Extra flood funds to help repair damaged Beaconsfield mine shaft

MORE funding has been provided to stabilise a shaft at the Beaconsfield Heritage Centre which was damaged by last winter’s floods.

MORE money has been put up to help stabilise the Beaconsfield Hart Shaft which was damaged during last year’s floods and allow a Tasmanian tourism venture to reopen.

Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan and Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman have announced an extra $250,000 in disaster funding to shore up the renowned piece of mining infrastructure and allow the Beaconsfield Mine and Heritage Centre reopen.

The assistance is being provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA).

“This extra funding is on top of the $1.25 million that has already been contributed to this project by the Commonwealth and Tasmanian State Government,” Mr Keenan said.

“The Beaconsfield Hart Shaft was badly damaged in the June 2016 floods, and this additional assistance demonstrates our commitment to help Tasmania restore its tourism attraction and protect it long-term.”

Mr Hodgman said the funding would help Tasmania’s recovery from the effects of the floods.

“Last year’s severe storms and floods caused widespread damage to many parts of Tasmania, including the Beaconsfield Hart Shaft,” Mr Hodgman said.

“Completing the Beaconsfield Hart Shaft stabilising project will allow the Beaconsfield Mine and Heritage Centre to reopen, providing a boost to Tasmania’s tourism and advancing recovery for local communities, businesses and the state as a whole.”

The shaft brought miners Brant Webb and Todd Russell back to the surface after the pair were trapped underground for a fortnight after an earthquake and rockfall in the mine in 2006 that killed fellow miner Larry Knight.