Mt Todd mine baseline biting insect assessment, February 2012 to January 2013

The Mt Todd Gold Mine is located approximately 55 kilometres north of Katherine. Mining occurred in the 1990?s and ceased in the 2000?s (GHD April 2011). Vista Gold Australia Pty Ltd is proposing to re-establish and operate the Mt Todd Gold Mine. Mine sites have the potential to create or exacerbate mosquito breeding. Mine sites also have the potential to introduce new mosquito species into the Northern Territory, such as the dengue mosquito Aedes aegypti from North Queensland, if equipment is sourced from this area. As part of the environmental process, all major developments in the NT are required to consider mosquitoes during the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement or Public Environmental Report, to ensure new development does not create new mosquito breeding sites, and also to protect the health of workers. Medical Entomology, of the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), Northern Territory Department of Health (DOH) was subsequently commissioned by GHD Pty Ltd to conduct a Biting Insect Assessment of the mine site. The biting insect assessment was to include monthly adult mosquito trapping for 12 months, and a field investigation to identify actual and potential mosquito breeding sites.GHD Pty Ltd, Vista Gold Australia Pty Lt