The proposal is to establish a silica sand mining operation at Gnangara, approximately 20 km north-east of Perth. Approximately 80% of the proposed project area is located over State Forest No 65 with the remaining 20% of the area covering private land.
The area of State Forest which would be affected by the proposal is zoned 'State Forest' under the Northern Forest Region-Regional Management Plan 1987-1997. This allows for multiple land use including water production.
The proposal is for the extraction of a high-purity silica sand layer which averages approximately 7 metres in thickness over a project area of about 660 hectares. Preliminary investigations have identified a reserve of an estimated 64 million tonnes of high-purity sand on the site. Additionally, some 74 million tonnes of quality concrete aggregate has been identified within the lease boundary.
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