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Silver Mines is moving closer to a fresh development consent decision for its Bowdens silver project in New South Wales (NSW), following the completion of public hearings before the Independent Planning Commission (IPC) in October.
The hearings, held from October 14–16, form part of the project’s redetermination process, with a decision expected by December 9.
The development follows the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) completing its assessment of additional information submitted by Silver Mines, reaffirming its earlier conclusions about the project’s merits.
It was previously reported that the department’s supplementary advice found that the additional material did not fundamentally change its previous assessment that Bowdens was in the public interest and approvable, subject to strict conditions.
The project, located approximately 26km east of Mudgee, is seeking a new determination after its original 2023 development consent was declared void by the NSW Court of Appeal in 2024.
Silver Mines’ September quarterly report confirmed that the IPC has been granted an extension to determine the application within 85 days of receiving DPHI’s supplementary advice, establishing the December deadline.
The renewed approvals process follows the completion of Bowdens’ definitive feasibility study (DFS) in July, which outlined a staged development strategy supporting a potential 26-year mine life.
The updated study increased Bowdens’ silver ore reserves by 30 per cent to 93.5 million ounces, comprising 47.9 million tonnes grading 60.8 grams per tonne silver.
The initial development stage targets 29.9 million tonnes of ore over approximately 16 years, while a proposed second stage would extend operations, subject to further approvals and development work.
Meanwhile, exploration activities progressed during the quarter, with Silver Mines commencing a 2500m diamond drilling campaign east of the existing reserve pit.
The program will investigate potential extensions to mineralisation along prospective structural trends, while a separate initiative is examining historical drill samples that were not previously assayed for gold.
Further airborne geophysical surveys are also planned across the surrounding Rylstone Volcanics, complementing the company’s resource growth strategy.
Silver Mines has also completed a $26 million buy-back of two private royalties covering Bowdens, simplifying the project’s commercial structure and increasing its exposure to future production revenue.
The transactions followed a $70 million capital raising, intended to support development approvals, engineering studies, land access arrangements and exploration.
Silver Mines finished September with approximately $35.1 million in cash.
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