Author: Samantha Bawden

Innovators break records for WAIOTY 2025 The 2025 WA Innovators of the Year (WAIOTY) Awards program has seen a record number of applications. A total of 91 applications were received across five of the program's categories, representing a broad range of industries and ideas and showcasing the strength and diversity of the local innovation ecosystem. The WAIOTY program, first launched in 2006, continues to support WA startups, entrepreneurs and SMEs by profiling their work, building credibility and connecting them to commercialisation, funding and training opportunities. A total of 24 finalists have been selected by independent evaluation panels including six finalists each from the Rio...

Gold companies sweep up at Diggers & Dealers Awards The current record-breaking gold market was highlighted yesterday at the 34th Diggers & Dealers Awards with gold miners taking home the majority of awards. At the Diggers & Dealers gala dinner, De Grey Mining (ASX: DEG) took home the Dealer of the Year Award for its $5b sale of its Hemi gold project in the Pilbara, WA, to Northern Star Resources (ASX: NST) earlier this year. Ramelius Resources (ASX: RMS) was given the Digger of the Year Award for its consistent delivery on promised production and cost guidance targets consecutively for the last five years....

Liontown’s $226m Kathleen Valley ramp-up Liontown Resources (ASX: LTR) has launched a full underwritten institutional placement to support the underground transition at its Kathleen Valley lithium mine in WA. Underground production began at the site in April and, following the ramp-up, full scale underground operations are expected by September 2026. Part of the placement, which includes about 364.4m shares to raise at $0.73 per share, is a $50m investment from the Federal Government’s National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC). NRFC chief executive Davud Gall says Australia is well-positioned to be a competitive, long-term supplier of lithium to the rest of the world...

WA launches $4m GreenTech Hub The WA GreenTech Hub has formally launched with the aim of strengthening local capability and capacity in green technologies and services across the state. Led by Curtin University Institute for Energy Transition, the stand-alone facility will leverage expertise and oversee collaborations between government, industry, academia and the community by hosting innovation challenges and Curtin’s Accelerate program. The hub’s innovation challenges aim to address an industry challenge and develop solutions through expanding WA’s green technology ecosystem by connecting existing and emerging innovators. The first innovation challenge the hub will focus on is advanced energy...

Lithium heavyweights seek price stability Two of Australia’s biggest lithium producers, Liontown Resources (ASX: LTR) and Pilbara Minerals (ASX: PLS), have reported positive FY25 results despite volatile lithium prices. EV sales growing by 26% and BESS sales growing 51% in CY24 compared to CY23, according to PLS. Despite this, the lithium market has seen a significant price drop as the industry faces challenges from oversupply. In presentations given at the Diggers & Dealers Forum earlier this week, representatives from both companies expressed their concern regarding price volatility and oversupply. PLS chief executive Dale Henderson says the lithium market is volatile, fast moving and...

Rio leading tailings transparency Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) has released detailed information on its global tailings facilities in alignment with the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM). The disclosure includes updated information on 14 of the company’s tailings facilities rated very high or extreme consequence under GISTM classification, based on the highest potential consequences in the extremely unlikely event of a failure — previously disclosed in 2023 — as well as new information on a further 84 facilities rated low, high or...

Alcoa to boost Australia’s gallium supply Alcoa (ASX: AAI) has confirmed a joint development agreement (JDA) with Japan Australia Gallium Associates (JAGA) to explore the feasibility of a gallium project in WA. The project will be co-located at one of Alcoa’s operating alumina refineries. Subject to further commercial agreements and regulatory approvals, Alcoa and JAGA are targeting a final investment decision (FID) by the end of 2025 with production targeted for 2026. Gallium is recognised as a critical mineral by Australia and the US. Japan has also identified the mineral as one of the 35 minerals important...

$135m for Nyrstar critical metals Nyrstar has secured transitionary funding from the Federal, South Australia and Tasmania Governments for its critical metals processing operations in both states. The funding will enable the company to maintain its ongoing operations while progressing engineering planning to allow assessments of a significant rebuild of its Australian smelters and fast track feasibility studies into critical metals production. The company’s focus will initially be directed towards accelerating an antimony pilot plant in Port Pirie, South Australia before shifting to critical metals studies to...

From cancer treatment to minerals recovery Australian researchers have applied cancer therapeutic techniques to recovery of critical and rare earth minerals with a new peptide-targeting mineral recovery method. The researchers, based at the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Beneficiation of Minerals (COEMinerals), achieved more than 98% silver purity and more than 95% recovery using the innovative recovery method. Led by the University of Adelaide’s Chemical Engineering School researcher Professor Chun-Xia Zhao, the centre has applied learnings from multiple scientific disciplines to mimic how a cancer-targeting drug finds...

WA to cut mining license rates The WA Government has passed laws to revise the tax status of miscellaneous licenses to ensure they do not attract local government rates. While land held under miscellaneous licences has long been understood to not be rateable under the Local Government Act 1995, the Supreme Court of WA has recently ruled local governments can levy rates on land held under these licences. This ruling has the potential to incur millions of dollars in additional costs for mining and exploration companies throughout the state. As a result, the WA Government is moving to...

BlueScope leading Whyalla steelworks consortium BlueScope (ASX: BSL) will lead an international consortium with global steelmakers to participate in the sale process of Whyalla Steelworks in South Australia. Under a collaboration agreement, BlueScope will work with Japan’s Nippon Steel Corporation, India’s JSW Steel and South Korea’s POSCO. Collectively the companies boast a steelmaking capacity of more than 130mt and have a $115b value in market capitalisation. BlueScope will leverage its extensive knowledge of the Australian steel industry as the consortium reviews potential options, opportunities and capital requirements. The consortium has identified Whyalla as a prospective location for future production of green iron in Australia,...