Bridging report for MLN 1982 and MLN 1983

Abstract

MLNs 1982 and 1983, on the coast near Fog Bay, were originally granted as Coal leases 3 and 4 under the now rescinded Coal Act for the extraction of sedge peat derived from the reed Sclera poaformis. The peat was mined/harvested in the 1990s and used in horticulture as potting soils and soil additives or in the mining industry as wetland filters. Similar material from other leases was sold under the brand 'Thunder Peat'. The deposits are underwater or too boggy to work most of the year. There are current mine management plans in place and previous activity has been reported under the Mining Management Act. Exploration conducted in the early years of tenure was based on hand augering to determine the depth and thickness of the deposit. Mining was conducted with wide track vehicles. Horticultural soil testing was conducted. The reed has demonstrated its ability to regrow after harvest and to regenerate even after it and the underlying peat had been destroyed in bushfires.