Goto Chockstone Home

  Guide
  Gallery
  Tech Tips
  Articles
  Reviews
  Dictionary
  Links
  Forum
  Search
  About

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

  Shop
Chockstone Photography
Australian Landscape Photography by Michael Boniwell
Australian Landscape Prints





Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

 Page 1 of 2. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 34
Author
OT - THE WIM150 MINERAL SANDS PROJECT
TobyB
30-Jul-2013
5:27:18 PM
This is a pretty scary prospect...
http://www.auzircon.com.au/wim150-project/

Toby Bucek
dawyndham
30-Jul-2013
6:39:29 PM
Look at it this way. They are mining sporks and camping stoves (Titanium) as well as go-pros and solar charging panels (rare-minerals) for the benefit of the climbing community.

shortman
30-Jul-2013
7:23:53 PM
On 30/07/2013 dawyndham wrote:
>Look at it this way. They are mining sporks and camping stoves (Titanium)
>as well as go-pros and solar charging panels (rare-minerals) for the benefit
>of the climbing community.

You mean they dig stuff up and turn into all these fancy little products we love?

No way.

Miguel75
30-Jul-2013
8:12:13 PM
On 30/07/2013 dawyndham wrote:
>Look at it this way. They are mining sporks and camping stoves (Titanium)
>as well as go-pros and solar charging panels (rare-minerals) for the benefit
>of the climbing community.

I was stoked reading about the go-pro, stoves and solar chargers but you lost me at sporks.

If they changes their business model to make splades I'd probably support them...

pmonks
31-Jul-2013
8:11:06 AM
Is xenotime like Hammer Time, but with aliens?
Reluctant
31-Jul-2013
6:22:56 PM
Drove some back roads just north of brimpaen about 4 months ago. Area is already prep (organic scrape). Nothing near it. Wouldn't have known if I wasn't almost lost.

re77
31-Jul-2013
7:43:01 PM

the blasé and misinformed comments above are a sad reflection of a species beyond hope.

zircon has nothing to do with titanium and in fact is most commonly used by glass and ceramic companies as refractory material.

the lack of concern for this proposed project is astonishing. This project will clearly impact the northern grampians region.


from http://www.auzircon.com.au/wim150-project/

"Operations would be 24 hours per day, 7 days per week"

"It is anticipated that the main access road to the mine site could extend from the Western Highway, near the intersection with Flat Rock Road. Access roads would be used by mine construction and operations staff, contractors and delivery personnel and drivers of trucks."

"Mined ore is anticipated to be transported to a relocatable mining unit plant located adjacent to the open pit where the ore would be screened and slurried. The ore slurry would then be pumped to a wet concentrator plant, where it would be separated into sand, clay/silt and heavy mineral concentrate. Heavy mineral concentrate would then be transferred to a mineral separation plant (also at the process plant site) for processing to final products."

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/29890-how-do-they-do-it-zircon-processing-video.htm

Cool Hand Lock
31-Jul-2013
8:09:38 PM
Looks great, start the dozers.

Jobs in the Wimmera outside of farming...

Duang Daunk
31-Jul-2013
9:15:45 PM
On 31/07/2013 Cool Hand Lock wrote:
>Looks great, start the dozers.
>
>Jobs in the Wimmera outside of farming...

Go and shear your sheep, or maybe yourself for practise if you have none.

Climbers should oppose this as environmental vandalism far in excess than any debate over bolting a spurt route.

Miguel75
31-Jul-2013
10:15:36 PM
On 31/07/2013 re77 wrote:
>
>the blasé and misinformed comments above are a sad reflection of a species
>beyond hope.

