Tanya Plibersek faces test to approve new Cadia tailings dam near Orange

Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek faces a potentially tetchy decision on whether to approve a new mining project, after the owner of Australia’s largest underground mine and gold operation, Cadia, applied to extend the site near Orange.

US mining giant Newmont, which operates the Cadia site — one of the world’s largest gold and copper mining operations, about 30km from Orange in the NSW Central Tablelands — has requested to extend its operations to 2050 and build a new tailings storage facility dam, The Australian reports.

It is understood Newmont would need to construct a tailings dam at Cadia before 2031 or risk shutting down its operations.

The Cadia Continued Operations Project (CCOP) was filed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, which was used to approve the tailings dam at Regis McPhillamy’s proposed goldmine in 2023.

Ms Plibersek came under fire in August when she blocked that approval under Section 10 of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984, on grounds the McPhillamy’s tailings dam would harm “confidential” traditions at a nearby spring.

Mining industry representatives, including the Cadia owners, recently met with the minister to reinforce the need for timely ­approvals under the legislation.

Ms Plibersek has reportedly been reassuring mining chiefs concerned about EPBC delays that she has doubled the rate of on-time mining approvals since the 2022 election.

The Cadia application seeks to extend mining operations beyond 2031 to 2050 to build new infrastructure and support ongoing copper supply. The application involves a modest increase in mine footprint to support this as well as proposing a tailings dam.

Cadia supplies half of the annual NSW copper exports and almost 600,000 ounces of gold. The NSW Government’s major projects planning portal considers the mine’s continuation a “State significant development”.

Newmont has proposed the location of the tailings storage facility after extensive studies and investigations — including by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment — since 2005, The Australian reports.

After stakeholder feedback, Newmont made changes to the size, location and design of the dam; in this proposal — including reducing the disturbance area of the dam by 75 per cent from the original proposal.

Cadia is one of the biggest employers for Orange, Blayney and Cabonne local government areas. Almost 95 per cent of the 1386 full-time ­employees live in the Central West region.

Newmont president and chief executive Tom Palmer said extending the operations will “secure more than 2100 full-time jobs, as well as the future of our local suppliers”.

The continuation of Cadia beyond 2031 is expected to process up to 35 million tons of ore a year.

Cadia has also linked its copper ­exports to the Albanese government’s net-zero commitments. Its mine services a growing global demand for copper to support renewable energy and decarbonisation projects, it also uses renewable energy and recycled water in its operations.

The CCOP application proposes to extend current operations using existing infrastructure and supporting services in combination with the continuation of underground mining within the areas of the Cadia East underground and Ridgeway underground mines.

Newmont reportedly hopes to win the Albanese government’s approval before next year’s Federal election. It will need to submit an environmental impact statement — involving technical studies and feedback from local communities — and development application with the NSW government.