The business of mining headlined Wellington Business Chamber's Monday night meeting.
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Alkane NSW general manager Mike Sutherland spoke at the meeting and referred to a history of minerals in the region dating back to the first gold finds in Australia.
"There are minerals here, there have been minerals in the past," he told the business community.
Watching on the sidelines at the meeting was the managing director of Impact Minerals Dr Mike Jones whose company is exploring at the Old Commonwealth mine site near Wellington.
Mr Sutherland explained Alkane also had properties in the area at Galwadgere and Bodangora, both the focus of exploration, and of course, 'the gold-plated one', the much-anticipated Dubbo Zirconia Project at Toongi which was waiting on NSW Planning approval.
The DZP project has a Wellington LGA element, a proposed limestone project at Geurie.
"We are talking with landholders in the area which is sensitive," he said.
"The limestone would be trucked via the Mitchell Highway to the mine site."
Mr Sutherland explained Wellington could reap large rewards if a mining project kicked off in the district.
"From local employment, accommodation to fuel, hardware supplies, rehabilitation services, environmental consulting, food outlets, construction and construction materials are among some of the benefits," he said at the same time asking if Wellington was ready for mining.
Dr Mike Jones from the Perth-based Impact Minerals company had come to the meeting from the Old Commonwealth mine site near Wellington where he said drilling was interesting.
"It's early days of course and in some areas this is the first time companies have looked strategically in this area," he said.
"There is some visual indications of mineralisation and we will take the assays away and see what we get from the laboratory and move on further if there is some juicy stuff, but there is potential here, there's no doubt."
Dr Jones was impressed with the history of the site and so far has drilled seven exploration holes.
"Everything is going well, there were some issues with water and we have brought extra equipment in but its going well," he said.
"Silica Hill has never been drilled before so it could be interesting."