The Kalgoorlie Miner yesterday reported a significant discovery had been made underneath Hannan Street in Kalgoorlie.

But Palmer played it down when speaking to media on the sidelines of Diggers & Dealers in Kalgoorlie, saying Newmont’s 50% subsidiary Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) had no plans to explore under Kalgoorlie.

“I’d hate to pour cold water on a nice story, but our focus is actually on the central corridor on the east side of the mine where we found Hidden Secret,” Palmer said.

“Our exploration efforts actually stay out over there. That particular hole is not in any of our exploration plans going forward.

“There’s nothing to report about that hole, it’s not part of our plans. Our focus is very much on the eastern side.”

As 50% owner and manager of KCGM, Newmont’s current focus is on the development of the new Hidden Secret underground mine, which is an extension of the Mt Charlotte underground.

“Hidden Secret’s got about a three-year life from an underground mine that’s doing about 1 million tonnes a year,” Palmer said.

The other focus is an additional layback in the open pit, which could further extend the life of the iconic Super Pit out to the 2020s beyond its current life of 2019.

“It‘s a pretty good story if we can keep KCGM going with these discoveries and these laybacks, and I think it’s great for the community and great for KCGM.

“That’s where I see KCGM’s money best-spent in terms of its short to medium-term future.”

Palmer reiterated that buying out Barrick Gold 50% share of KCGM was not a priority. “Our priority list is managing those things that we can control, and that management services agreement is one of those things we can control and we’re going to focus on that,” he said.