ABN: 53 149 040 371 Tomingley Gold Mine Environmental Assessment Project Approval No. 09_0155 Modification 3 Prepared by: R.W. CORKERY & CO. PTY. LIMITED November 2015 This page has intentionally been left blank ABN: 53 149 040 371 Tomingley Gold Mine Environmental Assessment Project Approval No. 09_0155 Modification 3 Prepared for: Tomingley Gold Operations Pty Ltd Telephone: (08) 92275677 ABN: 53 149 040 371 Fax: (08) 9227 8178 Tomingley West ROAD Email: [email protected] TOMINGLEY NSW 2869 PO BOX 59 PEAK HILL NSW 2869 Prepared by: R.W. Corkery & Co. Pty. Limited Geological & Environmental Consultants ABN: 31 002 033 712 Brooklyn Office: Orange Office: Brisbane Office: 1st Floor, 12 Dangar Road 62 Hill Street Suite 5, Building 3 PO Box 239 ORANGE NSW 2800 Pine Rivers Office Park BROOKLYN NSW 2083 205 Leitchs Road BRENDALE QLD 4500 Telephone: (02) 9985 8511 Telephone: (02) 6362 5411 Telephone: (07) 3205 5400 Facsimile: (02) 6361 3622 Facsimile: (02) 6361 3622 Facsimile: (02) 6361 3622 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Ref No. 616/25 November 2015 iii TOMINGLEY GOLD OPERATIONS PTY LTD ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT – MODIFICATION 3 Tomingley Gold Mine Report No. 616/25 This Copyright is included for the protection of this document COPYRIGHT © R.W. Corkery & Co. Pty Limited 2015 and © Tomingley Gold Operations Pty Ltd 2015 All intellectual property and copyright reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, 1968, no part of this report may be reproduced, transmitted, stored in a retrieval system or adapted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without written permission. Enquiries should be addressed to R.W. Corkery & Co. Pty Limited. ii ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT – MODIFICATION 3 TOMINGLEY GOLD OPERATIONS PTY LTD Report No. 616/25 Tomingley Gold Mine CONTENTS Page LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................................................... IX EXECUTIVE SUMMARY........................................................................................................................... XI 1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 SCOPE ................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 FORMAT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ........................................................ 4 1.3 APPLICANT AND MINE SITE ............................................................................................... 5 1.3.1 The Applicant ............................................................................................................ 5 1.3.2 The Mine Site ............................................................................................................ 5 1.4 BACKGROUND TO THE PROPOSED MODIFICATION ...................................................... 6 1.4.1 Existing Approvals, Licences and Leases................................................................. 6 1.4.2 Approved Activities .................................................................................................... 6 1.4.3 Project Status ............................................................................................................ 7 1.4.4 Environmental Performance ..................................................................................... 8 1.5 MANAGEMENT OF INVESTIGATIONS .............................................................................. 14 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED MODIFICATION ............................................................... 16 2.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 16 2.1.1 Objectives of the Modification ................................................................................. 16 2.1.2 Overview of the Modification ................................................................................... 16 2.1.3 Modifications Required............................................................................................ 17 2.2 MODIFIED MINING OPERATIONS ..................................................................................... 17 2.2.1 Proposed Caloma Open Cut Cutback ..................................................................... 17 2.2.2 Proposed Caloma Two Open Cut ........................................................................... 22 2.2.3 Proposed Mining of Caloma Underground Resources ........................................... 23 2.2.4 Modified Access to Wyoming One Underground .................................................... 27 2.2.5 Exploration of Wyoming Three Underground Resource ......................................... 28 2.2.6 Mining Equipment ................................................................................................... 30 2.2.7 Production Schedule and Mine Life ........................................................................ 31 2.2.8 Resource Sterilisation Considerations .................................................................... 31 2.3 MODIFIED WASTE ROCK MANAGEMENT ....................................................................... 33 2.3.1 Waste Rock Characteristics .................................................................................... 33 2.3.2 Extension of Waste Rock Emplacement 3 .............................................................. 33 2.3.3 Backfill of Wyoming Three Open Cut ...................................................................... 35 2.4 MODIFIED RESIDUE STORAGE FACILITY (DOWNSTREAM LIFT) ................................ 36 2.4.1 Need for the Modification ........................................................................................ 36 2.4.2 Modified RSF Design and Construction .................................................................. 36 2.4.3 Operation ................................................................................................................ 38 2.5 MODIFIED WATER MANAGEMENT .................................................................................. 38 2.5.1 Need for the Modification ........................................................................................ 38 2.5.2 Central Clean Water Drainage Channel Design ..................................................... 38 2.5.3 WRE 3 Dirty Water Drain ........................................................................................ 39 2.5.4 Other Modifications ................................................................................................. 40 iii TOMINGLEY GOLD OPERATIONS PTY LTD ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT – MODIFICATION 3 Tomingley Gold Mine Report No. 616/25 CONTENTS Page 2.5.5 Site Water Balance .................................................................................................. 41 2.6 MODIFIED SOIL MANAGEMENT........................................................................................ 42 2.7 DECOMMISSIONING AND REHABILITATION ................................................................... 42 2.7.1 Rehabilitation Objectives ......................................................................................... 42 2.7.2 Final Landform and Land Use ................................................................................. 43 2.7.3 Rehabilitation Methods and Procedures ................................................................. 43 2.8 BIODIVERSITY OFFSET STRATEGY ................................................................................ 48 2.9 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED AND REJECTED ............................................................ 50 2.9.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 50 2.9.2 Underground Mine Access and Design ................................................................... 51 2.9.3 Waste Rock Management ....................................................................................... 52 2.9.4 Water Management ................................................................................................. 52 3. ISSUE IDENTIFICATION AND PRIORITISATION ........................................................................ 54 3.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 54 3.2 ISSUE IDENTIFICATION ..................................................................................................... 54 3.2.1 Consultation ............................................................................................................ 54 3.2.2 Review of Planning Issues ...................................................................................... 62 3.2.3 Environmental Performance .................................................................................... 64 3.2.4 Modified Disturbance Footprint ............................................................................... 65 3.2.5 Summary ................................................................................................................. 65 3.3 ISSUE PRIORITISATION AND COVERAGE ...................................................................... 66 3.3.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................