Private mining operator Gold Valley Group and its owner, Yuzheng Xie, have been slapped with combined fines exceeding $2.2 million for carrying out unlawful mining activities in Western Australia.
Court Convicts Miner and Owner
Yuzheng Xie appeared in the Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday, December 18, 2025, for sentencing after pleading guilty to three charges of mining without authority. The charges were laid under Section 155 of the state's Mining Act 1978. His company, Gold Valley, was convicted on two similar charges.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Elizabeth Woods did not mince words during the proceedings. "The reality is . . . there was no permission, they got caught out," she told the court.
The court imposed a $750,000 penalty on Xie personally. His company received an even larger fine of $1.5 million. Both were also ordered to pay combined court costs of $7,500.
Fatal Incident Preceded Legal Action
The sentencing follows the tragic death of a worker at a Gold Valley mine site earlier this year. 32-year-old Kyle Stanley was killed on August 20 at the Wiluna West iron ore mine, located approximately 175 kilometres east of Meekatharra.
Mr Stanley, employed by Belmont-based labour hire firm Premium Mechanical Group, was crushed to death while working on a bogged truck at the C4 deposit within the Wiluna West project. It is believed the large vehicle moved abruptly and trapped him after becoming stuck in mud following heavy rain.
His death marked the first work-related fatality on a Western Australian mine site since December of the previous year. At the time, Mr Xie expressed his "deep sympathy" to the man's family, calling the incident "very upsetting."
Additional Company Penalised
Mining services provider Odell Resources, which worked with Gold Valley, was also convicted on one charge of mining without authority. The company received a $90,000 fine and was ordered to pay $2,500 in court costs.
The maximum penalties for such offences are severe. Individuals face fines up to $150,000, plus $15,000 for each day a breach continues. For corporations, the maximum is $300,000 with daily penalties of $30,000.
In a previous interview, Mr Xie stated that the Wiluna West operation typically employed around 80 workers on-site, with an additional 80 to 100 personnel involved in trucking ore to port.
