Smoking ceremony to mark start of Mount Morgan mine reopening
Work at a dormant Queensland mine, once the largest of its kind in the world, is underway after traditional owners held a smoking ceremony where tonnes of gold and copper will soon be produced.
Rockhampton
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Work to revive what was once the world’s largest open pit mine is underway.
It comes after an official turning of the sod featuring a smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country by the Gangulu descendants at the Mount Morgan site last week.
The ceremony marked the start of the Heritage Mineral’s Mount Morgan Tailings Processing and Rehabilitation Project.
Work on the access road and construction will now start and it is hoped metal will be produced in 18 months time.
The mine is expected to produce up to 7.5 tonnes of gold and 5,600 tonnes of copper.
CEO Malcolm Paterson said at the ceremony about how Heritage Minerals was committed to making the project go ahead.
“We’re interested in the future of Mount Morgan, not just providing jobs for people but the younger generation as well, the kids,” he said
Next month, workers will host 25 teachers show them the opportunities at the mine to be passed onto their students.
The Western Australia company took over the dormant site in mid-2020 with plans to use new technology to treat the tailings.
GreenGold’s ReCYN technology, through the new processing plant, will detoxify the tailings and guarantees compliant water discharge.
A new treatment plant will also be built to improve water quality in the Dee River.
“We’re introducing new technology, Mount Morgan has a history of being first and this is another first,” Mr Paterson said.
“It was at one stage the largest mine in the world with the open pit, the production.
“We want to put life back into it, it will be something special again.”
The initial construction phase is estimated to employ 250 people and a second phase from late 2024 will employ 150 jobs, once operational.
The project is also estimated to provide an economic boost of more than $800 million.
“We want to open it back up to tourism again, just general growth,” he said.
“It’s a great future, we just want to make Mount Morgan great again.
“It’s going to take us decades, we’re here for the long term.”
Dignitaries, including Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick, also attended the official opening of Heritage Minerals office in East Street last week.
Earlier this year the project was successful in obtaining a $66 million Federal Government funding through the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility.
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