Each of these components is now examined in turn.

Access roading

a) A formed legal road provides access from Appos Flat generally on the boundary of SO 14711 and SO 15248 to Red Hill and beyond. This formation is a development of an early access route to the upper sections of the Goldfield in both the Slate and Parapara catchments. Grade improvement work is required to this formation where it climbs steeply at 1:4 from Appos Flat onto the ridge above the sluicing lakes to facilitate access by 2wd vehicles. Sections of the balance of the road to Red Hill require improvement to water tables, cut off drains and some filling and metaling to Red Hill and the access to Richmond Flat.

b) Approximately 250 metres past Red Hill a benched roadway leaves this legal road onto Conservation land and sidles to the east to above the Glen Gyle catchment and Saddle where it turns to the South and descends to Richmond Flat across the eastern flanks of Richmond Hill. This road was established in the late 1970's for geological investigation of the mineralisation in the vicinity of Richmond Hill. It is now overgrown with a variety of endemic and introduced vegetation particularly gorse and prickly hakea on the higher sections. A narrow foot track follows the bench with a number of washed out culverts in gullies close to Richmond Flat. This lower section of track has regenerating endemic understory forest species and scattered gorse as vegetative cover.

Re-opening of this section of road requires the removal of vegetation, reshaping and water-tabling the surface, re-establishing culverts and supplying and placing aggregates which are obtainable locally from various cuttings on the legal access road from Richmond Flat.

In order to provide both construction and maintenance access to the tunnel headworks, a new road alignment is proposed to leave the existing alignment at GR 808491 and sidle downward towards the head of Richmond Flat at GR 811492 skirting the tailings dumps on the northern margin of the flat on their eastern side.

Environmental Impacts / Mitigation

Minimising all of the effects of roading activities is a priority with this proposal. These include detailed road route planning to avoiding significant vegetation, historical remains, ground which will be subject to unnecessary instability and to minimising visual impacts. The formation widths will be limited to 3.5m plus water tables on straight sections with passing opportunities included where these can be provided with the minimum of impact. Vegetation removal on the side of this construction will not exceed one metre to either side with the preservation of all downslope vegetation. No side casting of trimmed or cut material shall be made over existing vegetation. Excavated material not required for local filling shall be carted to other established and managed filling sites. Culverts will be placed in a best practice manner in all watercourses and at other intervals appropriate to the side slope catchments and minimising scouring of water tables.

Vegetation which is required to be removed shall be placed locally upslope wherever possible for decomposition or, as a alternative, to a nearby site for decomposition. Newly formed batters where required will be promptly spread with local surface gathered topsoil for re-seeding as part of the construction sequence.

a) The improvement of the existing vehicle track in this area is not expected to create additional environmental impact over those currently existing.