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Chalice Mining Ltd’s (ASX:CHN) Gonneville project in Western Australia – which is prospective for platinum grade elements, nickel, copper and cobalt – has been awarded Major Project status by the Australian government.
The designation – provided by Commonwealth Minister for Industry and Science the Hon Ed Husic MP – acknowledges the centrality of Gonneville to Australia’s critical minerals sector, and comes a month after the state government awarded it Strategic Project status.
Crucially, receiving the nod from the Federal government means that Gonneville – located 70 kilometres northeast of Perth – will enable Chalice to receive help from the Major Projects Facilitation Agency (MPFA) in moving through the Commonwealth approvals process.
Chalice completed a scoping study on the play in August 2023, and in July this year signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Mitsubishi Corporation to complete prefeasibility work.
Chalice Mining CEO and managing director Alex Dorsch said the designation was a recognition of Gonneville’s potential.
“Chalice would like to thank Minister Husic and the Australian Federal Government for recognising the national significance of the Gonneville Project as the first major Platinum Group Element discovery in Australia, and an important part of Australia’s future critical minerals ambitions,” he said.
“It is particularly pleasing to receive this support from the Commonwealth in addition to the Strategic Project status recently granted by Western Australian Premier Roger Cook.
“We look forward to continuing to work with the Commonwealth and Western Australian
Governments, local communities, Traditional Owners, and Mitsubishi Corporation under our strategic MOU as we progress approvals and project studies to advance this important project towards development.”
Chalice shares rose on the news, and at 12:16 AEDT, they were trading at $1.61 – a rise of 4.55% since the market opened.
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