Silica Sand Gnangara

The Gnangara Silica Sand operation sits within the Swan Coastal Plain, approximately 30 km north of Perth CBD, within the South West Metropolitan Region. The terrain is characterised by low-relief aeolian sand sheets and Bassendean/Spearwood dune systems — flat to gently undulating topography that minimises bulk earthworks complexity. Shallow water tables (Gnangara Mound aquifer) impose strict dewatering controls, directly constraining pit depth and mass movement scheduling across active extraction cells.

Operating under Ministerial Statement 024, the site has maintained continuous production through multiple proponent transitions — Silica Sands Pty Ltd → Rocla Pty Limited → Hanson acquisition. Urban Resources Pty Ltd holds a concurrent approval for Lot 5892. Given the Perth-proximate DIDO logistics model, no permanent camp infrastructure is deployed. Key B2B considerations include:

• Daily DIDO rosters from Perth northern suburbs
• Multi-proponent land tenure requiring coordinated scheduling
• Ongoing progressive rehabilitation obligations per Statement 024 conditions
• Coordination with DWER for groundwater extraction licensing

Silica sand is extracted via open-cut dry mining using scrapers and front-end loaders across shallow benches. Primary processing involves:

• Wet screening and classification circuits for particle size control
• Attrition scrubbing to remove clay coatings
• Gravity and/or flotation separation for iron oxide and heavy mineral removal
• Dewatering via cyclones and mechanical thickeners
• Stockpile management for SiO₂ grade compliance (>99% target for industrial markets)

Operations intersect the Gnangara Pine Plantation and Noongar Country, triggering mandatory Heritage survey obligations under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 (WA). ESG priorities for B2B vendors engaging this site include:

• Compliance with Noongar heritage clearance protocols prior to any ground disturbance
• Gnangara Mound groundwater protection — zero net drawdown commitments
• Progressive land rehabilitation and native vegetation offset requirements
• Preference alignment with Noongar-owned civil and environmental services suppliers