Cadia Valley Operations has a long history of mining. While Cadia is currently approved until 2031, we have identified mineral resources for production until approximately 2050.

With ore reserves that are expected to support a mine life well beyond the 2031 development consent, we are planning for a long-term continuation to mining operations known as the Cadia Continued Operations Project (CCOP).

Beyond 2031

Extending our Life of Mine (LOM) beyond 2031 brings an extension of job security for our workers, with continued employment of over 1500 people. Extending LOM also means we can continue our other existing economic and social contributions to the region, including contributions to indigenous education, fire service training and community projects with a focus on health, agriculture and tourism.

We want to secure Cadia’s future, Beyond 2031, for the sake of our workers, our people, our community and our partners. That's a responsibility we take seriously.

What we also take seriously is keeping our workers, our community and our environment healthy and safe. We know a secure future starts here, with our day-to-day operations.

We’ll continue to not just to meet those obligations, but to:

• find new and innovative ways to do business better
• seek more sustainable ways to operate in our environment
• strengthen our relationships with residents, the community and our workers
• listen and respond when our community has a concern or questions, regarding CCOP or any part of our day-to-day business.

What does the CCOP Project include?

The key aspects of the CCOP Project are:

• Continued underground mining in the Cadia East and Ridgeway mining areas.
• Construction of an extension to the current South Tailings Storage Facility (STSFX) to provide capacity to around 2048-2050.*
• An additional water storage to provide enhanced security of water supply to the mine.
• Realignment of Panuara Road to account for these project features.

*Tailings are the un-economic by-product from gold processing and consist of ground rock and ore processing reagents. They must be safely stored in an engineered facility built to stringent Australian and International Standards.

What investigations have been done so far?

Cadia has investigated options for the site location and technology to be used for the Tailings Storage Facility (TSF). These investigations have informed the siting and design developed to date.

You can find detailed information regarding some of these investigations in our Project Information Sheets, including:

• Site location investigations - Newcrest has identified a preferred location selected following a review of social, environmental and technical considerations. See Project Information Sheet 2 - January 2022 and Project Information Sheet 4 - May 2022 for more detail.
• Tailings Facility Technology - Newcrest has been investigating different options for the storage of its tailings over a number of years. Detailed assessment has revealed Hydrocyclone technology as the preferred option. See Project Information Sheet 5 - July 2022 and Project Information Sheet 6 - May 2023 for more detail.

These options will continue to consider the feedback from community and regulatory stakeholders. Investigations for the CCOP Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) are ongoing.

What approvals will be required and what is to be assessed?

The CCOP will require development consent under the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act). The CCOP may also require approval under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). A variation to Cadia’s Environmental Protection Licence (EPL) will also be required, along with a new mining lease for the project area.

The approval applications will be accompanied by a detailed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which will include comprehensive assessments identifying the potential environmental and social impacts of the CCOP and how to best manage these impacts. These studies will inform the detailed design of the Project to ensure that impacts are minimised as far as reasonably and feasibly possible.

CCOP process and the community

Cadia strongly values our relationship with the local and regional community and thank those who have contributed to discussions about the CCOP Project to date.

It is important to us that all people in our community are well informed about the CCOP project and have the opportunity to participate in the planning process and provide feedback.

Community involvement and input underpins the Social Impact Assessment (SIA) process that is being undertaken as a part of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to ensure that the matters of most importance to our community and stakeholders are understood and inform the planning and assessment of the Project.

In other words, we need your input and feedback – not just to meet our obligations, but to ensure everyone who has an interest in the CCOP Project can share their feedback or concerns and ask questions along the way.

This website will provide regular updates on CCOP and inform the community of the key stages of the project. It will also provide opportunities for you to share your feedback on the Project and any views you may have with regards to potential environmental and social impacts, and how we may be able to manage or enhance these. 

To stay updated or Have Your Say visit the How can I be involved?