Category: Regional Focus

IN 2018, the resources industries contributed to more than 25pc of Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) GDP, and 80pc of its export revenue, and the industry employed about 20,000 people. As a post-colonial nation, development in PNG has lagged behind the rest of Asia due to the wildness of the terrain, the challenges of remote locations, and lack of cheap, reliable electricity and infrastructure. One of the biggest infrastructure hurdles has been the lack of a domestic concrete plant that will allow PNG to transition its infrastructure and construction projects from traditional, locally sourced building materials to modern methods using concrete. Mayur Resources executive director Tim Crossley said that this transition had been well documented. “If you look at the development…

THE three major mining developments in the Pilbara – BHP’s South Flank, FMG’s Eliwana and Rio Tinto’s Koodaideri – are set to replace the aging Yandicoogina operation, with the expansions and developments scheduled to be completed over the next three years. According to Pilbara Development Commission (PDC) chief executive officer Terry Hill, this is an example of the Pilbara continuing to grow and diversify in the mining and resources sector. “The three major mine projects are replacement mines designed to maintain current production levels. We understand that the total construction workforce for these mines will create more than 6,000 jobs,” Mr Hill said. “This will result in increased demand for mining service providers in the construction period and stability in…

MINING and petroleum is the backbone of Papua New guinea’s economy, and Australian-owned or partly owned operations contribute to the development of the nation’s human resource, economy, infrastructure, while improving the livelihoods and living standards of thousands of communities. At the annual Australia Papua New Guinea Business Forum and Trade Expo in Port Moresby in mid-June,, PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum president Garea Aopi said the industry contributes 26pc of PNG’s GDP and 80pc of the nation’s export revenue. “The sector also provides more than 20,000 jobs to Papua New Guineans, whilst 30,000 more are employed in landowner businesses, and other PNG businesses that support the industry,” Mr Aopi said. “We also deliver strong and sustainable growth in areas…

WA’S South West holds three gateway ports that connect it to the rest of the world – the Ports of Albany, Esperance and Bunbury  – and Southern Ports is their custodian. Unlike role-specific organisations such as the Hunter Valley Coal Collective which focuses its energies on getting one commodity (coal) to one port (Newcastle). Southern Ports manages multiple ports, customers, industries and multiple products. This gives it a unique and multi-faceted role in the supply chain. Its principle role is to facilitate trade through the commercial management of the ports, and to return a dividend to the government of Western Australia. As FY19 comes to a close, Southern Ports will celebrate another successful year. From the beginning of FY19 to…

THE Port of Port Hedland saw iron ore exports increase in FY18 by 3 per cent to 508.9 million tonnes, and exports are expected to rise for FY19 regardless of the pause in port operations caused by tropical Cyclone Veronica which hit the coast in March of this year. Cyclone Veronica caused a total shutdown at Port Hedland of 92.5 hours, 132 hours at the Port of Dampier and 109.5 hours at the Port of Ashburn. PPA chief executive Roger Johnston said despite the longest closure in years resulting in a slightly lower guidance for the big players like Rio Tinto, BHP and FMG, iron ore exports at Port Hedland was still going “gangbusters”. “A week’s production up here is…

THE Hunter Valley region is undoubtedly one of NSW’s engine rooms, and a powerhouse of Australian mining. Its history goes all the way back to the early 1800s, when the government began mining the first coal in the colony’s history. Today, the Hunter Valley is home to more than 272,000 people and comprises 41 coal mines owned by 11 producers. It is spread over more than 450km, with coal haulage distance of up to 380km. There were more than 31 points for coal loading, four rail haulage providers delivering to three terminals, and as a collective, filled and exported more than 1400 coal vessels every year through the port of Newcastle. With the growing demand for coal in South East…

BHP’s Olympic Dam mine. Image: BHP. SOUTH Australia’s mining industry is seeing a renaissance with numerous new projects and the completion of several major developments. WITH more than $1 billion committed to the development of mining and mining infrastructure across South Australia, the mining industry is continuing to be an important economic contributor. South Australia Mineral Resources and Energy minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan said that mining was one of the key pillars of the State’s economy. “The resources sector already supports jobs and business opportunities in this State and increasing the number of mines through exploration and expanding the ability of existing mines to increase production and mine-life will further broaden the critical role the sector plays in the…

Image: Pilgangoora Minerals BY AMY BLOM AS mining takes off again in WA’s Pilbara region, communities are bracing for another boom and working to ensure locally-based service providers have a share in the sector. With three new major iron ore mines on the cards and the increasing prominence of lithium, gold and copper in the area, the Pilbara could be set for another mining boom. But in the hopes of mitigating the highs and lows of the past, community leaders are encouraging a greater focus on awarding contracts to local service providers within existing hubs and a strategy of diversification. Most of the services necessary for new developments were already in place in the Pilbara, thanks to the region’s rich…

Image: City of  Greater Bendigo BY EMMA DAVIES THE next big gold discovery in Victoria could belong to anyone. Considering historical operations, Bendigo and Ballarat are set to benefit with a hive of exploration activity currently underway by juniors, like Chalice Gold. Chalice Gold holds exploration licences over an area of more than 3000sqkm and is one of the largest junior players in the highly prospective north Bendigo zone – which hosts Kirkland Lake Gold’s Fosterville operation. The company commenced drilling at its Pyramid Hill gold project in November 2018 and is focussed on testing the top 30m of basement rock on 3km spaced drill lines, looking for gold and pathfinder elements, which even at low levels can indicate proximity…

MP Mick Murray at Premier Coal mining operations in Collie. Image: West Australian Government. BY JESSICA CUMMINS SURROUNDED by an abundance of national parks, forests and man-made waterways, WA’s only coal mining town, Collie, has a long history, and continues to generate a large proportion of WA’s energy needs.  Like many mining towns, Collie has had its fair share of booms and busts dating back to the first development of its coal fields in the late 1800s. Shire of Collie chief executive David Blurton said before the commodity was discovered in Collie, the State was relying heavily on imported coal, and the Government offered incentives for the discovery of a local energy source. “The period between 1930 and 1960 in particular was…

Image: the city of Dubbo. BY ELIZABETH FABRI AT the geographic heart of NSW lies the regional centre of Dubbo – the largest city in the Orana region with an impressive and growing economic profile. A new wave of mining projects is set to give the town a boost, with added jobs and flow-on benefits to local business. Dubbo businesses already supply goods and services to a number of mining operations around the region and the promise of new mines is set to increase opportunities. Dubbo mayor Ben Shields said mining was a growth industry in the region, with businesses expanding and taking advantage of the city’s strategic location and junction for road, rail and air freight services. “From heavy vehicle supplies and…