Concerns mine 'rushing' before fatal rockfall
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Beaconsfield miner Larry Knight died on Anzac day, 2006. (supplied by family)
It has been revealed a geologist at the Beaconsfield Gold mine was concerned that mine management and engineers were rushing into decisions after the 2006 Anzac Day rockfall.
Gold miner, Larry Knight died in the rockfall and two workmates were trapped for a fortnight nearly a kilometre underground.
Geologist, Grant MacDonald, has told the inquest into the death of miner Larry Knight that he wanted to be involved in decisions about ground support after the collapse.
He said he was was not completely sure which parts of the mine caused the 2006 rockfall and he wanted to make sure that the ground support catered for all possibilities.
But Mr MacDonald said it was not until an expert from Canada came to assess the mine last year that his concerns were validated.
The geologist at the Beaconsfield goldmine has spoken of the difficulty of finding faults in the rock before the fatal rockfall in 2006.
At the inquest this morning, Mr MacDonald explained maps of the mine as it was on the day of the collapse.
Earlier this week the inquest heard from a geotechnical expert who had investigated a large fault in the rock at the mine, which he believed caused a seismic event which triggered the Anzac Day collapse.
Mr MacDonald has told the inquest that before the collapse he stumbled across this rock structure on the 990 level, 75 metres below where the rockfall occurred.
He said he drove along and saw ore poking out of the rock.
"I thought 'Struth! Where's that coming from?' he said.
Mr MacDonlad said the mine was concerned it had left ore behind but when he investigated the rock on the 925 level, where the rockfall later happened, he could not find the fault.
