CASE STUDY

What can mining do for palaeontology?

Background

Located in the Langebaanweg area of the Western Cape in South Africa, the Chemfos phosphate mine ran for fifty years, from 1943 to 1993. During the course of routine operations, miners uncovered a startling array of bones in what turned out to be one of the world’s richest fossil deposits from the Pre-Pliocene period, which dates back 5 million years.

In the late 1980s, BHP Billiton, then Billiton plc, began planning the operation’s closure. They decided to help preserve this fossil discovery by working in partnership with the Iziko Museums of Cape Town to convert the 700-hectare site into the West Coast Fossil Park. The closure plans were designed to make the most of the site’s educational, scientific and eco-tourism potential.

“The site is helping us share our knowledge with people of all ages and backgrounds,” says Park Manager Pippa Haarhoff, a palaeontologist specialising in fossil birds. “It gets people thinking about a much bigger picture of how life has been changing through time. It puts our lives more in perspective.” The site, which was declared a National Monument in 1996, goes beyond satisfying scientific curiosity: “it has real applications because it helps us understand our environment, where we come from, and how animals – and humans – respond to climatic change,” she adds.

Converting the old mine into the West Coast Fossil Park also required the rehabilitation of the land areas disturbed by mining. Experts in dune vegetation were brought in to re-establish the indigenous strandveld vegetation and restore the original biodiversity of the site. This was no easy task: the soil consisted mainly of beach sand with little or no topsoil, rainfall in the region is scarce, the indigenous flora is extremely delicate, and the invader species were widespread and persistent. Over the past five seasons innovative techniques were implemented to overcome these challenges, including “importing” the Australian melanterius beetle to control the spread of the invader species’ seed.

In addition, BHP Billiton’s closure plans included the continued engagement of communities on and around the site, in particular the 250 residents of the former mine village, many of whom are families of ex-mine employees. Funds were made available for upgrading the village’s infrastructure and for job creation projects for its residents. Several of them are employed in the site’s revegetation activities and in the operation of the Park. ‘Green Village’, as it is known to its local residents, is now an autonomous community and its housing association is managed by an elected board of directors.

In addition to BHP Billiton’s backing, the Park also receives support from government bodies, including the Department of Minerals and Energy and local and district councils; the South African Museum; the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA); and local business associations and chambers of commerce.

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CASE STUDY DETAILS

Published
27 March 2008
Company
BHP Billiton
Location
Africa

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