Field officers from Mineral Resources Tasmania have used drone imagery and photogrammetry to identify dangerous legacy mineshafts.

The risk assessment activity on abandoned mine sites in the Zeehan region on the state’s west coast hinterland, were conducted following concerns raised by local authorities.

A focus of the inspections was spotting historical mining features such as mineshafts and adits (horizontal tunnels) that could pose a risk to the public.

Mineral Resources Tasmania (MRT) follows a structured, risk-based approach, which includes desktop assessment of historical mine mapping, field evaluations and aerial drone surveys.

The first site to be examined was the Silver Queen Extended Shaft, a 20-metre-deep vertical excavation that dates back to the late 1800s. It is located close to public amenities such as a golf course and a roadway.

Another site was the Eureka Mine, which is northeast of Zeehan and was active during the silver and lead boom of the 1890s.

Drone photogrammetry of this site uncovered 11 distinct mineshafts and two adits, demonstrating the extent of potentially dangerous ex-mining features in the area.

According to MRT, its expanding drone program offers:

• Safer inspections by reducing physical exposure;
• Faster coverage of large areas; and
• High-resolution imagery aligned with historical data.

Following these surveys, MRT plans to implement short-term safety measures such as erecting warning signs and putting in place exclusion measures.