Regis revives McPhillamys: integrated waste landform and pipeline lens for mine planners
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

First reported on MINING.com
30 Second Briefing
Regis Resources has moved to revive the stalled McPhillamys gold project in New South Wales by proposing an “integrated waste landform” that co-disposes tailings and waste rock along the eastern and southern margins of the pit, avoiding the previously rejected tailings dam near the Belubula River headwaters. The company is seeking Environment Department approval without reopening the full approvals process, while simultaneously challenging former minister Tanya Plibersek’s heritage declaration in court over alleged procedural unfairness and blue-banded bee evidence. Regis has also lodged plans for a new 90 km water pipeline from EnergyAustralia’s Mt Piper power station near Lithgow and a replacement power line to support the 2.26-million-ounce deposit.
Technical Brief
- Original tailings dam cancellation forced a non-cash impairment of A$192 million on Regis’ books.
- Heritage refusal in August 2024 centred on a proposed facility near Belubula River headwaters outside Blayney.
- Existing mine and processing plant layout from 2023 approvals is retained, limiting redesign to waste storage only.
- McPhillamys resource of 2.26 Moz equates to ~US$11 billion notional revenue at US$4,906/oz spot.
- New 90 km water pipeline is proposed from EnergyAustralia’s Mt Piper coal-fired power station near Lithgow.
- A replacement power line is required because the prior grid connection was entangled in the heritage declaration.
- Legal challenge alleges procedural unfairness and inadequate scrutiny of blue-banded bee evidence underpinning the heritage listing.
Our Take
Within our 293 gold-keyword pieces, New South Wales projects like McPhillamys appear far less frequently than Western Australian gold assets, signalling that any large-scale development in NSW tends to face a more complex mix of water, land-use and community constraints.
The 90km water pipeline link to the Mt Piper coal-fired power station aligns with a pattern in our database of Australian gold projects increasingly tying into legacy coal infrastructure, which can de-risk water access but also exposes them to policy shifts around coal-plant closure and rehabilitation obligations.
The A$192 million non-cash impairment at McPhillamys stands out in our projects-tagged coverage, where most recent gold items focus on incremental expansions rather than large write-downs, suggesting Regis Resources is taking a more aggressive reset to keep the project viable under tighter ESG and permitting expectations in New South Wales.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
Related Articles
Related Industries & Products
Mining
Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.
Construction
Quality control software for construction companies with material testing, batch tracking, and compliance management.
CMRR-io
Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.
HYDROGEO-io
Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.
GEODB-io
Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.