An abandoned gold mine in Proserpine is being re-opened after extensive metallurgical test work revealed a major mineralised system exists, with only a small portion drilled to date.
The historic Dittmer Mine forms one of several old high-grade workings along a 2km north-northeast trending corridor which is also crosscut by a series of structures with associated historical workings.
The mine, which was discovered in 1934, had produced over 54,000 Oz of gold by the time it closed in 1951.
Since that time, the mine has been abandoned, before interest was reinvigorated late last year when Ballymore Resources conducted extensive field work, including mapping, rock chip, soil and stream sediment sampling to assess Dittmer’s size potential.
The results of this exploration identified a number of high-grade shoots that compelled the company to reopen old underground workings earlier this year.
A drill program, comprising 3,000 metres of diamond drilling, has now been designed to test these high-grade zones.
An area of 513 square kilometres is being explored further.
A Queensland Government CEI grant for $300,000 has also been awarded so the project can undertake an 8,051 line-kilometre survey of the entire Dittmer Project area.
The survey area covers numerous historic mines and prospects including porphyry-related copper deposits and vein- and stockwork-hosted gold-copper epithermal and mesothermal deposits.
If mining does resume, the method of extraction is likely to be via both cyanide leach and flotation processes with test work confirming the ore is amenable to this type of processing.
The Dittmer Mine is located near the town of Dittmer, about 20 kilometres west of Proserpine.
A small population of 79 residents live in the area and local groups have already come forward to protest against the mine stating there are significant concerns about the extraction process and how it is going to impact the water quality for the entire region.
Dittmer resident, Jeudi Croker, has started a petition to appeal against the pending mining licence applications for the site.
“The entire Dittmer community rely solely on underground water for drinking and household use with most homes having bores on their properties fed from fractured rock aquifers,” she explained.
“We hold grave concerns about this mining operation being considered for approval given the nature of gold production, toxic heavy metals in proximity to Kelsey Creek watercourse and the 79 resident’s bores.”
The mine site is also within the Proserpine catchment area and water drains to Proserpine Dam which then provides drinking water to the thousands of Whitsunday residents, as well irrigation to agricultural land.
Ms Croker says she is working alongside the Whitsunday Conservation Society who are also concerned about the damage to local wildlife, namely the rock wallabies, northern quoll, Greater Glider and numerous koalas which call the area home.
“We call on the State Environmental Minister Leanne Linnard to protect our essential groundwater Water,” said Ms Croker.
“This issue is a Federal matter, a State matter, a regional matter and a community matter; but ultimately it’s a personal matter in the manner that if we fail to take on personal responsibility for our collective ecosystem then we fail ourselves to leave a healthy world for future generations and we fail the voiceless animals and water and trees that we have a responsibility to protect.”
The old mine shafts are currently being explored. Photos supplied
The area of Dittmer and the vicinity of current mining exploration works
