New Talisman Gold Mines has announced that its Talisman project will not be included in New Zealand’s upcoming Fast Track Approvals Bill, set to go before Parliament later this year.
The company clarified that this exclusion is not a reflection of the project’s merit, nor does it indicate how the project would be evaluated under future referral applications once the Bill is enacted.
The Bill, which stems from the coalition government’s agreements, is designed to streamline approval processes for significant projects, including mining. It aims to consolidate multiple authorisations into a single application, enabling a comprehensive assessment without compromising environmental standards.
In other developments, New Talisman reports that its newly acquired processing plant in Canada is being prepared for shipment to New Zealand. The plant was initially scheduled to sail from Philadelphia on October 10, but this may be rerouted from Montreal to avoid disruptions caused by the recently resolved port workers strike in the US.
The company is coordinating with mine operator Terra Firma to align the start of bulk sampling with the arrival and commissioning of the processing plant. New Talisman holds a two-year bulk sampling consent and its timeframe has not yet started.
During the bulk sampling phase, the company plans to apply for full mining consent and is weighing whether to use the fast track or traditional mining consent process.