In developing an underground mine a mine shaft (80) is formed by excavating earth and removing excavated material from the shaft (80) by a material transport system comprising skips (36) movable up and down on skip guides within the shaft. Tunnels (82) are launched from a bottom part of shaft (80) by excavating a cavern (81) in which a tunnel boring machine is assembled and operated to bore the tunnels (82). Material from the tunnel excavation is transported from the tunnels via conveyor (87) to the material transport system established within the shaft during formation of the shaft which is operated to transport that material to an earth surface region.