CSIRO is offering a 10-week online program to small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in the critical minerals industry, aiming to enhance innovation accessibility for Australian businesses. The free online program — Innovate to Grow — is designed to equip SMEs with valuable business insights and strategic plans to leverage research and development (R&D) for their business needs. Australian Critical Minerals Research and Development Hub Manager Lucy O’Connor, who sponsors the initiative, highlighted the importance of SMEs in driving innovation and enhancing the diversity and resilience of critical minerals supply chains. O’Connor emphasised the role of strategic collaboration in scaling up…
A new report is paving the way for copper mines to achieve net zero emissions — this report, titled Ventilation and Emission Reporting, is the latest roadmap in a series aimed at steering the copper mining industry towards sustainability. It follows previous roadmaps that addressed water management, materials movement, and mineral processing. The report is the result of a collaborative effort involving the resources sector, government bodies, universities, and the mining technology industry. It outlines innovative strategies to help the copper industry adopt more sustainable mining practices, emphasising the crucial role of ventilation in underground mines and the challenges associated…
Western Australian Leader of the Opposition Libby Mettam has announced plans to reinvigorate uranium mining in the state, aiming to streamline the environmental approval process for uranium miners to align with other minerals. This proposal, which is part of Mettam's election platform for 2025, includes lifting the ban on new uranium mines in Western Australia if her party comes into power. The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) has praised Mettam's commitment, highlighting the potential economic and environmental benefits of revitalising uranium mining in Western Australia. The MCA believes that treating uranium like other minerals in the state's mining sector will…
The New South Wales government has taken a significant step towards protecting the state's beaches and coastal environment by introducing a ban on seabed petroleum and mineral mining off the NSW coast. This move makes NSW the first state in Australia to prohibit seabed petroleum and mineral exploration and mining, showcasing a commitment to safeguarding marine ecosystems. The Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Seabed Mining and Exploration) Bill 2024, which received bipartisan support in the NSW Parliament, amends the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 to enforce the ban. The legislation prohibits seabed petroleum and mineral exploration and recovery in…
New findings — from the MARS Program Landmark Study — share insight that while reports of unwanted sexual attention and sexual coercion are decreasing in Western Australia's mining sector, gender-based put-downs, condescension, and offensive sexist remarks remain prevalent. MARS Program Landmark Study Chief Investigator and John Curtin Distinguished Professor Sharon Parker said: "Our research found one in three mining workers experiences emotional exhaustion regularly, indicating high levels of burnout. Disturbingly, covert forms of sexual harassment, including sexism and misogyny, persist.” The study, conducted by researchers from the Centre for Transformative Work at Curtin University, surveyed over 2,500 workers and conducted…
Two miners were trapped by falling boulders in a Ballarat mine when it collapsed, resulting in the death of one of the miners. One miner, a 21-year-old from Ballarat, was stabilised and rescued with serious injuries, while the other, a 37-year-old man from Bruthen, was found dead. The incident occurred approximately three kilometres underground, and concerns had been raised about the mining style. Australian Workers Union Victoria State Secretary Ronnie Hayden said: "Our members have raised concerns about this style of mining and it seems to have fallen on deaf ears.” The union was called to the mine after the…
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced $9.4 million in funding to a new project to electrify rail freight transport of commodities. The grant to Aurizon Operations Limited (Aurizon) will contribute to an $18.8 million ‘Battery Powered Tender for Heavy Haul Fleet Decarbonisation’ project and is a world-first proof of concept rail tender. The Project will develop, test and trial a battery electric tender, to power a diesel-electric locomotive in a hybrid diesel and battery configuration, working to cut emissions from Australia’s resources industry. ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the project is addressing an emissions challenge in one of…
