Mining

The system which protects and manages Aboriginal cultural heritage in Western Australia will be modernised and improved from July 1 to prevent another incident like what occurred at Juukan Gorge. The improvements include new practical exemptions and a simpler, fairer system to manage activities that may harm Aboriginal cultural heritage across WA ... The State Government has also announced the appointment of four new members to the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Council, including former Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister and respected Yamatji and Wongi Elder Ken Wyatt.

The new WA Aboriginal Cultural Heritage laws will have far reaching consequences to the farming community, many of which are only just coming to light as the WA Department of Heritage workshops the changes across the State. This is how WAFarmers responded to one of the workshops in the central Wheatbelt.        

The Queensland budget will supercharge CopperString 2032 through a $1 billion down payment from coal royalties, $594 million of which is committed to start construction over the coming financial year ... The announcement was made at the official opening of Vecco Group’s $26 million Townsville Vanadium Battery Manufacturing Facility, which received support through the Queensland Jobs Fund.

An industry-led, wide-scale search through previously mined and discarded rock and earth could help boost Australia’s global position as a clean energy powerhouse ... Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King said the new Atlas of Australian Mine Waste, could provide industry with additional opportunities to extract valuable resources from previously mined rock and earth.

Frank Batini. Probably the world’s largest mine, in terms of area, is Alcoa’s bauxite mine, located in the northern jarrah forest, within a biologically rich area, close to the State’s capital city (Perth) and on its domestic water supply catchments ... In 2007, Alcoa reported that the loss in water yield from five monitored catchments, where mining had occurred on part of the landscape, was 40-50 mmpa greater than in the un-mined forest. In the intervening 16 years the trees have grown and would now be using much more water.

Nyinkka Nyunyu is set for a $7 million upgrade, announced in this week’s Territory Budget ... Speaking to the Tennant & District Times, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Chansey Paech said works include a new artist studio, upgraded gallery, performance and storage spaces and immersive audio visual displays and experiences that share history, stories, arts and culture.

In another boost for the economy and local jobs, the Northern Territory Government has given mining approval to Core Lithium for its BP33 underground mine –   the second proposed mine at the Finniss Lithium Operation near Darwin. BP33 is located 33km west of Berry Springs and 5km from the Grants open pit, processing of ore mined at BP33 will occur at the nearby Grants Lithium Project.

The proposed Blue Hills Quarry is causing some concern among neighbouring residents about the noise pollution, dust impact and heavy truck traffic it will generate. With potentially as many as 29,400 truck trips annually and approximately 120 round trips per day, the impact on the nearby residents, local roads, and potentially Victoria's First Notable Town is significant.

The ‘Bird in Hand’ gold deposit area at Woodside in the Adelaide Hills has been proclaimed by the Governor at the request of the State Labor Government, protecting it from future mining applications. The land protected under the proclamation is the same area that was subject to a previous development application by Terramin Australia, with the move effectively prohibiting any future applications over the known Bird in Hand gold deposit.

As Australia looks towards exploring new export markets, the MENA region presents a wealth of trading and investment potential for Australian regional businesses ... This inaugural event on 4 May 2023 will be co-hosted by the Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Regional Development Australia in Central Coast, with a guest speaker and participants joining from the MENA region and Australia.

If the Northern Territory wants to  achieve a 50% renewable energy target by 2030  and  net zero emissions by 2050,  as it says it does, it seems we will need to make a choice between two types of mineral extraction: Good Mining and Bad Mining. “Good Mines” would get out of the ground the dozen-plus materials needed to make batteries and solar panels, known as  critical minerals, needed for clean energy technologies, including copper, nickel, manganese, cobalt, chromium, molybdenum and zinc.

Western Australia's resources industry achieved record sales of $246 billion in 2022 and delivered more jobs than ever before, underlining our State's role as the driving force behind the national economy. Resources sales for 2022 were up an impressive $15 billion from 2021 based on the latest annual data released by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS).

NT Mining Minister Nicole Manison was addressing more than 300 industry people attending the  Annual Geoscience Exploration Seminar (AGES) in Alice Springs ... She said the NT has 15 of the critical minerals the world needs, “and we have lots of copper as well, and 13 prospective critical minerals” ... Minister Manison said the government will change the royalty system to  ad valorem, including petroleum.

Works have finished and production has ramped up at Queensland’s new largest gold mine, creating nearly 400 good jobs and supporting 1000 contractors in the process. Resources Minister Scott Stewart congratulated Ravenswood Gold on the $350 million expansion of their mine about 130 km southwest of Townsville.

Five candidates for the seat of Clarence in the March 25 state election have signed a pledge launched by the Clarence Catchment Alliance to oppose and ban mineral mining developments in the Clarence catchment ... The pledge, Ms Fleming said came about after the CCA attended a meet the candidates’ night in Grafton and every one of the local candidates said they were anti mining in the Clarence catchment.

After careful consideration, the Minister for Energy and Mining, Tom Koutsantonis MP, has declined an application by Terramin Australia Ltd to develop the Bird In Hand gold underground mine at Woodside. Terramin’s concept for its proposed Bird in Hand mine, and related applications for a Mining Lease and a Miscellaneous Purpose Licence, have undergone comprehensive assessment by government, including an eight-week statutory public consultation.

Member for Maranoa and Nationals leader David Littleproud is backing calls for Labor to rule out scrapping the Fuel Tax Credit (FTC) scheme. Mr Littleproud said dumping the FTC scheme was another cost of living threat under Labor and would hurt families and businesses.

A huge vessel being guided into the Port of Yamba by two tugs and a pilot boat last weekend is now berthed at its temporary home, Harwood Marine ... “Harwood Marine previously has done work for TSA and have now been engaged to build a floating accommodation block for the vessel”: Harwood Marine owner Ross Roberts.

A public environmental review has been set for a mineral sands project proposed for about 21km east of Ledge Point and 800m south of the Moore River due to the extent of further information required, the number of preliminary key environmental factors identified and the moderate level of public interest in the project. When the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) published its decision to assess the Bidaminna project proposal it said out of the 156 submissions received 153 had called for public environmental review.

Fortescue’s decarbonisation journey has taken a major step forward with WAE Technologies (WAE) completing and delivering to Australia the largest battery of its kind, ready to be installed in a prototype zero-emission battery electric mining haul truck that Fortescue it is developing with Liebherr. The state-of-the-art 1.4MWh prototype power system sets the pace for ground-breaking innovation in heavy industry and is a bespoke design intended for integration into a 240-tonne mining haul truck.