A $150 million precious metal mine has been approved and will create an extra 100 jobs in Far North Queensland.
The Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines recently approved nine new mining leases for Resolute Mining’s Ravenswood Gold Mine, 95 kilometres southwest of Townsville.
The approval means the existing 280 mine staff will continue to have a job even though Resolute’s existing Mount Wright Underground Gold Mine is due to close in the year 2020. It will also create 100 new jobs as open pit mining begins at the adjoining Sarsfield and Buck Reef West deposits.
No jobs are advertised yet but they will be listed on Resolute’s careers website.
The proponent is ready to fast track production through using existing processing plant and equipment, and bring Buck Reef West to production in July. The operation will reach full capacity by the year 2024.
“These new mining leases support our plans to expand production from our Ravenswood mine and continue a strong partnership with the government and the local workforce and community that commenced in 2004,” Resolute managing director and CEO John Welborn said in a public statement. “We expect the ongoing strategic review will now be able to incorporate expanded production rates as we prepare for an investment decision on the Ravenswood Expansion Project in the second half of 2019.”
The expansion was given prescribed project status in late 2016, allowing Independent Coordinator-General Barry Broe to help Resolute navigate through government approvals and red tape.
“For Resolute, it means they can continue operations smoothly as one mine reaches the end of its life cycle and another begins,” State Mines Minister Anthony Lynham said. “For the 280 strong workforce, it means another 13 years of employment, as well as an additional 100 construction jobs for the new mine.”
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