The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) acknowledges the release today of findings from the Cadia Mine Expert Health Advisory Panel's investigation into the potential health risks of dust exposure, which found no evidence of significant environmental contamination at volunteer's properties and no definitive evidence of health impacts from heavy metal exposure among volunteers who were assessed.
Since 2023, the EPA has been working closely with the community in response to concerns about dust emissions from the Cadia mine. It is reassuring for the community to see that NSW Health's findings support results from the EPA's air quality monitoring program in the Cadia Valley region.
Between August 2023 and June 2025, the EPA conducted an extensive air quality study in the area surrounding the Cadia mine. The study included a comprehensive network of air monitoring equipment to measure particulate matter and heavy metals. Results to November 2024 found that air quality in the region is generally good to fair.
The monitoring data also showed that heavy metal detections, including copper, zinc and nickel, were consistently very low. Our final report on the air quality monitoring program, covering November 2024 to June 2025, will be released soon.
In 2023, the EPA also conducted a comprehensive water sampling program following community concerns about the potential for heavy metals in domestic tank water on properties around the Cadia gold mine. The water tank sampling program found that lead, cadmium, nickel, selenium, copper, arsenic and zinc concentrations were all below health-based guidelines.
Reports detailing the EPA's findings can be found at https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/Working-together/Community-engagement/updates-on-issues/upper-belubula-region.
We thank the community for their patience and cooperation while we completed these comprehensive studies. We are committed to ensuring that the Cadia mine operates in compliance with its environmental obligations and in a way that minimises impacts on the community.
DANIELLE WILLIAMS | 0448 196 606
