The New South Wales (NSW) Government has approved modifications to Newmont’s Cadia mine planning consent, enhancing environmental standards by reducing noise levels and supporting local employment and continued investment.
Located approximately 30km from Orange, NSW, Newmont’s Cadia mine is one of the world’s “largest” gold and copper mining operations. The mine produces roughly half of NSW’s copper exports annually and operates Australia’s sole molybdenum plant.
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Cadia’s operations, under project approval PA 06_0295, have seen 14 amendments, allowing for the extraction of roughly 525 million tonnes (mt) of ore from the Cadia East Underground Mine and 96mt from the Ridgeway Underground Mine, reported Mining Weekly.
After the December 2021 approval of Modification 14, Cadia has repaired the Northern Tailings Storage Facility (NTSF) and reinforced both the NTSF and Southern Tailings Storage Facility (STSF) embankments for continued use, although these facilities have been non-operational since 2018 and 2021, respectively.
Modification 15 introduces several enhancements such as additional buttressing of the NTSF and STSF embankments, the recommencement of Ridgeway operations and the construction of a hydro-cyclone pilot plant.
It also includes mine-related infrastructure upgrades, road and pipeline realignments, extended operating hours for trains at the Cadia Valley Operations dewatering facility and minor administrative adjustments.
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By GlobalDataThe NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure has determined that Modification 15 is in the public interest, with acceptable project impacts.
It has acknowledged the necessity for further embankment reinforcements to secure adequate on-site storage beyond 2028, when the Cadia mine reaches capacity.
Although the modification may increase noise levels by up to 5dB at four rural residences, primarily due to embankment construction, the department believes that Cadia’s proposed mitigation measures and existing conditions will adequately manage noise impacts.
This decision also facilitates further upgrades to Cadia’s tailings storage facilities (TSFs) and ancillary infrastructure enhancements for efficiency and safe mining operations.
Cadia has also committed to capping ventilation system emissions at 50mg per cubic metre through emission scrubbing systems.
Cadia general manager Tom Lukeman said: “The project has successfully met every step of the NSW environmental assessment requirements and will enable the continuation of safe and efficient mining operations.
“Our team has worked with NSW regulators to ensure a balanced outcome while responding to the community’s feedback.”
Lukeman highlighted the operation’s economic and social contributions, including the employment of 1,800 individuals, predominantly residing in the surrounding districts of Orange, Blayney and Cabonne.
