Media release...

December, 2006

Astron announces preferred start-up location

Astron Ltd announced its preferred mining start-up location for the Donald Mineral Sands Project at a community meeting in Minyip. The Donald project team announced that the preferred start-up location was in the northern section of the project area.

“The northern area was selected as the preferred start-up location based on avoiding any impact on significant flora and fauna, proximity to infrastructure and a larger concentration of economically extractable ore,” DMS Principal mining engineer Simon Peters said.

Mr Peters said this northern section covered about 2,845 hectares of the original 5,000-hectare project area. The northern section contains sufficient ore to sustain a 7.5 million tonnes per annum mining operation for at least 25 years. Mr Peters said DMS would apply for a mining licence over this area in the near future. DMS would also continue detailed discussions with affected landowners regarding development plans and timing.

About 40 people from Rupanyup and Minyip districts also discussed other project developments at the community meeting including progress of an Environment Effects Statement. “EES studies are progressing well, with all studies now well underway,” Mr Peters said.  “Specialists will be presenting their findings and reports to the EES Technical Review Group over the coming months.”

Mr Peters said water was also discussed at the meeting. “Over the last few months the DMS project team has focussed its attention on water exploration drilling and is progressing permits required for water testing associated with an Avon Deep Lead regional aquifer,” he said. “Water exploration and water testing has confirmed that this aquifer has potential to provide DMS with sufficient saline water supplies for mineral processing.”