Update

Updated information about the transition of Mintabie will be available shortly on this website.

About Mintabie

Mintabie is a former remote opal mining town on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in far north South Australia.

A review of the Mintabie Lease and Mintabie Township Lease Agreement was conducted in 2017. The South Australian Government announced on 14 February 2018 that it would close the Mintabie township as per the recommendations of the review report.

All residents left Mintabie by 31 December 2019 following negotiations with the South Australian Government.

The South Australian Government has committed to the orderly decommissioning and remediation of the former township by the removal of all dwellings, secondary buildings, abandoned vehicles and mining equipment and other township infrastructure in accordance with negotiations with the APY, through an independently chaired Mintabie Oversight Committee.

Authorised opal mining can continue on the Mintabie Precious Stones Field. For further information including regulatory requirements, please refer to Opal mining.