ABSTRACT
Iron, bauxite, gold, nickel, diamond, and mineral sands mined and processed in Western Australia represent a significant proportion of the world’s output and generate 70% of the export income of the state (Department of Resources Development, 1996). In 1994, Western Australia produced 193.6 tonnes of gold, which is 74% of Australian production and 8% of the world total. Much of the gold mined in Western Australia is in the arid hinterland of the state. A significant amount is, however, produced in the southwestern part of the state, near Boddington, in the eastern jarrah forest, 125 km southeast of Perth. Evaluation of the technology for direct revegetation of the ore refining residues from the Boddington gold mining operation is the subject of the present chapter.
