Australasian Mine Safety Journal (AMSJ)

The Albanese government is under scrutiny for failing to conduct on-site investigations before halting a proposed million-dollar goldmine in Blayney, New South Wales. The decision, influenced by an Indigenous activist group’s last-minute claims, has sparked debate over procedural integrity and heritage preservation.

BlueScope Steel has chosen Western Australia over New South Wales for its major green iron pilot plant after WA offered a $75 million assistance package. The decision underscores the state’s advantage as an iron ore hub and highlights its appeal to industry partners aiming to accelerate decarbonisation in steelmaking. Australia’s largest steelmaker, BlueScope, alongside Rio Tinto and BHP, settled on a site near BHP’s decommissioned Kwinana nickel refinery.

IMARC 2024 – Advancing Mining Innovation & Sustainability. IMARC is once again set to bring the global mining community together in Sydney from October 29-31 at ICC Sydney. As the largest event of its kind in Australia, IMARC remains a must-attend for C-level executives, procurement professionals, site managers, and technical specialists keen to engage with the latest industry trends and solutions.

EQ Resources (EQR) has secured $250,000 from Queensland’s METS (mining equipment, technology, and services) collaborative project fund, intended to trial innovative X-ray transmission (XRT) ore sorting technology. The project focuses on the potential redevelopment of Wolfram Camp, a historic tungsten mine in Queensland, and aligns with the state’s critical minerals strategy.

Controversy erupts over a potential halt to a significant mining project in Lake Torrens. Australia’s Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek faces mounting pressure over a new Indigenous heritage protection issue that could disrupt major resource projects. A recent report has recommended that she issue a protection order for areas of South Australia’s Lake Torrens, potentially halting a mining project that could rival BHP’s Olympic Dam, one of the world’s largest mining operations.

A mining company has received the green light to resume mineral production in the Atherton Tableland and Mareeba Shire regions. The State Department of Resources recently approved exploration permits for minerals at EQ Resources’ Wolfram Camp (133km west of Cairns) and Bamford Hill (143km southwest of Cairns) mines.

A group of major mineral producers have supported replacing fossil fuels with zero-emissions alternatives. Industry bodies representing the nation’s largest resources companies recently endorsed the federal opposition’s plan to replace coal-fired power plants with nuclear technology.

A highly trained shooter was ordered to neutralise demonstrators who stepped out of line at a foreign-owned mine site. Authorities recently organised a helicopter and sniper to take down protestors who interfered with Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit to Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia. A full police presence was also deployed to support aerial surveillance efforts as Li inspected the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) controlled Kwinana processing plant.

New resources developments should freely create employment opportunities, Northern Australia representatives said. Many First Nations people would rather benefit from major projects instead of missing out due to eco friendly demonstrators. This is the conclusion one group reached after consulting with Indigenous Australians across the Tiwi Islands, Arnhem Land and other regions.

Queensland resources employees may soon enjoy greater privacy and safety at work. State Parliament recently proposed new rules that remove the requirement for crew members to disclose “irrelevant” medical records. This means jobseekers might not be forced to disclose their whole personal medical history when applying for roles, especially when it has nothing to do with the job.