Stockman
PROJECT
New Ownership
WHSP Stockman Pty Ltd
(Stockman), a subsidiary of
Round Oak Minerals Pty Ltd,
took ownership of the Project
in December 2017. The
transfer of ownership allows
Stockman to begin
implementing its strategy to
expand the existing mineral
resource base, ultimately
leading to the development of
the mine.
Project Location
The Project is located in the
Victorian Alps region,
approximately 460 km by road
north-east of Melbourne. The
site is 19km east-south-east of
Benambra and 55km north-
east of Omeo, in the East
Gippsland Shire of Victoria.
Project Benefits
Implementation of the
Stockman project will result in
significant economic benefits
to Victoria and will contribute
to diversification of the East
Gippsland economy. Including
employment opportunities for
local and regional people.
FACTSHEET
JULY 2018
Stockman Project Description
UNDERGROUND WORKS
The Stockman Project plans to mine copper
and zinc (with minor associated silver and
gold) at a location about 19 km ESE of
Benambra in north-east Victoria.
Stockman will develop two underground mines. The
northern mineralised area, Currawong, has not been
previously mined. The southern mineralised area,
Wilga, was mined in the 1990s as part of the Benambra
Project. Recommencement of mining at Wilga will
require rehabilitation of the existing workings to make
them safe with further development of the mine to be
undertaken to access the economic remnants of the
deposit.
The combined production rate from Wilga and
Currawong will be 1,000,000 tonnes ore per annum over
a period of approximately 9 years. Both deposits will be
mined using conventional mechanised underground
mining techniques currently used in the Australian
mining industry. Underground blasting will be required
to develop the various accesses to the working areas.
Ore mined from underground will be loaded onto trucks
and hauled to the surface processing facility via the
decline ramp and haul roads.
Project Description P.1
Tailings Dam P.2
Approvals & Planned Works P.3
Community Engagement P.4
ABOVEGROUND WORKS
Ore from both the Currawong and the Wilga deposits
will be treated at a new ore processing facility to be
located near the proposed Currawong mine. The plant
will consist of conventional crushing, grinding, and
flotation circuits; and dewatering for copper and zinc
concentrates. The existing tailings storage facility is
planned to be recommissioned and expanded to
accommodate the project tailings. Waste rock
generated during mining will be returned to the
underground workings as backfill.
The Project will also require development and/or
upgrade of support infrastructure such as power, water
supplies and roads.
Concentrate products will be transported by trucks in
sealed half height shipping containers and exported to
overseas markets. The empty containers will be
returned to the mine site for re-use. At project
completion, the mine site and support infrastructure will
be decommissioned and rehabilitated.
During operations, an average of 260 employees will be
required for the mine. The company will preferentially
seek local employees and contractors where possible.
MINE CLOSURE
Following the completion of Tailings
operations, mine management is a
decommissioning and
rehabilitation will occur over a
key issue for the
nominal 12–18 month period. project.
Monitoring of mine
Tailings are the non-economic
rehabilitation will continue into
the closure period until
minerals remaining after
relinquishment. separation from saleable minerals.

All infrastructure will be

removed from the project area
at the completion of mining,
Tailings Storage Facilities A formal review and certification will Regular monitoring will be

(TSF) are structures be used to verify that the ‘as-built’ conducted to demonstrate the
unless it is required by
Government. Access to all
constructed to store tailings. effectiveness and integrity of the
TSF is consistent with the approved
underground workings will be
Tailings are the non-economic containment systems.
design.
minerals remaining after
securely and permanently REHABILITATION
sealed.
separation from saleable
“The design for the first
minerals. The existing TSF will At closure the TSF will eventually
Tailings Dam be expanded in stages to
stage embankment raise be returned to a lake with inflows
Post-Closure accommodate tailings has been independently and outflows. A saturated cover will
Fund produced during operations. reviewed…” be maintained over the tailings
preventing poor water quality,
In December 2017, Stockman The TSF embankment raises have The TSF has been engineered to a including acidity.
and the Victorian Government been designed in accordance with
very high standard to prevent
finalised a funding agreement Australian National Committee on The embankment will be flattened,
discharges during operational life of
for the monitoring and Large Dams Guidelines on Tailings and a spillway constructed.
the mine. No water will be
maintenance of the TSF upon Dams (ANCOLD, 2012). The Disturbed areas surrounding the
discharged from the TSF unless it
the completion of mining tailings containment system has TSF will be revegetated and a
can be shown to meet water quality
operations. Stockman will fund been engineered to withstand wetland constructed near the
standards agreed with EPA
the total cost by making a severe earthquake or flood events. embankment.
Victoria.
payment to the State The design for the first stage
Post-closure monitoring of the TSF
immediately prior to the closure embankment raise has been The Stockman tailings contain the
will include annual inspections of
of the site, following the independently reviewed and found mineral pyrite, which can oxidise
the TSF and reviews of
cessation of mining and when exposed to the air, potentially
to be compliant with ANCOLD.
groundwater and surface water
completion of site producing acidic material, resulting
The existing TSF embankment is monitoring. A comprehensive audit
rehabilitation. This post-closure in poor water quality. The key to the
proposed to be raised by 8.4m. will be conducted every five years
bond is in addition to the mine management of this potential issue
Diversion drains will be constructed in accordance with ANCOLD
rehabilitation bond. The fund for the project. will be to endure
to divert surface flows around the guidelines; and safety reviews
amount will be financially tailings are deposited underwater,
TSF to Straights Creek (Tambo). every 20 years.
secured by bank guarantee the same practice used during

prior to commencement and previous operations.