I think you're reading into it a bit much, this is after all Chockstone where a tittle of jocularity a day keeps the Dr. at bay;)

In all seriousness, is there anything that can be done about this? Is there a petition that can be signed. I will happily chain Shortman or ODH to a bull-dozer if it'll help;)

sliamese
31-Jul-2013
10:54:12 PM
>the blasé and misinformed comments above are a sad reflection of a species
>beyond hope.

i guess that mine is the price to pay for the luxuries we demand. yeh its shit to have it in the backyard but at some point you must acknowledge that the people driving out to the gramps every weekend also have a pretty big impact as the end user of all the above mentioned items. they don't magically fall out of the sky!

i think thats a totally shithouse spot for a mine and hope somehow it doesnt go ahead. but at the very least its a good reminder for us to stop consuming so bloody much!!
Reluctant
1-Aug-2013
11:14:22 AM
Issue to concern climbers - water. Wimmera basin aquifer is already under pressure. This is a water intensive process. Now I know climbers don't wash a lot but current and any future accomodation especially on the gramps north edge will compete for bore water. Prices go up. End of world. Etc.

Before you say I camp in park, tank water etc, look long term. As more bodies compete for tent space accomodation ex park must increase. And that means it must have a swimming pool. Look how busy mzlc gets on a hot day with its pool.

And if you want support to alter the proposal mention water to farmers in the wimmera and watch the punches fly.

ambyeok
1-Aug-2013
1:39:39 PM
On 31/07/2013 re77 wrote:
>the blasé and misinformed comments above are a sad reflection of a species
>beyond hope.

If our specious is already beyond hope then why the hell would you care? Just sit back and enjoy the ride baby. guffaw.

shortman
1-Aug-2013
2:19:16 PM
On 31/07/2013 Miguel75 wrote:

>there a petition that can be signed. I will happily chain Shortman or ODH
>to a bull-dozer if it'll help;)

I dare ya Mike....even though the Fireman version is allot fitter and sexier than the old version, ;)

I like to think of it more like chaining the bulldozer to me.

ryguy
1-Aug-2013
2:21:42 PM
On 31/07/2013 re77 wrote:
>
>the blasé and misinformed comments above are a sad reflection of a species
>beyond hope.
>
>zircon has nothing to do with titanium and in fact is most commonly used
>by glass and ceramic companies as refractory material.
>

As stated: "The WIM150 Mineral Sands Project is proposed to target heavy minerals to produce a variety of products including heavy mineral concentrate, zircon, rare earth and titanium products."

Zircon is only one of the minerals sought. The titanium they seek is from rutile and illmenite which are all concentrated within the deposit. I'm sure these heavy minerals are also found within the grampians sandstone as blackish laminae where water currents sorted and separated them during deposition eons ago.

Iluka had exploration plans here some time ago but the rutile market crashed and funding for project was reserved. However, I doubt it made the price of Titanium bolts for Thailand any cheaper.
drdeviousii
1-Aug-2013
2:22:23 PM
I hope this is a troll.

On 1/08/2013 Reluctant wrote:
>Issue to concern climbers - water. Wimmera basin aquifer is already under
>pressure. This is a water intensive process. Now I know climbers don't
>wash a lot but current and any future accomodation especially on the gramps
>north edge will compete for bore water. Prices go up. End of world. Etc.

prices go up? The world ends? Really? WTF? Climbers use fk all water in the Nth Grampians. What bore water? Most people bring their own water because the tanks that are few & far between, & either look or smell bad (quote-unquote).

>
>Before you say I camp in park, tank water etc, look long term. As more
>bodies compete for tent space accomodation ex park must increase. And that
>means it must have a swimming pool. Look how busy mzlc gets on a hot day
>with its pool.

The park has to get bigger? Swimming pool in the Nth Grampians? WTF?

>And if you want support to alter the proposal mention water to farmers
>in the wimmera and watch the punches fly.

If the farmers are worried about water why don't they ASK climbers or hikers or tourists for support? Instead of filling chocky with a load of BS hysteria.

The good Dr
1-Aug-2013
4:11:28 PM
There seems to be the simple 'mining = bad' NIMBYism occuring here.

Like all projects of this sort there are pros and cons. If you are agin' it then provide a logical basis covering both the pros and cons. Would actually provide much more interesting reading than the 'rising prices and the apocalypse' dread held by some of the naysayers.

