment bund...... 15 Figure 9: Standard Abandonment bund design ...... 16 Figure 10: Disturbance Envelope ...... 22 Figure 11: Indicative Aquarius Site Layout Plan ...... 24 Figure 12: Climate Data ...... 31 Figure 13: Aquarius surface water catchments ...... 39 Figure 14: Local Geology ...... 45 Figure 15: Cross-section of geology at Aquarius ...... 47 Figure 16: Tengraph "unnamed road reserve" ...... 53 Figure 17: Risk Management Framework ...... 54

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

List of Tables

Table 1: Environmental Group Site Details ...... 3 Table 2: Contact Details ...... 3 Table 3: Aquarius Underground Project Materials Balance ...... 13 Table 4: Mine Activity Details ...... 18 Table 5: Mining Voids – Detailed Activity Table ...... 20 Table 6: Waste Rock Dumps – Detailed Activity Table ...... 20 Table 7: ROM Pad – Detailed Activity Table ...... 21 Table 8: Environmental Legislative Framework ...... 25 Table 9: Stakeholder Engagement Methods ...... 28 Table 10: Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism ...... 28 Table 11: General Fauna Assessment Findings ...... 36 Table 12: ARI Flood Summary for Aquarius ...... 38 Table 13: Groundwater Quality ...... 42 Table 14: Environmental Objectives ...... 55 Table 15: Likelihood Categories ...... 56 Table 16: Consequence Categories ...... 56 Table 17: Risk Rating Matrix ...... 57 Table 18: Risk Assessment ...... 58 Table 19: Environmental Outcomes, Performance Criteria and Monitoring ...... 70 Table 20: Outcomes Regulated by Other Agencies ...... 71

List of Appendices Appendix A – Mining Tenement Summary Reports Appendix B – HGO Stakeholder Engagement Register Appendix C – NVS (2015) Flora Survey Report for Fairplay Expansion Appendix D – GHD (2010) Higginsville Biological Survey Appendix E – Terrestrial Ecosystems (2015) Fauna Survey Report for Fairplay Expansion Appendix F – Rockwater (2020) Aquarius Surface Water Assessment Appendix G – Rockwater (2020) Aquarius Dewatering Assessment Appendix H – Aquarius & Two Boys Underground Waste Characterisation Report (2021) Appendix I – AHIS search results Appendix J – Shire of Coolgardie – Consent for Road Reserves Appendix K – HGO Environmental Management System Manual Appendix L – Karora Environmental Policy Appendix M – Higginsville Mine Closure Plan

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

INTRODUCTION

Higginsville Gold Operations (HGO) is located 110 km south of Kalgoorlie and 55 km north of Norseman in the Goldfields region of Western Australia. HGO is owned by Karora Resources Pty Ltd and operated by the wholly owned subsidiary Avoca Mining Pty Ltd. Mining tenements for the HGO are located mainly adjacent to the Goldfields-Esperance Highway over a north-south distance of about 105 km, stretching from about 25 km south to about 80 km north of Norseman (Figure 1). The project consists of a number of operational and closed open-cut pits and underground mines. Ore sourced from the Beta Hunt underground mine is supplemented with ore from the Baloo, Fairplay North and Hidden Secret open-cut pits. The ore is treated at the 1.5 Mtpa processing plant and deposited into Vine in-pit TSF. The process involves crushing, milling, leaching and absorption, as well as tailings disposal and gold recovery. Once the Vine in-pit TSF has reached capacity the tailings will be disposed into TSF 2-4. The processing of gold bearing ore and tailings deposition is authorised under Premises Licence L9155/2018/1. Water sourced from Chalice pit is authorised under the Licence to Take Water GWL 160795(6) and used for processing and dust suppression.

The Aquarius Boxcut is situated approximately 650 m south of the Fairplay mining region. In 2012, Avoca Mining Pty Ltd obtained approval to mine the Corona-Aquarius deposit via a portal in the Fairplay pit (Reg ID 36144). This mining proposal seeks to amend the access to the underground deposit and build a Boxcut to the south of Fairplay. The existing Fairplay East waste dump will be extended to the south for mine waste from the Boxcut and underground. The clearing for the proposed infrastructure is authorised by the Permit to Clear Native Vegetation CPS 8152/3.

Underground mining of the Aquarius deposit is essential for ensuring that the Higginsville Gold Operations can continue to operate. The full list of disturbance activities on associated tenements for which Karora is seeking approval is provided in more detail in Section 4.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Figure 1: Project location map

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP SITE DETAILS

Environmental Group Site (EGS) details for the Aquarius Underground Project are provided in Table 1. The first Mining Proposal (Reg ID 36144) to mine the Aquarius underground was approved 5 September 2012. This proposal seeks to alter the location of the portal from the Fairplay pit located on M 15/31 to a boxcut to be developed on M 15/375 and M 15/610. Key contact details for Karora are provided in Table 2. Karora’s corporate structure is present in Figure 2. Tenement summary reports have been included in Appendix A.

Table 1: Environmental Group Site Details

SITE DETAILS

EGS Name Higginsville Environmental Group Site EGS Code S0223024 Mine Status Operational Mining Operation Development of Aquarius box-cut and underground mine Commodity Mined Gold Project Commencement date January 2021 Estimated Life of Mine 18 – 24 Months Tenement Details Tenement Tenement Holder M15/231 Avoca Mining Pty Ltd M15/348 Avoca Mining Pty Ltd M15/375 Avoca Mining Pty Ltd M15/610 Avoca Mining Pty Ltd M15/748 Avoca Mining Pty Ltd

Table 2: Contact Details

Don Harper Alexander Ruschmann General Manager Environmental Manager Avoca Mining Pty Ltd ACN: 108 547 217 Register office: 6 Outram Street, West Perth, WA 6005 Postal: PO Box 1250 West Perth, WA 6872 0408 956 127 0455 570 877

[email protected] [email protected]

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Figure 2: Karora Resources Corporate Structure

PROPOSAL DESCRIPTION

Mining Operations

The Aquarius deposit will be developed by conventional underground mining methods using standard plant and equipment including excavators and haul trucks. Drilling, blasting and mining operations are conducted by a mining services contractor with Karora retaining control of the engineering, geological control and management functions.

The Aquarius Underground Project has been scheduled to be in operation for 21 months, commencing in April 2021, with the potential to extend further depending on conversion of

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1 resource. The Aquarius underground is planned to reach a 230 m below ground. The underground mine will yield a total of 130,000 ore tonnes at a grade of 4.95 g/t. Initially, the mine will be developed as a single heading decline. Stope ore will be reached by Q4 2021 with an initial ramp up from 10kt/month to 20kt/month. Once development has been completed the production rate will double to 40kt/month. Ore will be temporarily stockpiled on the ROM at Aquarius and hauled by road train to the Higginsville Mill ROM pad.

Groundwater will be encountered at a depth of 30 m and inflows at Aquarius are predicted to be in the order of 1-3 L/s. Dewatering will be required to access ore below the water table and will be used for dust suppression. In the event that dewatering exceeds requirements for dust suppression, the additional water will be discharged into Fairplay pit that is located less than 500 m from the boxcut.

All ore will be processed using conventional Carbon In Leach (CIL) processing at a rate of up to 185 tonnes per hour, with tailings to be deposited at the existing HGO Tailings Storage Facilities (TSF2-4) (approved under Reg ID 89038).

Portal Development

Aquarius underground will be accessed via a boxcut located immediately south of the existing Fairplay open-cut pits. Development is forecasted to commence in January 2021. First stope ore is expected to be extracted in Q4 2021 with development ore estimated to be encountered at various times throughout the initial development of Decline advance.

The portal will be placed at the bottom of the boxcut and developed within fresh rock. Activity details relating to the Aquarius boxcut are provided within Table 5 and shown in Figure 8. The parameters of the Aquarius boxcut are summarized below:

• Total boxcut to be mined is 1.22 Mt: o 1.197 Mt of waste o 25,317 tonnes of ore • Open cut to a maximum depth of approximately 40 m • Decline to an approx. depth of 242 m and stoping to an approx. depth of 400 m • Total disturbance area of 4.0 ha • Boxcut wall batter angles of 50° until the second berm, 60° following the final berm. Height between berms will not exceed 20m to the base of the pit with a minimum berm width of 3 m; and • One main ramp at 12 m width (gradient of 1 in 7)

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Figure 3: Aquarius boxcut design

Mine Development

Aquarius underground will be developed from the boxcut. The size of the initial decline will be 5.2 mW x 5.5 mH with an arched profile and designed at a negative gradient of 1:7. The Aquarius Decline will act as the main fresh air intake for the mine as well as vehicle access. All inbound and outbound material required for mining will be via this decline, in a development style typical of a Western Australian decline mine. Aquarius underground will utilise multiple drive sizes:

• Decline and truck access areas – 5.2 mW x 5.5 mH Arch; • Cross cut and ore drive – 4.2 mW x 4.5 mH Arch; • Return air drive and escapeway drive – 5.0 mW x 5.0 mH Arch; • Return airway – 3.0 m x 3.0 m Square; and • Escapeway – 1.2 mD Circle. As the mine extends deeper, the escapeway system will be extended. The primary ventilation circuit will not be accessed under normal circumstances, apart from routine inspections of the

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1 circuit and associated excavations. The primary fans will likely be located underground. A typical plan view of the underground mine layout is presented in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Typical underground level development and infrastructure

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Mine Methodology

The proposed mining method is conventional uphole bench retreat (Figure 5). Conventional jumbo drill and blast methods will be used to establish the decline and lateral development. Escape ways will be created using air leg mining or raise-bore techniques as appropriate. Exhaust airways will be established by first mining an air leg rise or by completing a box-hole raise. These will be stripped out to the final airway dimensions using long hole drilling and blasting techniques. In some circumstances long hole rises will be excavated without the use of a pilot raise as has become common in many mines.

Twenty metre sub levels will be developed along the ore contact (Figure 6Figure 7). Ore development in the orebody will be 4.2 mW x 4.5 mH. Development drives will be established along the strike of the orebody at 20 m vertical sub-level intervals. It is expected that the stope lengths will be between 20 m and 40 m as dictated by operational and production requirements. However, the final lengths will be determined on a case by case basis after geotechnical and geological analysis. Once the bottom level has been established, a boxhole or longhole rise will be drilled and fired providing the initial void into which the rest of the stope will be fired into.

When the entire stope has been mined out a rib pillar will be left before establishing the next stope along the ore drive. Following extraction of the stope, subsequent stopes are mined in a similar way with stoping horizon retreating laterally to the level access and vertically down dip (Figure 6). Stope ore will be trammed to a stockpile on the level access where it is later loaded on to dump trucks for haulage to the ROM pad. Underground stopes in general will be left open. However, where required fill will be used to ensure stability.

Stockpiles have been designed off the decline to act as future and near-term exploration locations to allow for drilling of additional reserves whilst also allowing development to continue.

Blasting

Once a predetermined number of fanned drill rings have been drilled the holes are loaded with explosives and blasted towards the void previously established. Once blasted, the broken material is removed from the stopes using underground loaders. A percentage of the blasted material can be removed using manual control of the loaders where the operator sits in the machine. Once the stope brow is open to such an extent that the top of the bucket could be positioned beyond the brow of the stope, the remaining ore in the stope will be bogged with the loader being operated by remote control.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Figure 5: Aquarius Underground Mining Method

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Figure 6: Isometric View of Aquarius Underground Project

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Figure 7: Example of Underground Stope Mining

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

The existing Higginsville surface magazine in use (ETS002549) for explosive storage, located at the Poseidon pit, will be used for all project explosive storage requirements. The current explosive storage license has sufficient capacity for all mining activities at Higginsville.

The boxcut excavation will mainly be free-digging with blasting only for the portal entry at the bottom of the boxcut. Blast guards will be posted at 500m radius from boxcut if and when blasting is required for the final stages of the boxcut development.

Ventilation

The underground ventilation system will be supplied initially using a force vent approach from the portal location. A twin 100kW fan designed to force ~50m³/s into the underground workings will be situated on top of the sea container. Once the long term vent system has been developed (approximately 5 months) three 90kW fans will be located underground to provide approximately 130m³/s of airflow to meet the statutory requirements as described by the Mine Safety Regulations.

Waste Rock Management

Aquarius underground is expected to produce approximately 29,000 tonnes of waste from the underground. All waste encountered will be hauled to the surface to build the abandonment bund and disposed on the Fairplay East waste dump, a continuation of current Fairplay East dump.

Due to the selected mining method the capacity to backfill underground mine waste within the Aquarius mine is limited, however as the mine progresses the capacity to backfill may occur, possibly only in the final stages of mining. The volume of waste generated by the mine is considerably less than the available void space created by the mine. The consideration to backfill waste within underground voids is an opportunity to improve the efficiency of the mine, however is not considered as a requirement for the success of the project.

Backfilling is not discussed as a closure activity as the impact associated is considered inconsequential and does not alter or impact the proposed closure of the underground mine. The waste basalt is a source of competent material and will be used to ensure the stability of the Fairplay East waste rock dump.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Material Balance

A materials balance for the project is presented in Table 15 below.

Table 3: Aquarius Underground Project Materials Balance

Material Material Type Volume (t) Comments

Topsoil 85,000 Including waste dump, layout, ROM, road access, boxcut and abandonment bund Boxcut Ore 25,317

Boxcut Waste 1,196,856

UG Ore 132,950

UG Waste 29,000

Material with significant AMD potential Nil All waste is non-acid forming or acid consuming.

Mine Dewatering

Direct rainfall and potential runoff from surrounding landforms have the potential to impact the Aquarius boxcut, and thus to the underground mine via the decline. Boxcut crest bunds as well as the abandonment bund (flood levee) will be constructed to prevent such occurrence. While the crest bund will be built from surface material when excavating the boxcut, the abandonment bund will be built in two stages. A first layer of oxide material from the boxcut will be laid when the boxcut is excavated. Once hard rock is produced from the underground operation, it will then be used to top up the abandonment bund to full size. A drain at the toe of the waste dump will direct any flow from the dump to the Fairplay East pit.

