Toodyay Herald

They live in the Moondyne area of west Julimar amid gently rolling hills and trees in what was until recently an idyllic setting.

That was before Perth-based Chalice Mining bought 2500ha (6200 acres) of nearby farmland to build a Kalgoorlie-sized super pit, starting in 2026.

The miner says it currently houses up to 30 workers at the site and averages 72 vehicle movements a day, seven days a week, on 2.3km of unsealed Keating Road that links local residents’ homes to the outside world.

One family says dust has affected the health of their three-year-old son who travels the same road twice a day to attend pre-school.

Another local resident who runs a bush writers’ retreat on a 30ha (75 acres) property said Chalice had offered them $300,000 in compensation while farmers with land needed for mining got millions of dollars.

“Such a small amount of money wouldn’t buy even a 200sqm block in Balga,” she said.

“We grow our own vegies and the dust gets into everything, even the dog bowl,” a third resident with an art gallery and pottery said.

Ä couple with their own vineyard said their plans for bush chalet accommodation for up to 40 guests for weddings were now ruined.

“We came here to build our dream homes and live creative lifestyles in a pristine environment and now this,” one owner said.

A Chalice spokesperson said all land purchases and offers were based on a “dollar per hectare purchase price metric calculated at a substantial premium to market”.

“Larger farming properties have been acquired for a much higher price than smaller properties,” Chalice said.

The miner had set a 60km/h speed limit for workers on Keating Road and was operating a daily water cart on the gravel surface.

Dust levels measured from April to June were within national air quality guidelines and would be further monitored this summer.

Noise levels would be assessed next year when State mining approvals were sought.

World class?

We built our dream homes in Julimar for its unrivalled peace, tranquility, stunning star-filled clear skies and natural bush habitat long before Chalice Mining arrived at our doorstep.

This truly “world class” part of the world is blessed with spotted quolls, red-tailed black cockatoos, echidnas, emus and a host of wildflowers.

Chalice Mining recently boasted that there will be at least “$18 billion forecast contribution to gross state product, including royalties and direct economic contributions to the region” with “everyone benefitting” from such lofty returns.

Everyone?

Low impact?

As landowners who live within a radius of three kilometres from the site, we now have 24/7 noise, light pollution, and traffic.

Our houses are covered in dust all through summer because of a massive increase in mine-related traffic on local gravel roads.

Our already pot-holed and rutted access to the wider world is not designed for the frequency or size of the vehicles it is now carrying, and this is before construction or actual mining has even begun.

We shudder to think of the permanent health implications for children and adults who live in the area.

From October to April, a layer of dust covers our homes, our drinking water and the vegetables we grow, and we are breathing it in every day.

When mining does start and millions of tonnes of waste will pile up in large tailings dumps, with the dust will likely contain silica by-products and fibrous materials akin to asbestos.

If dust pollution is already an issue, imagine how much more will this be amplified in the years ahead?

What long-term, perhaps even deadly, effects or outcomes will we face?

Community engagement?

The occasional misleading email, a “tour” of the site with sandwiches, and a questionable survey which included ‘locals’ from Northam, Bindoon and Bullsbrook does not constitute local community engagement.

Our complaints about aircraft flying directly overhead, constant noise and light pollution go unheeded.

We have strange and uninvited vehicles entering our bush properties and contractors running residents off the road and scaring our animals.

The constant stress and anxiety from knowing that our plans for creative income, retirement and the loss of the serenity that we once enjoyed is all-consuming.

While we understand that you cannot stop progress and one can see that this project will be a financial boon for our local shire, State Government and Australian economy, we appear to be acceptable collateral damage.

If Chalice Mining is as community-minded as it says, you would think it would have engaged with us to offer compensation commensurate with the value it has placed on its Julimar mineral deposit.

When Chalice Mining shareholders reap the benefit from this publicly owned resource, remember that digging a massive open cut mine in our backyard comes at the expense of the forest, endangered animals and the locals who were here first.

To finish, here are a few words from Chalice.

“Chalice has engaged early, actively and transparently to build respectful and collaborative relationships with stakeholders.

“Chalice is committed to achieving lasting social and economic benefits for the communities in which we operate.”

Really?

When assessing disruptive impact, the frequency and type of noise – continuous or intermittent – must also be considered.

If crushing or other processing occurs, the base noise level will be considerably higher.

In the 1960s I was involved in establishing noise footprints around European airports when new Boeing 707 passenger aircraft were initially banned due to noise emissions.

Similar work should be done here.

However the most important factor relates to increased transport needs and its effect on the living environment.

Chalice Mining says it plans to extract up to 30 million tonnes of ore every year at Julimar for an initial 18-year period.

This equates to 30 trains up to 1.5km long – or 3000 large trucks – every 24 hours.

Access roads or conveyors would be needed to transport the ore to a railhead and a new standard-gauge rail line would be needed to connect it to the existing network.

My experience as Westrail Operations Research Leader in the early 1980s suggests the existing rail network can’t handle such an increase.

It represents twice the amount of grain already being railed to WA ports each year.

Significant new storage and loading infrastructure would be needed.

Current rail access to Kwinana is limited to perhaps an extra five trains per day at most.
Construction of new roads and railway lines creates extra noise at intrusive levels.

The impact of mining on flora in environmentally sensitive areas may be obvious but damage to animal life may be harder to detect.

These factors need to be investigated before it is too late to stop or limit the project.

We may need certain metals to help reduce climate change but the minerals are available in far less-sensitive environments further from cities, state forests and national parks.

The level of damage that may have already occurred at Chalice Mining’s Julimar test-drilling sites – including on private farmland – needs to be independently tested.

