Henty Gold Mine owners ask for more time to consider safety case

A mining company is facing a charge of failing to ensure the safety of a worker who tragically died underground at a gold mine in Tasmania’s west.

A MINING company charged over the death of a miner underground at a Tasmanian gold mine has asked for more time to consider its position.

Unity Mining, which runs the Henty Gold Mine near Queenstown, has been charged with failing to comply with health and safety laws in relation to the death of bogger operator Cameron Goss in January, 2020.

Cameron Goss

The Commonwealth will be prosecuting the charge of failing to comply with health and safety laws, alleging Unity Mining exposed Mr Goss, a local worker from a long-time family of miners, to risk of death or serious injury when he was sent in to work the area.

Court documents said the body of Mr Goss was retrieved three weeks after the relevant section of the mine collapsed.

The machine he was operating plunged down a 15-metre crevasse when the ground underneath collapsed, the documents stated.

It was reported at the time attempts to contact Mr Goss by radio failed and after a few days the rescue mission became a body retrieval operation.

The 44-year-old’s death was the fifth mining death in the area in a six year period.

Mr Goss was employed by mining contractor Pybar Mining Services.

Inspector Shane le Fevre and Pybar Mining Services CEO Brendan Rouse at the entrance to the Henty gold mine. Picture: Grant Wells.

He died of blunt trauma to the chest, according to court documents.

Court documents state the hazard which gave rise to Mr Goss’ risk of death or serious injury was the instability in the 1880 HW1 drive.

“The defendant failed to ensure the health and safety of Mr Goss and ensure plant and structures were safe and the hazard below the drive and if it might collapse,” prosecutors claimed.

The charge sheet also alleged Unity Mining failed to ensure that all technical services teams were familiar with the historical mining and filling practices at the gold mine.

The company applied for an adjournment saying the brief was only served last week.

It will reappear in the Burnie Magistrate’s Court on May 31 saying that it would “give it time to properly assess the matter and decide which way it was heading.”