The MINING The MINING Supporting mining and industry in Supporting mining and industry in northern Australia northern Australia March 2008 $2.75 inc GST where sold Monthly ISSN 1833-3125 XSTRATA MOUNT ISA MINING EXPO ISSN 1833-3125 Can industry lose its Can industry lose its electric blues? electric blues? THIS MONTH • Ernest Henry going underground • Indigenous workers willing and able • Angela and Pamela, the NT’s lovely ladies • Get a lifestyle
Transcript
The MININGThe MININGSupporting mining and industry in Supporting mining and industry in
northern Australianorthern Australia
March 2008 $2.75 inc GST where sold Monthly
ISSN 1833-3125
XSTRATA
MOUNT ISA MINING EXPO
ISSN 1833-3125
Can industry lose its Can industry lose its electric blues?electric blues?
THIS MONTH
• Ernest Henry going underground
• Indigenous workers willing and able
• Angela and Pamela, the NT’s lovely ladies
• Get a lifestyle
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The MININGThe MINING
All material is copyright and cannot be reproduced in part or in full by any means without written permission of the managing editor. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher.
Address: ..................................2/20 Keane Street, Garbutt, Q, 4812
Postal: ...................................................... PO Box 945, Townsville, Q, 4810
3 Time for some electrifying moves (COVER)Power supply has become a burning issue for the northern Australian mining industry. Shad Linley, chief executive of Townsville’s Sun Metals zinc refi nery, has seen his electricity costs soar in the past year.
He believes the goal of economical and reliable power for North Queensland industry would be best realised by building a coal-fi red power station near Charters Towers.
Meanwhile, a bold proposal to link the Northern Territory and the North West Minerals Province to grid electricity has some industry players licking their lips.
5 Brave new worldTh e times are a-changin’ at Xstrata Copper’s Ernest Henry copper and gold mine, near Cloncurry in North Queensland.
A decline is being constructed in the fi rst step towards underground mining in April next year, assuming that a feasibility study deems full-scale underground operations profi table.
A newly skilled workforce will be required to man the underground operation and new minerals could also be extracted for processing.
General manager Mike Westerman is looking forward to the changes and is pleased that they will maintain a great constant for Cloncurry in the continued presence of Ernest Henry mine.
6 Right to goNorth West Queensland mining operations will be able to tap into a skilled indigenous workforce when one of the region’s biggest mines closes in the next decade.
Zinifex Century mine is scheduled to shut its gates in 2015, although current exploration work might push back this date.
A University of Queensland professor, who has been studying the eff ects of the mine’s closure, says Zinifex has trained a signifi cant number of indigenous workers and many of them would be willing to work at other operations on a fl y in-fl y out basis.
7 Pam-Ang takes off Two uranium prospects in the Northern Territory, the Pamela and Angela deposits, will be developed by a joint venture of Paladin Energy and Cameco.
Th e Northern Territory Government received a record 37 applications for development rights over the deposits and chief minister Paul Henderson said billions of dollars would be created if the project lived up to its potential.
32 Why don’t we do it in the road?In the fi rst instalment of our new lifestyle section, Trevor Seedwell and Clayton Cook talk about their passion for motorcycles and the call of the open road.
Mr Seedwell also explains why even-time rosters make for better workers.
March 2008
FEATURES10 Industry Update
A comprehensive wrap of exploration and operations in North Queensland and the Northern Territory.
14 Between Shifts
18 Mining Expo
23 Engineering Careers
27 TotalFab
30 Safety and Training
32 Lifestyle
Managing editor: .........................Robert Dark m. 0417 623 156
Journalist: ....................................Michael Stevens m. 0432 279 684
Sales manager: .......................Michele Adams m. 0419 719 519
Advertising Booking deadlineApril edition: March 21
Machinery in the pit at Xstrata Copper’s Ernest Henry mine near
Cloncurry could soon be a memory, with a move to underground
mining fi rmly on the cards.
2 March 2008 | The Mining AdvocateNEWS
IsaLink could make a big diff erence at Zinifex’s Dugald River project.
