May 2026

At 2pm on July 31, 1902, Mount Kembla Colliery exploded. The blast killed 96 workers, shattering families across the Illawarra region of NSW. The Mount Kembla explosion remains the worst recorded mining disaster in Australian history. No one knew exactly what caused the explosion, but an inquiry into the tragedy determined that it was likely due to gas and coal dust. The Royal Commission concluded that the disaster could have been prevented if naked lights were substituted with safety lamps. On September 19, 1921, a series of violent explosions ripped through the Mount Mulligan coal mine in central Queensland. The explosions killed 75 workers. The investigation that followed revealed a shocking level of negligence. Despite operations commencing more than a…

As ore grades decline and processing circuits grow more complex, the ability to efficiently manage tailings has shifted from a routine operational consideration to a central part of plant design. Regulatory frameworks like the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management are accelerating this shift — but the underlying driver is straightforward: poorly managed tailings cost money, consume water, and create liabilities that compound over the life of a mine. For Western Australian separation technology specialist Sacor, tailings processing is not a compliance exercise. It is an engineering problem with a measurable, optimisable solution. What tailings processing actually involves After ore is crushed, ground, and processed to extract valuable minerals, the residual stream is a slurry of finely ground rock, water,…

Since Thomas Edison established the world’s first public electric supply station in 1881, copper has been used to electrify the world. Copper is now one of the most essential metals of the 21st century, indispensable in an electrified future. Now, the metal has been identified as the key to unlocking the age of AI. Data centres, the computational muscle AI systems rely on, are driving a massive surge in copper demand. Electricity demand from data centres soared by 17% in 2025, and that of AI-focused data centres climbed even faster — well outpacing growth in global electricity demand of 3%, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The pace of AI deployment is increasingly tied to how quickly data centres,…

At 2pm on July 31, 1902, Mount Kembla Colliery exploded. The blast killed 96 workers, shattering families across the Illawarra region of NSW. The Mount Kembla explosion remains the worst recorded mining disaster in Australian history. No one knew exactly what caused the explosion, but an inquiry into the tragedy determined that it was likely due to gas and coal dust. The Royal Commission concluded that the disaster could have been prevented if naked lights were substituted with safety lamps. On September 19, 1921, a series of violent explosions ripped through the Mount Mulligan coal mine in central Queensland. The explosions killed 75 workers. The investigation that followed revealed a shocking level of negligence. Despite operations commencing more than a…

Exposure and implications Contributed By Clyde & Co senior consultant William Page, special counsel Hugh Irvine and associate Charlotte Cossey Serious mining incidents commonly attract the attention of resources regulators across the country. Whether an incident results in a fatality, serious injury or a near miss, regulators are equipped with extensive statutory powers to investigate, enforce and prosecute — impacting miners’ commercial operations and business reputation. This overview explores the legal and practical consequences of regulatory investigations on resources companies and their directors, and why miners must take proactive steps to protect themselves from potential risks. Investigative powers Each Australian state has its own resource safety regulator established under state?based legislation. Regulators operate within a legislative framework that authorises wide?ranging…