Underground pump stations will be located at strategic areas throughout the underground mine. These have been designed to withstand predicted groundwater volumes as well as the water generated from mine equipment (eg Drills). Underground pumps will be staged where the final pump station will pump to the Fairplay pit any excess water not used for dust suppression.

Groundwater abstraction is authorised by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation on M 15/375 and M 15/610 under the Higginsville Groundwater Licence GWL160795(6).

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Ore Processing & Tailings Storage

Ore will be processed at the existing approved HGO treatment plant. Ore is processed using the Carbon-in-Leach (CIL) / Carbon-in-pulp method. The tailings will be deposited into the approved TSF 2-4. Tailings are currently deposited into Vine in-pit TSF that will reach capacity by early 2021. The tailings storage facilities are managed in accordance with the operating manuals and Premises Licence conditions.

Infrastructure Corridors and Transportation

Access to Aquarius will be obtained via the existing haul road network for Fairplay from the Higginsville Processing Plant. The disturbance envelope associated with the haul road intersects M 15/348, M 15/375 and M 15/610. The haul road extension will be approximately 30 metres wide and stretches for a distance of 200 m. New access roads will be required within the area between associated infrastructure.

All transport access corridors will be constructed within the approved buffer for the native vegetation clearing permit (CPS 8152/3). Roads and tracks will be no wider than that required to allow for the movements of vehicles within operational areas.

Roads and tracks will be cambered to allow water to drain, with the camber adjusted in accordance with topography and any encountered areas of pooling. During clearing, topsoil will be set aside for later use in rehabilitation. Ongoing maintenance work will be undertaken as required to ensure surface drainage and runoff continues as established.

Topsoil / Much Stockpiles

Topsoil from the Aquarius boxcut will be used to supplement the rehabilitation of the Fairplay East waste dump. Topsoil cleared during construction activities will be stockpiled adjacent to the boxcut on the southern side of the dump. This area is protected from potential flood water by the abandonment bund that also acts as the flood levee. Topsoil stockpiles will be physically separated from areas where saline water is used for dust suppression.

Topsoil will be recovered from all cleared areas at Aquarius including the Boxcut, waste dump extension, ROM and associated infrastructure. Topsoil will be harvested to a depth of 200 mm where possible and stored to a maximum height of 2 m. Topsoil and mulch will be re-spread during final land rehabilitation at an average depth of 100 - 200 mm. It is estimated that up to

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

38,000 m3 may be recovered and stored. The quantity of topsoil recovered will be sufficient for the rehabilitation of the project disturbance.

Abandonment Bund

An abandonment bund will be constructed around the Aquarius boxcut as depicted in Figure 8 and comply with the minimum regulatory requirements as shown in below Figure 9. The abandonment bund will be built to act as a diversion bund to protect the boxcut from potential large floods. The oxide waste from development of the boxcut will be used to construct the levee with a nominal height of 1 m as proposed by the surface water investigation and will be covered by fresh basalt waste rock. More information in regards to the flood protection levee and abandonment bund are provided within the surface water management section of this mining proposal.

Figure 8: Aquarius Boxcut design and abandonment bund

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Figure 9: Standard Abandonment bund design

Support Facilities

An onsite workshop is required to support the Aquarius underground project. The existing underground administration buildings and workshops based at Higginsville will be utilised for the servicing of heavy machinery. The onsite buildings are required to provide an office work area for technical and administrative staff. The office area includes amenities such as crib rooms, a first aid room and ablution blocks. Minor changes in layout are required at the underground workshop laydown area that will require up to 0.5 ha of clearing.

Workforce

The Aquarius underground project will require a small workforce comprising technical personnel, mine supervision and machine operators. A total of 36 people will be employed at the Aquarius underground mine, with approximately 26 people working at the mine at any one time. This is inclusive of technical, operational and administrative personnel.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

ACTIVITY DETAILS

This Mining Proposal requests approval for the construction of the Aquarius boxcut and underground mine. Associated infrastructure includes Run-of-Mine pads, an extension to the Fairplay East waste dump (Class 1), haul roads, diversion drain, dewatering infrastructure, borefield, buildings, laydown, low-grade stockpile (Class 2), topsoil stockpile and abandonment bund.

Spatial Information

Digital spatial data for the approved disturbance envelope is included as part of this Mining Proposal submission. Spatial files with the following properties are provided:

 Format: ESRI Shapefile  Geometry Type: Polygon  Coordinate System: GCS GDA 1994 (Geographic)  Datum: GDA 1994 (Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994).

Activity & Disturbance Details

Mine activity types are listed in Table 4 according to the standard list of Mine Activity Types, based on the rehabilitation liability categories in Schedule 1 of the Mining Rehabilitation Fund Regulations 2013. Mine Activity Types are categorised as a Key Mine Activity or a Miscellaneous Mine Activity. Miscellaneous Mine Activities are listed to capture the total area required only, with actual disturbance provided during the post-approval Annual Environmental Report (AER) and Mining Rehabilitation Fund (MRF) reporting processes. Disturbance data for each Key Mine Activity reference is listed in Table 4 and required further information is provided within the Key Mine Activities Tables detailed in Section 4.3.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Table 4: Mine Activity Details

MINING PROPOSAL SUBMISSION ACTIVITY DETAILS EGS Name: Higginsville Environmental Group Site EGS Code: S0223024 Summary of Mine Activities approval sought under this Proposal: This Mining Proposal requests approval for the construction of the Aquarius boxcut and underground mine. Associated infrastructure includes Run-of- Mine pads, an extension to the Fairplay East waste dump (Class 1), haul roads, diversion drain, dewatering infrastructure, borefield, buildings, laydown, low-grade stockpile (Class 2), topsoil stockpile and abandonment bund. Current Area Total Current New Total Mine Activity Proposed Tenement Activity Category of Activity Approved Area Approved Reference Change (ha) (ha) (ha) Area (ha) Key Mine Activity Nil Key Mine Activity Area 0 0 0 0

M15/231 Miscellaneous Mine Activity Nil

Miscellaneous Mine Activity Area 0 0 0 0 Total Tenement Activity Area 0 0 0 0 Key Mine Activity Nil Key Mine Activity Area 0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Mine Activity Laydown M15/348 Higginsville Laydown or ACM, Expl. 5.60 5.60 0.50 6.10 Hardstand Hut, Concrete ID 241 Miscellaneous Mine Activity Area 5.60 5.60 0.50 6.10 Total Tenement Activity Area 5.60 5.60 0.50 6.10 Key Mine Activity Mining Void (depth Aquarius greater than 5m 0 0 1.50 1.50 Boxcut below groundwater) Waste Dump or Fairplay East overburden stockpile 25.75 33.35 6.65 40.00 Waste Dump (class 1) Key Mine Activity Area 25.75 33.35 8.15 41.50 M15/375 Miscellaneous Mine Activity Abandonment Abandonment bund bund Borefield Borefield Diversion Diversion Drain Drain Laydown or Aquarius

Hardstand Laydown

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Current Area Total Current New Total Mine Activity Proposed Tenement Activity Category of Activity Approved Area Approved Reference Change (ha) (ha) (ha) Area (ha) Low-grade ore Aquarius Low-

stockpile (class 2) grade Stk Transport or Haul Road / Infrastructure Service Access road Corridor Topsoil/Mulch Topsoil Stockpile Stockpile Miscellaneous Mine Activity Area 0 0 3.70 3.70 Total Tenement Activity Area 25.75 33.35 11.85 45.20 Key Mine Activity Mining Void (depth Aquarius greater than 5m 0 0 2.20 2.20 Boxcut below groundwater) Waste Dump or Fairplay East overburden stockpile 1.62 2.52 0.48 3.00 Waste Dump (class 1) Run of mine pad Aquarius ROM 0 0 4.00 4.00 Key Mine Activity Area 1.62 2.52 6.68 9.20 Miscellaneous Mine Activity Abandonment Abandonment bund 1.5 bund M15/610 Borefield Borefield 0.2 Diversion Diversion Drain 1.0 Drain Laydown or Laydown Area 2.0 Hardstand Low-grade ore Low-grade ore 2.5 stockpile (class 2) stockpile Transport or Haul Road / Infrastructure Service 3.0 Access road Corridor Topsoil/Mulch Topsoil Stockpile 0.5 Stockpile Miscellaneous Mine Activity Area 0 0 9.70 9.70 Total Tenement Activity Area 1.62 2.52 16.38 18.90 Key Mine Activity Nil Key Mine Activity Area 0 0 0 0

M15/748 Miscellaneous Mine Activity Nil

Miscellaneous Mine Activity Area 0 0 0.5 0.5 Total Tenement Activity Area 0 0 0.5 0.5 TOTAL MINE ACTIVITY AREA 32.87 41.47 29.23 70.70

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Key Mine Activities

Further required information on key mining activities are detailed in the section below within the key mine activity Table 5 to Table 7.

Mining Void Table 5: Mining Voids – Detailed Activity Table

Mining void (depth greater than 5m – below groundwater) Mine Activity Reference Aquarius Boxcut Area 3.70 ha Area per tenement M15/375: 1.50 ha M15/610: 2.20 ha Design Open cut to a maximum depth of approximately 40 m. Decline to approx. depth of 242 m, stoping to approx. depth of 400 m.

Material Fibrous minerals ☐ Yes Characteristics ☒ No

Radioactive minerals ☐ Yes ☒ No

Materials capable of generating ☐ Yes acid and metalliferous drainage, ☒ No including neutral drainage and saline drainage, within pit walls or underground workings

Highly erodible material that is ☐ Yes capable of compromising the ☒ No long-term stability of the pit or underground workings

Waste Rock Dump

Table 6: Waste Rock Dumps – Detailed Activity Table

Waste dump or overburden stockpile (class 1) Mine Activity Reference Fairplay East Waste Dump #1 Area 42.52 ha (extension 7.13 ha) Area per tenement M15/375: 40.00 ha M15/610: 2.52 ha Design Maximum height of 20 m

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Maximum slope angle of 140 Crest bund Backward sloping to centre of landform Seeding & contour ripping Material Characteristics Fibrous minerals ☐ Yes ☒ No Radioactive material ☐ Yes ☒ No Materials capable of generating ☐ Yes acid and/or metalliferous ☒ No drainage, including neutral drainage and saline drainage Highly erodible material that is ☒ Yes Oxide clay present. capable of compromising the ☐ No Maximum slope angle of structure of the waste dump 140 to increase stability

Run-of-Mine Table 7: ROM Pad – Detailed Activity Table

Run of Mine Pad Mine Activity Reference Aquarius ROM Pad Area 4.00 ha Area per tenement M15/610: 3.00 ha

Disturbance Envelope

In 2020, Karora applied to amalgamate the five existing clearing permits at Higginsville into a single native vegetation clearing permit. The native vegetation clearing permit was approved by DMIRS on 20 August 2020. The disturbance envelope for the Aquarius Underground project lies wholly within the permitted clearing buffer under the approved native vegetation clearing permit CPS 8153/3. The disturbance envelope for the project is shown in Figure 10. The disturbance envelope includes the associated infrastructure Higginsville Mill ROM pad, haul roads and the underground contractor yard, office and workshop.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Figure 10: Disturbance Envelope

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Site Plan

Indicative site plans showing all proposed disturbance activities and tenements associated with the project are provided in Figure 11.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Figure 11: Indicative Aquarius Site Layout Plan

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK

The legislative framework for environmental approvals and statutory requirements that affect the management of environmental impacts associated with the Aquarius Project is summarised in Table 8.

Table 8: Environmental Legislative Framework

Legislation Environmental Factor Approval / Requirement Mining Act 1978 (DMIRS) Biodiversity/Flora/Fauna/Ecosystem Approval to conduct mining Water Resources activities for the development of Landforms the Aquarius Project. Mine Closure Environmental Protection Biodiversity/Flora/Fauna/Ecosystem CPS 8152/3 has been approved Act 1986, Part V Division and covers the greater area of 2- Clearing of native Higginsville mine. vegetation (DWER) Rights in Water and Water Resources Karora currently holds approval Irrigation Act 1914 to take 3.15 GL from the (DWER) Goldfields Combined - Fractured Rock West – Fractured Rock GWL160795(6) for dewatering and dust suppression. Environmental Protection Water Resources L9155/2018/1 authorises mine Act 1986, Part V Division 3 dewatering at the Higginsville - Prescribed premises, project. works approvals and licences (DWER)

Environmental Protection Biodiversity/Flora/Fauna/Ecosystem No presence of threatened or and Biodiversity priority flora and no threatened Conservation Act 1999 or priority ecological communities. Aboriginal Heritage Act Aboriginal Heritage Ngadju Native Title Aboriginal 1972 (DPLH) Corporation have completed heritage surveys for Higginsville. Karora holds a Heritage Agreement with RNTBC.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Legislation Environmental Factor Approval / Requirement Dangerous Goods Safety Approval to store dangerous Act 2004 (DMIRS) goods within Western Australia:  Licence number DGS022219 for storage of 110kL Diesel Fuel (combustible liquid).

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

Stakeholder engagement is identified by Karora as one of the key strategies required to achieve its environmental objectives, through the commitment to ‘Communicate and consult with all stakeholders’ included in the company’s Environmental Policy Statement (Appendix B).

Stakeholder Engagement Strategy

Stakeholder engagement has been undertaken for mining activities associated with the development of the greater Higginsville Gold Operations project area. The stakeholder engagement process requires identification of, and consultation with, relevant stakeholders throughout the life of a project to enable effective communication of information regarding mining activity and provide an opportunity for stakeholder feedback so that agreed environmental expectations can be established.

The identification of relevant Stakeholders is based on determining all interested and affected parties as specified in the Guideline for Mining Proposals in Western Australia (DMP 2016), which may include:

 All decision-making authorities and any other relevant State or Commonwealth government departments and local government authorities;  Any person or organisation whose functions, interests or activities may be affected by the activities carried out under the Mining Proposal (eg. environmental non-government organisations, local Indigenous people and the local community); and  Any other person or organisation that the proponent considers relevant.

