Century Minerals established for the sole purpose of exploring for copper and gold mineralisation

“Minerals for a better World ….. Learn about the role that copper plays in the high tech and renewable energy industries”

The Grass Flat Project E006872 is located to the west of Horsham.  It extends from just south of the Little Desert National Park through to the Dundas Tablelands (Glenelg River) in the south.  The majority of the licence is comprised of open-farm land that used for both cropping and grazing of livestock.  A regular pattern of roads provides good access to the licence area.

Century Minerals will strive to meet and exceed community expectations relating to “Environmental Management”, “Health and Safety” and “Community Engagement”.

Protecting and preserving the environment are core elements of Century’s values and commit us to a high standard of environmental performance.  The company believes that well managed exploration programmes should result in minimal lasting environmental impacts.

Century Minerals operates a small and integrated team which means that challenges and issues can be dealt with promptly.  The company undertakes no activities that are inherently unsafe for employees, neighbouring communities or the environment.

Century Minerals is happy to discuss any mutually beneficial partnerships that have a positive impact on the community and the environment.  Please forward an email through the contact section of this website.

Stavely Block 9 (EL006872) was part of a large research project by the Geological Survey of Victoria to better understand the geology of the Stavely volcanic belt in western Victoria. Much of the region is hidden beneath younger sedimentary rocks and unconsolidated sediments of the Murray basin. The results of the GSV research work can be found here.  The work completed by the GSV concluded that the basement rocks prospective for copper, gold, zinc and other metals are present beneath 30m to greater than 100m of younger cover within the licence area.

The exploration programme proposed by Century Minerals comprises;

1. Sampling surface soil material along road verges and on private land to detect trace quantities of the targeted metals
2. Collecting and analysing water samples from bores across the licence area
3. Airborne and ground geophysical surveys to better understand the nature and thickness of cover, as well as to more accurately map basement geological features. These surveys may include collection of magnetic and electrical geophysics, and passive seismic data using ground-based geophone arrays. Detailed ground-based surveys may be used in areas requiring more detailed assessment.
4. Commencing in year 2 of the licence, and dependent on positive results of the work program outlined above, low impact aircore or diamond drilling for geological information or aimed at detecting bedrock metal mineralisation will be undertaken.

Century will inform local communities in advance of any of the exploration programs as to the nature and location of proposed work.  All of the above activities are considered to be investigative and low-impact in nature.  They contrast to the activities that would take place should a metal prospect be discovered by the intensity of sampling patterns and the lack of need to clear drilling lines and pads.  Where a prospect is discovered for the type of deposits Century is looking for the areal foot print is typically quite small.

Century Minerals will conduct an initial impact assessment prior to commencing an exploration programme.  In liaison with the Department of Earth Resource Regulation (Work-Plan Apporvals) it will classify the likely impact on the community as being Low, Medium or High based on;

1. The Exploration Activity (e.g. airborne survey, geochemical sampling, drilling, etc);
2. Regularity / specific element (e.g. extended work hours, etc);
3. Access to exploration site (e.g. private freehold land, crown land, etc); &
4. Noise and Other Disturbances.

In the first 1 to 2 years of the licences life only very low-impact reconnaissance type exploration programmes will take place.

Century Minerals ‘Community Engagement Plan’ includes consultation and information dissemination to private landowners and occupiers, crown land managers, local councils and the broader community.  The company will use its local contacts and the Horsham Rural City Council to identify the extent of stakeholders and their contact details in the licence area.  The company will engage with these stakeholders via;

1. Personal direct contact at the farmgate, telephone, email;
2. Written letter (especially absentee land owners);
3. Local newspaper notices;
4. Community town hall or exploration site meeting; and,
5. Posters and Notices on community boards in public spaces (e.g. shopping centres, recreation centres, etc)