The main concerns I would have are:

1. Access to adequate water
2. Treatment of the water in the holding ponds to ensure toxic levels of byproduct do not seep into the water-table and adjacent land.
3. Adequate restoration and rehabilitation of the land on completion of the mining.
4. Adequate and appropriate environmental oversight during the project.

Given that much of the land is pillaged already for farming, I am not so concerned about removal of the soil and replacement after mineral extraction.

There are some advantages to the project, particularly regarding employment opportunities and the financial advantages for the region.

There is currently a mineral sands mine at Donald, which is not too far from the Gramps, that extracts water from Rocklands reservoir. If you need to know how the current proposal will unfold, research the history of the mine at Donald for further information.

Climboholic
1-Aug-2013
7:23:19 PM
On 1/08/2013 ryguy wrote:
>On 31/07/2013 re77 wrote:
>>
>>the blasé and misinformed comments above are a sad reflection of a species
>>beyond hope.
>>
>>zircon has nothing to do with titanium and in fact is most commonly used
>>by glass and ceramic companies as refractory material.
>>
>
>As stated: "The WIM150 Mineral Sands Project is proposed to target heavy
>minerals to produce a variety of products including heavy mineral concentrate,
>zircon, rare earth and titanium products."
>
>Zircon is only one of the minerals sought. The titanium they seek is
>from rutile and illmenite which are all concentrated within the deposit.
> I'm sure these heavy minerals are also found within the grampians sandstone
>as blackish laminae where water currents sorted and separated them during
>deposition eons ago.
>
>Iluka had exploration plans here some time ago but the rutile market crashed
>and funding for project was reserved. However, I doubt it made the price
>of Titanium bolts for Thailand any cheaper.

I don't claim to be an expert on this project, but seeing this morally superior douchenozzle who created a chockstone account just to impose his opinion on us, GET SCHOOLED, has been the highlight of my day.

I'm sure no amount of evidence on mitigation of the environmental impact of this project, could sway this person from their default opinion that mining is bad, or convince them to give up all consumer products that contain these materials, such as their smartphone, their bicycle, their Prius, or their f-ing windows!


Miguel75
1-Aug-2013
8:34:31 PM
On 1/08/2013 shortman wrote:
>On 31/07/2013 Miguel75 wrote:
>
>>there a petition that can be signed. I will happily chain Shortman or
>ODH
>>to a bull-dozer if it'll help;)
>
>I dare ya Mike....even though the Fireman version is allot fitter and
>sexier than the old version, ;)
>
>I like to think of it more like chaining the bulldozer to me.

Alternatively I could tie you to me with 10mm rope and then hang off something groovy. Purely as a protest...

IdratherbeclimbingM9
1-Aug-2013
8:45:12 PM
On 1/08/2013 shortman wrote:
>I dare ya Mike....even though the Fireman version is allot fitter and
>sexier than the old version, ;)
>
... and this the same bloke who's house burnt down!
;-)

 Page 1 of 2. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 34
There are 34 messages in this topic.

 

Home | Guide | Gallery | Tech Tips | Articles | Reviews | Dictionary | Forum | Links | About | Search
Chockstone Photography | Landscape Photography Australia | Australian Landscape Photography | Landscape Photos Australia

Please read the full disclaimer before using any information contained on these pages.



Australian Panoramic | Australian Coast | Australian Mountains | Australian Countryside | Australian Waterfalls | Australian Lakes | Australian Cities | Australian Macro | Australian Wildlife
Landscape Photo | Landscape Photography | Landscape Photography Australia | Fine Art Photography | Wilderness Photography | Nature Photo | Australian Landscape Photo | Stock Photography Australia | Landscape Photos | Panoramic Photos | Panoramic Photography Australia | Australian Landscape Photography | High Country Mountain Huts | Mothers Day Gifts | Gifts for Mothers Day | Mothers Day Gift Ideas | Ideas for Mothers Day | Wedding Gift Ideas | Christmas Gift Ideas | Fathers Day Gifts | Gifts for Fathers Day | Fathers Day Gift Ideas | Ideas for Fathers Day | Landscape Prints | Landscape Poster | Limited Edition Prints | Panoramic Photo | Buy Posters | Poster Prints