Stakeholder engagement is a continuous process that commences at the planning phase and continues to relinquishment. A range of methods may be used to facilitate consultation and capture input from its stakeholders (Table 9 and Table 10). Due to the number of mining operations in the region some stakeholders may suffer from engagement fatigue, therefore the specific approach adopted is based on individual stakeholder feedback.

Stakeholder communication occurs regularly to provide information and updates regarding mining activity and facilitate stakeholder feedback or concerns, with a record of consultation entered into

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1 a Stakeholder Engagement Register (see Appendix B). Karora has engaged key stakeholders including the local shire, regulatory agencies and relevant native title claimants.

Table 9: Stakeholder Engagement Methods

Purpose Method Inform Website, mail outs, media releases Consult Discussion groups, face to face meeting Collaborate Workshops/discussion groups, reference groups, community consultation committees Empower Site visit, open days, phone call, committee liaison committees

Table 10: Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism

Engagement Mechanism

Stakeholder Risk / Issues General Phone Calls / Meetings / Website Based Consultation Emails / Briefings / Updates Engagement Letters * Face to Face DMIRS AH ✔ ✔ DWER AH ✔ ✔ DBCA AH ✔ ✔ DoH AH ✔ Local Shire AH AH ✔ ✔ Traditional Owners AH AH ✔ ✔ ✔ Registered Native ✔ ✔ ✔ Title Groups Pastoralists AH AH ✔ ✔ ✔ Other Mine Sites AH ✔ ✔ Other Community and AH ✔ ✔ ✔ Special Interest Groups A: Annual, Q: Quarterly, AH: Ad-hoc or as required *Methods selected will be influenced by the issue to be discussed

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

BASELINE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA

Baseline environmental data has been collected and analysed to understand the physical and biological environment that may be impacted by mining activities associated with development of the Aquarius project. Understanding the existing environmental conditions enables environmental risks to be identified so that potential impacts can be managed.

This section provides details of the baseline data collected to establish the environmental setting of the project area in the risk management process. Where technical reports have been used or cited, relevant information has been summarised and interpreted to assist risk identification and management. All technical reports have been attached as appendices. Environmental baseline data covers the following environmental aspects:

 Climate;  Landscape and soils;  Biodiversity, flora, fauna and ecosystem;  Surface and ground water hydrogeology;  Materials characterisation; and  Environmental threats and other factors.

Where environmental aspects are considered to be particularly pertinent to the risk assessment, a summary table that includes the key points and the implications for risk assessment has been included.

Climate

The Higginsville Gold Mine is located in the Coolgardie Region of Western Australia, which has a semi-arid (dry) warm Mediterranean climate. The regions climate has been described in more detail by the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) using three different methods. The methods, timelscales and climate descriptions are detailed below:

 Hot dry summer, cold winter based on temperature and humidity data (1961 to 1990);  Grassland - warm (persistently dry) based on the Köppen classification system of native vegetation distribution, with seasonal temperature and precipitation data (1961 to 1990); and

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

 Winter - wet winter and low summer rainfall based on the difference between summer and winter rainfall using the median annual rainfall over a 100-year period (1900 to 1999) and seasonal incidence.

The nearest weather recording station is the Norseman Aero WA (site 012009), which is located approximately 51.6km south of the Project area. Climate data has been recorded at Norseman since 1897, from monitoring site number 012065 (Norseman) until September 2012 and at monitoring site number 012009 (Norseman Aero) since 1999, which is located 3 km from the original site. Climate data (obtained via the BoM website) for temperature, rainfall and wind from these monitoring sites is provided in Figure 12.

Evaporation data is not available for Norseman so has been sourced from BoM monitoring site No. 012038 (Kalgoorlie-Boulder Airport) located approximately 110 km from the Higginsville monitoring site. The annual mean daily evaporation at Kalgoorlie-Boulder Airport (1966 to 2016) is 7.2mm, ranging from 2.6mm (June) to 12.5mm (January).

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Figure 12: Climate Data

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Landscape

Higginsville Gold Mine is located within the Eastern Goldfields subregion of the Coolgardie Bioregion according to the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) classification system established to identify geographically distinct areas of Australia with common characteristics regarding geology, landform patterns, climate, vegetation and fauna.

The Coolgardie bioregion covers an area of 129,117km2 and correlates largely to the Coolgardie Botanical District defined by Beard (1990) and is described broadly as lying within the interzone between mulga/spinifex country and eucalypt environments (ANRA 2008). The Eastern Goldfields sub-region is summarised as supporting diverse Eucalypt woodlands on low greenstone hills, valley floors, broad plains and salt lake surrounds; samphire shrublands on saline valley floors and Mallees, Acacia thickets and shrub-heaths on sandplains, playas, laterite areas and granite outcrops (Thackway and Cresswell 1995).

The Aquarius box-cut is situated on gently undulating Eucalypt woodland approximately 7 km to the west of Lake Cowan salt flat. Lake Cowan is one of the larger lakes in the Goldfields bioregion, with an area of approximately 1,145 km2. Lake Cowan is not recognised regionally, nationally or internationally as a wetland of conservation significance.

Soils

The project lies within the Kambalda Soil-Landscape System which comprises flat to undulating plains, hills and ranges on greenstone and granite rocks of the Yilgarn Craton, with intervening salt lake chains. Soils of this land system are principally brown calcareous earths and are poorly developed over the gold bearing greenstone belts (Beard 1990). Saline and sub-saline soils are common adjacent to drainage channels and salt lakes. The Aquarius box-cut is located on gently undulating woodland with an elevation of about 298 m.

Soils in the goldfields region are typically alkaline with a pH range of 7 to 9, low soil fertility and electrical conductivity of 14 mS/cm, indicating moderate soil salinity.

Soils in the Fairplay and Aquarius area are characterised by red loamy earths and calcareous loamy earths on the plains, calcareous shallow loams and stony soils on low hills. Soil fertility is generally low and soil salinity is locally typical of the area.

The Fairplay west and east waste dumps were initially constructed in the late 1990’s and exhibit good recruitment of native vegetation where topsoil was applied to the surface of landforms. The

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1 topsoil on historic landforms has not been dispersive and with the addition of a site specific native seedmix is expected to provide good conditions for the recruitment of native species. No inhibitive factors due to the topsoil have been observed on the historic landforms. The proposed project disturbance is relatively small compared to the existing disturbance at Fairplay. Fresh waste rock from the Aquarius underground will also aid the stability of the Fairplay east waste dump surface.

Biodiversity, Flora, Fauna and Ecosystem

NVS (2015) completed a Level 1 flora and vegetation survey over the Fairplay mining area located immediately to the north of Aquarius (Appendix C). GHD (2010) also conducted a desktop biological assessment and broad scale vegetation mapping over the area and included the Aquarius Underground project (Appendix D). All disturbance proposed within this mining proposal is located within the permitted clearing area under the Native Vegetation Clearing Permit (CPS 8152/3). Vegetation mapping defines the area as woodland of Eucalyptus salmonophloia and E. salubris with scattered midstorey of Melaleuca sheathiana over Eremophila scoparia, Cratystylis conocephala and Maireana sedifolia on loamy plains (GHD, 2010). This classification was supported by the Level 1 flora and vegetation survey that defines the disturbance area as Eucalyptus salmonophloia woodland (NVS, 2015).

It must be noted that the project area is within the Great Western Woodland which is an area of special interest to the Wilderness Society and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA – Parks and Wildlife Division) as it is the largest and healthiest temperate woodland environment remaining on the planet (Terrestrial Ecosystems, 2015). However, the project area and immediate surrounds (the Higginsville Mining Area) is a precinct that has been subject to significant levels of historic mining and exploration disturbance, and is not a good representative example of an intact woodland environment. The vegetation groups identified within the disturbance area are all well represented at a local shire, bioregion and state level.

Vegetation and Flora No Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA’s), Threatened of Priority Ecological Communities, Threatened flora species, or unique vegetation communities are known from the local area, and none were recorded during surveys of the Project area. The flora species Diocirea acutifolia (P3) occurs in vicinity to the project area. Diocirea acutifolia is both widespread and in large numbers throughout the local and regional area, and is well documented by previous flora surveys. It has been recorded extensively and in large populations by NVS in various surveys. NVS has recorded > 40,000 plants in numerous populations in the HGO area. The recently approved native

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1 vegetation clearing permit (CPS 8152/2) covers the wider area in which Diocirea acutifolia occurs and does not state any conditions in regards to this species or any other priority species. No impacts are expected to this species due to clearing operations at Aquarius.

All vegetation types are common, widespread and well represented in the Eastern Goldfields subregion. Three weed species have been identified occurring within the area; Carrichtera annua (Ward’s Weed) Centaurea melitensis (Maltese Cockspur) and Sonchus oleraceus (Milk Weed). None of these species are listed as declared plants by DAFWA (2020).

An application to amend the existing Native Vegetation Clearing Permit (CPS 8152/2) was lodged on 29 May 2020. The amendment requested all existing permits for Higginsville to be amalgamated into one permit. CPS 8152/3 was granted on 20 August 2020. The proposed disturbance activities for Aquarius fall wholly within the clearing boundary of CPS 8152/3.

Summary of Baseline Data and Implications For Risk Assessment o No ESA’s, TEC’s, Threatened Flora or unique or restricted vegetation communities occur within the disturbance envelope o Three weed species have been recorded within the Project Area

Technical Reports Cited o NVS (2015) Level 1 Flora and Vegetation Survey of the Proposed Fairplay Pit and Waste Landform Expansion and Development Higginsville (Appendix C) o GHD (2010) Report for Higginsville Project Area; Desktop Biological Assessment and Broad Scale Vegetation Mapping, February 2010 (Appendix D)

Fauna A Level 1 Vertebrate Fauna survey of the Fairplay pit and waste dump expansion was completed by Terrestrial Ecosystems in 2015 (Appendix E). The area was also covered by the GHD biological assessment of the Higginsville area (see Appendix D) and no species of conservation significance were identified as being at risk from mining activities in the area. The Level 1 survey of the adjacent Fairplay area was considered adequate given the extensive amount of available survey data and abundance of similar habitat in adjacent areas. This is supported by the risk assessment undertaken for the amalgamation of the Higginsville Native Vegetation Clearing Permits when CPS 8152/3 was granted.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

The fauna survey area mirrored that of the NVS flora survey area for Fairplay. During a reconnaissance survey of the Project area, a habitat assessment was completed which identified the presence of only one broad habitat type:

 Mixed Eucalypt woodland over mixed sclerophyll shrubland with sparse understorey.

The condition of the abovementioned habitat varied with most of the project area in poor to good condition. There were no areas which had high quality fauna habitat. This was due to disturbance caused by historical development activity (i.e. mining, tracks and exploration).

Fauna assemblages occurring or likely to occur in the local area can be divided into four main groups; Amphibians, Birds (avian), Reptiles and Mammals. Table 11 provides a justification for this assertion. A full analysis for individual species is discussed below.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Table 11: General Fauna Assessment Findings

Fauna Assemblage Fauna Assessment Findings Amphibians Amphibians typically found in eucalypt woodlands in the Goldfields are listed in Table 4. All the Limnodynastidae species are burrowing frogs and only come to the surface to feed and breed after substantial rain. Pseudophryne occidentalis finds shelter under rocks and in crevices during the dry periods and enters temporary ponds to breed after major rainfall events and P. pseudinsignifera is an aquatic species and would only be found around permanent water sources. All species have a wide-spread distribution and are abundant. Reptiles Reptile species richness in the project area will be comparable with similar eucalypt woodlands elsewhere in the bioregion. The list provided in Appendix A of the report represents species likely to be found over a large area of diverse habitat types. Eucalypt woodlands would typically support up to 40 species of reptiles, but many of these would be in low abundance (see Table 5). There is a very low possibility that the Carpet Python was present in the project area, although they were not seen during the fauna habitat assessment or recorded in recent assessments. Birds Avian species richness in the Goldfields is influenced by rainfall and is generally higher in woodlands compared with chenopod shrublands and more sparsely vegetated areas. Eucalypt woodlands would typically support up to 50-70 species of birds, but many of these would be in very low numbers (see Appendix A of report). Birds typically move from an area once vegetation clearing commences, so the impact is relatively low if the area is small. However, eggs and chicks in nests are often lost during the clearing process. The Malleefowl is the most significant species that could be impacted by the proposed mining development, however, the habitat is not ideal and no evidence was found to suggest that they are present. Mammals Mammal abundance in the semi-arid areas varies seasonably and from year-to-year depending on the available resources and previous rainfall. Small mammals that retreat to burrows and logs during the day are often lost during the clearing process. None of the mammals potentially found in the project area are of conservation significance and the loss of small mammals during vegetation clearing is unlikely to be significant in a bioregional context.

Fauna habitat types represented in the project area are abundant and in very good condition in adjacent areas. Therefore, the fauna assemblage that is present in the project area will also be present and abundant in the adjacent areas. The available fauna survey data provides a good indication of the vertebrate fauna that are potentially in the project area.

The listed avian species of conservation significance potentially seen in the project area are the Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo, Western Rosella, Peregrine Falcon, Crested Bellbird, Shy Heathwren, Bush Stone-curlew, Australian Bustard and the Malleefowl and the migratory Rainbow Bee-eater, Fork-tailed Swift, Great Egret and Cattle Egret. All of these avian species are mobile and will readily move to adjacent areas if disturbed. The only potential impact would be clearing a tree or nest that contained eggs or chicks (e.g. Western Rosella, Crested Bellbird, Shy Heathwren), and the likelihood of this happening is assessed as low.

There is a very low possibility that the area supports Carpet Pythons and Southern Death Adders. Carpet Pythons are scarce in the ‘Great Western Woodlands’ with some documented and isolated

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1 populations further to the south around the Lake Johnstone project area, east of Widgiemooltha and north and east of Kalgoorlie. The Southern Death Adder is a very cryptic species and seldom recorded during surveys when they are present. Given their current known distribution and the low probability of them being present in the project area, any potential impacts are likely to be very low in a bioregional context.

There are no known mammals of conservation significance likely to be found within the Project area.

The vegetation to be impacted by clearing and mining activities does not currently provide any important linkages or corridors essential for the movement of local fauna species throughout the local area or region, therefore the removal/disturbance of native vegetation within the disturbance envelope is unlikely to prohibit the future movement fauna.

