Mod 3 - Extension of Mine Life

The EPA has reviewed the Hillgrove Mines Pty Ltd Environmental Assessment for Modification 3 to DA98/00802. The EPA wishes to advise that it has no objection to the proposed modification of condition 4 of the consent to permit the continuation of mining at the site until 31 December 2019. As the proponent contends that no additional environmental impacts beyond those considered previously in the assessment of DA98/00802 will occur, the EPA does not believe that further modifications to the consent conditions (beyond that proposed for condition 4) are warranted. In arriving at this position, the EPA has assumed that the existing processing plant's focus on producing concentrates and the proposed re-instatement of an electrowinning circuit are permissible under the terms of the existing consent.

I would like to advise that after reviewing the documentation submitted with the s75W modification to DA 98/00802 that Council has no specific objections to the Applicants request for an amendment of condition 4 of the Consent to modify the wording to remove any uncertainty in the date the consent would lapse.

As such, Council does not object to removing reference in the documentation to the 'Consent shall lapse 12 years after the date of commencement of substantial construction', with the wording 'The Applicant may carry out mining operations on the site in accordance with the consent until 31 December 2019'.

Regards

John Goodall
Manager Development Assessment | Planning & Environment Division

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