Willem Westra van Holthe MLA

Shadow Minister for;
Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources
Local Government

Release date: 08 March 2010

 

FUTURE BRIGHT FOR WONARAH

Shadow Minister for Resources, Willem Westra van Holthe, paid a visit to the Wonarah Rock Phosphate site in the Barkly today.

Located around 200km from Tennant Creek just off the Barkly Highway, Wonarah holds world-class phosphate deposits that could soon be mined.

Wonarah’s operators, Minemakers, have a continuing drilling program in the area which is proving up the reserves which could see a mine life in excess of 30 years.

“There has been a bulk-sample dig which has removed many thousands of tonnes of high-grade ore,” Mr Westra van Holthe said.

“The Wonarah deposits are quite shallow – between 12 and 30 metres from the surface, making the extraction of this important mineral viable.”

Mr Westra van Holthe said phosphate ore is used to manufacture fertilisers, which will become an increasingly more important commodity into the future.

“As world food demand rises against a backdrop of shrinking agricultural land, the pressure will be on making the most of available land,” he said.

“Fertilisers, such as those manufactured from Wonarah ore, can be used to increase the productivity of farming land.

“Additionally, there will be some benefits for the economy of Tennant Creek and the local Indigenous population. Today, I met Wayne Ward, who is a local Traditional Owner from the region.”

“Mr Ward is caretaker at the site and also monitors weather and the quality of groundwater around the tenements site. He also keeps an eye on the local wildlife so that Minemakers can ensure that the mine has a negligible impact on local fauna”

Mr Westra van Holthe said mining is a big contributor to the Northern Territory economy, last year bringing in $224 million in royalties.

“All things going to plan, Wonarah may be on track to begin production in the second half of the year.”


Further comment: Willem Westra van Holthe 0414 778 430