New mines could be opened in Dubbo, Forbes, Cobar after high-tech survey results

A newly released high-tech survey has identified a number of NSW sites where future mines could be opened. Find out the locations that have been earmarked.

New mine sites could be opened around Dubbo, Forbes and Cobar, with a mass survey revealing potential deposits of critical minerals needed for solar panels, electric batteries and wind turbines.

The latest and largest tranche of the NSW government-helmed survey – which included using helicopters with ground-penetrating radar capable of locating potential mineral and metal deposits 50 kilometres underground – covered one-sixth of the state.

More than eight aircraft over 18 months were used to collect the data, which will now be shared publicly with the mining industry in a bid to prompt future exploration and unlock new mining sites.

Helicopters used in the mine survey were fitted with radars enabling them to analyse rock formations up to 50 kilometres below the ground.

It’s understood the survey collected data which suggested the Cobar region may have deposits of copper, gold, lead, silver and zinc, while areas around Forbes and Dubbo could hold copper, gold and other rare critical minerals.

The nearby town of Parkes already has a successful copper and gold mine.

Surveying of the New England region suggests it could lead to discoveries of tin, tungsten and silver.

Copper is used in electrification of products, while silver can be used for solar panels.

All the metals are in high-demand in the renewable energy sector, where they can be used to build components for wind turbines and electric vehicles.

The data collected can also be used by scientists to investigate the presence of new water sources like underground aquifers or reservoirs for regional communities.

Natural Resources Minister Courtney Houssos said the surveys are “an important piece of the puzzle” in driving investment.

She added the survey had also helped map out groundwater supplies, which was “crucial information for farmers and regional communities”.

“Critical minerals are crucial to the future of the global pathway to net zero and growing employment in regional NSW,” she said.

Northparkes mine in the state’s central west already mines for copper and gold. More mines could now be established following the NSW government survey.

“The release of this data will help stimulate investment and make sure NSW continues to lead the exploration and development of critical minerals in Australia.”

The NSW government hopes the study will prompt a new mining boom by encouraging investment into new projects, creating thousands of new jobs across rural NSW.

There are more than 2,600 people already directly employed in the central-west of the state across critical mineral and metal mine operations, with another 1,260 in the far-west.

Another 1,600 jobs would be created if currently proposed projects in the sector begin mining.

NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee said the survey results being released publicly showed the government was serious about backing in new mining projects in the state.

“This sends a positive message that the NSW Government is serious about the development of critical minerals and metals mining projects in our state,” he said.

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The content summaries were created with the assistance of AI technology then edited and approved for publication by an editor.

Originally published as New mines could be opened in Dubbo, Forbes, Cobar after high-tech survey results