adjusted for consumer price

index.
 PLANNING
An amendment to the East

Gippsland Planning Scheme

was approved and gazetted in

May 2017 for the construction

of the Stockman

Accommodation Village,

Benambra Carpark and

Approvals localised widening of Limestone

and McCallums Road subject to

A Work Plan for the Stockman mitigation and management EES and consultation with
meeting a range of conditions.
Project, located on MIN5523 and measures on the environment effects stakeholders. Key technical aspects

MIN006642, has been prepared to of the project. Subsequent to Round of the Work Plan have been

support an application to conduct Oak Minerals’ acquisition of independently reviewed in ROAD ACCESS
mining and mineral processing Stockman, it has hosted several site accordance with the Ministers Access to the mine site will be

activities pursuant to the Mineral visits and meetings with government recommendations. via the existing roads from

Resources (Sustainable and referral agencies on the draft Benambra, including Limestone
The Stockman Project also requires
Development) Act 1990 (MRSD Work Plan. and McCallums Roads. The
the approval of key permits and
Act). construction and operation of
The Work Plan has been updated to licences to undertake the planned
the project will involve some
The Stockman Project has been take into account the mining activities under the Water Act
changes to traffic levels on
assessed under the Victorian recommendations and conditions 1989, the Occupational Health and
existing roads.
Environment Effects Act 1978 (EE arising from the EES and Safety (Major Hazard Facilities)

Act) where the draft Work Plan was Commonwealth assessment Regulations 2000, and the

publicly exhibited, along with other processes. The updated plan includes Environmental Protection Act Victoria

1970. A Cultural Heritage

VILLAGE
EES documentation. Under the EE additional information from further

technical studies and engineering Management Plan (CHMP) has been
Act the Minister provided planning
design work completed following the approved under the
advice with recommendations for
Heritage Act 2006.
Stockman will provide
Aboriginal accommodation at a purpose-
built village on private land

Planned Works Commencing about 10 kilometers from the

mine site, for personnel who

Exploration
Diamond drilling will recommence on MIN5223 in Spring
2018.
Ecological Surveys
To meet Ministerial recommendations for flora and
fauna, targeted pre-clearing surveys will be completed
in areas proposed to be newly disturbed to establish the
Water Quality Monitoring Program
work at Stockman.
A water monitoring program is planned to commence in
Spring 2018. The program will include surface water
and groundwater. Monitoring of levels, flows and water
CARPARK
quality will be collected regularly. The results will be
A shuttle bus service will
used, in conjunction with existing data, to set
transport employees between
environmental quality objectives for water within and
the mine village and a car park
surrounding the Project prior to commissioning.
to be established in Benambra,

project. The surveys are planned to occur over Spring Project Commencement on vacant land at the old school

2018 and Summer 2019. site.

Subject to gaining necessary approvals, Stockman aims

to commence road upgrades and mine construction

earthworks in 2019.
 Community Engagement

• Community Reference Group

Stockman has continued to engage the Community Reference Group, holding meetings in
April and July of 2018. The group is made up of Stockman representatives and a selection
of community representatives who individually and collectively represent a wide range of
opinions and experience. The group is a vehicle for sensing community issues and
Water Supply distributing project information to a wider audience.

Water management is a key • Environmental Review Committee

issue for the Project. The An Environmental Review Committee will be established before construction begins on
Stockman Project will require the site and it will operate using a similar approach to that adopted for the Community

water for mineral processing,
tailings disposal and other
purposes such as dust
suppression and fire
Reference Group while aligning it to the Department of Economic, Development, Jobs,
Training and Resources guidelines for ERC’s. Expressions of interest in joining the ERC
will be sought in the coming months. The current CRG will be involved in the development
of the Terms of Reference for the ERC.

protection. Since the EES • Join Our Mailing List

was completed, the water If you would like to receive project information such as newsletters or announcements you

balance has been refined. can request to join our mailing list by emailing info@stockmanproject.com.au or phoning
(03) 5159 1300.
Most of the water required

will be recycled from the TSF

with make-up water sourced

from a combination of mine

site surface water harvesting,

limited local abstraction of

groundwater during

dewatering of the mines, and

licensed seasonal extraction

from the Tambo system to

bridge any shortfall.

FACTSHEET 2018

PROJECT OFFICE
2 Sebastopol Hill Road.
PO Box 104, OMEO VIC 3898
P 61 3 5159 1300
E info@stockmanproject.com.au

HEAD OFFICE
Level 32, 10 Eagle Street
BRISBANE QLD 4000
P 61 7 3835 6200