Author: Chloe Coutinho

Australia’s first underground lithium mine Liontown Resources (ASX: LTR) has commenced underground production stoping at Kathleen Valley lithium operation’s Mt Mann orebody, with the first blast fired on schedule. This marks a key milestone in the transition from open pit to underground operations over FY26. As Australia's first underground lithium mine, it is expected to offer distinct advantages over traditional open-pit operations, through cleaner ore extraction by reducing ore dilution from waste contamination, supporting higher lithia recoveries and improved ore fragmentation for optimised throughput. Liontown managing director and...

NSW looks for new critical minerals projects The NSW Government has launched a new $2.5m co-investment seed funding program to unearth the state’s next major critical minerals projects. The new Critical Minerals Exploration Program is a key part of the government’s Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Strategy. The $2.5 million fund requires a 50% co-investment from successful applicants and is aimed at encouraging more exploration in the state by supporting companies to undertake drilling, geophysics and geochemistry, all crucial steps to determine the scale of a...

Whitehaven inspires future STEM leaders The Tamworth Regional Science and Engineering Challenge provided an exciting opportunity for regional students to test their STEM-based problem-solving skills at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre in NSW. Organised by The Rotary Club of Tamworth First Light in collaboration with the University of Newcastle, the annual event is designed to encourage students to consider future careers in the field of STEM, by involving them in a series of activities they wouldn’t normally experience in a classroom. Since its inception in 2001, the challenge has provided students with hands-on experiences in a series of...

MinRes supports Ocean Heroes' return to Esperance Children and young adults living with autism have once again experienced the thrill of surfing in Esperance, WA’s pristine waters, thanks to the ongoing partnership between Mineral Resources (ASX: MIN) and Ocean Heroes. More than 50 participants aged three to 30 took part in free surfing lessons at Twilight Beach in March, marking the fifth consecutive year that Ocean Heroes has brought its confidence-building sessions to the coastal town. The Ocean Heroes...

Rio Tinto launches Underground Mass Mining Institute Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO), in collaboration with The University of Queensland, has marked the official launch of the South Gobi Underground Mass Mining Institute (SGUMMI) with a visit by the President of Mongolia to the Oyu Tolgoi mine. This institute offers a comprehensive, world class training program designed for both local and international mining professionals utilising the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine as practical training hub. In recent years, there has been a significant decline in the...

2025 NSW Women in Mining Awards winners announced Glencore business development and technical services general manager Hope Mulvihill has been named the 2025 Exceptional Woman in NSW Mining. Ms Mulvihill realised her passion for mining at university, becoming the first ever female president of The University of Queensland’s Mining and Metallurgy Association student chapter and vice president of the AusIMM student chapter. After joining Glencore in 2011, Hope worked as a senior mining engineer and business analyst before her appointment in 2024 as business development and technical services general manager, overseeing governance, business planning, merger and acquisition due diligence...

Games demonstrate mine rescue capability Emergency response crews from across Victoria, NSW and Tasmania descended on Costerfield and Heathcote over the weekend to take part in the Victorian Mine Rescue Competition. In one of the largest annual mine safety training exercises in Australia, Fosterville gold mine took out the top honours as best overall emergency rescue team after completing two days of six challenging simulated emergency scenarios. Teams competed in simulated scenarios that tested critical aspects of emergency response including underground rescue skills, firefighting, first aid and technical rope rescue. Organised by MCA Victoria this important event has gone from strength to...

Modules travel the distance for BHP project The Sedgman and CPB Contractors joint venture (SCJV), both CIMIC Group companies, have successfully transported more than 30 preassembled modules over 800km for BHP’s (ASX: BHP) Western Ridge crusher project in WA. The modules, weighing up to 125t and measuring 42m long and 11m wide, arrived in Port Hedland in February before beginning an...

Algae cultivation: a multimillion-dollar opportunity With 240 mines in Australia projected to close by 2040, algae could be key in managing site water quality, improving mine closure outcomes and creating business opportunities. A new report released by the Cooperative Research Centre for Transformations in Mining Economies (CRC TiME) has found notable benefits in using algae-based technologies to help mitigate the environmental impacts of mining during operations and after closure. Integrating algae into mine site closure planning could enable the creation of algae-based supply chains — with potential for regional, Indigenous and Australian enterprises....

Metso unveils game-changing Sustainable Flowsheet Explorer Metso is launching the Sustainable Flowsheet Explorer (SFX) in response to rising demand for strategic minerals and metals, depleting ore deposits and stricter environmental regulations and a call for innovative system-level thinking in minerals processing. The SFX enables the assessment, simulation and comparison of technological alternatives on circuit and full flowsheets within minutes instead of weeks. This innovative digital solution provides valuable insights on energy consumption, water usage, GHG emissions, costs, metallurgical performance and much more. Metso minerals digital process performance vice president Rodrigo Grau says the Sustainable Flowsheet Explorer streamlines the evaluation and comparison of technological...