Old Fines Dam Spillway Completion
Delivering Safe, Sustainable Outcomes
The successful completion of the Old Fines Dam (OFD) Spillway marks an important milestone in ongoing rehabilitation and infrastructure works on site. Delivered through a carefully staged and highly controlled process, the project required precision, experience, and a strong understanding of long term environmental performance.
At MDM Mining & Civil, rehabilitation isn’t treated as a final task, it’s a responsibility. Every decision, material choice, and construction method is approached with durability, safety, and sustainability in mind.
Scope of Works: Old Fines Dam Spillway
The OFD Spillway works involved multiple interconnected activities, each critical to ensuring structural integrity, erosion control, and long term land stability.
Key elements of the scope included:
Excavation and ripping of rock during initial spillway formation
Placement of coarse tailings to establish stable base layers
Installation of engineered rock layers, including:
d50 = 25mm rock
d50 = 75mm rock
d50 = 250mm rock
Final trimming of spillway profiles both upstream and downstream
Each layer was installed to strict specification to manage water flow, reduce erosion risk, and protect downstream environments.
Supporting Works Across Site
In addition to the spillway construction, MDM delivered a series of supporting works across surrounding areas to ensure integrated site performance.
These works included:
Growth media load and haul along the North Road
Mudrock placement and trimming across multiple zones
Growth media ripping to support future vegetation establishment
Haul road construction connecting the WDE, Light Industry Area (LIA), and bioremediation zones
Batter trimming and final shaping across valley and stack areas
By coordinating these activities concurrently, the team ensured efficiency while maintaining strict quality and safety standards.
Precision, Planning and Performance
Projects of this scale require more than machinery alone. Successful delivery relies on experienced operators, well maintained equipment, and clear sequencing of works.
MDM’s modern fleet and skilled team enabled accurate placement, consistent compaction, and controlled finishes across varying materials and terrain. The result is infrastructure built not just to meet design requirements, but to perform over the long term.
Spillway looking downstream
A Commitment to Doing Rehabilitation Properly
Mine rehabilitation is complex work. Done well, it protects waterways, stabilises landforms, and supports future land use. Done poorly, it creates long term risk.
This project reflects MDM’s commitment to:
High quality rehabilitation outcomes
Environmental stewardship
Respect for Country and long term land stability
Delivering works that stand the test of time
Mudrock and Growth Media Load and Haul
Project Complete, Responsibility Ongoing
The completion of the Old Fines Dam Spillway represents a strong outcome for the project and a credit to the teams involved. It also reinforces the importance of partnering with contractors who understand that rehabilitation is not just about finishing a job, it’s about leaving the land in a condition that can endure.
MDM Mining & Civil continues to deliver rehabilitation and civil works across some of Australia’s most challenging environments, with a focus on safety, precision, and sustainable outcomes.
