Gold Road’s Gruyere gets EPA tick

Aspiring gold miner Gold Road Resources has received the Environmental Protection Authority’s nod of approval for its proposed development of its $507 million Gruyere project near Laverton.

EPA chairman Tom Hatton said an independent board assessed the potential impact of Gold Road’s proposal, which includes an open-pit gold mine, tailings storage facility and waste dump, to two environmental factors – subterranean fauna and flora, and vegetation.

“In assessing this proposal, the EPA examined potential impacts to stygofauna habitat and species from the abstraction of groundwater from borefields and the direct impact of clearing 2,260 hectares of flora and vegetation,” Dr Hatton said.

“The EPA concluded the proposal was able to meet the EPA’s objectives and therefore recommended approval subject to a set of conditions.”

He said the conditions included a requirement to prepare and implement a subterranean fauna management plan, to ensure groundwater abstraction is managed to protect the ecology of subterranean life.

The milestone follows news earlier this month that Gold Road had entered into a joint venture agreement with South African mining giant Gold Fields for Gruyere, with the two companies to hold a 50 per cent stake in the project.

Gold Road shares were 1.9 per cent higher to 62.2 cents each at 11am.