Redpath Mining will take over underground development and production at Evolution Mining’s Cowal Gold Operations in central New South Wales under a newly awarded five-year contract slated to ramp up in early 2026 and reach full capacity by July that year, the companies confirmed on 18 December 2025 in separate notices here and here. The agreement sets the terms for how Redpath will mobilise people and equipment, replace the current contractor, and support Evolution’s plan to keep Cowal producing well into the 2040s.
Situated about 350 km west of Sydney near Lake Cowal, the open-pit and underground complex is one of Evolution Mining’s cornerstone assets, employing roughly 1,200 workers and approved to operate until 2042. By handing the underground portion to Redpath, the mid-tier gold producer aims to sustain high-grade feed for its 9.8 Mt/y processing plant while completing the transition from surface to subsurface ore sources.
The contract details answer key questions: who will run the underground mine (Redpath), what the work entails (development and long-hole stoping for 2.4 Mt of ore annually), where it happens (Cowal, NSW), when activities start (ramp-up in early 2026, full production July 2026), why the change matters (to maintain growth as open-pit reserves deplete), and how operations will proceed (via a 6 m × 6 m decline using sub-level open stoping with paste backfill).
Early emphasis on continuity and scale
Redpath inherits a busy worksite. Commercial underground production was achieved in 2024, and open-pit mining currently delivers about 8 Mt of ore annually. Cowal’s life-of-mine plan calls for an extra 2.4 Mt/y from underground sources starting in Evolution’s 2026 financial year, a target that depends on seamless contractor changeover.
The outgoing contractor, Perenti’s Barminco, entered Cowal on a four-year, A$520 million agreement in 2022. It deployed six loaders, 12 haul trucks and six drills—three for development headings and three for production stopes. Redpath will now introduce its own fleet and workforce. Recruitment is already under way, according to the company’s call-out for supervisors, jumbo operators, charge-up crews and maintenance personnel posted alongside the contract announcement im-mining.
What Redpath brings to the table
The Canadian-founded contractor is no stranger to Evolution Mining. It previously completed underground work at Mount Carlton in Queensland and currently holds multiple Australian contracts. At Cowal, Redpath’s main tasks include:
• Extending and rehabilitating the 6 m × 6 m access decline that spirals from a portal in the existing open pit
• Establishing fresh ventilation circuits and escape ways in line with New South Wales’ Work Health and Safety (Mines) regulations
• Drilling, blasting and mucking out sub-level stopes, followed by paste backfilling to maintain ground stability
• Managing ore and waste haulage to surface, processing plant liaison and all statutory reporting
Redpath’s engineering team is finalising detailed mine designs and schedules, according to a technical briefing published by Geomechanics International geomechanics.io. The document highlights close collaboration between the contractor and Evolution’s geology group to optimise stope sequences that balance grade, geotechnical constraints and mill feed blend.
Cowal’s bigger picture
Evolution acquired the mine in 2015 and has steadily upgraded infrastructure, including a plant expansion and grid-connected solar farm. In 2020 the company secured state approvals extending Cowal’s operating life to 2042, covering continued open-pit mining, two satellite-pit developments and the underground project now coming into its own.
The operation’s 9.8 Mt/y processing plant currently treats mostly open-pit ore, but underground tonnage is expected to climb rapidly once Redpath reaches steady-state. Combined output will help Evolution meet its corporate guidance while hedging against grade variability at surface.
Workforce dynamics
Of Cowal’s 1,200-strong site workforce, approximately 480 are permanent Evolution employees; the remainder are contractor staff, service providers or exploration teams. Redpath’s arrival is unlikely to change head-count markedly, but roles will shift from Barminco to the new contractor. Evolution has stated that continuity of employment for existing underground workers is a priority discussion point, though no numbers have yet been disclosed.
How the hand-over unfolds
The countdown to early 2026 ramp-up involves parallel streams:
- Barminco demobilises heavy equipment slated for redeployment elsewhere in its global fleet
- Redpath imports jumbos, loaders and trucks sized for Cowal’s 6 m declines and planned 20 m floor-to-back stope heights
- Joint teams verify ground-support installations, install additional cable-bolts where needed and transition survey data into Redpath’s systems
- Evolution Mining oversees safety management plan updates filed with state regulators
For local suppliers around West Wyalong and Forbes, the contractor swap means renewed purchase orders for explosives, ground-support materials, diesel, tyres and catering services. Evolution expects procurement continuity thanks to Redpath’s existing vendor relationships across eastern Australia.
Financial and strategic implications
Neither company has disclosed the contract’s dollar value. However, the preceding Barminco deal totalled A$520 million over four years, providing a reference point for scale. For Evolution, partnering with Redpath aligns with its “owner-operator plus specialist contractors” model aimed at cost certainty and technical expertise. For Redpath, Cowal cements its footprint in the competitive Australian hard-rock market and could position the firm for follow-on work as Evolution studies further underground expansions beneath the E42 and GRE46 orebodies.
Environmental considerations
Cowal operates under strict water-management rules owing to its proximity to Lake Cowal wetlands. The underground mine incorporates paste backfill, which reduces surface tailings and minimises subsidence risks near the lake margin. Redpath is required to comply with Evolution’s tailings stewardship plan, submit monthly water-quality data and meet ISO 14001 environmental-management standards already certified at site.
Safety first
New South Wales’ Resources Regulator recorded Cowal’s underground activity as low-incident during Barminco’s tenure. Redpath will adopt the same critical-risk management controls, including remote bogging where possible, referee-based rig activities and real-time gas monitoring in development headings.
Looking ahead: analysis and industry context
The Cowal contract award underlines two broader trends in Australian gold mining. First, mid-tier producers are relying on specialist contractors to navigate the complex engineering and labour demands of underground expansions, rather than acquiring fleets and crews outright. Second, the shift from open-pit to underground extraction at mature gold camps reflects grade economics and social-licence pressures to limit surface disturbance.
For contractors, competition is intensifying. A short four-year stint for Barminco followed by a five-year term for Redpath illustrates how asset owners periodically re-test the market to sharpen pricing and innovation—digital fleet management, battery-electric equipment and advanced ground support among them. Contractors able to demonstrate flexible labour models and local supply-chain depth stand to benefit.
At a regional level, Cowal’s mine-life extension to 2042 offers economic continuity for communities in the Lachlan region at a time when several copper-gold projects elsewhere in New South Wales face permitting hurdles. Should Redpath hit its 2.4 Mt/y underground target, Cowal could remain one of the state’s largest single gold producers for at least another decade, supporting downstream refinery jobs and royalty streams.
The contract highlights evolving partnership dynamics in modern mining: asset owners focus on resource definition, long-term capital allocation and community relationships, while contractors supply specialised human capital and technical agility. How well that balance is struck at Cowal may influence contracting strategies across Australia’s gold sector in the years ahead.
Sources
- https://im-mining.com/2025/12/18/redpath-hiring-for-new-evolution-mining-cowal-underground-contract/
- https://www.geomechanics.io/news/article/redpaths-cowal-underground-contract-design-and-scheduling-notes-for-engineers
