In Short:
The Ballarat Gold Mine has received approval to develop an open-air waste storage facility following a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal hearing.
The mine's current tailings storage facility has been at capacity for over a year, causing a temporary halt to gold production.
What's next?
Locals opposed to the developments say they are now relying on the Environment Protection Authority and Earth Resources Regulator to enforce environmental compliance.
The Ballarat Gold Mine has received approval to develop a 43-hectare open-air waste storage facility as close as 120 metres to homes, after a dispute process spanning more than a year.
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) released its decision to grant a planning permit for the mine's new tailings storage facility on Friday.
It marks a big step forward in securing the future of the troubled mine.
The mine's current tailings storage facility has been at capacity for over a year, a situation which caused a temporary halt to gold production in 2022. The new facility is required to maintain operations.
The planned new tailings dam in Mount Clear — as big as 30 football ovals, with a 35-metre-high wall on one side — will provide up to 10 years storage capacity for the mine.
It comes as Worksafe continues to investigate a rockfall at the site, which killed 37-year-old worker Kurt Hourigan on March 13.
Toxicity concerns
Tailings, a by-product of gold mining, are created when rock is pulverised to extract valuable gold from rock.
Chemicals are added to assist in the separation of gold from ordinary rock particles, the gold is removed, and the finely crushed rock and chemical slurry is dumped into the tailings dam.
The sands settle in the dam, allowing the tailings to dry out, before the chemical-traced water is pumped out and reused in the processing plant.
Tailings often contain arsenic, a known carcinogen, and other contaminants that can be harmful to human health.
City of Ballarat councillors voted to approve the new tailings storage facility in June last year, despite 53 resident objections relating to health concerns, environmental impacts and the facility's proximity to houses.
Dr Dora Pearce, a retired environmental epidemiologist who has analysed cancer incidents associated with soil arsenic concentrations, led a resident application for the decision to be reviewed at VCAT.
"I don't want the community put at risk of off-site dust emissions that could be highly toxic," she said while disputing the application last year.
A seven-day hearing ran in March, including an on-site tour the day before the fatal rockfall.
Mr Pearce said she was particularly concerned about the risk to resident health due to arsenic levels in the dust and its proximity to nearby houses, as well the risk to the environment.
VCAT member Ian Potts said he had assessed those concerns and found "these impacts will not be as serious or adverse as believed" and the risks to health, environment, landscape and amenity were not unacceptable.
"The evidence in this proceeding leads to a conclusion that the risks can be minimised to such an extent that they will be negligible," he said.
Design phase to commence
The plans reveal the new tailings dam will be constructed over two phases, with each stage estimated to take 10 to 12 months to construct.
Details of plans will be subject to review and final approval by the Earth Resources Regulator.
Victory Minerals, the operator of the mine, said the decision would allow the company to engage consulting engineers to begin the final design phase.
A spokesperson said "local contractors" will be engaged to undertake the tender for the $34 million facility.
"The decision helps secure the jobs of approximately 180 full-time employees as well as the roles of around 90 contractors," the spokesperson said.
"It is estimated that 2,000 further jobs in the region are predicated on the success and profitability of the mine."
Speaking to the ABC after the VCAT conclusion was released, Dr Dora Pearce said she and other residents are now relying on the Environment Protection Authority and Earth Resources Regulator to enforce environmental compliance.
Dr Pearce said the aim of nearby residents was "never to close Ballarat gold mine".
"We are concerned that only as recently as 2023 were ambient air monitors, used to measure the amount of fine dust in the air, installed at Ballarat Gold Mine," she said.
"Dust from gold mines typically contains arsenic, respirable crystalline silica, sulphur and heavy metals, so inhaling it could potentially be a serious health hazard."
Dr Pearce said residential development close to the mine site has reduced the extent of any protective vegetated buffer zone "to mitigate offsite dust dispersion".
"We had hoped that current best practice tailings management would be used in future at [the mine], such as filter presses to dewater tailings and produce stackable or transportable dry cakes, as a safer alternative to a wet tailings dam," she said.
"Ballarat Gold Mine has a huge task ahead to construct and operate this tailings dam over the next 10 years while ensuring that there are no adverse environmental health impacts on their neighbouring community."
The company currently has five roles listed for hire at the Ballarat Gold Mine.