Zebra Rock Mine

The Kununurra Zebra Stone deposits are situated within the East Kimberley region of Western Australia, near Lake Argyle, at elevations characteristic of the Carr Boyd Ranges' lateritic plateau. The terrain presents shallow alluvial overburden over Precambrian argillite formations, simplifying stripping ratios but demanding precise selective extraction to preserve ornamental integrity. Seasonal wet-season flooding of the Ord River system directly constrains operational windows, compressing active extraction to the dry season (April–October).

Operations are fragmented across multiple small-scale concession holders: the Kapitany–Pas JV (Crystal World), Kimberley Ornamental Stone Craft, and the Zebra Rock Mine (Duncan/Walker). Each operator runs independent extraction, lapidary processing, and direct-to-market channels. There is no consolidated B2B vendor portal or centralised procurement framework. Diesel-powered machinery supports site clearing and block extraction; grid power is absent, making genset dependency absolute for any powered tooling or workshop operations on-site.

Extraction methodology is selective manual and mechanical quarrying — no primary crushing circuit or flotation plant applies to this ornamental stone typology. Value is preserved through controlled splitting and trim-sawing of Zebra Rock argillite slabs (characterised by rhythmic red-and-cream banding). Processing occurs at lapidary workshops in Kununurra township. No grinding mills, reagent circuits, or tailings impoundments are engineered at pit level. Block yield quality is the sole KPI driving extraction selectivity.

As a low-volume ornamental stone operation, formal ESG reporting frameworks (GRI, ICMM) are not publicly documented. Rehabilitation obligations under Western Australian Mining Act 1978 apply to all tenement holders. The absence of chemical processing eliminates tailings facility requirements. Key sustainability risks include:

• Finite resource depletion of a geologically unique, non-renewable ornamental deposit
• Wet-season erosion management on exposed pit faces
• Cultural heritage compliance within Miriuwung-Gajerrong Country
• No verified carbon reporting or third-party ESG audit on record