Summary Of Baseline Data And Implications For Risk Assessment o No local fauna species (including species of conservation significance) are likely to be significantly impacted by clearing or mining operations. o No unique or restricted habitats have been identified in the Project area. o The habitats found within the Project area are abundant and in good condition in adjacent areas. o The vegetation to be impacted does not provide important linkage or corridor habitat.

Technical Reports Cited o Terrestrial Ecosystems (2015) Level 1 Vertebrate Fauna Risk Assessment for the Fairplay Pit and Waste Landform Expansion and Development (Appendix E) o GHD (2010) Report for Higginsville Project Area; Desktop Biological Assessment and Broad Scale Vegetation Mapping, February 2010 (Appendix D)

Hydrology

Surface Water Rockwater completed a detailed surface water assessment for the Aquarius Boxcut. The following information is taken from the report prepared by Rockwater (Appendix F). The hydrological analyses for catchment areas included the estimation of peak flows at incremental ARI events up to a Probable Maximum Flood (1:2,000-year event). The proposed Aquarius Boxcut lies 500 m immediately south of the Fairplay pits and Fairplay East waste dump. There are no defined drainage channels in vicinity to the boxcut and local drainage flows towards Lake Cowan. The majority of runoff in the project area likely occurs as wide sheet flow following heavy rainfall

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1 events. Two small sub-catchments with a length of 1.5 km and 1.6 km with an estimated area of 0.59 km2 and 0.70 km2 have been identified that could impact the boxcut (Figure 13).

Flows from Catchment A are currently diverted by an existing abandonment bund around the Fairplay pit. The location of the proposed ROM may obstruct the flow of water around the abandonment bund. To protect the ROM from surface water flows, runoff could be diverted via a drain into Fairplay pit to the north-west of the proposed ROM location.

Although the analysis indicates that a 1:100-year rainfall event in Catchment B would not flood into the boxcut, Rockwater recommends that a level be built around the boxcut to the north and south to prevent the ingress of floodwaters due to potentially larger rainfall events. The estimate velocity of flood water is low given the short catchment length and relatively wide nature of the drainage channels (Table 12). Therefore, scour protection along the flood levee has not been recommended.

Table 12: ARI Flood Summary for Aquarius

Flood Level Extent of Flood Flow Elevation Depth Velocity Flood Catchment event (m3/s) (m AHD) (mm) (m/s) Level (m) 100-yr 6 297.94 180 0.38 125 A PMF 9 297.99 230 0.45 144 100-yr 5 297.66 190 0.40 99 B PMF 8 297.71 240 0.46 114

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Figure 13: Aquarius surface water catchments

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Surface Water Management The southern extension to the Fairplay East waste dump will not require rock armouring as it is located on slightly elevated ground and protected by the abandonment bund (protective levee) to be built around the Boxcut (Rockwater, 2019a). The haul road will be constructed to the north of the Boxcut and join onto the existing haul road network for Fairplay.

The abandonment bund required for the Boxcut at time of closure will be built during the excavation of the Boxcut and development of the decline. Oxide waste will be used to construct a 1 m protective levee in the location of the abandonment bund. The levee will then be covered with competent fresh rock basalt waste to meet the industry guidelines for abandonment bunds.

To prevent surface water flow into the ROM from Catchment A, Karora will construct a diversion drain to direct surface water flows into Fairplay pit. The diversion drain will have a basement width of 2.5 m and minimum depth of 0.6 m. Given the relatively small size of the catchment and water flow during a flood event, another option is to raise the basement of the ROM by 0.5 m and armour the embankments with basalt rock for protection during a flood event. This will divert water around the ROM and the Boxcut abandonment bund.

Surface water management measures for runoff will be considered in field taking into account local topography for WRD’s, workshops and ROM pads to mitigate sediment release into the environment. The following management measures will be implemented (and have been included in the risk assessment) to manage sediment release from disturbed areas:

 V-drains and/or sumps are incorporated into road design

 Toe drains and/or sumps are installed around hardstand areas

Summary of baseline data and implications for risk assessment o There are no major river systems in the area o It is unlikely that a large rainfall event would flood the Aquarius Boxcut. As a protective measure, the abandonment bund will be built to act as a protective levee.

Technical Reports/Studies Cited o Rockwater (2020) Surface Water Assessment: Aquarius Boxcut, Higginsville (Appendix F)

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Groundwater The main aquifer systems in the region are encountered within weathered and/or fractured bedrock, palaeochannel sands, eolian and lacustrine deposits. Within the bedrock, groundwater occurs in transitional rocks near the base of weathering, mineralised shear zones, and fracture systems associated with local and regional structures. This aquifer varies in extent and hydraulic properties, depending on structural integrity, degree of weathering, bedrock depth and lithology.

Groundwater recharge is very low in the region, as most of the rainfall either evaporates or is used by vegetation. Only a small proportion of rainfall (<1% of annual precipitation totals) runs off into claypans and salt lakes. Direct recharge take place principally in bedrock outcrops and in sandplains areas. Groundwater flows towards the salt lakes under low hydraulic gradients, from where it discharges mainly by evaporation.

Rockwater completed an assessment of the dewatering requirements for the Aquarius underground mine and the report is presented in Appendix G. The Aquarius Deposit, located at the southern end of a corridor of gold deposits extending south from Poseidon Pit, known as the “Line of Lode Deposits”. The Line of Lode Deposits have been mined since the 1930s, since when they have produced about 1.5 Moz of gold.

Mining of the Aquarius Deposit will involve the construction of a boxcut to a depth of 37 m (1,263 mRL), a decline to a depth of 242 m depth (1,058 mRL), and stoping to a depth of 400 m (900 mRL). The groundwater level at Aquarius lies at about 30 mbgl and is only 7 m above the portal located within the Boxcut. As the base of the boxcut will also be excavated in fresh bedrock, it is highly unlikely that it will require significant dewatering. However, some dewatering of the Aquarius underground workings may be required if significant fractured bedrock aquifers are intersected in the orebody or the footwall. Water quality in neighboring bores to the Aquarius underground is presented in Table 13. The water is saline to hypersaline and resembles the pit water in Fairplay pit that acts as a groundwater sink within the local area.

Very low rates of dewatering were required during mining of the other Line of Lode deposits. Most of the pits, including Fairplay North (which is currently being mined), had inflow rates of <3 L/s, the bulk of which was produced from fractures at the base of the weathering profile.

Records of deeper, underground dewatering are scarce. However, a dewatering rate of about 0.9 L/s was apparently used during initial underground mining of the Two Boys Deposit. Similarly, no significant dewatering was apparently required during mining of the Poseidon and Trident

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1 underground mines, both of which are considerably deeper and more extensive than what will occur at Aquarius.

Table 13: Groundwater Quality

Bore APHMB1 FMB3 Date Units 6/06/2019 6/06/2019 SWL m 34.7 28.15 pH pH 7.5 6.7 Dissolved Solids mg/L 29000 57000 Conductivity mS/cm 49 79 Bicarbonate mg/L 920 470 Carbonate mg/L < 1 < 1 Aluminium mg/L < 0.05 < 0.1 Arsenic mg/L < 0.01 < 0.02 Barium mg/L 0.01 0.081 Beryllium mg/L < 0.01 < 0.02 Boron mg/L 9 8.9 Cadmium mg/L < 0.001 < 0.002 Calcium mg/L 330 950 Chloride mg/L 18000 29000 Chromium mg/L < 0.01 < 0.02 Cobalt mg/L 0.044 0.063 Copper mg/L 0.017 < 0.02 Cyanide mg/kg < 0.004 < 0.004 Iron mg/L < 0.05 0.24 Lead mg/L < 0.01 < 0.02 Magnesium mg/L 1500 1900 Manganese mg/L 1.5 2 Mercury mg/L < 50E-6 < 50E-6 Molybdenum mg/L < 0.01 < 0.02 Nickel mg/L 0.6 < 0.02 Potassium mg/L 58 85 Selenium mg/L < 0.01 < 0.02 Silicon mg/L 14 12 Sodium mg/L 8900 15000 Strontium mg/L 2.6 7.6 Sulfate mg/L 4300 4200 Thallium mg/L < 0.01 < 0.02 Vanadium mg/L < 0.01 < 0.02 Zinc mg/L < 0.05 < 0.1

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Further evidence of the very low permeability of the Line of Lode Deposits is provided by the limited extent to which pit lakes have formed after the cessation of mining. For example, Poseidon South Pit was mined to a depth of about 140 m depth (105 m below the water table), but has only a shallow pit lake at its base, most of which is probably sustained by surface water run-off.

Inspection of the core from four diamond holes found no significant fracturing to occur in the quartz lodes or adjoining basalt that represents the primary lithology of the Aquarius underground. This absence of fracturing provides further evidence that inflows to the underground workings are likely to be negligible. The investigation concluded that groundwater inflow will be minimal and likely within the range of 1-3 L/s. Some drawdown of the water table may occur but this is unlikely to affect the environment or any other users.

Summary of baseline data and implications for risk assessment o Groundwater levels at the Aquarius Boxcut are at a depth of about 30 mbgl. o Groundwater from the Aquarius deposit and surrounding area is saline, with salinity ranging from 29,000 to 57,000 mg/L TDS. o No groundwater production bores are located in vicinity of the underground. o No groundwater users are likely to be impacted by dewatering activities. o No GDEs are known from the local area. o Dewatering impacts will be assessed and managed in accordance with DWER licence conditions.

Technical Reports/Studies Cited o Rockwater (2020) Assessment of Dewatering: Aquarius Boxcut and Underground (Appendix G)

Groundwater Management Dewater from the Aquarius underground will be used for dust suppression of mining activities at Higginsville. The dewatering assessments indicates that the volume of water produced will not be in excess of dust suppression requirements. In the event that dewatering requirements exceed that predicted in the assessment, any excess dewater will be pumped into Fairplay pit. Pipelines will be placed within a bunded corridor with scour sumps to contain saline water in the event of a spill due to rupturing of the pipeline.

Dewatering and groundwater monitoring activities will be conducted in accordance with the DWER Licence to Take Water (GWL). There are no water supply bores within the areas adjacent

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1 to the Aquarius underground mine where minor drawdown may occur. As a result, no groundwater users are likely to be impacted by the proposed mine dewatering. In addition to this, there are no known groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDEs) within the local area.

Material Characterisation

Regional Geology Higginsville is situated in the Kalgoorlie Province, which is on the central eastern portion of the Yilgarn Craton. The province consists of Archaean greenstone basement rocks with a north- south strike and a steep westerly dip. This is overlain with granitic rocks and greenstone of the Yilgarn Craton that have been extensively weathered and laterised. Undulating plains containing hills, sand plains and salt lakes overlie the bedrock Superficial deposits are typically made up of colluvial and alluvial sediments.

A concentration of greenstone belts exists between Norseman and Kalgoorlie. The greenstones contain a mixed assemblage of metamorphosed mafic to ultramafic volcanic rocks (including basalt, amphibolite, dolerite and gabbro), felsic volcanic rocks, and metasedimentary rocks (including cherts and banded iron formations).

The Higginsville area is dominated by a 5km wide belt of metamorphosed high-Mg basalt and minor metakomatiite flows with doleritic and gabbroic intrusions.

Local Geology Karora is planning to develop a small underground mine centred on Aquarius Deposit and the Carona lode, located at the southern end of a corridor of gold deposits extending south from Poseidon Pit, known as the “Line of Lode Deposits” (Figure 14). The Line of Lode Deposits have been mined since the 1930s, since when they have produced about 1.5 Moz of gold.

Higginsville lies to the west of the Zulieka Shear, at the southern end of the Norseman to Wiluna Greenstone Belt. The regional bedrock comprises a north-northwest-trending sequence of fault- bounded and thrust-repeated basalt, komatiite and interflow clastic sediment, which has been metamorphosed to upper greenschist facies and intruded by dolerite and gabbro dykes.

The Aquarius Deposit occurs within a narrow zone of basalt, bounded by the Poseidon Thrust to the east, and another structure, known as Thrust A, to the west. The Poseidon Thrust dips at about 45o to the east and is overlain by fine-grained metasediments (Figure 15). The thrust and overlying metasediments occur in the hangingwall of the deposit and will not be intersected by the underground workings.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Figure 14: Local Geology

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Gold mineralisation within the basalt occurs as shears occupied by narrow (0.5-3 m wide) laminated quartz vein cores. The shears strike at 285-305o and dip at 80o to the east. The mineralised shears form several lodes that are up to 180 m long and 20 m wide. The largest shear-hosted quartz lode is referred to as the Carona Lode, which will be focus of mining at Aquarius (Figure 15).

A zone of supergene mineralisation (formerly known as the Aquarius Deposit) is also present at 15-60 m depth. However, this will not be mined as part of the current project.

The following section is taken from Corona Underground Mining Proposal Part 1 (Reg ID 36144). Corona underground waste: (Quoted from Jay Sieradzki, Higginsville Chief Mine Geologist)

The Corona deposit is a blind deposit starting approximately 100m below the surface, the upper bounding structure is the Poseidon Thrust which is the faulted contact between the host basaltic unit (analogous to the Paringa Basalt) and the overlying sediments (shales and sandstones) of the Black Flag Group. The mineralisation in the proposed underground is interpreted to be primary mineralisation hosted within fresh basalt.

The Paring Basalt is the main host of the mineralisation in Corona. The basaltic portion of the waste is fairly competent with a high MgO content. Some pillowing and variolitic texture has been identified in places in this unit; whilst the grain size is also enlarged in patches suggesting that an amount of albitic alteration fluids have permeated the rock. Recorded sulphides tend to be in fairly low percentages indicating that the acid-forming potential of this rock is minimal.

The main mineralised package is hosted within a quartz lode style ore system characterised by narrow (0.5 - 3m wide) shear zone controlled, laminated quartz veins. There is an erratic distribution of native gold spatially associated with laminated sulphide bearing domains as well as in late stage micro-fractures. The common mineral assemblage is quartz–arsenopyrite- pyrrhotite-galena-gold, with galena displaying a very close spatial association with the higher grade zones. Other minor accessory minerals include pyrite and chalcopyrite although these are not recognised as proxies for high grade.

