Lake Maitland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Maitland |
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Mining in the Wiluna-Leinster area. Lake Maitland is located in the upper right.
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 Lake Maitland
Location in Western Australia
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| Location | Mid West, Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 27°10′48″S 121°05′00″E / 27.18000°S 121.08333°E |
| Type | Dry; saline |
| Basin countries | Australia |
Lake Maitland is a dry salt lake located about 100 kilometers (62 miles) south-east of Wiluna. It is found in the Mid West region of Western Australia. A dry lake means it is usually empty of water, and a salt lake means it has a lot of salt in its ground.
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Uranium Mining at Lake Maitland
Lake Maitland is known for its uranium deposits. Uranium is a special metal used to create energy, often in nuclear power plants.
The Mining Project
A company called Mega Uranium, from Canada, was working on a project to mine uranium at Lake Maitland. In 2013, they teamed up with an Australian company called Toro Energy. Toro Energy already had plans to mine uranium at another nearby location called Lake Way.
Later, in 2014, Toro Energy asked the government if they could add the Lake Maitland area to their existing mining plans. This meant they wanted to mine uranium from four different places across two lake systems.
Other Uranium Projects in Western Australia
Lake Maitland is one of several important uranium mining projects in Western Australia. The others include the Lake Way uranium project, the Yeelirrie uranium project, and the Kintyre uranium deposit.
Discovery and Development
The uranium at Lake Maitland was first found in 1972 by a company called Asarco Australia. For many years, there wasn't much mining activity because of disagreements between the owners and frequent changes in who owned the land.
In 2005, another company, Redport Ltd, did more exploration. Then, in 2006, Mega Uranium took over and continued to explore the area. Even though the mine is in a remote location, it can use roads and other facilities that are already there from other nearby mines, like the Bronzewing Gold Mine.
Who Owns the Project?
A group of companies from Japan called Japan Australia Uranium Resources Development Co (JAURD) owns 35% of the Lake Maitland project. These Japanese companies operate nuclear power plants, so they are interested in getting uranium for energy.
Future Plans
The mine at Lake Maitland is expected to operate for about ten years. During that time, it is planned to produce around 1.65 million pounds of uranium oxide each year.
Community Views
Some groups, like the Anti-Nuclear Alliance of Western Australia, have expressed concerns about uranium mining projects in the region. They have tried to stop these projects from moving forward.
Images for kids
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Mining in the Wiluna-Leinster area. Lake Maitland is located in the upper right.