Th e zinc deposit is located 65km north-west of Cloncurry and could potentially be linked to the IsaLink line.
Dugald River is expected to come online as an underground operation in 2011 and produce
400,000 tonnes of concentrate per year.
Th e life of the mine is expected to be at least 16 years.
However, Zinifex group manager for the Dugald River project Mel Palancian said the project became less viable if it had to rely on diesel-generated electricity.
“Diesel-generated electricity is expensive and incongruent with Zinifex’s commitment to maintaining environmental best practice,” he said.
“Conversely, reasonably priced, grid-sourced electricity will allow more resource to be recovered and increase associated benefi ts to the Cloncurry region.”
THE ISALINK PROPOSALSTAGE ONE:
• Construction of a 1100km high-voltage powerline from the
national electricity market grid in Central Queensland to
Xstrata’s Ernest Henry mine
• An AC/DC converter station to be built near Ernest Henry mine
• Upgrade of the existing powerline between Ernest Henry mine
and Mount Isa
• Expected cost of about $900 million, with 300 workers to be
employed before and during construction
STAGE TWO:
• Extension of the high-voltage powerline to Xstrata’s McArthur
River mine, to Katherine and to Darwin in the Northern
Territory
• If extended to Darwin, the route length for the entire project
would be about 2700km
• Development of stage two would require a separate impact
assessment
Some Northern Territory mines could ultimately be powered by grid electricity if a project to link North West Queensland and the Northern Territory to the national electricity market (NEM) comes to fruition.
IsaLink proposes to extend a high-voltage powerline from the NEM grid in Central Queensland to Xstrata’s Ernest Henry mine, north of Cloncurry, and to upgrade an existing line from the mine to Mount Isa to link the city with the grid.
Under a second stage of development, the high-voltage line would be extended to Xstrata’s McArthur River mine in the NT and through to Katherine and Darwin - allowing mines in the northern part of the Territory to connect to the grid.
NT Chamber of Commerce chief executive offi cer Chris Young said the organisation met with IsaLink between 12 and 18 months ago, and he supported the proposal.
“It (the IsaLink proposal) could off er an alternative, and hopefully cheaper, source of electricity,” he said.
“We (the chamber) would be very happy to see more electricity suppliers in the Northern Territory.”
Th e NT Government-owned Power and Water Corporation currently provides the Territory’s electricity.
Mr Young said the electricity it provided was expensive for large consumers compared to other states.
And he said most NT mining operations had to generate their own electricity because of the tyranny of distance and limited power supplies in the Territory.
Mr Young said he did not believe minerals exploration in the NT was discouraged by the present power situation, but the high cost of electricity had to be considered by prospective producers.
IsaLink stated in its initial advice statement that it had met with the NT Government.
But the offi ce of Mines and Energy Minister Chris Natt did not believe the government had been approached for input into the project.
McArthur River Mining declined to comment on the project.
Stage one of the IsaLink project has received fi rm support from the Queensland Government and industry groups.
Queensland Co-ordinator-General Colin Jensen has
High-voltage hook-up An ambitious project could plug the mining
industry into grid power for the fi rst time in
parts of the Northern Territory and North West
Queensland, writes Michael Stevens.
class minerals province could
kickstart a major renaissance of
mining and minerals processing
activity in the region,’’ he said.
According to IsaLink,
electricity costs in North West
Queensland are two to three
times the equivalent costs in
South East Queensland.
Th e company stated that
connection to the NEM would
ensure a competitively priced
supply from the large number of
alternative suppliers active in the
national market.
IsaLink will now conduct an
environmental impact statement
before any fi nal alignment of the
project is identifi ed.
Th e company stated that it
expected project approvals to
be obtained in July 2010 and
it expected an environmental
assessment to be be submitted
for formal public comment and
government review in July 2009.
IsaLink is an Australian-based
company majority owned by
the Hong Kong-based Cheung
Kong Group.
IsaLink high-voltage power transmission project. Map: Queensland Department of Infrastructure and Planning
Potential boost for Dugald River
declared it a “signifi cant” project,
streamlining government
assessment.
