Copper
Rio Tinto's Australian copper mine, Northparkes, is in central west New South Wales.
Mining began at Northparkes in 1994 and today our mines and ore-processing plant employ more than 600 people. It is one of the region's largest employers.
Northparkes was the first mine in Australia to use the efficient, block-cave mining method, which relies on gravity and natural rock stresses to fragment and recover the ore. High-grade copper-gold concentrates are then shipped to smelters in Japan, China and India.
At Northparkes we conduct innovative, sustainable land-farming trials on the 4,370 hectares we own around the mine. We share the results with neighbouring farms, and work to extensively revegetate the area. We are also establishing interconnecting wildlife corridors.
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