Sunday Creek fires first underground decline in 20 years
Southern Cross Gold Consolidated has marked a major milestone at its Sunday Creek gold-antimony project in Victoria, with mining contractor PYBAR Mining Services firing the first cut in the project’s exploration decline.
The decline portal, located at the Sunday Creek project about 60 km north of Melbourne, is the first new underground decline to be developed in Victoria in approximately 20 years.
The milestone follows approval of the project’s work plan by Resources Victoria in November 2025 and comes after Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan publicly endorsed Sunday Creek as a critical minerals jobs opportunity for the state.
Southern Cross Gold Consolidated president and chief executive officer Michael Hudson said the project had progressed rapidly since receiving regulatory approval.
“The Victorian Government approved our exploration decline on 27 November 2025. In the months since, we have established the surface infrastructure, the box cut, and we have now fired the first cut underground,” Hudson said.
“This is the first new decline developed in Victoria in around 20 years, and a proud moment for everyone involved.”
Hudson said the first blast was completed safely and represented an important milestone not only for Sunday Creek but also for Victoria’s mining industry.
“The firing of the first cut went as planned and was executed safely,” he said.
“Beyond this being a significant milestone for Sunday Creek, it is a significant milestone for the broader Victorian mining industry. Many people in our sector never get the opportunity to be part of something like this in their career, and I want to thank the PYBAR and SXGC teams onsite who made it happen.”
The underground development is designed to accelerate exploration activities at the project by providing access to underground drill platforms approximately 115 m below surface.
According to the company, the decline will enable drilling capacity to increase from the current 11 surface rigs to a combined fleet of 24 surface and underground rigs once development is completed by the end of the year.
Hudson said the expansion would position Sunday Creek among the world’s largest pre-development drilling programs.
“The decline is fundamentally about accelerating drilling,” he said.
“From here, the team will drive the primary decline to establish underground drill platforms approximately 115 metres beneath surface, scaling us from the 11 surface rigs operating today towards 24 rigs working concurrently, and positioning Sunday Creek as one of the largest pre-development drill-outs globally.”
Southern Cross Gold Consolidated said earthworks for the box cut and ground support had been completed, with the portal now being established as the development jumbo begins driving the primary exploration decline.
The company believes the underground development will support the continued advancement of Sunday Creek, which it considers has the potential to become a significant western world supplier of antimony and gold.
PYBAR Mining Services general manager James Glover, who attended the first blast, said the event represented a rare milestone for the industry.
“It was a pleasure to spend time onsite with the respective team members for the firing of the first cut in the exploration decline. All went well and as planned,” Glover said.
“The firing of the first cut is a significant milestone for the project, but also more broadly for the mining industry, with this being the first new underground decline developed in Victoria in the last 20 or so years.
“Many people in the sector never get the opportunity to be involved in something like this in their career. The PYBAR team are very excited and proud to be a part of it.”