Queensland Resources
Council chief executive
Michael Roche said the IsaLink
project would allow miners
and minerals processors in the
North West to benefi t from a
highly competitive marketplace
for bulk electricity supplies,
with the opportunity for some
remote operations to connect to
the transmission line through
regional distribution companies
and energy retailers.
“Competitive electricity prices
in what is recognised as a world-
Development organisation Townsville Enterprise (TEL) advocates an alternative to the proposed IsaLink project.
It believes a similar link should connect Mount Isa to the national electricity market (NEM) from North Queensland, rather than Central Queensland
TEL, the Mount Isa to Townsville Economic Development Zone (MITEZ) and the Mackay and Whitsunday Regional Economic Development Corporation recently issued a report on North Queensland’s power situation.
It found users in Mount Isa paid signifi cantly more than the rest of North Queensland for electricity.
Modelling showed a NEM connection between North Queensland and Mount Isa would provide cheaper power for Mount Isa users than IsaLink ‘s proposal.
It would also encourage
investment in a new baseload
power station in Central or
North Queensland, which the
report stated was a second
crucial component to lowering
electricity prices.
Th e report found that higher
electricity costs for North
Queensland users connected
to the NEM, compared with
costs in Central and Southern
Queensland, were caused by
transmission charges.
It found the present
development of strong
transmission links between
Central and North Queensland,
to be completed by 2009-10,
would reduce price volatility.
However, the trend of North
Queensland having to pay higher
charges would continue until a
new baseload power station was
built in the region.
Report advocates
alternative link
3The Mining Advocate | March 2008 NEWS
The next chapter in theevolution of Palmer Street
More than just a sea change
Th e high cost of electricity has hamstrung industry in North Queensland, according to a major fi gure in the refi ning industry.
Townsville zinc refi nery Sun Metals paid twice as much for electricity last year as in 2006, which was unacceptable to chief executive Shad Linley.
“Sun Metals is the second largest industrial electricity consumer in the state and we
really felt that last year - we spent an extra $50 million on electricity,” he said.
“To say that Queensland failed (in supplying electricity) last year is a slight understatement.”
Mr Linley was speaking at the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy’s (AusIMM’s) fi rst Townsville technical talk for 2008.
He said the main reason for the price hike was water
After seeing electricity costs balloon last year,
the head of Sun Metals has a bone to pick
when it comes to the state of supply in North
Queensland, writes Michael Stevens.
shortages at Tarong and Swanbank power stations in South East Queensland.
But he said prices were also aff ected by profi t maximisation strategies and some electricity was diverted from Queensland into New South Wales to suit this aim.
Despite the recent rain in South East Queensland, Mr Linley looks set to be disappointed if he hoped for reduced power costs this year.
Th e Queensland Competition Authority (QCA) recently recommended an increase of 7 per cent to the price cap for electricity from July 1.
Queensland Mines and Energy Minister Geoff Wilson
said last year’s price rise was largely based on the eff ects of the drought.
He said he was disappointed with the QCA’s recommendation for further increases.
Th e QCA stated in its draft recommendation that, among other factors, winter rainfall and the implementation of water saving measures had not been suffi cient to reverse the impact of the drought in eastern Australia, and this situation aff ected prices.
Mr Linley said North Queensland mining and refi ning operations experienced problems with supply as well as price, and the solution could be a base-load power station for North Queensland.
“What I’m working on with a number of other companies is a new coal-fi red power station, probably at Pentland (near Charters Towers), which is not only a DC (direct current) line out to Mount Isa but also goes up the corridor so the other mines along the way can live off that, including Cannington, and it’ll have a DC line out to Townsville,” he said.
However, he said the proposed IsaLink project (see opposite page), which would connect Mount Isa with the National Electricity Market, would make a new power station uneconomical and the idea redundant.
“Th e only dilemma I have with the IsaLink (project) is that it only services Mount Isa, it doesn’t service all of the other mines along the way and it doesn’t service Townsville at all,” he said.
