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Court overturns cultural heritage block on McPhillamys $1B mine
- On Wednesday, October 14, 2026, Federal Court Justice James Stellios overturned an Aboriginal heritage protection order that stalled the $1.3 billion McPhillamys Gold Project near Blayney, NSW, ruling the declaration invalid.
- Former Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek issued the 2024 order to protect the Belubula River headwaters based on a 'blue banded bee' Dreaming story, forcing Regis Resources to withdraw its feasibility study and write off $192 million.
- The Federal Court found the original decision lacked procedural fairness; Stellios noted the assessment 'constituted a new application' requiring consultation, sending the proposal to Environment Minister Murray Watt for redetermination.
- Managing Director Jim Beyer called the ruling 'significant and welcome,' stating the company is 'eager to move forward' after two years of lost time, having unveiled an engineering shift using a 'filter cake' solution.
- Written submissions on costs are due by October 27, 2026, while Regis remains 'committed' to developing the site into a significant mining hub with a final investment decision targeted for early 2028.
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22 Articles
22 Articles
Federal Court rules protection order invalid on procedural grounds, sends disputed mining project back to government for reconsideration
·Ankara, Türkiye
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Court overturns cultural heritage block on McPhillamys $1B mine
Save (0) Please login to bookmark Close Username or Email Address Password Remember Me A judge has held that the former environment minister’s finding that part of the McPhillamy’s gold mine was heritage protected was invalid. Subscribe to Lawyerly to access this article. Already a subscriber? Username or Email Address Password Remember Me Lost your password?
Coverage Details
Total News Sources22
Leaning Left9Leaning Right4Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution53% Left
Bias Distribution
- 53% of the sources lean Left
53% Left
L 53%
C 24%
R 23%
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