Record 4.5-magnitude earthquake near Cadia gold mine shakes NSW Central West
Consensus Summary
A magnitude-4.5 earthquake struck near Newmont’s Cadia gold mine in NSW’s Central West on April 15, 2026, at 8:19pm, becoming the largest recorded in the region and felt across hundreds of kilometers, including Sydney and Batemans Bay. The quake suspended underground mining operations, caused structural damage in nearby homes, and triggered two aftershocks. While Geoscience Australia emphasized the event’s rarity and natural fault-line origins, locals and experts like University of Melbourne’s Dan Sandiford raised concerns about potential mining-induced stress changes, given two magnitude-4+ quakes near Cadia since 2017. NSW officials dismissed a direct link, citing insufficient evidence, though calls for independent investigations and expanded seismic monitoring persist amid community anxiety. The earthquake’s depth of 5 km and sparse monitoring (nearest public seismometer was 90 km away) limited precise data, prompting Geoscience Australia to deploy temporary monitoring kits to track aftershocks.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- A magnitude-4.5 earthquake struck near Newmont's Cadia gold mine in NSW Central West at 8:19pm AEST on Tuesday, April 15, 2026, with an epicenter south-west of Orange (coordinates: ~33.5°S, 149.0°E).
- The earthquake was the largest ever recorded in the region, surpassing a previous record of magnitude-4.3 in April 2017 (also near Cadia).
- Over 2,000 'felt' reports were logged by Geoscience Australia, with tremors felt as far as Sydney, Ulladulla, Goulburn, and Batemans Bay (a distance of ~400 km).
- The quake occurred at a depth of 5 km, with two aftershocks recorded: a magnitude-2.4 at 8:25pm and a magnitude-2.2 at 8:50pm, both within the mine site.
- Newmont Cadia suspended underground operations and evacuated all personnel to the surface; no injuries were reported.
- The earthquake caused structural damage, including split cornices in Dave Cowan’s Forest Reefs home, and was described as violent by locals, with houses shaking for ~30 seconds in Orange.
- Geoscience Australia classified the event as 'record-breaking' for the region and noted uncertainty in epicenter location due to sparse monitoring (closest public seismometer was 90 km away in Oberon).
- Geoscience Australia will deploy five Rapid Deployment Kits to monitor aftershocks, though it emphasized its role is national earthquake hazard assessment, not mining-specific monitoring.
- NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann called for an independent investigation into potential links between mining and seismic activity, citing community anxiety.
- NSW Minister for Natural Resources Courtney Houssos stated there is 'no current scientific evidence' linking the quake to mining, noting geological faults predate mining.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Mayor Bruce Reynolds (Blayney Shire) described the quake as 'the biggest he had felt in the area,' comparing it to a 'truck hitting the house' and noting it was worse than the 2017 quake.
- Dave Cowan’s home in Forest Reefs moved 'four inches' during the quake, and he called for more government seismometers in the Central West.
- Newmont’s 2017 magnitude-4.3 quake led to a three-month suspension of underground operations.
- Geophysicist Dan Sandiford (University of Melbourne) suggested mining may have 'likely' induced stress changes, citing two magnitude-4+ quakes near Cadia since 2017.
- The 2018 tailings dam collapse at Cadia was linked to prior 2.7-magnitude quakes, though not definitively caused by them.
- Dr. Phil Cummins (Geoscience Australia) described the quake as 'a large earthquake for this area' and expected aftershocks to be 'much lighter.'
- The quake’s energy release was described as 'twice as strong' as the 2017 quake due to the logarithmic Richter scale.
- The quake struck 'just south of the Canobolas State Forest near the Cadia gold mine.'
- Residents compared the quake’s sound to a 'jumbo jet' or 'bomb going off,' with rumbling lasting 10–15 seconds near the epicenter.
- A 2023 Geoscience Australia report noted ~60 earthquakes of magnitude 2+ within 30 km of Cadia over eight years.
- Premier Chris Minns stated he had 'no information' linking the quake to mining and would update the public if new evidence emerged.
- Four earthquakes above magnitude 3.5 have occurred near Cadia since 2017.
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- The SMH and ABC describe the 2017 quake as causing a 'precautionary evacuation' of Cadia, while the SMH additionally notes underground operations were suspended for three months, which the ABC does not explicitly state as a duration.
- The ABC and SMH mention two aftershocks (2.4 and 2.2) near the mine’s tailings dams, but only the SMH specifies the 2018 dam collapse occurred 'in the days after two 2.7-magnitude earthquakes,' which the ABC does not reference.
- The Guardian and ABC describe the quake’s depth as 5 km, but the SMH does not explicitly state the depth in its headline or lead paragraphs, only in later details.
- The ABC and SMH quote Mayor Bruce Reynolds describing the 2026 quake as 'the biggest in modern history,' while the Guardian does not include this direct quote.
- The SMH and ABC mention community anxiety about mining links, but only the SMH explicitly states locals 'feared the mine caused the quake' in its headline.
Source Articles
Gold mine stops underground operations after magnitude-4.5 earthquake
All underground workers at Newmont's Cadia gold mine are brought to the surface as inspections are carried out following an earthquake.
Breaking: Magnitude-4.5 earthquake felt across large parts of NSW
The NSW Central West has been hit by the largest earthquake ever recorded in the region.
Calls for more earthquake monitors after record quake near gold mine
The magnitude 4.5-earthquake near Orange was logged as the region's largest on record, but only thanks to public monitoring data far away from the epicentre.
Thousands rattled by 4.5-magnitude earthquake in central west NSW
Geoscience Australia says aftershocks likely but much lighter and in a smaller area Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Part of Australia’s east coast has been shaken by an earthquake that could be felt hundred of kilometres away. A 4.5-magnitude quake hit at 8.19pm on Tuesday at a depth of 5km about 30km south-west of Orange in central west NSW, near the Cadia goldmine. Continue reading...
Magnitude 4.5 earthquake rocks NSW
NSW has been rocked by a magnitude 4.5 quake that has shaken houses for 30 seconds.
Locals fear mine caused record-breaking quake
Tremors were felt as far away as Sydney and Batemans Bay after the quake in NSW’s central west.
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