Mining of silver, zinc and lead in the major geological unit known as the Kanmantoo Fold Belt in the NSW Far West began in 1883, giving rise to both the city of Broken Hill and the international mining giant BHP Billiton. In the ensuing years the mines at Broken Hill, of which some are still productive, injected $80billion into the NSW economy.
Mining companies spend over $4 million annually in search of new deposits, bringing major flow-on benefits to the community and employing 400 to 500 people locally. Exploration is supported by the Broken Hill Exploration Initiative (BHEI), a seven-year $30-million program jointly funded by the NSW Government’s Exploration NSW Initiative and Geoscience Australia.
Silver, zinc and lead are also mined north east of Broken Hill in the Orana Region around Cobar, as are copper and gold from the resource-rich Lachlan Fold Belt (see also Central West). Even further north east, in the Great Australian Basin, lies Lightning Ridge known also as the Black Opal Capital of the World.
Link below for mining operations in the Far West and Orana. For further information about the Far West and Orana regions, visit the NSW Department of State and Regional Development.
| Broken Hill (Perilya) including Rasp |  |
| Broken Hill (CBH) | |
| Endeavor (formerly Elura) | |
| CSA Mine | |
| Peak including New Cobar, New Occidental and Perserverance |
| Lightning Ridge |