Mines Minister slams Green Venture Minerals abandonment claims

Venture Minerals and Tasmania’s Resources Minister have come back firing over allegations the mining company had abandoned its Tullah mine site. Instead, Venture has told the ASX it plans to be exporting ore from the site as soon as early next month.

• Mining company says ‘no truth at all’ to abandonment claims
• Mining company raises $2.5M to ramp up operation

VENTURE Minerals and Tasmania’s Resources Minister have returned fire over allegations the mining company had abandoned its Tullah mine site.

Venture told the ASX on Tuesday it planned to be exporting ore from the site, at Tullah, as soon as early next month and Guy Barnett said the latest allegations were a continuation of conservationist action against the iron ore development.

“With a long history of legal opposition and delays to the Riley mine, it is no surprise that the radical Bob Brown Foundation are again up to their usual games,” Mr Barnett said.

“This simply underlines their opposition to jobs and hardworking Tasmanians seeking to earn a living.”

Earlier this week the Bob Brown Foundation released drone footage which showed a lack of equipment and activity at the site.

Environmentalist claim that Venture Minerals has packed up its iron ore mining operations at Tullah. Picture Supplied

The foundation also claimed contractors had left notes on the locked gate when they couldn’t get in to work or deliver goods.

The footage was released just days after venture Minerals told the ASX it had successfully raised more than $2.5 million to progress its Tasmanian project.

In its company update this week Venture said it had completed the first stage of mining and screening and was now assessing the results.

The Perth-based company said development and mining activities had started at Riley in 2013 but were soon suspended due to a softening iron ore outlook at the time;

“Approximately 90 per cent of the equipment that was previously purchased is still on hand,” the company said.

“Qube has been awarded preferred road haulage tenderer status and engaged to provide the necessary Burnie Port Services from the Riley Mine gate to on board ship.”

It said the current Riley Iron Ore Mine economics were well above August 2019 feasibility numbers – based on a US$90 tonne iron price and the focus of activity was now finalising discussions to finance mine’s wet screening plant.