Ellendale

Ellendale is located within Bunuba Native Title determined area 140 km east of Derby in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Mining for internationally acclaimed high-quality Fancy Yellow diamonds occurred at Ellendale between 2002 and 2015. Ellendale was constituted of two conventional open cut mining operations which included supporting infrastructure extending across an area of approximately 18 km in length. Mining activities ceased at Ellendale in July 2015, when Kimberley Diamond Company (KDC) entered into administration, and subsequently into liquidation. The site was declared an abandoned mine following a Notice of Disclaimer of Onerous Property being lodged in accordance with the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). Despite clearance auctions during the liquidation period in 2015, much of the plant remained on site. The site was declared an abandoned mine site in December 2015 covering a legacy of unrehabilitated mining features. The Ellendale mining operations were eligible to pay into the Mining Rehabilitation Fund (MRF) while KDC was operating and as such the project is fully funded from MRF Principal.

The Ellendale mine consisted of two open cut mining operations, three processing plant areas, numerous lay downs and associated maintenance areas, two bore fields, a camp and an air strip. Constructed landforms include: four tailings storage facilities (TSF), numerous waste rock landforms, run-of-mine (ROM) pads, water storage areas, and stockpiles including low grade ore (lights stockpiles).

The initial works program under the Abandoned Mines Program undertook a preliminary assessment and addressed immediate management measures to secure the site prior to the onset of the wet season. The subsequent planning works led to the completion of the Phase One works program in 2022. This covered the site-wide clean-up, including the bore fields and the deconstruction of the redundant plant and equipment from across the site.

The Phase Two works program is currently underway, with the Stage 1 earthworks contract in progress, addressing significant safety and landform stability issues.

The MRF Yearly Reports provide an overview of the work completed to date and can be viewed on the MRF webpage.

Planning for rehabilitation across the project area takes into careful consideration the potential for incoming tenement holders to recommence exploration or mining activities, ensuring the site remains viable for future responsible resource development.

Strategic Objectives

• To minimise significant environmental and safety risks associated with mining activities on the Ellendale site.
• With consideration of heritage values, to enhance the potential future use of the site through rehabilitation.