The mineralisation in Corona is also very closely associated to the degree of sulphidation of the host rock; hence any basalt that contains a high proportion of sulphide minerals is likely to be auriferous and will therefore not be classified as waste. In conclusion, the waste is not from palaeo-channels and is not acid forming nor carries radioactive, fibrous, dispersive or any other harmful elements.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Figure 15: Cross-section of geology at Aquarius

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Subsurface Materials Characterisation Assessment and analysis of the waste material sampled has evaluated the potential for acid, neutral, and metalliferous drainage to form in various waste materials, the potential for waste material examined to be dispersive; and classified waste types based on their potential to generate AMD according to guidelines published by the Federal Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources (DITR, 2007).

The Paringa Basalt is the main host of the mineralisation in Corona lode that will be mined at Aquarius. Paringa Basalt is the host rock within numerous deposits previously mined at Higginsville and includes Poseidon pit and underground, Two Boys underground, Fairplay pits, Vine pit and the recently approved pits Hidden Secret and Mousehollow.

Karora completed a waste characterisation program to confirm the pervious findings for Paringa Basalt at Aquarius. Seven composite samples taken from oxide and fresh rock waste were analysed to determine the risk of acid, neutral and metalliferous drainage from mine waste. The samples were taken from the oxide and fresh rock profiles to a final depth of 243 m. In addition, the potential for leaching of environmental significant metals and metalloids was also determined. The waste rock was analysed by SGS Environmental Services (Nata approved laboratory). The technical report is appended as Appendix H and the results displayed a strong correlation to Paringa Basalt previously mined at Higginsville.

The sulphur content in waste rock at Aquarius, determined by Chromium Reducible Sulfur, is well below the threshold of 0.3%. The highest Sulphur value recorded was in fresh rock basalt was only 0.211% w/w and the mean for all samples was 0.119% w/w that indicates no further acid base accounting is required. Nonetheless, Karora performed acid base accounting tests on the Aquarius waste rock samples. All samples after complete oxidation returned a pH ≥4.5 with a mean in fresh rock waste of pH 10.4. The net acid production potential for all samples was negative.

The oxide waste at Aquarius was classified as non-acid forming and the fresh rock samples were acid consuming. This conclusion is consistent with guidance presented in the Leading Practice Handbook for the Mining Industry: Preventing Acid and Metalliferous Drainage. No further acid base accounting or investigation was required after review of the results for the ‘Analysis Concept’. The very low mean concentration of sulfur in the waste samples poses no or only very little risk for acid mine drainage.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Given the low concentration of sulfur in the waste material, oxidation of reactive sulfide minerals is unlikely to result in acidic leachate.

Any leachate generated from the mine waste will be circum-neutral to moderately alkaline. Results for pH (CaCl2) for samples from Aquarius ranged between pH 7.2 – 8.5. Cadmium and lead were the only metals with concentrations below limits of detection from mine waste at Aquarius. The mean concentration of all metals was well below the limit for use as irrigation water in primary industries and recommended in the ANZECC guidelines. The concentration of iron only marginally exceeded the guideline in one sample. The risk of metalliferous drainage is considered to be very low given that the concentration of iron only marginally exceeded the guideline for use as irrigation water in primary industries.

The predicted alkaline seepage, if present, will reduce the mobility of environmentally significant metals and the risk of metalliferous drainage is considered low. It must be noted that the saline to hypersaline groundwater around Higginsville is not suitable for livestock watering. The low water- solubility of the metal and metalloid elements was attributed to the alkaline nature of the leachate. The risk of metalliferous drainage from mine waste at Aquarius is considered to be very unlikely in arid to semi-arid environments and supported by the pH of leachate that was moderately to strongly alkaline.

Summary of baseline data and implications for risk assessment o All oxide waste characterisations samples were classified as non-acid forming. o All fresh rock waste characterisation samples were classified as acid consuming. o The potential for metalliferous drainage under circum-neutral to moderately alkaline conditions is low.

Technical Reports/Studies Cited o Karora (2021) Aquarius & Two Boys Underground Waste Characterisation Assessment Report (Appendix H)

Environmental Threats and Other Factors

Environmental threats associated with development of the Project area include introduced species, dangerous goods and hazardous substances, air quality, environmental noise and fire. The risk of these potential threats having a detrimental impact on the environment is considered minimal with appropriate management processes in place.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Introduced Species Mining activities and operations have the potential to introduce weeds and increase feral animal activity in the area. NVS (2015) identified three introduced (weed) species within the Fairplay Project area, none of which are listed as declared plants by DAFWA. NVS (2019) did not identify any weed species at Eundynie.

A number of introduced animals including the house mouse (Mus musculus), wild dog (Canis lupus), feral cat (Felis catus) and goat (Capra hircus) are known to be established in the local area (Terrestrial Ecosystems 2015).

Existing and potential introduced species will be managed through implementation of the Environmental Management System (EMS) which includes provisions for the treatment of these risks, including:

 Programs for introduced species detection and eradication;  Weed hygiene measures for plant and equipment including cleaning, inspection and controlled access;  Avoiding the use of material from weed affected areas;  Stockpile weed infected topsoil separate from ‘clean’ topsoil; and  Procedures and training on introduced species management.

Contamination Sources Activities at Higginsville have the potential to cause environmental harm though contamination associated with the use of dangerous goods and hazardous substances, including hydrocarbons. The potential impact is considered minimal with appropriate management processes in place.

Dangerous goods and hazardous substances will be managed through implementation of the EMS which includes provisions for the treatment of these risks, including:

 Design and operational requirements for storage and handling of Dangerous goods and hazardous substances in accordance with the Dangerous Goods Safety Act 2004 and other applicable legislation;  Containment bunds or similar methods of preventing uncontrolled release;  Spill recovery equipment;  Bioremediation facility for contaminated soils;  Facility inspections and maintenance;  Wastewater management; and

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

 Procedures and training on dangerous goods and hazardous substances management.

Air Quality and Noise Mining activities have the potential to impact air quality through the generation of dust, noise and air emissions. The potential impact from the Project is considered minimal with suitable management processes in place.

The risk of air quality impacts as a result of mining activity associated with the development of the Aquarius resource will be managed through implementation of the EMS which includes provisions for the treatment of these risks, including:

 Dust controlled through the application of groundwater for dust suppression in accordance with the Licence to Take Water issued under the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914;  Air and noise emissions controlled through design, maintenance and operation of plant and equipment in accordance with manufacturer specifications;  Air emissions quantities will be estimated or measured and reported as part of the National Pollution Inventory (NPI) and National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007 requirements;  Noise emissions will comply with the Environmental Protection (Noise) Regulations 1997. As the nearest residences are located approximately 45kms at Widgiemooltha there are no noise sensitive premises in the area that may be impacted by noise emissions; and  Procedures and training on dust, noise, and air quality management.

Fire Bushfires in the region are likely to occur throughout the November to March period, largely as a result of thunderstorm activity. Fires can result in risks to people, property, livestock and biodiversity. The most likely source of fire from the operation is from vehicle movements.

The risk of a fire occurring because of mining activity associated with the development of the Aquarius resource will be managed through implementation of the EMS which includes provisions for the treatment of fire risks, including:

 Design and operational requirements for storage and handling of Dangerous goods and hazardous substances in accordance with the Dangerous Goods Safety Act 2004 and other applicable legislation;  Vehicles and equipment in serviceable condition with required emissions systems and fitted with fire extinguishers;

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

 Maintaining firebreaks around areas deemed to be of high risk;  Fire management and emergency response plan prepared in consultation with appropriate authorities;  Availability of equipment with firefighting capabilities and personnel trained in the use of that equipment; and  Procedures and training on fire awareness and response.

Cultural Heritage The Aboriginal Heritage Inquiry System (AHIS) database contains no records of Registered Aboriginal Sites on Mining Tenements M15/348, M15/375, and M15/610. The results of the AHIS database are presented in Appendix I. The proposed operations occur adjacent to heavy disturbed land by mining operations. No sites of significance have been identified that could be impacted by the operations of this mining proposal.

Extensive heritage surveys have been undertaken at Higginsville that included the project area. Karora Resources maintains a strong working relationship with the traditional owners and holds a Heritage Agreement with the Ngadju Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (RNTBC). Karora Resources promotes employment opportunities with RNTBC and the community of Norseman and Kambalda.

Land Use The Aquarius underground mine resource is located on Common Reserve (R 10305) in the Shire of Coolgardie. Karora has established a good relationship with the Shire of Coolgardie through previous consultation regarding HGO developments and is committed to ongoing stakeholder engagement. Previous consultation revealed that there are no shire roads. The Shire has advised that mining activities are consistent with the current planning scheme.

Recently, a road reserve has ‘appeared’ in Tengraph that dissect our facilities (Figure 16). The road radiates out in a south-eastern direction and is likely linked to Eundynie Road. This road has never been considered during the assessment of historic or recent mining approvals.

The Shire has previously provided a letter stating that Eundynie is a private road and not managed by the Shire (Appendix J). Furthermore, L 15/382 was recently granted by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety on 27 September 2018 and tenement conditions make no reference to the existence of road reserves. Karora is of the firm belief that the road reserves depicted in Tengraph are erroneous and do not represent authorised road reserves. The road depicted is a ring road and does not service any existing public or private infrastructure.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Communications with the Shire clearly state that if the road exists it is a private road. The road is not an asset of the Shire nor does it contain any infrastructure to be considered an asset of the Shire. The Shire does not have any objections to mining activities within the boundary of the road reserve depicted below. If stakeholder engagement for closure identifies that the road is required at time of closure it will be reinstated to run south of the proposed infrastructure.

Figure 16: Tengraph "unnamed road reserve"

The nearest pastoral lease (Madoonia Downs Station) is located over 8 km to the north of the Aquarius Project and 10 km east where it is separate by Lake Cowan.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESMENT

Environmental risk management for the development of the Aquarius resource is based on assessment of risk consistent with the Guideline for Mining Proposals in Western Australia requirements (DMP 2016). The risk management framework adopted is based on the Australian Standard AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009 Risk Management shown in Figure 17. This framework allows for the identification of environmental risks and potential impacts arising from proposed activities, and the management measures to be implemented so that the prescribed environmental objectives listed in Table 14 can be met. It must be noted that aspects relating to PAF and the construction of the WRD are currently considered to be of moderate risk once mitigation measures have been applied. However, Karora anticipates that further assessment information obtained via expert closure reports will close information gaps and reduce potential environmental risk.

Figure 17: Risk Management Framework

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Table 14: Environmental Objectives

Environmental Factor Objective

Biodiversity/Flora/Faun To maintain representation, diversity, viability and ecological function at a/Ecosystem the species, population and community level.

Water Resources To maintain the hydrological regimes, quality and quantity of groundwater and surface water to the extent that existing and potential uses, including ecosystem maintenance, are protected.

Landforms Mining will not result in appreciable land degradation or the contamination or pollution of the land.

Mine Closure Mines are closed in a manner to make them (physically) safe to humans and animals, (geo-technically) stable, (geo-chemically) non-polluting/non- contaminating, and capable of sustaining an agreed post-mining land use, and without unacceptable liability to the State.

Risk Assessment Criteria

The methodology used in this risk assessment seeks to quantify risk using a combination of likelihood and consequence. Likelihood is rated on a scale from A to E and range from ‘Rare’ to ‘Almost Certain’ (Table 15). Consequence is determined using a scale from 1 to 5, with consequences ranging from ‘Very Low’ to ‘Catastrophic’ (Table 16). The likelihood and consequences are rated for both the inherent risks (i.e. before the application of risk mitigation measures) and residual risks (i.e. after consideration of the change in likelihood and/or consequence that the risk mitigation measures). Once a consequence and likelihood have been determined for a specific aspect or activity, the risk rating matrix (Table 17) calculates a risk rating.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Table 15: Likelihood Categories

Level Descriptor Description

Almost A The event is expected to occur in most circumstances certain

B Likely The event will probably occur in most circumstances

C Possible The event may occur at some time

The event has not occurred in our company, but has occurred within the D Unlikely industry as a whole on a number of occasions

Event has not been known to occur in our company, but has been known to E Rare occur infrequently within the industry and is only likely to occur in exceptional circumstances

Table 16: Consequence Categories

Environmental Biodiversity/Flora/ Water Resources Landforms Mine Closure Factor Fauna/Ecosystem

Very Low 1 Alteration or Low impact to isolated Negligible impact to Site is safe, stable and disturbance to an area without affecting isolated areas. non-polluting, and post isolated area that is any use of the water. mining land use is not unlikely to affect the adversely affected. habitat, species or ecosystem.

Minor 2 Alteration or Contained low impact Contained low impact, The site is safe, all disturbance to less than with negligible effect on not impacting on any major landforms are 5% of a habitat, species the use of the water. environmental value. stable, and any stability or ecosystem resulting or pollution issues are in a minor, recoverable contained and require impact. no residual management. Post- mining land use is not adversely affected.

Moderate 3 Alteration or Uncontained impact Uncontained impact, The site is safe, and disturbance to 5-30% of that will materially able to be rectified in any stability or pollution

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Environmental Biodiversity/Flora/ Water Resources Landforms Mine Closure Factor Fauna/Ecosystem

a habitat, species or affect the use of the short-term without issues require minor, ecosystem resulting in a water, but able to be causing pollution or ongoing maintenance moderate, recoverable rectified in the short- contamination. by end land user. impact. term.

Major 4 Alteration or Extensive hazardous Extensive hazardous The site cannot be disturbance to 30-70% impact requiring long- impact requiring long- considered safe, stable of a habitat, species or term rectification. term rectification. or non-polluting without ecosystem resulting in a long-term management major, recoverable or intervention. Agreed impact. end land-use cannot proceed without ongoing management.

Catastrophic 5 Alteration or Uncontained hazardous Uncontained hazardous The site is unsafe, disturbance to more impact with residual impact with residual unstable and/or causing than 70% of a habitat, effect. effect. pollution or species or ecosystem contamination that will resulting in an extinction cause an ongoing or permanent changes, residual affect. The recovery if possible post-mining land use greater than 10 years. cannot be achieved.

