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basis in the dry months, usually from July to
December as the sand is more easily
screened when the moisture content is not
excessive. Sand and shingle will be
excavated from suitable deposits within the
river bed with a front-end loader. Mining will
take place selectively in pockets that have
little or no vegetation. These pockets will be
excavated down to the clay river bed,
approximately 0.8 – 1.2 m deep with a loader.
This material will be loaded directly onto an
articulated dump truck, which then carts the
sand to the stockpile area west of the
western river bank.
Here the sand is fed directly into a screening
plant that separates the raw sand feed into
three different product sizes; 65 mm large stones and
sticks. The oversize product that consists of
>65 mm stones, sticks and plant material, is
returned to the mined areas of the riverbed
where it will blend with fresh sand brought by
intermittent flooding.
During the period of the mining lease it is
proposed that approximately 50,000 t of sand
will be extracted from the lease per annum.
As evident from excavation activities on other
sand mining leases in nearby rivers in the
Pilbara region, refilling of excavation areas
with alluvial sands occurs as a result of
deposition from river flows associated with
rainfall from cyclones and tropical lows.
The tenement M47/1438 is wholly within the
Yule River Water Reserve, which is a Priority
1 Public Drinking Water Source Area
(PDWSA). All aspects of the mining operation
will be managed in order to avoid
contamination of any surface or groundwater.
Support infrastructure on M47/1438 will
consist of an on-site donga to serve as an
office, a weigh bridge and recording shed, a
water tank, a sewerage tank and an
evaporative-transpirational leach field and
three sea containers: a sea container with
attached Westarp shade area; and two
bunded sea containers – one for fuel and oil
storage, the other to contain a generator and
it‟s fuel supply.
The YRSP is expected to create seasonal
employment for 3 employees, providing
opportunities for local indigenous
employment.
The Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation, in
conjunction with the Traditional Owners, the
Kariyarra People, have undertaken a survey
of the site and provided advice on areas that
are able to be disturbed without impacting on
Aboriginal heritage sites. No registered
Aboriginal Heritage site is expected to be