Cadia goldmine operators have been mandated to pay fines totaling $350,000 and face three environmental offences following an action taken by the New South Wales Environmental Protection Authority. Cadia Holdings Limited, operating as Cadia Valley Operations, admitted to three violations of the environmental protection act related to exceedances in clean air requirements at their central west NSW mine.

The judgment from Justice Sarah Pritchard at the land and environment court came down on Monday. The mine operator was fined $150,000 for offences in November 2021 and March 2022, and $200,000 for a violation in May 2023, with a penalty reduction due to their guilty plea and other mitigating circumstances.

In addition to the fines, Cadia must cover the EPA’s legal expenses and the cost of equipping Mudgee with a new “dust tracking system”. Justice Pritchard also required Newmont Australia, the mine’s owner, to publicize the verdict in print and on their social media channels. Newmont took over the mine from Newcrest in November 2023.

The EPA’s investigation into the mine started in 2023 after a local water testing initiative revealed elevated levels of heavy metals in nearby residences’ rainwater tanks. It was subsequently determined that these levels were due to dust emissions, with the mine exceeding the acceptable concentration for solid particles emitted by its ventilation system.

EPA’s chief, Tony Chappel, previously criticized the mine’s “completely unacceptable” air pollution levels, noting they had exceeded the legal limit for dust emissions by more than eleven times. The EPA demanded immediate action from the operators to lower their air pollution levels after these preliminary findings.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/31/cadia-goldmine-fine-clean-air-laws-nsw