The "accessing of ore" should begin at the new Wyoming One pit in early 2016.

Alkane Resources recently shut down open-cut mining at the Wyoming Three pit after pulling 80,000 ounces of gold from it.

It was operational from late 2013 or "day one" of the mine's life, according to managing director Ian Chalmers.

Alkane Resources is also seeking permission to expand the existing Caloma pit to "optimise ore recovery" and to build a new pit called Caloma Two.

On November 26 the NSW Department of Planning and Environment called for community feedback on proposed modifications to the mine site, ranging from the establishment of the Caloma Two pit to the extension of a storage facility for residue.

Mr Chalmers said all of the proposed changes were compliant with the "existing mining lease".

"Realistically, there shouldn't be any issues ," he said.

"All of the things we're changing are within the existing mining lease. So we're not creating anything new, any additional noise or dust."

See your ad here

Mr Chalmers said "waste stripping" began at Wyoming One in the middle of this year.

"If you went there today, you'd see a hole starting to develop," he said.

"It's probably down 20 metres deep."

Mr Chalmers said the company planned to use waste rock from the construction of the Caloma Two pit to backfill the Wyoming Three pit.

Currently, the mine site's only working pit is Caloma, expected to produce more than 200,000 ounces of gold in its lifetime ending late 2019.

Mr Chalmers said the Caloma Two pit would tap into a small deposit, but "probably a little bit bigger than Wyoming Three" where underground mining might take place in the future.

"We're more likely going underground at Caloma and Wyoming One," he said.

"Certainly, Wyoming One is where the bigger underground potential is. Once we establish that underground operation, it's not difficult to go back and have a look underneath Wyoming Three."

Underground mining at Caloma from late 2017 to potentially 2023 includes a "gap" of about 18 months to allow for building works including a "portal".

The Wyoming One pit will wind down in 2019 with mining underneath expected to continue until at least 2021.

Mr Chalmers said most of the money coming out of the Tomingley Gold Mine was being channelled into the $1.3 billion Dubbo Zirconia Project (DZP), "so we can keep to our timeline of going into development construction some time next year".

"In the financial year 2015 we put $16 million of cash coming out of Tomingley back into the DZP," he said.

To view the proposed modifications or make a submission go to www.majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au.