Rehabilitation works at an historic gold mining site in Boyanup State Forest, approximately two kilometres south of Donnybrook in the South West region, have been completed through the Abandoned Mines Program.
Eleven abandoned mine shafts located within 10 metres of an access track were backfilled to reduce risks to public safety and the environment, with new warning signage installed.
The rehabilitation works were completed by local Aboriginal business Ultra Modern Construction and Civil (UMCC) with support from geotechnical engineers Douglas Partners. The works followed stakeholder engagement, geotechnical investigations of the shafts and surveys to minimise environmental risks.
Post-earthworks monitoring to date has indicated the works have been successful.
The Donnybrook site was mined and prospected for gold between 1897 and 1903, leaving behind a significant number of mine features, which posed safety risks to firefighting personnel and members of the public accessing the state forest area. The site was declared an abandoned mine site in 2022 under the Mining Rehabilitation Fund Act 2012.
The Donnybrook Shafts project was a collaboration between the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) and the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS).
The Abandoned Mines Program is funded by the State Government's Mining Rehabilitation Fund (MRF).
Learn more about the Abandoned Mines Program's key achievements in 2021-22 in the MRF Yearly Report.
