ADVERTORIAL by Emily Middleton

The Tomingley Gold Extension Project has been approved by the NSW minister for planning, allowing for open cut and underground mining at the Roswell and San Antonio deposits, processing of ore at 1.75Mtpa, a relocation of the Newell Highway, and an extension of mine life to 2032.

While that may seem like a lot to take in, the project is unlikely to directly impact residents of Tomingley.

“They may be aware of the construction of the new section of the Newell Highway over the nine months it will approximately take to complete. This is necessary because the ore deposits lie directly beneath the current Newell Highway,” said Jason Hughes, general manager at Tomingley Gold Operations (an Alkane Resources subsidiary).

The new section of the highway will be constructed on private land, with little disruption to road users until the final stages, when the new section will be linked with the existing highway. The length of the new section will be 8.3 kilometres, and will meet the latest Austroads freight design guidelines and safety standards – including advanced flood management.

Developing the San Antonio and Roswell resources will extend the life of the Tomingley operations until at least end-2031.

“This will benefit the wider community (across Narromine shire, Parkes shire and Dubbo local government areas) in terms of continuation of employment, workforce and supplier expenditure, and community investment,” the Mr Hughes said.

“The economic impact assessment estimated that 50 per cent of operating costs over the life of the project are expected to be spent within the central west and 80 per cent within NSW.”

Since the project will grow the company’s overall workforce, it is anticipated that new employees and contractors will move to the region with their families.

“We will also extend and grow our business relationships with many local suppliers. This is likely to create growth in several surrounding towns, including Dubbo, Narromine and Parkes,” Mr Hughes said.

So far, a number of public properties around Tomingley have already benefited from a facelift and other enhancements, courtesy of the Alkane Resources community funding program. In particular, the Tomingley Hall, the Tomingley Sports and Recreation Ground, and various gardens around town.

“Narromine has benefitted in a similar fashion, with many local businesses and organisations receiving funding for events, infrastructure and projects,” Mr Hughes said.

“With the extension of our operation, the funding program will increase, with more local organisations benefitting for the ultimate good of the whole community.”

But what will happen after the mine wraps up?

Towards the end of the operation, Alkane Resources have said that they will consult extensively with the community and specialists to determine the best possible land use options for the mine site long-term.

“We will aim to provide lasting economic, environmental and social benefit for Tomingley, Narromine Shire and the Central West.

“Once mining is finished, the entire mine site will be rehabilitated and returned to a safe, stable and productive ecosystem. We intend to leave regions of enhanced biodiversity, featuring wildlife habitats supported by the natural regeneration of trees and shrubs.”

The company has also committed to improving the overall productivity of the agricultural land that will not be disturbed by the project, approximately 1450 hectares.

“This will offset the agricultural land that will be impacted by the mining activities.”

Alkane continues to seek additional gold resources to sustain the operations at Tomingley, particularly along the gold corridor between Tomingley and Peak Hill, with the goal of extending the mine life even further.

“That is to say, the precise end-date of the operation is never certain!”

Approximately 120 additional positions will be created with this extension, according to Alkane. As Tomingley Gold Mine is a “residential” operation, all employees return to their own homes at the end of each shift.

“This means the overwhelming majority of our workforce lives locally – from Parkes to Narromine to Dubbo. We nurture local talent by participating in educational and career pathway events wherever possible.

"We encourage any locals, even those without experience, to apply for vacant roles – and to keep applying if initially unsuccessful. There is plenty of opportunity to get a start in the mining industry if you have a great team work ethic and can-do attitude. Many of our existing employees had never worked in the industry before they started at Tomingley Gold Mine.

Our workforce has a range of different qualifications and skills – including applied sciences, engineering, operational, technicians, trades, administration and logistics.”