Australia prioritises military minerals in strategic reserve

The WA Supreme Court has ordered Pilbara Ports to hand over further internal and contract documents in its ongoing dispute with Mineral Resources (ASX: MIN) over a Port of Ashburton “Channel Charge”.The port authority admits it levied the Channel Charge as a pass-through of the amount it is required to pay Chevron for access to the Port of Ashburton LNG shipping channel under arrangements linked to Chevron’s Wheatstone project.Pilbara Ports says it invoiced MinRes for the Channel Charge and MinRes refused to pay, prompting the court action.In the discovery ruling, the court ordered Pilbara Ports to produce additional board and executive materials concerning proposals and decisions to levy the Channel Charge, as well as specified agreements linked to the port arrangements and Port of Ashburton financial documents.Pilbara Ports says the Channel Charge is a “port charge”, characterising it as a charge for port services, an access charge or a port due. The matter is listed for a three-day trial commencing April 28, with the heart of the dispute being whether the charge is a valid port charge, which MinRes denies along with any liability for the invoices.MinRes has challenged the charge on multiple grounds, including that Pilbara Ports did not have the power to impose it, that it is not a port charge, that it was not made in accordance with prudent commercial principles and that it exceeds channel or port-services costs.MinRes also alleges the charge was imposed for an improper purpose, to reimburse Chevron and recover those amounts from MinRes.

The WA Government has allocated $30m to expand a fee waiver initiative that will support Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia and Covalent Lithium.The initiative will offer a waiver on government fees and charges for the companies until December 31, 2027.WA Mines and Petroleum Minister David Michael says Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia and Covalent Lithium have a vitally important role to play in critical minerals processing in WA and are a key component of the EV battery supply chain."The Government believes it is crucial to support these two strategically important businesses while they battle with volatile commodity prices amid a period of rising costs; that's why we decided to extend the crucial fee waiver initiative,” he said."This initiative provides support ahead of the introduction of the Critical Minerals Production Tax Incentive, which provides a 10% rebate on processing costs and comes into effect on July 1, 2027."The WA Government will also commit $5m in funding to develop standards for the reuse of lithium by-product in construction materials, aimed at reducing disposal costs.This follows the WA Government's announcement earlier this month of a $15m allocation for interest-free loans to help WA’s nickel miners still in operation and support the potential restart of idled mines and ramp-up of new projects.

BHP takes ‘same job, same pay’ fight to High Court BHP (ASX: BHP) is escalating its ‘same job, same pay’ case against the Mining and Energy Union to the High Court after the Federal Court dismissed the case in December.In July last year, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) ruled that BHP’s operations services fell under the Federal Government’s Same Job, Same Pay legislation, ensuring labour-hire workers are paid the same wages and conditions as directly employed staff.The law, implemented by the Federal Government in 2024, was designed to address the wage disparity seen across the Australian resources sector, which sees labour hire staff earning substantially less than directly employed workers in identical roles.BHP sought to challenge the ruling — which would affect workers at its Goonyella Riverside, Peak Downs and Saraji coal operations in Queensland — with the Federal Court, but the FWC’s decision was upheld and the case dismissed.Following the dismissal, Mining and Energy Union Queensland President Mitch Hughes said BHP has spent millions on lawyers to avoid paying coal miners fairly.“Today the Court has once again made it clear — time’s up, pay up,” he said.“From Sunday, labour hire mineworkers at BHP’s Queensland mines will finally start earning the pay they deserve — the same as the person working next to them, doing the same job.”This case has the potential to reshape the foundation of the employment landscape across the Australian resources sector — requiring companies across the industry using similar labour hire models to reassess and prepare for potential wage adjustments across the board.Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King says workers that stand alongside one another and do the same job in the same conditions with the same qualifications should be paid the same.“The FWC decision demonstrates that the legislation ensures fairness in workplaces right across the country,” she said.The wage increase may improve the financial position of an extensive number of mining families across the state, with a potential ripple effect for local economies.However, many were concerned the ruling would be a catalyst to substantial changes in workforce structure across the resources sector, potentially negatively effecting regional employment.Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) chief executive Tania Constable said the ruling was an incredibly disappointing decision that would directly threaten thousands of specialised contractors who play a vital role in mining operations across the country.“These businesses exist to provide a specialised service, not just workers, and should never have been covered by these laws,” she said.“It is now incumbent on the Government to find a legislative fix to address the ‘unintended consequence’ of all service contractors being captured.”A prominent point of contention between key players is how these changes would impact Australia’s industrial relations framework and international competitiveness.Minister King said the ruling would not undermine the nation’s competitive position in the global coal market.“What this will do is improve morale in the workplace, it is what Australians expect,” she said.