Table 17: Risk Rating Matrix

Very Low (1) Minor (2) Moderate (3) Major (4) Catastrophic (5)

Almost M H16 E20 E23 E25 certain (A)

Likely (B) M H12 H17 E21 E24

Possible (C) L4 M8 H13 E18 E22

Unlikely (D) L2 L5 M9 H14 E19

Rare (E) L1 L3 M6 M10 H15

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Table 18: Risk Assessment

Component/Aspect Phase Pathway & Potential Environmental Impacts L C IR Control / Treatment (Existing / Proposed) L C RR Biodiversity/Flora/Fauna/Ecosystem Construction Dust emissions due to land clearing, earthworks, movement of vehicles, D 2 L5  Land disturbance will be kept to the minimum necessary for development E 2 L3 Operations stockpiling and transport of friable materials and building of infrastructure of the project. Closure resulting in reduced vegetation health and condition.  Watering of unsealed trafficable areas to reduce dust.  During high winds, topsoil stripping and spreading activities will be restricted if dust cannot be adequately controlled.  Vehicle traffic will be confined to defined roads and tracks  Disturbed areas will be rehabilitated upon completion of mining activities or progressively when not required for operations.  Occupational hygiene requirements for dust will be complied with in operational areas. Operations Dust from transfer of ore from trucks to ROM pad resulting in reduced D 2 L5  Dust will be managed by watering unsealed roads with a water cart or E 2 L3 vegetation health and condition. with fixed sprays.  Dust minimisation measures will be implemented for the ROM pad using water carts and fixed sprays.  Sprays will be fitted to the tipping area of the crusher to ensure ore remains moist during tipping and crushing activities.  A dust collector will be installed and operated on the crusher discharge conveyor. Introduction and/or increase spread of weed species such as Carrichtera C 2 M8  Weed management measures will be implemented as per existing D 2 L5 annua (Ward’s Weed) Centaurea melitensis (Maltese Cockspur) and Karora procedures and will include survey, recording, documenting and Sonchus oleraceus (Milk Weed) within the Fairplay mining region from monitoring existing weed populations; conducting weed hygiene Terrestrial Flora and project activities resulting in a reduction in native vegetation measures on all vehicles (inspections of all equipment entering site); Vegetation Construction health/condition and an overall loss in biodiversity. Operations removing and disposing of waste/soil infested with weeds; avoiding Care and and/or minimising clearing. Maintenance  Regular inspection of active mining areas for the presence of known Closure weed species.  Provide awareness training and education to employees and contractors.  If required, advice sought from DBCA’s DPaW division for the control of weed populations. Erosion of mine waste landforms resulting in sediment discharge and C 2 M8  Landforms will be designed, constructed and rehabilitated to create a D 2 L5 smothering of plants. safe, stable, non-polluting landform. Operations  Crest and toe bunds will be incorporated into WRD design to prevent Closure Care and erosion into the landscape. Maintenance  Toe drains or sumps around hardstand areas to minimise sediment wash.  Bunds are armoured with the most competent material available. Construction Altered fire regime impacting vegetation health and condition. D 3 M9  Firefighting equipment will be located on site and emergency personnel E 2 L3 Operations will be trained in fire response.  Lightning protection equipment will be installed as part of project design where necessary.  A Hot Work Permit system will be developed and implemented.  All machinery and vehicles undertaking clearing activities will be fitted with firefighting equipment.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Component/Aspect Phase Pathway & Potential Environmental Impacts L C IR Control / Treatment (Existing / Proposed) L C RR Operations Exposure of saline/dispersive or deleterious materials from constructed C 2 M8  Waste characterisation results will be used to inform waste disposal E 2 L3 Closure landforms resulting in decline in health of surrounding vegetation. schedule, storage and handling.  Recommendations from mine closure experts on landform design implemented.  Undertake materials characterisation if unexpected geological units are identified during mining. Operations Generation of metalliferous or acid mine drainage from constructed C 2 M8  Undertake materials characterisation if unexpected geological units are D 2 L5 Closure landforms resulting in decline in health of surrounding vegetation which identified during mining. result in environmental outcomes not being met. Construction Light and noise pollution disrupting nocturnal activities of native fauna. D 2 L5  Lights will be strategically placed and designed to shine towards E 2 L3 Operations operational areas and minimise light spill to the environment.  Equipment design will specify compliance with Australian Standard noise limits. Construction Altered fire regime impacting native fauna habitat. C 2 M8  Firefighting equipment will be located on site and emergency personnel E 2 L5 Operations will be trained in fire response.  Lightning protection equipment will be installed as part of project design where necessary.  Vehicles will not be permitted to leave access tracks or cleared areas.  A Hot Work Permit system will be developed and implemented.  All machinery and vehicles undertaking clearing activities will be fitted with firefighting equipment.  Avoca Mining will work with the pastoralist, Traditional Owners and DFES to undertake prescribed burns and install and maintain firebreaks if required so that potential environmental damage from extreme and out of control wildfires is minimised and infrastructure and the community are protected throughout the life of the project. Fauna entrapment leading to injury or death. C 2 M8  Open holes, trenches, the refuse impoundment, and any water holding D 2 L5 Terrestrial Fauna Construction Operations facilities are inspected daily. Care and  Areas identified as being potential fauna traps will have matting installed Maintenance to allow fauna egress. Vehicle interactions with local fauna species along access tracks and C 2 M8 D 2 L5 Construction  All staff complete a site induction that includes driving on site and haul roads resulting in injury or death of animals. Operations environmental awareness. Care and  Speed restrictions are implemented and all vehicles adhere to dedicated Maintenance speed limits on access tracks and haul roads. Closure  All fauna strikes are reported to the Karora Environmental department. Construction Dust emissions due to land clearing, earthworks, movement of vehicles, D 2 L5  Land disturbance will be kept to the minimum necessary for development E 2 L3 Operations concrete batching, stockpiling and transport of friable materials and of the project. Closure building of infrastructure resulting in reduced fauna health and condition.  During high winds, topsoil stripping and spreading activities will be restricted if dust cannot be adequately controlled.  Vehicle traffic will be confined to defined roads and tracks.  Disturbed areas will be rehabilitated upon completion of mining activities or where progressively able to do so.  Dust control measures will be implemented.  Occupational hygiene requirements for dust will be complied with in operational areas.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Component/Aspect Phase Pathway & Potential Environmental Impacts L C IR Control / Treatment (Existing / Proposed) L C RR Operations Dust from transfer of ore from trucks to ROM pad resulting in reduced D 2 L5  Dust will be managed by watering unsealed roads with a water cart or E 2 L3 fauna health and condition. with fixed sprays.  Dust minimisation measures will be implemented for the ROM pad using water carts and fixed sprays.  Sprays will be fitted to the tipping area of the crusher to ensure ore remains moist during tipping and crushing activities if excessive dust becomes a nuisance.  A dust collector will be installed and operated on the crusher discharge conveyor. Construction Construction and earthwork activities resulting in a reduction in amenity D 2 L5  All vehicles and plant equipment will be regularly maintained to ensure E 2 L3 for fauna located close to the project area. they are operating efficiently and are not unduly noisy.  The processing plant will include sound attenuating measures as appropriate.  Noise compressors will be housed in a sound attenuating enclosure.  The site induction will provide information on the requirements for and appropriate use of PPE associated with noise prevention and /or minimisation. Operations Long term exposure of putrescible wastes leading to increase in feral C 1 L4  Putrescible and industrial wastes will be disposed off-site or at the main E 1 L1 animal/vermin. landfill site at Higginsville.  Waste will be covered a minimum of once fortnightly. Construction Unauthorised driving off designated roads and tracks resulting in soil D 2 L5  Vehicle movements restricted to authorised roads and tracks. E 2 L3 Operations compaction leading to poor conditions for vegetation establishment.  Project induction to contain information about not driving out of Care and designated areas. Maintenance Closure Construction Contamination of soil resources by hydrocarbon spills from fuel storage, C 2 M8  Where field servicing and refuelling must occur, field personnel will adopt D 2 L5 Operations mobile equipment and power generation. procedures to limit the likelihood of significant hydrocarbon releases i.e. use hydrocarbon collections systems, auto cut-offs for refilling, ensure work occurs well away from water collection areas.  Minor spillage occurring as a result of accidents or breakdowns will be addressed by communicating, controlling, containing and cleaning up the spill and reported through the incident report procedure. Land  Hydrocarbon contaminated soils will be disposed and treated at the site Disturbance/Degradation bioremediation facility.  Spill kits will be located at strategic locations throughout the project area and employees trained in their use.  All personal will be educated and made aware of internal spill management procedures and the location of all bioremediation facilities.  All spills must be internally reported.  The fuel facility will be equipped with overfill detection systems and be bunded to prevent leaks.  All hydrocarbon and chemical storages will be designed and constructed in accordance with Australian Standards AS1940 and AS1692. Construction Contamination of soil resources by process reagents and/or materials C 2 M8  All chemical storage will be designed and constructed in accordance with D 2 L5 Operations used and stored on site. Australian Standards AS1940 and AS1692.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Component/Aspect Phase Pathway & Potential Environmental Impacts L C IR Control / Treatment (Existing / Proposed) L C RR Construction Poor surface water management leads to erosion of WRD resulting in C 3 H13  Constructed waste dumps to include; a crest bund, toe drain, armouring D 3 M9 Operations dispersal of materials into native vegetation, leading to death or decline and be sloped backwards towards the centre of the landform. Care and of riparian vegetation.  Toe drain to capture water and sediment runoff. Maintenance Closure  The Fairplay East WRD will be constructed with batters at 15⁰. The crest bund will reduce runoff and a toe drain (if required) will capture sedimentation.  ARI and PMP events are considered in construction of landforms.  Toe drains or sumps to manage surface water flows and erosion around hardstand and haul road areas.  Bunds are armoured with the most competent material available. Poor drainage management along haul road route and land-based D 2 L5  Natural drainage contours will be maintained where possible. E 2 L3 infrastructure resulting in water logged soils with long-term impacts on  Implementation of drainage diversion will occur around required Construction soil structure and rehabilitation success. Operations infrastructure as per engineered designs. Care and  Operational surface water management plan will be implemented if Maintenance required. Closure  Culverts are installed at low lying areas or drainage lines crossings.  V-drains are incorporated into road design. Construction Land disturbance resulting in vegetation and habitat loss outside the C 2 M8  Land disturbance will be kept to the minimum necessary for development D 2 L5 Operations development envelope. of the project and will remain within the development envelope.  An internal clearing / surface disturbance procedures will be used and areas of disturbance will be clearly marked out prior to ground disturbing activities.  A procedure will be implemented to record the amount of clearing undertaken and report the cumulative total in the Annual Environmental Report.  Vehicles and mining equipment will keep to designated tracks and roads.  Vegetation and topsoil will be left in situ for as long as possible.  Clearing of vegetation will be done progressively over the project life.  The site induction program will provide information on ground disturbance requests and authorisation procedures.  All disturbance operations will be supervised. Construction Additional/unapproved disturbance resulting in loss of native vegetation C 2 M8  Internal clearing / surface disturbance procedures will be implemented. D 2 L5 Operations that is not approved as part of the MP or clearing permit leading to a  All conditions of clearing permits obtained under the Environmental reduction in available flora/fauna habitat Protection Act 1986 will be adhered to and clearing will be restricted to the approved clearing permit envelope.  Clearing operators will be supervised.  All employees will be inducted so as to be made aware of clearing restrictions and internal requirements for all proposed surface disturbance.  Any incidence of unauthorised/unapproved disturbance/clearing will be reported (internally and externally) and areas of vegetation cleared will be rehabilitated immediately.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Component/Aspect Phase Pathway & Potential Environmental Impacts L C IR Control / Treatment (Existing / Proposed) L C RR Construction Damage to soil structure and viability of topsoil during stripping or C 3 H13  Avoid topsoil stripping in very windy or waterlogged conditions. C 3 M9 storage leading to reduced rehabilitation success.  Implementation of site procedure for topsoil management. Loss or damage to topsoil resulting in insufficient growth medium  Topsoil stockpiles will be stockpiled in nominated stockpiles areas and required to support vegetation and complete successful rehabilitation. Loss or damage to topsoil resulting in dust generation. all employees will be made aware of their location.  Topsoil stockpiles will be located adjacent to and within the footprint of disturbance.  The stockpiles will be located away from concentrated surface water flow.  Topsoil stockpiles will be clearly signed to ensure no inadvertent disturbance.  Topsoil stockpiles along the haul road route will be protected by v-drains and located outside the range of water cart spray. Construction Areas of cleared vegetation are left open resulting in an increased D 2 L5  All employees will be inducted so as to be aware of clearing E 2 L3 potential for surface water and wind erosion. requirements and restrictions.  EP Act clearing permit conditions relating to staged clearing will be implemented.  Any incidence of unauthorised/unapproved clearing will be reported (internally and externally) and areas of vegetation cleared will be rehabilitated immediately.  Clearing operators review and sign onto the internal clearing permit and will be supervised. Construction Establishment and or spread of weeds and pathogens within topsoil D 2 L5  Follow weed management procedure (i.e. clean down and clean E 2 L3 Operations resulting in reduced seed bank, soil viability and suitable growth medium, machinery prior to entry to site). Closure required in order to establish vegetation and meet closure objectives.  All machinery involved in land disturbance operations will be inspected and cleaned prior to arrival to site.  Environmental staff will be trained in the identification of local weed species and will conduct regular weed control activities, especially in areas adjacent to topsoil stockpiles. Water Resources Construction Contamination of surface water resources by hydrocarbon spills from D 2 L5  Where practical heavy and light vehicle maintenance will be undertaken E 2 L3 Operations mobile equipment. in designated workshop areas located on concrete pads constructed so that they drain to an oil water separator system.  Where field servicing and refuelling must occur, field personnel will adopt procedures to limit the likelihood of significant hydrocarbon releases i.e. use hydrocarbon collections systems, auto cut-offs for refilling, ensure work occurs well away from water collection areas.  Minor spillage occurring as a result of accidents or breakdowns will be addressed by communicating, controlling, containing and cleaning up the Surface Water spill and reported through the incident report procedure.  Hydrocarbon contaminated soils will be disposed and treated at the site bioremediation facility.  Spill kits will be located at strategic locations throughout the project area and employees trained in their use.  Heavy and light vehicles will be washed down in a purpose built wash down facility. Sediment from the washdown pad will be collected in a lined sump and washdown water treated via a process to separate solids and hydrocarbons from water.