34 | Westland Mineral Sands T T Karen Phelps Sand mining ‘dawn of a new industry’ The wet concentator plant has been in full operation since mid-December, processing sand from local farmland south of Westport. “We’re not a big international company coming into the West Coast and we see much broader benefits from what we’re doing for both the coast and New Zealand and we’re totally committed to the journey.” T Tto page 36 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Westland Mineral Sands Group managing director Ray Mudgway says the company’s recently commissioned estport plant marks “the dawn of a new industry for the West Coast”. Based at Nine Mile, just south of Westport, the wet concentrator plant has been in full operation since mid December where it is processing sand taken from local farmland owned by the company to produce heavy mineral concentrate (HMC). Under its mining entity Westland Mineral Sands Co. Ltd this will be exported to primarily China and Malaysia where it will undergo further processing to produce ilmenite that will end up in the global market for a variety of industrial uses including steel, paints, glazing for tiles etc and garnet for abrasives, water blasting etc. The process to produce the HMC involves excavating topsoil from a 21ha site (around two to three hectares will initially be excavated each year), which is then retained to be used for rehabilitation later. The mineral rich excavated material heads into a hopper and conveyor where it is put through a separator and mixed with water to produced a slurry. The slurry is then pumped to static spirals, which sees the slurry filter down via gravity with the heavier material containing the minerals separated off. Ray says that although a small plant – producing around 100,000 tonnes of HMC per year, the aim is to prove the concept for future development. The plant employs 17 staff of a total of 40 across the group. He says the response to the opening of the plant has been overwhelmingly supportive. “I get stopped around town a lot and people are very positive about the jobs, the fact we are getting the ports up and running and the diversification of the economy.” He says that although initially because the business was something new for the region there was a lot of questions, going through a public process and having a community liaison group has helped to engage the community. “Working collaboratively and sustainably with landowners, local authorities and the West Coast community are imperative. “It’s very important everyone is kept fully informed. “This is a 50-100 year business for the West Coast; it’s the dawn of a new industry. We are very careful to do what we say we will do and we’ve now gone from promise to production. “We’re not a big international company coming into the West Coast and we see much broader benefits from what we’re doing for both the coast and New Zealand and we’re totally committed to the journey.” Heavy Investment in Local Ports Sorting the logistical aspect of transporting minerals from the West Coast to the rest of the globe has been a key aspect of the success of Westland Mineral Sands Group, says managing director Ray Mudgway. The Westport plant is located 15km from Buller Port and the company holds leases for both Buller and Greymouth ports as part of its business model. “Fundamentally the West Coast is an isolated region in an isolated country in a global context. That adds cost to the transportation of minerals,” he says. “It’s been a chicken and egg situation - you need the industry to support the shipping and you need the shipping to make the industry sustainable.” Gary Bramley 021 403 386 gbramley@ecologicalsolutions.co.nz Richard Montgomerie 021 806 933 rmontgomerie@ecologicalsolutions.co.nz www.ecologicalsolutions.co.nz Serving clients nationwide for 25+ years Providing expert environmental services. Ecological Solutions Ltd. (formerly Freshwater Solutions Ltd and The Ecology Company) are expert freshwater and terrestrial environmental consultants based in New Zealand. Tailoring our specialist expertise to your company’s needs and goals, we help to ensure the success of your projects whilst meeting your environmental obligations. We take a pragmatic and solutions-based approach to provide you with a high quality and cost-effective service. Whether you need a long-term strategy, ongoing monitoring and technical expertise, quick-response measures or expert representation, our environmental consultants are here to help.
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