Soil Conservation Service wins Ardlethan contract

The NSW Soil Conservation Service (SCS) has been awarded $450,000 worth of mine rehabilitation works at Ardlethan, in south western NSW.  

SCS General Manager, Paul Jones, said the former alluvial tin works, south of West Wyalong, are being rehabilitated under NSW Trade & Investment's Mineral Resources derelict mine program.   

“The Soil Conservation Service has considerable expertise in land restoration and will be utilised to stabilise the landscape and establish new vegetation,” Mr Jones said. 

“The SCS’s previous work at the site has already returned about 130 hectares to agricultural use.”   

Mr Jones said the most recent work commenced at the end of April and the contract period last 10 weeks.   

He said the work involves construction of graded banks to break long unprotected slopes and divert runoff into 110 metres of new rock lined drains.  

“More than 3000 tonnes of nitrohumus and 100 tonnes of gypsum will be incorporated into the 9 hectare area in preparation for revegetation,” Mr Jones said.   

“We intend to plant a mixture of native and introduced species,” he said.  Open cut mining for alluvial tin at Ardlethan was undertaken during the 1990s and early 2000s.

The last mining company to work at the site went into liquidation without undertaking any rehabilitation.

The NSW government undertook the rehabilitation of the site using forfeited security deposits and State Government funds.

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