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Component/Aspect Phase Pathway & Potential Environmental Impacts L C IR Control / Treatment (Existing / Proposed) L C RR Contamination of surface water resources by hydrocarbon spills from fuel D 2 L5  The fuel facility will be equipped with overfill detection systems and be E 2 L3 storage facility leaks and failure. bunded to prevent leaks.  Spill kits will be located at strategic locations throughout the project area and employees trained in their use. Construction  Hydrocarbon contaminated materials to be removed from site or Operations disposed and treated at the site bioremediation facility. Care and  All hydrocarbon and chemical storages will be designed and constructed Maintenance in accordance with Australian Standards AS1940 and AS1692.  Hardstand areas will surround refuelling stations.  SDS and any other relevant environmental and safety guidelines will be maintained.  Absorbent mats will be used under machinery which is likely to leak oil. Increased sediment load from ephemeral runoff due to ground D 2 L5  Land disturbance will be kept to the minimum necessary for development E 2 L3 disturbance and construction of mine infrastructure and landforms of the project. reduces surface water quality.  Disturbed areas will be rehabilitated upon completion of mining activities or progressively wherever possible  Sediment traps will be constructed around the base of waste rock Construction dumps. Operations  Surface water runoff is management/controlled around land-based WRD. Care and  Surface water runoff from Lake based WRD is directed towards the Maintenance nearby pit where possible. Closure  Future sampling of lake sediments will include locations outside impact areas (i.e. reference sites outside the pit shell) to better understand prevailing conditions.  Toe drains or containment bunds are installed around all hardstand areas and the causeway.  Bunds are armoured with the most competent material available. Flood damage due to changed surface water flow patterns. D 2 L5  Natural drainage contours will be maintained where possible. E 2 L3  Operational surface water management plan will be implemented if required.  Roads and access tracks will be constructed with appropriate surface water drainage structures to minimise impacts on surface water flows. Construction  A diversion bund will be constructed around the Aquarius boxcut to Operations prevent surface water runoff from entering the underground mine. Care and  A diversion drain will be built, or the ROM will be raised by a minimum of Maintenance 0.5 m to protect infrastructure from potential flood waters.  Where necessary, suitable floodways, drains and culverts will be installed to transfer flow past infrastructure and return it to its natural flow path.  Culverts or water crossings will be installed when crossing watercourses to prevent impediment of flow.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Component/Aspect Phase Pathway & Potential Environmental Impacts L C IR Control / Treatment (Existing / Proposed) L C RR Contamination of surface water resources from general litter. D 1 L5  The site induction will provide information on waste disposal and E 1 L1 recycling.  Waste receptacles (rubbish bins) will have lids secured. Construction  Domestic wastes will be disposed of into a purpose built landfill offsite. Operations  Recyclable wastes will be collected in a laydown area and transported Care and offsite for recycling. Maintenance  Packaging wastes associated with reagents will be minimised through bulk buying and returning empty containers to suppliers where possible.  No hydrocarbons and/or chemicals will be disposed of into the landfill facility. Operations Disruption of surface water drainage along roadsides resulting in ponding D 2 L5  Where necessary, soil erosion control banks will be constructed where E 2 L3 Closure of surface water and an increase in sedimentation. excess runoff may concentrate and there is a potential for soil erosion.  V-drains are incorporated into road design. Spillage, leakage and seepage of hydrocarbons used and stored on site C 2 M8  Minor spillage occurring as a result of accidents or breakdowns will be D 2 L5 results in contamination of groundwater resources. addressed and reported through the incident report procedure.  Hydrocarbon contaminated materials to be removed from site or disposed and treated at the site bioremediation facility.  Spill kits will be located at strategic locations throughout the project area and employees trained in their use.  Fuel bowsers and fuel delivery inlets will be located on concrete or HDPE-lined pads to contain any drips and spills. The pads will drain to a sump to allow removal of collected material.  All hydrocarbon and chemical storage will be designed and constructed in accordance with Australian Standards AS1940 and AS1692. Construction Operations  Transformer stations will be in bunded areas which meet the Care and requirements of Australia Standards AS1940, AS 2067 and AS 3007. Maintenance  Use absorbent materials under machinery which is likely to leak oil.  Regular inspections of workshop facilities. Store all hydrocarbons and chemical reagents in appropriately bunded areas. Groundwater  All washdown water/spillages generated from the power station will be channelled to a triple oil/water interceptor.  Install sumps to contain spills.  Used oils and hydrocarbon affected material (oily rags, filters, etc.) will be collected and transported offsite to a licensed recycling facility.  Any spills of hydrocarbons/chemicals which are likely to cause pollution or environmental harm will be reported to the DWER in accordance with Section 72 of the EP Act. Operations Tailings reactions result in excess metalloids or becoming more soluble D 3 M9  Tailings are maintained at alkaline conditions to avoid leaching of E 3 M6 Closure and entering the groundwater table via seepage. metalloids.  Monthly groundwater quality monitoring of TSF monitoring bores.  Tailings tested during operations.  Problem materials treated prior to leaving processing plant.  TSF operated in accordance with tenement and DWER licence conditions. Operations Contamination of groundwater resources by chemicals and hydrocarbons D 2 L5  All chemical storages will be designed and constructed in accordance E 2 L3 used and stored on site. with Australian Standards AS1940 and AS1692.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Component/Aspect Phase Pathway & Potential Environmental Impacts L C IR Control / Treatment (Existing / Proposed) L C RR Operations Incorrect placement and management of waste rock on landforms D 3 M9  Waste dump design incorporates results of materials characterisation E 3 M6 Closure resulting in unstable landforms which will not meet closure criteria. studies.  Adhere to final PAF management plan.  Waste movements incorporated into mine plans and PAF materials marked out in the field by onsite geologists.  Annual review of constructed landforms in terms of geotechnical stability and compliance with design requirements.  Landforms are located outside the zone of pit instability. Operations Higher than predicted groundwater inflows into the underground mine D 2 L5  Records of historic mining have informed the predicted dewatering rate. E 2 L3 resulting in flooding  Fairplay main pit has been used for the disposal of dewater from mining the Two Boys underground. Approval has been sought to dispose any additional dewater to Fairplay main pit if dewatering rates exceed mine dust suppression requirements. Mine Closure / Rehabilitation Closure Wind and water erosion of landforms creating unstable constructed C 3 H13  Appropriate landform investigations are implemented throughout the life D 3 M9 landforms or a landform that are prone to rilling, tunnelling or general of the project. erosion.  WRDs and sediment containment areas are fully enclosed by a perimeter bund. Waste dump max height and slopes angles are reduced to prevent erosion.  Competent material is used in construction of landforms intended to last in perpetuity.  ARI and PMP events are considered in construction of remaining landforms. Closure Ineffective establishment of vegetation and habitat resulting in reduced C 3 H13  Progressive rehabilitation will be undertaken where practicable in D 3 M9 ecosystem function. accordance with accepted industry best practice.  Disturbed areas will be ripped on the contour where appropriate to remove compaction, improve soil structure and improve infiltration capacity. Mine Closure /  Stockpiled topsoil and vegetation will be respread over rehabilitated Rehabilitation areas to act as a seed source, to protect the soil from erosion and provide habitat for fauna.  Local provenance seed will be used where necessary to rehabilitate disturbed areas.  Monitoring will be implemented once areas are rehabilitated to ensure progression towards completion criteria.  Monitoring will be carried out on a regular basis to assess the success of revegetation in rehabilitated areas.  Ongoing development of monitoring methodology and rehabilitation techniques will occur during the life of the project.  Development and submission of triennial revisions of the Mine Closure Plan.  Undertake and/or conduct trials to increase rehabilitation knowledge and explore alternative options that may be used to achieve improved rehabilitation outcomes.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Component/Aspect Phase Pathway & Potential Environmental Impacts L C IR Control / Treatment (Existing / Proposed) L C RR Closure Inadequate remediation of hydrocarbons and chemicals spills resulting in C 2 M8  Where field servicing and refuelling must occur, field personnel will adopt D 2 L5 contaminated sites persisting into closure. procedures to limit the likelihood of significant hydrocarbon releases i.e. use hydrocarbon collections systems, auto cut-offs for refilling, ensure work occurs well away from water collection areas.  Minor spillage occurring as a result of accidents or breakdowns will be addressed by communicating, controlling, containing and cleaning up the spill and reported through the incident report procedure.  Spill kits will be located at strategic locations throughout the project area and employees trained in their use. Operations Incorrect placement and management of waste rock resulting in land C 2 M8  Waste dump design incorporates results of materials characterisation D 2 L5 Closure and/or surface water contamination studies.  Adhere to final PAF management plan.  Waste movements incorporated into mine plans and PAF materials marked out in the field by onsite geologists.  Fairplay East WRD constructed to include; a crest bund and batters at ≤ 14⁰. Parts of the WRD will be self-armoured as the majority of waste disposed from the pit below a depth of 35 m is fresh rock.  Sediment containment areas include containment bunds and toe drains Closure Post-mining landforms are inconsistent with surroundings leading to poor C 2 M8  Continued liaison with stakeholders regarding specific requirements for D 2 L5 visual amenity closure.  Development and submission of triennial revisions of the Mine Closure Plan. Closure Wind and water erosion of operational and rehabilitation areas results in C 2 M8  Progressive rehabilitation of disturbed areas. D 2 L5 loss of soil resources, adverse impacts to rehabilitation and thus  Surface water flows diverted around operational areas. preventing achievement of closure criteria  Rehabilitated areas reshaped to match surrounding landscape and reinstate natural drainage.  Surface water management incorporated into rehabilitation designs.  Water applied to bare surfaces on as need basis to minimise wind erosion. Construction Inadequate handling and storage of topsoil resulting in a reduction in D 3 M9  Vegetation and topsoil will be left in situ for as long as possible to avoid E 3 M6 Operations topsoil/growth media viability for rehabilitation double-handling. Closure  Avoid topsoil stripping in extreme wet conditions.  Clearing of vegetation will be done progressively over the project life.  Laterite, gravelly loam, and other growth media and topsoil will be stockpiled for use in rehabilitation.  Topsoil will be pre-stripped up to at a nominal depth of 100-200 mm from disturbance areas and stored separately in stockpiles not to exceed 2 m.  Topsoil and growth media stockpiles will be located away from drainage areas, hypersaline water and areas that may generate dust.  The site induction program will provide information on ground disturbance requests and authorisation procedures.  A procedure has been implemented to record the amount of clearing and recovered growth medium and report the cumulative total in the Annual Environmental Report.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Component/Aspect Phase Pathway & Potential Environmental Impacts L C IR Control / Treatment (Existing / Proposed) L C RR Operations Spread of existing weeds to other areas resulting in reduction of D 2 L5  Use of topsoil from weed infested areas from where it was sourced. E 2 L3 Closure germination and growth of required native species and failure to meet  Infested topsoil will be stored separately. closure objectives.  Signs erected on topsoil sourced from weed areas and recording on site plan.  Follow machinery hygiene guidelines to minimise weed spread.  Regularly check areas for weed establishment.  Weed inspections. Operations Insufficient competent materials are available for rehabilitation to form D 2 L5  The Fairplay waste dump has been designed to a maximum E 2 L3 Closure stable landforms. embankment slope of 14º to increase landform stability. No armouring of the waste dump is required.  Underground basalt waste from Aquarius and nearby Two Boys can be used as armouring on the outer surface if stability concerns arise during construction. General (Management, Stakeholder, Planning, other risks) Construction Dust emissions affecting air quality D 2 L5  During high winds, topsoil stripping and spreading activities will be E 2 L3 Operations restricted if dust cannot be adequately controlled.  Vehicle traffic will be confined to defined roads and tracks.  Dust will be managed by watering unsealed roads with a water cart or fixed sprays.  Vehicles will be required to travel at safe operating speeds on unsealed roads and will be restricted from accessing rehabilitated surfaces except Air Quality for management purposes.  Dust minimisation measures will be implemented for the ROM pads using water carts and/or fixed sprays.  Occupational hygiene requirements for dust will be complied with in operational areas.  Daily inspections of site will be undertaken, if dust generation from stockpiles are identified as an issue, remedial actions will be identified and implemented. Operations Noise pollution resulting in adverse impacts to nearby residents and D 2 L5  All mining operations will comply with the occupational noise standards. E 2 L3 fauna. Construction Damage to public road resulting in deterioration in road surface and D 2 L5  Agreement in place with Shire with respect to road maintenance. E 2 L3 Operations public complaints.  Avoidance of public roads where possible. Closure Operations Dewatering rate is higher than expected D 2 L5  Ongoing review of hydrological data from previous mining operations E 2 L3 leading to mine void flooding. and current hydrological studies has been undertaken to determine dewatering strategy and development of the site water balance.  Allow provision for dewatering bores if required. General  Inspections of dewatering sumps. Construction Bushfire resulting in safety risks, impacts to vegetation, wildlife, dwellings C 3 H13  Firebreaks will be constructed and maintained. Staff education on fire D 3 M9 Operation and equipment. prevention techniques (inductions). Care and  Communication Plan developed with DPaW to address communication maintenance Decommissioning points and machinery to be used in event of fire. Construction Fire resulting from Project operations leading to vegetation, pasture and D 3 M9  Firebreaks constructed and maintained around boundary fence as E 3 M6 Operations infrastructure damage. required by Shire by-laws. Closure  Staff education on fire prevention techniques (inductions) and fire response training for personnel

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Component/Aspect Phase Pathway & Potential Environmental Impacts L C IR Control / Treatment (Existing / Proposed) L C RR Construction Environmental monitoring data not collected or poor quality data D 3 M9  All monitoring requirements will be well documented and carried out on a E 3 M6 Operation collected preventing the identification of environmental impacts routine basis. Care and  Monitoring will be undertaken in accordance with the DWER Licence and maintenance Decommissioning relevant Australian Standards. Closure  Monitoring will be conducted by suitably trained personnel.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES, PERFORMANCE CRITERIA AND OUTCOMES

The environmental factors that may be impacted by the development of the Aquarius deposit have been identified through the risk assessment process. Environmental factors assessed as moderate to high risk, pre-treatment have been assigned specific environmental outcomes to establish the acceptable level of impact that must not be exceeded or a level of performance to be met. Each environmental outcome has set performance criteria to enable the outcomes to be measured and to define limits for monitoring and environmental reporting.

