Henty gold mine collapse the largest workplace incident in the mine’s 23-years

The shock rockfall at the Henty Gold Mine yesterday is the site’s biggest emergency incident in its 23-year history.

THE rockfall at the Henty Gold Mine yesterday was the site’s biggest emergency incident in its 23-year history.

Police, fire and specialist mine rescue crews worked late into Thursday night trying to rescue a miner at the Henty site who became trapped about 4am Thursday.

The Henty mine, about 30km north of Queenstown, began its operations in 1996 and was operated by mining company Barrick Gold which acquired the mine through the takeover of Placer Dome in 2006.

The mine was expected to close in 2009 but was acquired by Bendigo Mining midway through that year after the company invested $3.8 million in mining equipment for the site.

It was closed in 2015 before operations began again in 2017 under PYBAR Mining Services – a subsidiary of Diversified Minerals.

TASMANIAN PREMIER GUTWEIN TALKS ABOUT THE HENTY MINE ROCK FALL

Tasmanian geologist Professor Ross Large yesterday said Henty Gold Mine was well regarded within the mining fraternity.

“It’s been a model mine in the sense of its operations are located very close to a national park,” he said.

“It’s been acknowledged and commended in the past for its mining practices. I’ve been underground there on a number of occasions and always regarded it as a safe mine.”

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