Goldstar Resources NL did the refurbishing work. The Walhalla Board of Management, which controls the mine, had known for some years that work with a cost of $120,000 to $160,000 needed to be done.

Goldstar and the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) reached agreement that contractors who were engaged by Goldstar would do the work at no cost to the Board or the Department.

In return, Goldstar have been undertaking exploratory drilling in the mine for the past three to four months, to complement the exploratory work that was already under way in the Empress chamber.