Wolfram Camp mine is one step closer to being revived, producing more promising opportunities for regional Queenslanders in the booming critical minerals sector.
Resources Minister Scott Stewart said tenders had been invited for resource exploration activities across a 480 square kilometre area, including the former Wolfram Camp mine.
“Queensland’s long history of resources activity has left a legacy of abandoned mines across the state but, thanks to advancing technology and changing market demands, some of these mines have the potential once again become commercial operations,” Minister Stewart stated.
Following last year’s consultations with industry groups, miners, explorers, and local leaders, according to Minister Stewart, it was evident that there was strong interest in resuming resource activity at the abandoned Wolfram Camp mine.
“This project is a pilot that could potentially see more of our abandoned mine sites around the state transformed from a liability to an asset – once more generating good jobs and royalties for all Queenslanders,” Minister Stewart added.
According to the Minister, these royalties can also be used to pay the costs of managing existing abandoned mines, and the Queensland Government has taken steps to minimise future problems by enforcing stricter rules for progressive mine rehabilitation.
Wolfram Camp is named for wolframite, an important primary resource of tungsten that miners have extracted from the site since the nineteenth century.
The critical mineral has several applications, including solar technologies, wind turbine blades, drill bits, and lighting filaments.
The mine was closed in late 2018 and has been included in the Queensland Government’s Abandoned Mine Lands Program since then.
Minister Stewart said the re-commercialisation of Wolfram Camp mine is one of 43 actions in the Queensland Resources Industry Development Plan.
“Our 30-year plan for the resources industry contains a suite of measures to find, mine, process and manufacture critical minerals,” Minister Stewart stated.
The Minister added, “Together, the Queensland Resources Industry Development Plan and the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan will help create good jobs in our regional communities.”
