Kanowna Belle Gold Mine

Kanowna Belle is situated 18 km northeast of Kalgoorlie-Boulder within the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia, embedded in the semi-arid Yilgarn Craton. The terrain is characteristically flat, low-relief scrubland with extreme thermal variation — summer temperatures exceeding 45°C. Water scarcity is a critical operational constraint; the site depends on managed bore-field extraction and recycled process water circuits to sustain mill throughput and dust suppression, making hydrological asset management a non-negotiable operational pillar.

Kanowna Belle operates as a mature, long-life underground gold producer under Northern Star Resources, contributing to the broader Kalgoorlie Operations hub. The workforce is managed via FIFO/DIDO rotational rosters from Perth and Kalgoorlie-Boulder, with structured swing schedules (typically 8/6 or 14/7). On-site vendor engagement spans drilling consumables, ground support systems, explosives supply, and mobile equipment maintenance — all procurement channelled through Northern Star's centralized supply chain framework.

The operation employs sub-level open stoping with paste fill reticulation to maximize ore recovery and ground stability at depth. The processing plant incorporates a primary grinding circuit (SAG and ball milling), gravity concentration, and carbon-in-leach (CIL) gold recovery. Reagent-intensive cyanidation demands precise pH control and continuous reagent dosing systems. Flotation pre-concentration stages optimize head grade to the leach circuit. Shaft hoisting infrastructure supports high-tonnage vertical ore transport from depth, a critical engineering differentiator for this operation.

Northern Star's ESG decarbonization roadmap targets Scope 1 and 2 emissions reductions across all Kalgoorlie Operations, including Kanowna Belle. Initiatives include renewable energy integration — solar hybrid power feasibility — and progressive transition toward battery-electric vehicles (BEV) for underground fleet. Tailings storage facility (TSF) management adheres to the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM). Community investment programs and Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) commitments underpin the social license to operate across the Goldfields region.