Pre-mining activities are progressing at the Mount Freda gold project near Cloncurry, Ausmex reports.

The company says the operations have been largely unaffected by COVID-19 restrictions.

Director and chief executive officer Geoff Kidd said Ausmex was closely following New South Wales’ ‘Planning System Acceleration Program’ aimed at advancing projects that could be ready for construction within six months.

“Ausmex anticipates that all States may follow suit and we have initiated moves to be in the forefront of such a program if the Queensland Government implements something similar,” he said.

Ausmex plans to develop a multi-pit mining hub across the Mount Freda and Golden Mile assets, with production to begin this year.

The ore would be processed through Round Oak Minerals’ Cloncurry plant.

At Mount Freda, Ausmex says infrastructure roads are being re-openend or developed and laydown pads constructed for incoming equipment such as pit dewatering pumps and pipework.

The company is progressing discussions with landowners and for mining contracting, ore haulage, processing and provision of related infrastructure.

Important meetings were continuing electronically, the company said.

The only area of COVID-19-related disruption to date has been when a crew is required to mobilise across state boundaries, blowing out costs and timing due to the need to self isolate for two weeks.

“While these are pressing and unprecedented times, most of us in Ausmex have previously worked on major mine developments initially from the mine owners’ head offices, which has effectively been working remotely from the minesite in the early stages of all developments and, while the bulk of our activity will transfer to the site at some stage, where we expect that we may be hampered by potential further restrictions, we are pleased to advise that all present necessary activities are still progressing well and we are investigating how best to work within these previously unseen Government regulations as we progress Mount Freda towards construction, mining and production,” Mr Kidd said.