This Saturday, October 27, the LRMA will hold a Coocoran Metal Clean Up Day beginning at 7.30am.

All help will be appreciated to clear the Coocoran Opal Fields of old cars, trucks, agitators, hoists and fridges and any other metal rubbish lying around not on a registered mineral claim.

A metal-only dump has been set up at the finger board near the boundary between “Muttabun” and “Roxburgh”.

Helpers are asked to meet at the finger board at 7.30am.

This dump will operate until October 31 for metal only.

Household rubbish is not to be placed on this dump.

A metal contractor has been organised to come and remove the rubbish.

LRMA secretary Maxine O’Brien said this would be a great opportunity for miners to clean up their claims as they won’t have to bring their rubbish in to the town garbage dump.

“It will save the miners time and effort when they go to cancel their claims” she said.

Ms O’Brien said it was vital for the mining industry to demonstrate that people were responsible miners and did not leave a mess in the mining fields.

“We are trying to gain access to more country being opened, particularly OPA4 which goes all the way south to the Barwon River,” she said.

The Department of Mineral Resources is providing the major part of the funding for the clean up day.

Director-General of the NSW Department of Mineral Resources, Alan Coutts, has welcomed the Coocoran Metal Clean Up Day this weekend saying there is a need for all miners and prospectors to keep their mineral claim and opal prospecting licence areas tidy and free of rubbish and litter.

“Clean up days like these are a very positive step. We are actively working with miners and prospectors to encourage the removal of rubbish and litter from the opal fields”, he said.

The LRMA would really appreciate miners with trucks and/or loaders to help with the clean up on Saturday and they have offered to pay the diesel costs.