On 23 April 2018, Newcrest announced to the market that it had received approval from the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Planning and Environment to use the first 200 m of the old Cadia Hill open pit as a tailings storage facility. On May 5/6 Newcrest began depositing tailings into the Cadia Hill open pit following the completion of the construction and commissioning work for the pipeline infrastructure. After a short ramp up period, Newcrest expects Cadia to return to full production rates before the end of the current financial year.

Newcrest continues to review and determine the cause of the Northern Tailings Facility (NTF) embankment slump. A prohibition notice issued by the NSW Resources Regulator on depositing tailings in the NTF remains in place. Newcrest Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Sandeep Biswas, said: “I again applaud the efforts of
our people at Cadia who have worked hard to safely restore the operation to normal production. It has been a significant additional challenge to acquire and build the required infrastructure in such short time. Today’s announcement is a true testament to the dedication and commitment of our people, the support we have received from the State Government and local government authorities, and the constructive engagement and support we have received from the Cadia district community.”