Kudos to Elementos Ltd who have steadily and positively been making progress in opening up a new tin mine near Waratah in the north west and have now pledged to employ 200 locals when full operation gets underway by 2021.
THE owners of a new tin operation near Waratah have promised locals will be given priority to fill the 200 jobs created when underground production begins in six years’ time.
Elementos Ltd will start work cleaning up old tailings at the historic Cleveland tin mine in 2017 in an operation that will employ about 30 people.
An open pit operation will be developed the year after before mining moves underground in 2021 and the workforce is boosted to 200.
Elementos CEO Tim McManus said there were enough houses in Waratah to accommodate a new workforce and that people from the West Coast town, and then the broader Burnie area, would be given first priority when positions were filled.
The operation, which will clean up pollution left by past mining activity, has the support of Save the Tarkine.
“This will be a 20-year project and we are keen to see people move to Waratah when we are in full swing,” Mr McManus said.
The company has had early talks with the State Government but there is no indication yet if it will be offered a royalties holiday or other deal sweetener.
The Government offered Avebury Nickel Mines up to $3.5 million and a royalties holiday to help secure its purchase of the mine near Zeehan. The deal later fell through but the offer is still on the table for any other prospective owner.
“Of course a royalties holiday would be most welcome but we do not need it to get going,” Mr McManus said.
Resources Minister Paul Harriss said he was pleased to see Elementos Ltd progressing work on the Cleveland site.
“The company is now going through the process of updating the pre-feasibility study for the tailings dam and have completed a scoping study for open-cutting the top of the orebody, with the project being assessed under the bilateral agreement between the Commonwealth and Tasmanian governments,” Mr Harriss said.