FOSTERVILLE'S gold mine is bracing for production hits as it deals with noise complaints from neighbours, while Costerfield's are digging into poorer rock.
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Both of the region's major gold mines have been grappling with challenges as they delve into the depths below central Victoria.
Fosterville's miners expect somewhat lower amounts of gold to be dug up in the coming quarter as they try to dampen the noise, mining company Agnico Eagle has told shareholders.
Neighbours have complained about mysterious low frequency noises coming from the mine, prompting miners and regulators to investigate.
The company has been adjusting the way it ventilates the mine to try and ease the problem.
It is also working on longer term solutions and is considering putting primary ventilation fans underground.
Miners still managed to dig up a higher than forecasted 212,772 ounces of gold over the last six months, Agnico Eagle said.
They expect gold production to rise in the fourth quarter when they hit new underground stopes.
Central Victoria's other major mine has been managing problems of its own.
Costerville gold miners hauled up a less-than-expected 15,000 ounces of saleable gold equivalent ounces last quarter.
Part of the problem was that miners were digging at the lowest extremities of a huge underground orebody called "the Youle".
That section contained less gold compared to rock than other parts of the Youle, Mandalay Resources president Dominic Duffy has told shareholders.
"It was still profitable and development continued so as to not sterilize the ore," he said.
Workers also suffered through an "extremely high" number of sick days fueled by COVID-19 protocols, Mr Duffy said.
"This affected our underground production rates, forcing the operation to process more lower grade stockpile than planned," he said.
"That said, overall, we achieved another very profitable quarter"
Costerfield's miners uncovered 32,236 saleable gold equivalent ounces in the first half of the year - six per cent more than the same period in 2021.
They are continuing to dig through the Youle and shift focus towards some of the deeper "Sheppard" veins thought to run through nearby rock.
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Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
