Agnew Gold Mine’s new crushing and screening plant showcases how innovation, investment and teamwork can elevate a decades-old operation to industry-leading standards.

For more than two decades, Agnew Gold Mine’s tertiary crushing circuit had served the operation reliably. But with increasing demand on plant throughput and dependability concerns mounting, the 21-year-old circuit was no longer fit for purpose.

The mine is best known for its underground operations, primarily targeting the Waroonga and New Holland gold deposits in Western Australia. Ore is extracted using underground mining methods and is then processed on-site.

Faced with an expansion into a third underground source at Agnew, Gold Fields teamed up with Sandvik to implement an innovative new plant that is now delivering outstanding results in efficiency, safety and productivity.

“Little old Agnew’s been there for 30-odd years, and it’s a little mine that just keeps on giving,” Gold Fields principal specialist for metallurgy Reg Radford said.

“About four or five years ago, we asked for about $30 million cash in hand to a get a crushing circuit up and running and replace assets that [had] done their time.

“It has been a great achievement for everyone on-site who’s continuing to benefit from some of these investments and this innovative thinking.”

Those efforts have been further rewarded after Gold Fields’ Agnew claimed the prestigious Australian Mine of the Year award at the 2025 Prospect Awards.

The award celebrates a site that has reached its production goals and developed high-level safety controls, environmental and sustainability programs and has shown capacity to innovate to drive the industry forward. 

The mine was chosen after Gold Fields demonstrated how its new Sandvik crushing and screening plant helped set a new operational standard.

Sandvik purpose-built the plant to meet the site’s production and safety needs by collaborating with Gold Fields on an innovative design that resulted in a state-of-the-art facility that enhances performance while ensuring sustainable, safe operations for the future. The project has optimised material handling, reduced downtime, and strengthened site safety protocols.

Radford and Gold Fields principal specialist for studies Tristan Freemantle spent months locking in project approval and funding.

It was a delicate balancing act: the site needed a circuit that was low maintenance, reliable and simple to operate while also using crushers and screens that had good after-market support. Eventually, Sandvik came up with a complete plant design that was modular and comparable to other bespoke options.

Freemantle said the award further vindicated the mine’s decision to invest its crushing and screening solution.

“The project was executed through an integrated delivery approach, with each component strategically contracted to ensure timely and efficient completion,” he said.

“We’ve got some of the best technology that Sandvik has been able to provide. It’s certainly a very proud moment, and [this award] is recognition of the effort and work that went into that crushing circuit and really demonstrates the importance of partnering with the right people to make these things happen and sharing a belief.” 

The Australian Mine of the Year award was proudly sponsored by SEW Eurodrive.