Author: Samantha Bawden

Rio Tinto seeks to cut Chinalco’s 11% stake Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) is considering an asset-for-equity swap with state-owned Aluminum Corp of China (Chinalco) that would reduce the miner's stake in Rio, Reuters reported, citing three people familiar with the matter. Sources told Reuters that Chinalco would exchange a portion of its holdings for stakes in some of Rio Tinto’s mining assets in a move to free up...

Donald wins major project status and $80m financing Astron’s (ASX: ATR) Donald rare earth and mineral sands project, located in the Murray Basin, Victoria, has been recognised by the Federal Government for its national importance.  The project is one of the world’s most significant rare earth resources and is expected to be the fourth-largest rare earth mine outside of China once operational.   Astron is developing the project as a joint venture with US-based critical minerals company Energy Fuels.  The companies...

Companies fined for truck driver death Three mining and construction services companies have been fined a total of $770,000 for an incident that led to the death of a truck driver in 2022 on the Great Northern Highway.  At about 9.27pm on July 25, 2022, the ratchet strap securing the intake boom of a pump being transported to Perth failed and the boom became unrestrained before striking and killing the driver of a truck travelling in the opposite direction just north of Meekatharra.  On October 14, the Perth Magistrates Court fined Resource Operations and Maintenance Services, Diverse Management...

Trump and Albanese sign $13b critical minerals deal Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Donald Trump have today signed a landmark bilateral framework agreement to secure critical minerals and rare earths mining and processing outside of China. The framework will be established under the leadership of the Federal Resources Minister and the US Energy Secretary to identify priority minerals and supply vulnerabilities to develop a coordinated plan to accelerate delivery of processed minerals. President Trump says the agreement has been in negotiations for the last five months. “In about a year from now, we’ll have so much critical minerals and...

Boom to bust and back again: mining’s impact on housing Housing prices across Australia’s mining regions are some of the most volatile in the country, with some areas, over the last two decades, crashing more than 65% at the end of a mining boom.  An analysis featured in the upcoming 2025 Ray White Regional Report investigates housing price dynamics across nine of Australia’s major mining regions over the last decade — from coal districts in Queensland and NSW, the iron ore centres of the Pilbara, gold rich regions of WA to emerging lithium hotspots.  The period from 2012 to 2017...

$2b green aluminium scheme open for consultation The Federal Government has opened consultation for the design of its green aluminium production credit scheme to advance product decarbonisation.  Part of the Federal Government’s Future Made in Australia agenda, the credit scheme is designed to help Australia secure a competitive edge in the global clean energy economy by providing local smelters the confidence to invest in the transition to renewable energy use.  Facilities will be eligible for support for every tonne of clean, reliable, Australian-made aluminium they make over a period of up to 10 years or to 2044, whichever comes...

US company makes $723m bid for NSW critical minerals Larvotto Resources (ASX: LRV) received an unsolicited takeover bid from the US Antimony Corporation (USAC), equivalent to $1.40 per share, after the close of trading on Friday.  The offer was made following USAC’s lodgement of a substantial shareholder notice aftermarket, notifying Larvotto that it had acquired 51,685,160 ordinary shares, representing 10.0% of the company's shares on issue.  Larvotto  is actively advancing its portfolio of critical minerals projects including the Hillgrove antimony-gold project in NSW, the large Mt Isa copper, gold and cobalt project adjacent to Mt Isa townsite in Queensland and the Eyre...

Can the mining industry meet rising copper demand?  Low levels of investment in forward-looking copper projects could drive major shortages and pricing volatility in the face of unprecedented demand, according to Wood Mackenzie.  Global copper demand is expected to rise by 8.2mtpa to 42.7mtpa by 2035, a 24% surge, according to a new Horizons report from Wood Mackenzie, High-wire act: is soaring copper demand an obstacle to future growth?  Growth will be driven by traditional economic development alongside new structural demand from electrification and digitalisation. While this growth trajectory seems certain, Wood Mackenzie warns that four powerful disruptors could amplify...

Queensland coroner to examine resources sector deaths The Queensland Government has reinstated a coroners role for the mining and resources sector to enhance worker safety with a justice service to cater to mandatory coronial inquests. The mining and resources coroner will conduct mandatory coronial inquests into fatalities that occur at any Queensland mine, quarry, petroleum and gas site, and to provide answers sooner to victims’ families. The coroner will also make recommendations to enhance worker safety and undertake other coronial duties, when not investigating mining-related matters, help to ease pressure...

Queenslanders back the mining sector A recent independent survey of Queenslanders has shown the extent of support for the resources sector in securing the long-term future of the state and protecting people’s way of life. It also revealed that more than four in five Queenslanders believe there is an important long-term role for the mining and resources sector and 75% agree that mining is very important to maintaining their way of life. The research is regularly undertaken by the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) to evaluate the sentiment of Queenslanders and their thoughts or opinions about mining. The latest...

Sandvik accelerates mining’s digital future Sandvik has launched DataDrive’31, a major new technology program aimed at advancing digitalisation through data-driven innovation across the mining industry. DataDrive’31 focuses on developing new data-driven technologies and solutions that enhance productivity and safety and sustainability across the entire mining value chain. The program aims to enable new services and products through data utilisation and commercialisation, integrate data-driven technologies into equipment, operations and aftermarket services to deliver end-to-end digital solutions and build predictive and prescriptive operating environments to support smarter, safer and more sustainable mining. The six-year program has a total budget of $144m...