Category: Regional Focus

The global and local drive towards a low carbon future and mining’s evolving world of work are among the top trends ahead for Australian miners in 2022, Deloitte’s Tracking the Trends report reveals. The 14th annual edition of the report explores the key trends facing mining companies as innovation accelerates driven by the need to meet decarbonisation, environmental, societal, and governance (ESG) goals. Deloitte Australia Mining & Metals Leader Steven Walsh said the sector was facing one of the most transformative times in its history. “The level of change and innovation we are seeing across the mining industry is accelerating. This change is being pushed by the demands and expectations of stakeholders across environment, society and governance, and is being…

Mining has long been a backbone of North West Queensland’s economy but now it will prove crucial to pulling Australia out of the coronavirus recession. Queensland’s mining industry is the state’s most valuable sector, accounts for 40% of all capital expenditure and directly employs nearly 65,000 people with nearly a quarter of them working at mines in North Queensland. The North West Minerals Province (NWMP), centered around Cloncurry and Mt Isa, is one of the world’s greatest mining regions and holds about 75% of Queensland’s base metal mineral endowment including copper, lead, zinc and silver as well as major phosphate deposits. The big players employ thousands with even the Mt Isa mayor, Danielle Slade, getting her first job straight out…

QUEENSLAND is renowned for its coal mining industry, which generates billions of dollars in revenue and thousands of jobs for Australians. Now the state’s coal mining industry is about to enter a new era of growth, after the Queensland government opened up 7000sq km of land in its Bowen and Surat coal basins to fresh exploration activity for coal and gas. Mining companies have been invited to stake their claim in the exploration territory to sow the seeds for the next generation of resources projects. Queensland Member of Parliament for the Mackay constituency, Julieanne Gilbert, said the exploration program could result in significant job opportunities. “Two areas in the highly prospective Bowen Basin have been earmarked for metallurgical coal –…

IT’S been a hive of activity in the Hunter Valley over the past few months. The region’s coalfields contain largely thermal and soft coking coal. Mines near the eastern edge of the basin are spread along the Hunter Valley from Newcastle in the south to Muswellbrook in the north, most of which are open-cut. Both soft coking and thermal coal products are produced from mines such as Hunter Valley Operations and Bulga. With the NSW Independent Planning Commission giving United Wambo the green light on August 29, the region will now be bolstered by another massive open-cut pit. Meanwhile, Mount Arthur has welcomed a new chief executive in Adam Lacey, and the Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group (NCIG) is expecting a…

The four-day annual PDAC convention held in Canada has grown in size, stature and influence since it began in 1932, and is regarded as an attendance requisite for the world’s mineral industry. Plans are already well in place for the 2020 event. THE annual PDAC Conventions in Canada have been recognised as the premier mineral exploration and mining events for people, companies and organisations in, or connected with, mineral exploration. In addition to meeting more than 1100 exhibitors, 2500 investors and 25,800 attendees from 132 countries, delegates can also attend technical sessions, short courses and networking events. The convention, run by the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC), is held each year in Toronto, and is the event of…

The 26th edition of the Investing in African Mining Indaba conference will take place in Cape Town, South Africa, at the beginning of February, 2020. THE premier African mining event will be bigger than last year, which saw more than 6000 delegates attend the exhibition, including about 600 investors and more than 1100 mining executives. According to Mining Indaba head of content Tom Quinn, the showcase will unveil the latest technologies and cover the latest trends and topics. He also said that because sustainability has many great touchpoints throughout the mining value chain, the issue will be spotlighted in most natural resources topics which are current in the industry and throughout the week at Mining Indaba. “Navigating the legal and…

As one of the nation’s largest coal producing regions, the Hunter Valley has remained steadfast in response to mounting global pressure over the mining of thermal coal for electricity. IT’S been a hive of activity in the Hunter Valley over the past few months. The region’s coalfields contain largely thermal and soft coking coal. Mines near the eastern edge of the basin are spread along the Hunter Valley from Newcastle in the south to Muswellbrook in the north, most of which are open-cut. Both soft coking and thermal coal products are produced from mines such as Hunter Valley Operations and Bulga. With the NSW Independent Planning Commission giving United Wambo the green light on August 29, the region will now…

ACCORDING to the Queensland Resources Council (QRC), the resources sector added $74.3b to the State’s economy in 2018-2019 – and with new mining developments underway, the economy is set to grow even further in 2020 and beyond. QRC Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane said the sector already supports more than 316,000 jobs across the state, earns 80pc of Queensland’s exports and generates more than $5b in royalties for the State Government. “Queensland’s resources sector is now supporting one in every seven jobs, and one in every five dollars for Queensland’s economy,” Mr Macfarlane said. “That means from Burleigh Heads to Brisbane and from Mackay to Mount Isa, the resources sector is powering local economies and employing local people. “This year’s figures…

AFTER uncertainty in the sector in recent years, Tasmania’s mining industry is seeing something of a renaissance with new mines opening, an aggressive Mining for the Future policy that would make illegal protesting an indictable offence, and greenfields exploration seeking out the next big find. The industry has the backing of the Hodgman Liberal Government, which is promising to provide stability and certainty, and to assist miners moving forward. Mr Barnett said that the Liberal Government was determined that there would be no more land-lockups, likening the current movement to the anti-forestry movement. “More than half of Tasmania is already in reserves,” he said. “And yet the Greens call for more.” The resources industry employs about 5600 people in Tasmania,…

WITH the gold price at an all-time high, and Victoria’s largest mine at Fosterville forecast to produce 550,000-610,000 ounces of gold in 2019, there’s been a significant resurgence in domestic and international interest in Victorian gold. In response, the Victorian state government budget 2019-20 will introduce a 2.75pc gold royalty from January 1, 2020, which will bring Victoria in line with other states and is expected to generate $56m. Small miners will be exempt but Minerals Council of Australia Victoria branch executive director James Sorahan said the tax is reckless, poorly considered and will hurt regional communities and threaten jobs in a growing industry. “Without changes, the royalty will have an unfair and significant impact on the operating costs of…

THE Mid-West Ports Authority is playing the long game, increasing throughput by maximising its existing infrastructure, ensuring that when mining projects in the region come online, the Port of Geraldton will ready and waiting to be that vital link in the mining supply chain. Mid-West Ports Authority chief executive officer Rochelle Macdonald said there was a huge amount of opportunity that the port can realise in the next 10-15 years. “In the past 10 years we’ve actually seen a doubling of the trade going through the port of Geraldton so it’s not unrealistic to see the trade increasing quite significantly going forward,” Ms Macdonald said. “We’ve got iron ore, base metal concentrate, mineral sands, and some new products, rare earths…