PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Residents in the Stawell community, in Victoria, will have a greater say on any proposal to revive the opencut gold mine along Big Hill ridge under a new assessment process announced by the state government.

It was hoped that the process would ensure that any new plan from unlisted Stawell Gold Mines would address issues including public health risks, noise and air quality.

“Any new proposal for a mine at Big Hill will be carefully scrutinised and this new assessment process means local communities will have a voice at the table,” said Victoria Resources Minister Wade Noonan.

“We will consider any plan that generates jobs and economic activity in the Stawell community, but it must balance public health and environmental concerns – this is not negotiable.”

The Big Hill project would involve the extraction of 2.3-million tonnes of gold ore from an openpit mine, with the ore to be trucked to Stawell Gold Mines’ processing facilities. Plans for an opencut gold mine at Big Hill were initially rejected in 2014 on the basis of health and environmental concerns.

Noonan said on Friday that, under the overhauled process, the state’s mining regulator will establish an independent expert panel to conduct information sessions, gather written submissions, hold public hearings and make recommendations, reflecting the advice of the 2014 Environment Effects Statement (EES) assessment.

He noted that any new proposal would need to be consistent with the previous project assessed in 2014, and should the project’s scope change, the company’s proposal may need to be referred to the Minister for Planning to determine if a new EES is required.

Meanwhile, the Victorian government is also establishing a grants programme to fund community legal education and assistance services for local citizens and groups who want to take part in the Big Hill proposal assessment.

Local residents will be able to engage in community legal education workshops, information sessions and guidance on drafting submissions.