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Major Rocklands milestone as Austral Resources takes delivery of SAG mill

JMM

Key Facts:

• Austral Resources’ 4.75MW as-new SAG mill has arrived at site at the Rocklands Copper Project.

• The mill was the largest single procurement risk item in the Rocklands refurbishment programme.

• Sourcing it in Cobar, New South Wales, avoided the higher cost and longer lead time of buying a mill from overseas.

• The mill is central to a simpler front-end circuit, with a single SAG mill replacing the existing three-stage cone crushing circuit.

• AR plans to appoint a construction management contractor before the end of 2026, with Rocklands expected to be in production in H2 2027.

Austral Resources Australia Limited (ASX: AR1) | 12 November 2026

Copper producer Austral Resources Australia Ltd (ASX: AR1) has taken delivery of the 4.75MW as-new SAG mill acquired for the restart of its Rocklands Copper Project. The delivery is a major milestone in the refurbishment programme at the company’s Eastern Operations.

Austral Resources (AR) bought the mill in June 2026. It then travelled roughly 1,700km on public roads from Cobar, New South Wales, which the company described as a logistically challenging exercise given the size of the components. Buying domestically avoided the higher cost and longer lead time of a mill from overseas.

The SAG mill is central to a redesigned front-end circuit. CMD Consulting reviewed the circuit early in 2026, and AR then adopted a simplified, conventional processing pathway that replaces the existing three-stage cone crushing circuit with a single SAG mill. The company believes this approach will significantly reduce operational risk, lower capital intensity and align Rocklands with proven conventional copper concentrator designs used globally.

AR Chairman David Newling said, “We’ve made a significant investment to purchase this equipment and bring it to Rocklands, and we’re keen to get it installed, get it spinning and our feedstock ready as we bring Rocklands back into production.”

AR intends to appoint a contractor, alongside internal resources, to manage construction of the front-end modifications before the end of 2026. Rocklands is expected to be completed and in production in H2 2027, as previously reported.

To learn more about the SAG Mill's key role in the business and it's journey, watch this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnNCOTZZGN0

About us:

Austral Resources is building Australia’s next mid-tier copper powerhouse, shaped by our pure-play Queensland copper focus and dual-processing platform – a combination that gives us a rare position in the market. Backed by established infrastructure and disciplined, long-term growth, our foundation is resilient; and as a reliable partner to our stakeholders, our measured delivery is driven by experience and accountability. Commercially, AR is an ASX (ASX:AR1) listed copper producer operating in Queensland, Australia. We operate dual processing facilities: Western Operations (Mt Kelly) a copper oxide heap leach and solvent extraction electrowinning (SX-EW) plant with a nameplate capacity of 30,000tpa of copper cathode; and Eastern Operations (Rocklands) a copper sulphide concentrator with a nameplate capacity of 3Mtpa. We own a significant copper inventory with a JORC compliant Mineral Resource Estimate standing at 64 Mt @ 0.73% Cu (468,414t of contained copper), alongside 2,101km2 of highly prospective exploration tenure in the heart of north west Queensland, a world class copper and base metals province.

Contact details:

Jane Morgan Management, Investor and Media Relations: Wilamina Russo, 0450 646 609  [email protected]