Tumblegum South Gold Mine

The Tumblegum South Gold Project is situated within the Meekatharra district, Mid-West Region of Western Australia, embedded in the Archaean Yilgarn Craton — one of the world's most prolific gold-bearing geological terranes. The terrain is characterised by semi-arid, low-relief lateritic plains with shallow regolith profiles. This flat-to-undulating topography facilitates bulk earthmoving operations but demands rigorous dust suppression protocols and careful management of seasonal drainage patterns that can disrupt haul road integrity and pit dewatering schedules.

Under the executed Right to Mine Agreement, MEGA Resources assumes full operational decision-making authority, creating a dual-entity procurement structure critical for B2B vendors to navigate. Suppliers must engage both Star Minerals (asset owner) and MEGA Resources (operator) for contract alignment. The project's remote location in Meekatharra makes access to local mechanical workshops a non-negotiable operational priority — unplanned equipment downtime without proximate service capacity directly translates to disproportionate cost blowouts and schedule slippage on a tight open-cut mining cycle.

The Tumblegum South project operates as an open cut gold extraction asset, requiring a fully integrated material handling infrastructure chain. Key engineering components include:

• Conveyor systems for ROM (Run-of-Mine) ore transfer from pit to processing pad
• Crushing and screening circuits adapted to lateritic and fresh rock ore variability
• Haul fleet management across low-gradient but abrasive laterite haul roads
• Dewatering pump networks for pit water management in seasonal rainfall events
• On-site power generation infrastructure given grid remoteness

Operating within Western Australia's stringent DMIRS regulatory framework, the Tumblegum South project is subject to mandatory tailings storage facility (TSF) design, monitoring, and progressive rehabilitation obligations. ESG compliance priorities include:

• Engineered tailings containment with liner systems and leachate monitoring
• Progressive land rehabilitation aligned with DWER closure plan requirements
• Dust and noise management under Mid-West regional environmental conditions
• Biodiversity offset obligations consistent with WA Mining Act provisions
• Water management plans addressing arid-zone aquifer sensitivity