North Queensland is now home to Queensland's largest gold mine.
The Ravenswood mine was officially opened on Wednesday and will support more than 430 jobs with a further 220 permanent contractors.
The three-year expansion included a new tailings storage facility, crusher and a processing plant expansion including a new mill and leaching tanks.
As a result it can now produce more than 200,000 ounces of gold each year.
Resources Minister Scott Stewart congratulated Ravenswood Gold on the $350 million expansion of their mine about 130 km southwest of Townsville.
"Not only is this now the largest gold mine in Queensland, but the Ravenswood Gold project also deserves a gold medal for how it supports locals and local businesses," Mr Stewart said.
More than 1000 contractors were supported during the mine's expansion.
Local businesses and suppliers were also supported during the expansion with concrete supplied by Towers Concrete in Charters Towers and steel from Thomas Steel in Townsville.
The Ravenswood Gold Mine has been in operations since 1987 and was purchased by Ravenswood Gold in April 2020.
Ravenswood Gold CEO Brett Fletcher said it was a major achievement for the town.
"We are delivering huge economic benefits and providing local employment opportunities, with the vast majority of our team living within a two-hour drive of the mine," he said.
