Ausgold Limited opens office in Katanning to signify its presence in town and provide local discussion space

The company behind the largest gold mine project in the Great Southern has revealed details about its future operations, including housing and employment, as it officially opens up shop in Katanning. Ausgold opened its Clive Street office front at 4.30pm on Tuesday to provide a place for community members to meet with the company about the Katanning gold project, which is currently in its feasability stage and forecast to begin production mid-2027. Ausgold executive chairman John Dorward said after speaking with the Katanning, Kent and Dumbleyung local governments, the company was leaning towards purpose-built camps on the outskirts of Katanning to house the mining project’s army of workers. Mr Dorward said Ausgold still planned to employ about 150 long-term workers once the mine was in production, and more during the construction stage. The chairman said he also hoped to bring residents into Katanning rather than using the fly-in, fly-out work system common for other companies. “We think there is an opportunity for someone to come and work at Katanning and bring their family and have a much more settled life,” Mr Dorward said. “We’ve invited business owners and the local chamber to be involved with a community reference group where volunteers will meet on a regular basis and provide further outreach into the community. “For us to be successful, we need the community to be successful, and if we can source what we need in the region, that’s what we’ll do first and foremost.” Mr Dorward said the office showed the company’s commitment to presence and transparency in Katanning. “It’s important to be available to stakeholders in the community to come and meet the company and ask questions,” he said. “We can talk to them about the opportunities, the impacts and how we’re going to mitigate those impacts.” The project’s next step will be a financing project, and at the end of 2025 the final investment decision will be made, followed by 18-months of construction.