The Fosterville Gold Mine won't change its ways despite an earthquake

Cath and Wayne Borderie felt their home shudder and shake hundreds of times as a result of an underground mine explosion near a mine outside Bendigo in central Victoria.

They can point to damage they blame entirely on the Fosterville Gold Mine (FGM) – Victoria's largest gold mine, which employs more than 800 people.

Every threshold above the doors inside their home had cracks, the brickwork was damaged, and the bathroom vanity was also cracked when their house shook last year.

“It's a stressful time, a headache, a nightmare,” Borderie said.

“We had a horse that pulled out due to the shock of one of the explosions – he was so badly injured we had to bring him home.

“We also tried getting chickens and they weren't laying eggs.”

The couple have lived on their property for 11 years and do not want to move.

But they said mining was exhausting them.

“It's intrusive into our way of life and our home, and the last few years have been horrific,” Bordiere said.

Cath and Wayne Bordery say the crack in the bathroom sink was caused by the Fosterville Gold Mine operations. (ABC News: Sarah Lawrence)

The Fosterville Gold Mine said it had an “established investigation process”, as concerns were raised about property damage caused by the mine.

All claims related to the recent earthquake on November 5 are still under investigation, she said, “but if it is determined that the damage was caused by FGM activities, we will certainly work with the landowner to fix this, as we have done previously.”

Inquiry concerns

The Axedale couple are part of a group of residents who plan to provide evidence to the Victorian Government inquiry examining Fosterville Gold Mine's proposal to extend mining operations for at least the next 10 years.

The investigation is assessing the potential environmental impacts of the proposal, which include the construction of mining infrastructure such as tailings storage, ventilation shafts, and water management facilities.

“It will be a nightmare,” Bordery said. “Our home and our castle are slowly being destroyed.”

Earlier this month, the company admitted its operations caused a 3.5 magnitude earthquake on November 5, which was felt from near Bendigo to Echuca on the NSW border.

The Marietta Foley mine's legal advisor told the inquest on Tuesday that so-called “ceasefire” mining operations caused the quake, and there were eight aftershocks in the following days, ranging in magnitude from 1 to 1.8 magnitude.

Cath Borderie says every doorstep above her house has cracks. (ABC Central Victoria: Sarah Lawrence)

Ms Foley told the inquiry the company's model predicted the possibility of an earthquake.

“FGM modeling and seismic data analysis determined that…the ceasefire had the potential to trigger a seismic event,” she said.

The inquest heard that FGM had received nine reports of damage to “cosmetic” property, which was not structural and the mine was under investigation.

Ms Foley told the inquiry that FGM methods would not change in the wake of the earthquake.

“FGM continuously reviews seismic data and regularly updates the underground pressure model and mine plan to ensure that seismic risks to workers and the community are minimized,” she said.

The Fosterville Gold Mine is Victoria's largest gold producer. (Supplied: Fosterville Gold Mine)

Anxiety blast

That explanation is no comfort to Lisa Williams, who wants to build her dream home on a clump of bushland behind an FGM mine, just outside Bendigo.

The property is dotted with rock boulders, which Williams fears will be displaced by seismic blasts.

“I have asked the mine to provide engineers so we can better understand what we need to protect our homes,” she said.

But Ms Williams said the astrologer rejected her calls after her meeting with them.

She added: “The meeting was very negative.”

Lisa Williams is concerned about underground explosions at the Fosterville Gold Mine. (Sarah Lawrence: ABC Central Victoria)

Many of the 1,000 applications submitted to the current inquiry were made by mine employees and their families, including children, who urged the government to support the mine's expansion.

One child, whose name was withheld, wrote: “If the mine closes it will have a huge impact on our family.”

“We may have to move from Bendigo or… [redacted] We may have to travel by plane to ensure our family has a stable income.”

The company had previously told the inquiry it estimated its expansion would benefit the Bendigo region's economy by $1.3 billion in the next decade.

The quake struck about 25 kilometers north-east of Bendigo at 6:40 am. (Supplied: Earth Sciences Australia)

A report submitted by Oxdale resident Chris Lancaster said his home had been damaged by “excessive and intolerable” explosions this year, and that it had recorded 20 explosions between December 2023 and August 2024.

“I have a two-storey house that was built to standard Bendigo building codes and was not reinforced as you find in northern Australia to withstand cyclones and tornadoes,” Mr Lancaster's report said.

“I live in fear and anxiety that a strong earthquake will occur later and my humble house will fall on top of me.”

The inquiry into the Sustainable Operations Project for the Fosterville Gold Mine in Bendigo will be held next week, with hearings continuing until December 13.

The investigation will then report to Victorian Planning Minister Sonia Kilkenny.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos