Riversgold Clears Last Regulatory Hurdle to Haul Ore at Kalgoorlie Gold Project
Key Takeaways
- All objections to Miscellaneous Licences L25/75 and L25/77 have been resolved, removing the last open-ended regulatory barrier to ore haulage at the Northern Zone Gold Project.
- Both haul road licences now proceed directly to Warden's recommendation and formal grant — the objection risk that kept this variable open is permanently closed.
- The Native Vegetation Clearing Permit application was submitted to DWER on 28 August 2026 and is awaiting grant, while the Mine Development and Closure Proposal is on track for lodgement with DMPE in September 2026.
- The project is fully funded by Mega Resources under a 50/50 Mining and Co-operation Agreement signed in September 2025, eliminating financing risk for Riversgold shareholders.
- Mining Lease M25/389 was granted in July 2026 for a 21-year term to July 2047, providing long-dated tenure security over the Northern Zone pit, which is 80% owned by Riversgold and 20% by Oracle Power Plc.
Last regulatory hurdle cleared for Northern Zone haul road
Riversgold (ASX: RGL) has reached agreement to remove all remaining objections to Miscellaneous Licences L25/75 and L25/77, clearing the final regulatory impediment to ore haulage at the Northern Zone Gold Project, located approximately 25 km east of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. Both licences are now clear to proceed to Warden’s recommendation and formal grant.
For investors, this removes the last objection-based barrier standing between the Northern Zone Gold Project and the commencement of mining. The approvals pathway, which has been progressing in sequence since the Mining Lease was granted in July 2026, now has a defined and finite number of remaining steps.
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What Miscellaneous Licences are and why they matter here
A Miscellaneous Licence is a form of tenure created under the Mining Act 1978 (WA) that authorises infrastructure falling outside the boundary of an exploration or mining tenement. That includes roads, pipelines, and access corridors. Under section 91 of the Act, these licences can be granted for terms of up to 21 years.
This distinction matters for the Northern Zone project. Mining Lease M25/389 covers the Northern Zone pit itself, but it does not provide tenure for infrastructure beyond the lease boundary. Without L25/75 and L25/77, there is no legal right to physically move ore from the pit to the road network, and from there to third-party processing facilities. These two licences are the linchpin between holding a mining lease and actually hauling ore.
Mining Lease M25/389 was the foundational tenure step that unlocked the broader approvals sequence, with its July 2026 grant establishing the pit-level rights from which the haul road and environmental permit applications have since flowed.
The statutory process works as follows: applications for Miscellaneous Licences are subject to an objection period, and any unresolved objections are heard by the Warden’s Court. Where objections are resolved between the parties, the application proceeds directly to a Warden’s recommendation and formal grant. With all objections to both licences now resolved, that is precisely where Northern Zone stands.
Ed Mead, Technical Director
“Reaching agreement to remove the Project’s last objections is a key outcome. Once granted, the licences will create an ore haulage corridor to main roads that lead to third-party processing facilities in the area… We remain on track to submit our MDCP to DMPE later this month, and we are working closely with our funding partner Mega Resources on finalising mine planning and scheduling.”
Approvals pipeline and the road to production
With the haul road objections resolved, the remaining approvals before mining can commence are well-defined. There are three key steps, and progress has been made on each:
- Miscellaneous Licences L25/75 and L25/77: All objections resolved, proceeding to Warden’s recommendation and formal grant.
- Native Vegetation Clearing Permit (NVCP): Application submitted to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) on 28 August 2026, awaiting grant.
- Mine Development and Closure Proposal (MDCP): Submission to the Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration (DMPE) targeted for September 2026, on schedule.
The Mine Development and Closure Proposal (MDCP) is the formal mine plan and rehabilitation framework required by DMPE before mining activity can begin. Its lodgement this month would mark a significant forward step in the approvals sequence.
MDCP lodgement is the single most consequential remaining step in the approvals sequence, as it constitutes the formal mine plan and rehabilitation framework that DMPE must assess before any extraction activity can legally begin.
The project’s development is fully funded by Mega Resources under the 50/50 Mining and Co-operation Agreement announced in September 2025, removing financing risk from the equation for Riversgold shareholders. Northern Zone is 80% owned by Riversgold and 20% owned by Oracle Power Plc.
| Approval | Regulatory Body | Status | Next Step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Licences L25/75 & L25/77 | Warden’s Court / DMPE | Objections resolved | Warden’s recommendation → formal grant |
| Native Vegetation Clearing Permit (NVCP) | DWER | Application submitted (28 Aug 2026) | Awaiting grant |
| Mine Development and Closure Proposal (MDCP) | DMPE | On track for submission Sept 2026 | Awaiting approval |
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Investment case: de-risking in sequence
What makes this announcement material is what it removes from the risk column. The Northern Zone project has been progressing through a sequential approvals process, and each resolved item represents a concrete reduction in regulatory uncertainty. The haul road objections were the last open-ended regulatory impediment. That variable is now closed.
The project sits approximately 25 km east of Kalgoorlie, in proximity to the Kalgoorlie “Super Pit” and Golden Mile/Fimiston, as shown in the project location map included in the announcement. Mining Lease M25/389 was granted in July 2026 for a 21-year term to July 2047, and is renewable, providing long-dated tenure security over the pit.
The near-term catalyst to watch is the MDCP lodgement, targeted for this month. With the haul road licences progressing to grant, the NVCP application lodged, and the MDCP submission imminent, the approvals sequence is no longer open-ended. Each remaining step is identified, each responsible body is named, and the timeline is defined. That is a meaningfully different position to where the project stood six months ago.
Ready to Track Riversgold’s Final Steps Towards Gold Production at Northern Zone?
With all haul road objections now resolved and the MDCP submission targeted for September 2026, Riversgold’s Northern Zone Gold Project near Kalgoorlie is closer to production than at any point in its approvals history. The sequential de-risking of regulatory hurdles — from Mining Lease grant through to licence clearance — represents a materially stronger investment position for RGL shareholders.
Explore the full details of the Northern Zone approvals pipeline and Riversgold’s path to first ore by visiting the Riversgold company profile on Discovery Alert, where the latest project milestones and announcements are tracked in real time.