The Avon Valley Environmental Society, of which I have been Treasurer for many years, has met Chalice Mining several times in the past year or so.

At our first meeting about 18 months ago, we gave Chalice Mining a list of questions.
No answers have been forthcoming.

*The author is a university qualified noise expert who has worked in the British aviation and WA rail transport industries.

Chalice Mining later told The Herald that it answered a list of questions last November and is “continuing to investigate” other questions posed about the impact of a mine.

A scoping study suggests it could total up to 18 million litres a year based on an estimated 0.6 litres of water needed per tonne of ore.

A tailings dump to store up to 30 million tonnes of discarded waste annually is also planned for Chalice-owned farmland.

The miner said it will seek Federal and State environmental approvals early next year, and start construction in mid-2026.

About 1200 workers would be needed for contruction and 500 for mining operations.

Chalice told the Australian Stock Exchange on August 29 that it would give job priority to local workers.

“These jobs will be particularly attractive given their proximity to Perth and the lifestyle values of the surrounding region,” the miner said.

A Chalice scoping study said a new kilometre-wide open-cut mine would pay for itself in the first two years of operation.

Some market analysts blamed the share price crash on the 2029 start date while others claimed Chalice had over-valued its Julimar discovery by basing projections on assumed future metal prices instead of current values.

The miner has drilled a large area of Julimar farmland and State forest where it has discovered what it describes as a “world class” deposit of rare metals that are in high demand to combat global warming.

Tests have revealed significant amounts of palladium, platinum, cobalt, nickel and copper, which Chalice says are needed to produce electric vehicles, ‘green’ hydrogen and fossil-free renewable energy.

Chalice plans to mine nearly half a million ounces of palladium, platinum and gold a year at Julimar, plus 16,000 tonnes of nickel, 16,000 tonnes of copper and 1400 tonnes of cobalt annually until 2047.

It also plans to build a Julimar processing plant to crush ore and use sulfide flotation to produce an ore concentrate for export to precious metals refineries overseas.

An area two thirds of the surface area of the Kalgoorlie Super Pit will be used for an open-cut mine and tailings dump on Chalice-owned farmland near Keating Road.

Exploratory drilling has discovered further similar deposits in the nearby State-registered Julimar Conservation Park but this area is excluded from current plans.

The forest contains rare and endangered native birds, plants and animals, and has prompted calls for the State Government to upgrade its status to national park to protect it from future mining.

In response to the share price crash, Chalice said “we appreciate it may take time for the market to absorb and fully digest the study”.

“Chalice remains well-funded to pursue development of the project with over $140 million in cash,” the company said.

The mine would also require a new 132kV Western Power line to be built from Muchea to Julimar and a new transformer substation to be installed at the minesite.

The company says it will ask the Water Corporation to build a new 50km pipeline to Julimar to deliver water to the minesite.

Chalice said it would provide future “modelling on noise impacts” for surrounding farms and rural residential properties.

The cultural display on the left bank of the Avon River was officially opened with a traditional smoking ceremony attended by local civic leaders in 2020.

The location below Extracts Weir, about two kilometres from the Toodyay townsite, was also used as a traditional food source by local Noongar families.

Ms Shanks described the State heritage-listed site as culturally significant for water, hunting, fishing, camping and ceremonial activities that date back thousands of years.

It is also a popular stop for hundreds of bushwalkers and tourists on the 6.5km Bilya Walk Track, which was created by the Toodyay Friends of the River in 2013.

Ms Shanks said the damaged panels could not be repaired and would need to be replaced at an estimate cost of about $2000.

“Getting it fixed is a priority, and our volunteers will start fund-raising again to get it done,” she said.

McKeown did not speak further to his objection.

“Right, it’s a bit late in the day to mention it,” Shire President Rosemary Madacsi said as she recorded Cr McKeown’s objection.

Earlier, councillors voted 7-0 to give themselves a pay rise this financial year.

“Point of order, Madam President,” Cr McKeown said.

“Are you making a comment or having a debate or ruling on a point or order?”

“I am making a comment, councillor,” President Madacsi said.

“I think you need to withdraw it,” Cr McKeown said.

“No, I don’t think so,” President Madacsi said.

“We’ve had … the comment I think was valid given the amount of workshops (eight since last December) we’ve had.

“If there was a concern with the budget …”

“Madam President, you are now debating,” Cr McKeown said.

“I’m not debating, I’m making a …” President Madacsi said.

“Oh, I think you are …” Cr McKeown said.

Both began talking over each other.

“You are overruling the presiding member,” President Madacsi said.

“I’m interrupting the presiding member on a point of order,” Cr McKeown said.

“You have a point of order for constantly interrupting and over-speaking the presiding member,” President Madacsi said.

“There is no rule against interrupting a presiding member,” Cr McKeown said.

“There is a rule that says you are not to interrupt another councillor except when raising a point of order.”

“Then I suggest you become more familiar with standing orders please,” President Madacsi said.

“Councillor, we will move on.”

Members voted 7-0 to accept five of the meeting’s seven budget recommendations.

The other two recommendations were carried 6-1, with Cr McKeown voting against both but not speaking further.

They included $360,000 in annual State Treasury loan repayments for a previous council’s decision in 2019 to build the now largely unused Toodyay Recreation Centre.

Cr McKeown declined later to explain to Herald readers why he said the budget failed to adequately address ratepayer concerns, and why he twice voted ‘no’ at the meeting.

“I now may not make any elaboration regarding this matter because to do so may be a breach of clause 4(1)(e) of the Shire of Toodyay Code of Conduct for Council Members, Committee Members and Candidates,” Cr McKeown said.

The clause published on the shire website under the heading ‘Personal integrity’ says a council member “should avoid damage to the reputation of local government”.