UNITY Mining has withdrawn its application to process gold with cyanide in the headwaters of the Eurobodalla’s water supply and its managing director has resigned.
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A statement from the mine on Tueday, September 8, said management had notified the NSW Department of Planning that it was withdrawing cyanide processing from its proposed modification to the Dargues Gold Mine project at Majors Creek.
Departing Unity managing director, CEO and mining engineer Andrew McIlwain said that while the modification had supporters, most community submissions during the exhibition period were opposed to onsite processing using cyanide.
“In light of the volume and, at times, intensity of opposition and the timing and effort involved in what has been a very extended regulatory process, withdrawing the plan for cyanide use is the right thing to do,” Mr McIlwain said.
“The point of public exhibition is to give the community a voice.
“It was our turn to listen.”
Mr McIlwain also announced on Tuesday afternoon his resignation from the company.
On Tuesday last week, the Bay Post/Moruya Examiner raised questions with Mr McIlwain regarding his leadership, in 2005, of Australian-listed mining company Lafayette, which held the primary operating interest in a mine on the Philippines island of Rapu Rapu.
A cyanide tailings dam at the mine overflowed twice late in 2005, prompting the then Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to launch a commission of inquiry and suspend mining for more than a year.
Mr McIlwain said yesterday the Rapu Rapu spills were due to “sabotage”.
Mr McIlwain left the Lafayette company and consortium in the year following the spills.
He has been CEO and managing direction of Unity Mining for four years.
Unity Mining’s non-executive chairman, Clive Jones, said he was “thankful for all of Andrew’s hard work, efforts and achievements”.
“His efforts, ensuring a high level of debate during the public exhibition period, are appreciated,” Mr Jones said.
Mr McIlwain said Unity would continue with plans to mine gold at Majors Creek.
“In most part we’ll be reverting back to the originally approved development plan, so we’re continuing to assess a range of offsite processing options,” he said.
“We will, however, continue to seek approval for the relatively minor modifications in the application.
“We expect to see a speedy resolution and approval in the coming months, to allow full development of the Dargues Gold Mine project to commence.
“It’s still a strong project delivering jobs and dollars into the community.”
Mr McIlwain said he was grateful for those in the Braidwood region who had welcomed the company into the community, and hoped that any wounds within the close-knit community caused by the controversy would quickly heal.
“I have a great deal of respect for the level of community engagement,” he said.
