Riley

The Riley iron ore project on the West Coast of Tasmania, just two kilometres north of the sealed Tullah to Reece Dam Road, is expected to commence mining in the first quarter of 2014, as long as the project owner, Venture Minerals Limited, receive a favourable decision from the Australian Federal Court, that is expected to handed down in February 2014.

Riley Mine Subjected to Court Battle With Environmental Group

'Save the Tarkine'

An environmental group, 'Save the Tarkine,' has mounted a legal challenge after the Riley iron ore project had received Commonwealth Goverment approval for it to proceed, in September 2013. The project had been approved following the Tasmanian Resource Management and Planning Appeals Tribunal had found in favour of the approval granted by the Environmental Protection Agency earlier in the year. The 'Save the Tarkine' group is using the Riley iron ore project as a test case for future legal action to be taken against miners wanting to mine in the Tarkine area, a region with a long mining history that is now coming under substantial pressure for wilderness protection. An interlocutory hearing, a part of the judicial review being undertaken by the Federal Court , was held on December 6, 2013, a decision was made at this hearing to adjourn the final hearing date to February 10, 2014.

Federal Court Hearing Delays Start on Riley Mine

Because of the legal action being taken, Venture Minerals Limited, has not commenced any actual mining activity at the Riley iron ore project site, although it is continuing to make itself ready to begin production once it gets the 'green light.' It is currently finalising the delivery of long lead items and advancing negotiations for product off-take.

Before the appeal to the Federal court was lodged by the 'Save the Tarkine' environmentalist group, Venture Minerals Limited had moved the Riley direct shipping ore project up to production stage as it believed, with all the necessary approvals having been approved, it had an unencumbered right to commence mining. It therefore went ahead with appointing its mining contractor, secured bank finance and completed negotiations with TasRail, the Tasmanian Government owned railway company, to transport the ore to the Burnie port on the North West Coast of the island where it would be stored while awaiting shiploading services.

Riley Mine Contract Awarded to Shaw Contracting

In March 2013, Venture Minerals Limited, announced it had awarded the Riley mining contract to Shaw Contracting. It is a small scale open cut iron ore mine that is only expected to last around two years but is important to Venture Minerals in that it will be using the cash flow generated by the mine to further progress its flagship project, the Mount Lindsay tin and tungsten mine, just 10 kilometres away.

The mining of the hematite at the Riley mine won't require drilling, nor blasting, as the ore is able to be extracted with the use of a fleet of excavators and bulldozers with dump trucks taking the ore to the the rail loading facility. It will however require crushing and screening to have it meet proposed off-take specifications.

The Riley mine will employ up to 35 personnel who will all be housed at the nearby town of Tullah.