The Department of Mines and Energy is continuing to provide opportunities for regional development through local employment and involvement in remediation activities by awarding a safety tender to a local Tennant Creek company Remote Concrete NT.

Director of Mines Remediation Mike Fawcett said during site inspections conducted by the Legacy Mines Unit, for the legacy mines inventory, a number of open shafts and adit portals were identified around the Eldorado and True Blue mine sites.

“This tender has been awarded to local company ITS Contracting Pty Ltd Trading as Remote Concrete NT. Remote Concrete NT is a Northern Territory owned and operated company, based in Tennant Creek.

“Remote Concrete NT has committed to the employment of six indigenous workers from this project, including one indigenous apprentice. Two employees will be from the Barkly Work Camp,” Mr Fawcett said. 

The Eldorado and True Blue sites are located approximately 5 km south and 7.5 km north east of Tennant Creek respectively.

The tender is to undertake a program of safety works including:

• Backfilling 17 mine shafts;

• Installing steel grate covers over two shafts;

• Installing chain link fences around five shafts; and

• Installing steel grate covers over four mine adit portals.   

“These were considered to present a safety risk, due to their proximity to the Tennant Creek township and evidence of people accessing the area as most are found adjacent to well used tracks.

“Tennant Creek is an area of great historical and tourist interest. The works will make these areas safer for the nearby local communities and tourists visiting the area,” Mr Fawcett said.

This project is being completed by the Legacy Mines Unit under the Mining Remediation Fund and is part of a broader scope of works in the Tennant Creek area, following on from safety works already completed in the Fossicking Area 4 and safety works currently underway at Hatches Creek.

In 2013, changes to the Mining Management Act introduced an annual levy on mining securities; this enabled the establishment of the Mining Remediation Fund and the Legacy Mines Unit.

The fund is a levy on the environmental security bonds for mining activities which aims to address legacy mine liabilities, and fund a dedicated Legacy Mines Unit to work directly on legacy issues.

Work is expected to take around eight weeks to complete with the contract valued at $79,388.00.

Media Contact: Sheena Dunne 8999 5241