Author: Samantha Bawden

WA Government prioritises locally made green steel The WA Government has opened an expression of interest (EoI) for local green steel manufacturers to supply major government projects.  Exporting green iron precursors to green steel is a major opportunity for WA to add value to its raw iron ore exports and procuring green steel for government projects provides an additional opportunity to develop a locally manufactured green steel recycling industry. As part of new, soon-to-be-introduced local sourcing requirements, the government will explicitly preference WA-made green steel.  To support this, the government will also be publishing a WA Industry Participation Strategy (WAIPS) addendum for...

Indigenous procurement key to mining’s future The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) has called on Indigenous businesses and governments to consider equity frameworks alongside procurement frameworks. At the annual Aboriginal Enterprises in Mining, Energy and Exploration (AEMEE) conference in Darwin, Northern Territory, Indigenous ownership, equity and intergenerational prosperity were highlighted as integral to the resources sector’s future. According to the MCA, in FY25, total reportable Indigenous-business procurement reached $5.83b across Australia and, of that, the mining sector alone accounted for about $1.64b or 28%. MCA Indigenous partnerships and communities principal adviser Matt Denyer says the industry is at a reform crossroads. “We have only one Indigenous-led mine, no Indigenous-owned minerals processing facilities and no Indigenous capital funds capturing meaningful shares of that value,” he said....

Green iron: the $1b disconnect As Australia looks to grow its green iron industry, the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) has warned the country heed lessons from green iron efforts in the US and Europe. The IEEFA reported governments in Europe and the US issued billions in capital grants to low-emissions steel projects only for several to be cancelled or delayed in its study, How to spend a billion dollars: Lessons from overseas for Australia’s green iron ambitions. IEEFA’s analysis...

Horseshoe Metals confirms copper potential Horseshoe Metals (ASX: HOR) confirmed shallow copper mineralisation in the Motters zone at its Horseshoe Lights project in northern WA. Assay results from the company’s ongoing drilling program have confirmed the continuity and thickness of oxide mineralisation extending from the surface into multiple primary copper mineralisation zones. The company is nearing completion of its phase one infill reverse circulation (RC) drilling at the northern end of the Motters zone and plans to commence a phase two program to test the main zone’s northern and southern extensions. Horseshoe reported in early October that it...

EOI open to supply future power needs of the Pilbara WA Government-owned energy provider Horizon Power is calling for independent power producers to present proposals to supply power to the Pilbara region starting from 2030. The expression of interest (EOI) invites proposals from a broad range of industry participants, including those with innovative renewable energy solutions and partnerships with Traditional Owner groups. Respondents with renewable energy projects and clear pathways to land access — including Traditional Owner groups — will be viewed favourably. By broadening participation, this process will provide greater flexibility to Horizon Power's generation procurement in the Pilbara and will optimise opportunities for local...

ICMM reports tailings compliance lower than anticipated The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) has published its 2025 tailings progress report, detailing how companies are upholding the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM). The report collates data from members’ individual disclosures made in 2025, offering a transparent snapshot of collective progress towards full conformance as well as case studies of implementation efforts and wider work to reduce or eliminate tailings. When the GISTM was published in 2020, ICMM members committed that all applicable tailings facilities with an extreme or very high consequence...

Bell Bay gets 12-month reprieve The Tasmania Government has signed an in-principle 12-month power agreement to secure the immediate future of Rio Tinto’s (ASX: RIO) Bell Bay Aluminium smelter. The agreement will allow time for the Tasmania Government to continue to work with the company and the Federal Government on a long-term plan for the smelter. In October, the smelter’s more than 500 staff were told the future of operations were uncertain as the smelter nears the expiry of its energy supply deal with state-owned Hydro Tasmania in December. Tasmania Premier Jeremy Rockliff says the government is...

Freight operators warn proposed changes threaten industry viability Australia's freight operators have expressed concerns that proposals to curtail diesel rebates or mandate transitions to electric or alternative fuels would trigger significant cost-of-living increases and threaten the viability of thousands of small transport businesses. The warning comes as Climate Change Authority chairman Matt Kean backed calls to overhaul the diesel fuel rebate, suggesting the billions spent annually would be better directed towards electrification. However, exclusive survey data from Loadshift — a subsidiary of Freelancer Limited (ASX: FLN) and Australia’s largest online marketplace for heavy-haulage transport. —...

Chile company slashes water usage in lithium extraction Summit Nanotech has announced a major milestone in water efficiency for lithium extraction, reinforcing its position as a global leader in sustainable direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology. Independent validation confirmed that Summit’s process uses about 30% less freshwater than evaporation ponds and 50% less than commercial DLE benchmarks, while maintaining high lithium recovery and product quality. Summit Nanotech’s process has delivered consistent performance across commercially viable lithium brine assets in...

Coal mine worker’s near miss prompts safety alert Queensland’s resources safety and health regulator has issued an industry-wide safety alert after a worker was trapped between two vehicles in an incident at a Central Queensland coal mine. While reversing, a tilt tray truck came very close to a pick and carry crane, trapping a worker, who was loading rigging gear at the front of the crane, between the two vehicles. Though no one was seriously injured, this incident has raised serious safety concerns. In 2024, a worker at BMA’s Saraji South coal mine in Queensland suffered fatal crush injuries after being pinned between two vehicles. Resources Safety and Health Queensland...