Agricultural and Industrial Minerals

Products Overview

Ausminerals wholly owns modern agricultural and industrial products processing facilities in Victoria which supplies limestone, gypsum and magnesium products to a broad base of industries for:

• Environmental clean-ups, waste dumps
• Water treatment
• Remediation and treatment of acid soils, soil salinity and other agricultural purposes, all of which are significant problems in Australia
• Use in stock feed and other animal and bird feed manufacture
• A filler in various manufacturing industries including plastics and rubber

This existing cash-flow business is expected to grow significantly over the next 2 to 3 years following expansion of its income base through the introduction of new higher value niche market products during 2008 and the planned processing of other minerals at this site from 2009. The company also owns approximately 260 acres of freehold land on which this operation is located, in the heart of Victoria's valuable dairy belt and approximately 20 kilometres from the Great Ocean Rd and the Twelve Apostles which are major tourist attractions.

Limestone, Gypsum & Magnesium

The Kurdeez operation at Timboon, Victoria is a mature business which has been producing lime products for over 70 years. It has state-of-the-art modern processing facilities with plenty of spare production capacity.

Lime is important in remediation of acid soils (soil acidity results in the reduction in nutrients and subsequent degradation of soil fertility). Traditionally Kurdeez Lime has targeted the market segment where high tonnages and low margins prevail. Under current ownership more emphasis is being placed on higher value niche markets such as  environmental clean-up applications, stock feed manufacturing industry, industrial applications and wholesale and retail horticultural segments. Numerous exciting new limestone, gypsum and magnesium based products are scheduled for release shortly which will lead to increased profits.

• Over 70 years of Lime production history
• Modern processing facilities suitable for a range of agricultural and industrial minerals
• Centrally located to Victorian markets
• Numerous exciting new products to be launched shortly
• The 260 acre property containing the Lime quarry in prime dairy country is owned by the group.
• More information available at www.kurdeezlime.com.au

Feldspar

The processing facilities at Kurdeez have plenty of spare capacity and will be used to process Feldspar sourced from the company's South Australian deposits which contain known and tested high grade sodium feldspar. Feldspar is used in the glass and ceramics manufacturing industries and there is currently only one Australian supplier of this product. Ausminerals will initially target the ceramics industry and other higher priced end users in Victoria, thereby utilising the infrastructure already owned. Once sufficient market share has been established to justify it, a processing facility will be established in South Australia closer to the local large glass bottle manufacturing market.