Gold and copper miner Newmont has applied to the federal government for permission to continue mining operations at Cadia, Australia’s largest underground mine, until 2050. This will necessitate an expansion of the mine’s footprint area.

The company said on Thursday it had submitted a referral application under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act supporting its intention to continue mining at the Cadia.

Newmont is seeking to extend its operations using existing and new infrastructure and supporting services, in combination with the continuation of underground mining within both the Cadia East and Ridgeway mining areas.

According to Newmont, if approved, the application will result in a “modest increase in the mine’s footprint to accommodate expanded tailings storage capacity and infrastructure relocations”.

“There is room within Australia’s regulatory system for pragmatism and rigour to co-exist in support of environmental protection, local jobs and local communities,” said Newmont chief sustainability officer Suzy Retallack, stating that the extension would secure a decades-long pipeline of skilled local job opportunities and copper supply.

“Extension of Cadia’s operations will secure more than 2 100 full-time jobs, as well as the future of our local suppliers – more than half of whom have their head office based in NSW, with one-fifth having their head office based in the Central West,” she said.

In 2022/23, Cadia spent more than A$205-million on employee salaries, with 94.4% of the 1 386 full-time equivalent employees working at Cadia living in the Central West region. Three-quarters – or about A$91-million – of annual household expenditure on goods and services by the Cadia workforce was spent in Orange.

“The extension of Cadia’s operations would be a tangible boost for responsible mining that contributes to global net zero goals, local jobs and economic growth,” said Retallack.

Under a bilateral agreement between the federal government and the New South Wales government, the application will be assessed by the state’s Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure on the commonwealth’s behalf.

New South Wales has already declared the continuation of Cadia mine a state-significant development on its major projects planning portal.