The environmental performance of the project will be assessed against performance criteria and exceedances and/or incidents which cause or have the potential to cause significant environmental harm will be reported to DMIRS in accordance with specified timeframes.

Environmental Outcomes and Performance Criteria

The defined environmental outcomes, performance criteria and proposed monitoring for the development of the Aquarius underground mine are provided in Table 19.

The environmental outcomes have been developed to be proportionate to the potential risk, site specific, realistic and consistent with DMIRS environmental objectives. The environmental performance criteria proposed is outcome-based where suitable to allow for an adaptive and flexible approach to environmental management. Monitoring requirements for each performance criteria have been designed to be sensitive to early changes in the environmental conditions on site, so that corrective or contingency actions can be implemented in a timely manner.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Table 19: Environmental Outcomes, Performance Criteria and Monitoring

Environmental DMIRS objective Environmental Risk / Risk Pathway(s) Environmental Outcome Performance Criteria Monitoring factor Biodiversity / To maintain representation,  Introduction and/or increase spread of  Weed populations and diversity  No new weed species are identified within  Annual weed survey (or following Flora / Fauna / diversity, viability and weed species from project activities does not increase as a result of disturbed areas on site. large rainfall events), inspections Ecosystem ecological function at the resulting in a reduction in native operations.  Reference sites are established in the local or monitoring to determine weed species, population and vegetation health and condition due to area (10 km radius) within similar or species, weed locations and community level. competition for natural resources. representative vegetation types. weed densities in disturbed and  Known weed species are identified and control undisturbed areas. measures are implemented.  At least two inspections during  Nil establishment of Declared Pest species operations of cleared and rehabilitated areas to assess weed establishment.

 Ground disturbance activities results in  Ground disturbance and clearing  No clearing outside of disturbance envelope.  Post clearing survey completed in loss of native vegetation and reduction is limited to the approved  The approved disturbance enveloped aligns accordance with Surface in availability of habitat for local flora and disturbance envelope. with approved EP Act clearing permit Disturbance Procedures. fauna species. envelope.  Incident reporting and  Unauthorised/unapproved clearing or  Clearing restricted to approved limits (ha). investigation of any unauthorised ground disturbance of native vegetation  All clearing is conducted in accordance with clearing. (including non-permitted off road driving) approved Native Vegetation Clearing Permit  Annual Native Vegetation results in adverse impacts to flora and CPS 8152/3 or is conducted under a valid Clearing Permit Reports. fauna species of conservation exemption. significance or removes habitats on which these species depends. Land Mining will not result in  Hydrocarbon/chemical spills resulting in  The storage and use of materials  All hydrocarbon/chemical spills are contained  Weekly workplace inspections. Degradation / appreciable land contamination to land and water and chemicals does not result in and remediated within 24 hours of the spill  Monthly environmental Landforms degradation or the contamination to the receiving occurring. compliance workplace inspection contamination or pollution environment  All spills are reported and investigated. during operations. of soils.  Report all spills with the potential to cause  Regular review of environmental environmental harm to DWER via N1 incident register and results notification form or Section 72 of the reported in AER. Environmental Protection Act 1986 for severe spills  Sediment release from constructed  Sedimentation levels do not  Final WRD design incorporates sediment  Monthly visual inspection of landforms adversely impacts vegetation substantially increase as a result control/capture structures (i.e. crest and toe drainage lines, wetlands and un- health, drainage systems or wetlands, of operational or construction bund) cleared areas of vegetation for and results in an overall loss of activities  Surface water runoff from rainfall events is elevated sediment loads. biodiversity controlled by diversion drains and/or sumps.  Survey pickups are utilised to document waste dump construction as per design.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Environmental DMIRS objective Environmental Risk / Risk Pathway(s) Environmental Outcome Performance Criteria Monitoring factor Mines are closed in a  Damage to soil structure and viability of  Topsoil resources are managed,  Internal topsoil management procedures are  Quarterly reconciliation of manner to make them topsoil during stripping, storage or protected and suitable for use in implemented. proposed topsoil recovery (physically) safe to humans handling during operations results in rehabilitation activities.  No topsoil stockpiles impacted by operational volumes and actual volumes and animals, reduced likelihood of rehabilitation activities (i.e. application of saline water, recovered, which includes a (geotechnically) stable, success. waste rock placement, etc) during operations. survey pick up of topsoil (geochemically) non-  Less than 20% of topsoil is double handled locations. polluting/non- prior to use during any 3-yr period.  Quarterly audit of topsoil stockpile contaminating, and capable against site storage specification of sustaining an agreed and general condition. post-mining land use  Incorrect placement and management of  Waste rock is managed, handled  Identified problematic materials (PAF, sodic,  Erosion monitoring of WRD. without unacceptable waste rock during operations. and stored in order to construct dispersive soils) are segregated, demarcated,  Adherence to waste dump liability to the State. landforms that are safe, stable stored and managed throughout operations. management plan. and non-polluting.  A detailed materials balance is completed  Visual inspections and marking of during operations. stored materials.  Samples of mined waste rock and ore are  Frequent liaison with operational collected and analysed throughout operations staff to ensure awareness of if unexpected lithology is encountered. waste management measures.  Final Fairplay East WRD incorporates the  Daily inspection of mining bench following design features: by geologist for unexpected - Addition of competent rock in growth geological units. Further materials medium characterisation to be undertaken - Achieves a maximum height of 20 metres if unexpected geological units are (above lowest natural ground level) identified. - Maximum slope angles of 140 - Includes a crest bund - WRD is water holding, directed to center of landform All post closure risks to the environment Refer to MCP Refer to MCP Refer to MCP

Table 20: Outcomes Regulated by Other Agencies

REGULATED BY OTHER AGENCIES Environmental DMIRS objective Environmental Risk / Risk Pathway(s) Environmental Outcome Performance Criteria Monitoring factor Biodiversity / To maintain representation,  Unauthorised or unapproved clearing or  Only authorised clearing of native  All clearing is conducted in accordance with  Inspection and survey of Flora / Fauna / diversity, viability and disturbance to native vegetation vegetation occurs during all an approved Native Vegetation Clearing approved cleared areas prior to clearing. Ecosystem ecological function at the resulting in impacts to flora, fauna and stages of the project* Permit (NVCP) or conducted under a valid species, population and ecosystems exemption  Survey of cleared areas following community level.  Compliance with Environmental Protection clearing Act 1986 (Environmental Protection - Clearing Regulations 2004)  Entrapment of fauna species leading to  No significant impacts to native  Any injuries or deaths to local fauna species  Monthly review of Environmental injury or death terrestrial fauna as a result of the of conservation significance are reported to incident register. project.# DBCA.  Daily inspections of mine features likely to trap fauna.

Water To maintain the  Release of saline water during  No significant adverse impacts to  Adherence to DWER Works Approval and  Groundwater and surface water Resources hydrological regimes and dewatering activities resulting in a Lake Cowan occurs as a result of Licence conditions monitoring conducted in quality of groundwater and decline or condition of vegetation health mine dewatering activities.^ accordance with GWL160795(6) surface water so that and water quality. and Premises Licence L9155. existing and potential uses,  Daily visual inspections. including ecosystem maintenance, are protected.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

REGULATED BY OTHER AGENCIES Environmental DMIRS objective Environmental Risk / Risk Pathway(s) Environmental Outcome Performance Criteria Monitoring factor Land Degradation Mining will not  Hydrocarbon and chemical spill and/or The use of materials and chemicals  Adherence to DWER Works Approval and  Environmental incident register. / Landforms result in appreciable leak resulting in contamination of the does not result in contamination to Licence conditions and report land degradation or surrounding environment the receiving environment.^ discharges/spills likely to cause pollution or environmental harm in accordance with the contamination Section 72 of the Environmental Protection or pollution of soils Act 1986. * Note: Under its delegated responsibility, DMIRS investigates incidences of non-compliance associated with mining (minerals) related activities. DMIRS works cooperatively with the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) and applies enforcement actions consistent with DWER’s Enforcement and Prosecution Policy. Any prosecution actions for unlawful clearing will be undertaken by DWER. ^Note: Regulated by another agency during operations. DMIRS is the lead agency responsible for rehabilitation and closure (post mining) and completion criteria has been developed in the MCP to address DMIRS closure objectives. #Note: Listed fauna species are offered protected under the Wildlife Protection act 1950 or EPBC Act 1999, which is administered and enforced by DBCA and DoEE respectively.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Environmental Reporting

Karora will report against the environmental outcomes identified for the Aquarius project to enable DMIRS to verify that an unacceptable level of impact has not occurred on the environment.

Incidents Karora will notify DMIRS of any reportable incident within 24 hours of detection. A reportable incident is classified as:

 an incident that breaches performance criteria of the approved Mining Proposal; and  an incident arising from mining activity that has caused, or has the potential to cause, environmental harm.

An investigation report outlining the details of the incident, cause, impact on the environment and remedial actions taken will be submitted to DMIRS. The timeframe for submission of the report will be agreed with DMIRS following the initial notification.

Internal Reporting Karora internal reporting includes: daily reports, weekly reports and monthly reports, which incorporate environmental reporting. The annual budget determination process and project review meetings also provide a forum for environmental issues to be raised and documented.

External Reporting Monitoring results and incidents are reported to DMIRS through submission of an Annual Environmental Report (AER) in accordance with DMIRS requirements.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Karora’s Environmental Management System Manual (EMSM) is a structured system designed to help manage environmental impacts and improve environmental performance. The EMSM uses a risk management process to identify, prioritise and manage environmental risks and provides a methodical approach to planning, implementing and reviewing environmental management requirements aimed at continuous improvement (see Appendix K).

Karora’s EMS consists of these key elements:

 Environmental Policy and Objectives  Environmental Planning  Implementation and Operation  Measurement and Evaluation  Management Review.  Continuous Improvement

Environmental Policy and Objectives

Karora’s Environmental Policy Statement (Appendix L) is a commitment by Corporate Management to sound environmental practices and the minimisation of environmental impact from operations. The Environmental Policy Statement is the foundation of the EMS and provides the framework for setting and reviewing environmental objectives and targets.

Environmental Planning

Karora’s Environmental Management System planning element consists of:

 Environmental Aspects and Impacts  Legal and Other Requirements  Objectives and Targets  Environmental Management Program / Plan

Implementation and Operation

Karora’s Environmental Management System Implementation and Operation element consists of:

 Structure and responsibility;  Training and Awareness;

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 Communication;  EMS Documentation and Document Control;  Operational Control and Operating Procedures; and  Emergency preparedness and response.

Measurement and Evaluation

Karora’s Environmental Management System Measurement and Evaluation element consists of:

 Monitoring, measuring and reporting;  Cause identification and evaluation;  Preventive and Corrective action implementation; and  Recording and Auditing.

Management Review

Management review will be completed to assess the effectiveness of the EMS and make any modifications required to ensure compliance is maintained and continual improvement of the EMS.

Karora Resources Aquarius Underground Mining Proposal, Version 1

Mine Closure

Post Mining Land Use

Given that the underlying land tenure is Crown Reserve (CR), the proposed post mining land use will be to return the lease area to Crown Reserve. In order to achieve this, disturbed areas will be rehabilitated so that they are safe, stable, self-sustaining and non-polluting.

Post mining land use has been discussed with relevant stakeholders and no objections have been noted. Final post mining land use agreement will be documented and included in the MCP prior to the development of final completion criteria.

Karora anticipates that the post mining land use will be CR in accordance with the current underlying land tenure. Retention of any infrastructure (i.e. access roads, pipeline, etc.) following the completion of operational mining and monitoring activities, will be determined in consultation with the local shire.

Rehabilitation

Completion criteria has been developed and included in the approved Mine Closure Plan (Reg ID 61112) “Higginsville Gold Operation: Higginsville Mine Closure Plan”. The last approved mine closure plan is attached as Appendix M. The triennial revision of the closure plan was submitted to DMIRS for assessment in early August 2020. Karora acknowledges that the completion criteria contained within the approved MCP is not considered to be final by the Department and that the completion criteria are to be continually refined as the mine approaches closure in order to achieve rehabilitation and closure objectives. Karora will use information obtained from trials, research and monitoring data to refine and update existing completion criteria: Karora will specifically address comments received from DMIRS on closure and will develop separate closure objectives and completion criteria for regional areas at Higginsville.

The primary objective for closure is that mines are closed in a manner to make them (physically) safe to humans and animals, (geo-technically) stable, (geo-chemically) non-polluting/non- contaminating, and capable of sustaining an agreed post-mining land use, and without unacceptable liability to the State. The closure plan will be continually refined during operations as the project nears completion and contain a detailed rehabilitation implementation plan.

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The approved Mine Closure Plan outlines detailed closure objectives, criteria and activities for the following specific areas:

 Open Pits/Underground Voids  Waste Rock Dumps  Process Plant  Workshops  Administration Areas  Haulage and Access Roads  Dewatering Pipelines, Water Supply Pipelines & Monitoring Bores

Strategic Framework for Mine Closure

Karora has considered the Australian and New Zealand Minerals and Energy Council (ANZMEC) and the Minerals Council of Australia objectives when developing a strategic framework for mine closure and decommissioning. Karora is committed to reviewing and implementing current best practice standards on all proposed landforms (where practicable), as well as maintaining legacy landforms so that no significant harm occurs to the environment. Karora will also ensure that all remaining landforms do not pose any unacceptable safety risks to the community.

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