The historic Cobar Basin in New South Wales has been approved as the site for a new critical minerals underground mine, which will be situated 10km from the existing Hera Mine at Nymagee and is set to provide up to 400 regional jobs.
This project approval follows the discovery of an underground deposit in April 2019 containing high-grade metals, comprising zinc, gold, copper and silver.
New South Wales Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for resources, Paul Toole, said the New South Wales Government has a vision to make the state the number one investment destination for mining, exploration, and advanced manufacturing, with this latest approval an important step towards realising this vision.
“Hera Mine has been running for eleven years and is coming to the end of its operations, so this is a new opportunity to expand the industry with the development of Federation Mine to produce critical minerals such as copper, silver, rare earth elements, cobalt and lithium, used in everyday products such as batteries, electric vehicles, generators, jewellery and mobile phones,” Mr Toole said.
“These minerals will be transported to Hera Mine for processing, securing around 150 existing jobs and creating up to 100 new positions and 150 construction roles.”
A further 180 existing jobs will be retained and around 180 new roles created, following the recent approval to extend the Tomingley Gold Mine in the Central West until the end of 2032.
The New South Wales Government is investing $130 million to help position the state as a major global supplier and processor of critical minerals as part of its Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Activation Fund and follows the launch of the New South Wales Government’s Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Strategy.
Featured image: Hera Mine underground entrance. Image: New South Wales Nationals.
