24th April 2025
Win for the Macquarie Marshes as Mining Application Withdrawn
The Nature Conservation Council of NSW has welcomed the withdrawal of a controversial mining-related application affecting the Macquarie Marshes, one of Australia's most precious wetland ecosystems.
Canadian-owned Australian Consolidated Gold Holdings (ACGH) has officially withdrawn its application to vary an Assessable Prospecting Operation over land known as "The Mole," in the internationally significant Macquarie Marshes.
The Macquarie Marshes, which includes areas that have been recognised under the Ramsar Convention since 1986, encompass approximately 200,000 hectares in central-west NSW, and are among Australia's largest remaining inland semi-permanent wetlands.
The Marshes provide critical habitat for numerous threatened and endangered species, including the Australasian bittern, magpie goose, and Australian painted snipe.
The withdrawal follows the company's decision to discontinue civil proceedings in the NSW Land and Environment Court relating to the validity of its prospecting operations under its exploration license.
The NSW Regulator has confirmed that with the withdrawal of the variation application, the license is now considered expired. Should ACGH wish to proceed with any future exploration, a new application would be required and subject to fresh regulatory scrutiny.
The Nature Conservation Council will continue to monitor the situation closely, particularly as an investigation into ACGH by the Regulator remains ongoing.
Statements attributable to NCC Water Campaigner Mel Gray:
"This is a significant reprieve for the Marshes and all those who care about their future. This iconic wetland is too valuable to be put at risk by invasive prospecting activities that threaten its delicate ecological balance.
"The Macquarie Marshes are one of the last strongholds of wetland biodiversity in inland NSW. They support hundreds of bird species, native fish, and plant life. The community has made it clear: there is no place for gold exploration in or near this environmental treasure.
"We will remain vigilant. Protecting the Macquarie Marshes means standing up to short-sighted proposals that ignore their global ecological importance."