According to IsaLink’s Initial Advice Statement (IAS), Xstrata’s Mount Isa operations would be the most signifi cant customer, although other businesses and communities within the supply area would also have access to the power.
“Some remote resource-based businesses currently relying on diesel for electricity generation would potentially have the opportunity for connection to the transmission line through regional distribution companies and energy retailers,” the IAS states.
Sun Metals chief executive Shad Linley tackles the issue of electricity supply
at the AusIMM technical talk. Photo: Stewart McLean
M A C K E Y & WA L E SLawyers ... built on reputation
Clayton Cook (centre) from TP Human Capital in Townsville upgraded to a new
motorcycle not long after this one fell through the cracks. Dr John McLellan from
James Cook University (at left) and Graeme Reid from Reliance Petroleum ponder
the situation.
Geologist claims academic prizeVolcanoes capture Catherine Harman’s imagination, but she wants to make hay in the mining industry while the sun shines.
Ms Harman’s outstanding academic achievements in 2007 at James Cook University in Townsville have earned her an Award of Academic Excellence from the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM).
She will complete her third and fi nal year of a Bachelor of Science degree in geology and economic geology this year.
“I wanted to study vulcanology, but I thought I’d go a bit broader and study geology as a whole,” she said.
“My long-term goal is to study volcanoes, but whilst the mining industry is in its boom, I’ll be working there.”
Ms Harman is on a scholarship with BMA Coal and will take a place in the company’s graduate program after fi nishing her studies.
“I’ve heard that their graduate program rotates you a fair bit, so you spend 12 months at
one mine as a geologist and six
months in the fi eld - I’m looking
forward to it,” she said.
Ms Harman was presented
with a certifi cate and book at the
fi rst AusIMM technical talk for
the year in the Townsville.
Fellow JCU student Alexander
Brown, who is completing the
same degree, was also an award
winner but was unable to attend
the presentation.
North Queensland AusIMM chair Mark Daniell presents JCU geology student
Catherine Harman with her award. Photo: Stewart McLean
Zinifex Century Mine’s health and
safety offi cer Geoff Woods has his
scalp liberated in last year’s shave
for charity.
Miners will feel a cool breeze up top this month when they shave their locks for charity.
Th e World’s Greatest Shave Mine Challenge, which raises funds for the Leukaemia Foundation, is a hotly contested event in the mining community.
A perpetual shield is presented to the site that raises the most funds and participating
companies are also in contention for inclusion on the national Top 30 list.
Offi cially the challenge will run between March 13 and 15, but Zinifex Century Mine in the lower Gulf will stage its shave a bit later to suit rosters.
A site spokeswoman said one miner with long dreadlocks had agreed to sacrifi ce them to the cause.
Queensland Mines and Energy Minister Geoff Wilson said last year’s mine challenge had raised $400,000 statewide and attracted 29 companies across 55 sites.
He encouraged the mining industry to raise even more money this year, which is the third year of the challenge.
A team at BMA Coal’s handling and preparation plant in Blackwater has proved the best performer in Queensland for the past two years, raising an impressive total of $92,000 in 2007.
To take part, workers from any mining company, supplier or union can shave their head or colour their hair.
Companies, sites and individuals can register at www.worldsgreatestshave.com.
Miners reach for the razor in charity battle
Why bother working if you can’t enjoy the perks?
This month The Mining Advocate launches its new lifestyle
section.
From the top fi shing spots to the fastest and loudest big
boys’ toys, The Mining Advocate will examine the best ways of
clocking off .
In the fi rst instalment on Page 32, we look at a band of
biking brothers who let the tarmac take away work stress.
Th ere’s no point unless you are having fun
5The Mining Advocate | March 2008 NEWS
Ernest Henry mine will enter a bold new era if its planned underground operation comes to fruition.
Th e fi rst cut of a decline was made recently at the Xstrata-owned copper and gold mine, near Cloncurry in North Queensland.
General manager Mike Westerman said the decline would initially be a 3.2km development to access a 15 million-tonne block of ore at the bottom of the current open pit.
He said the decline and a feasibility study on full-scale underground mining would be completed by April 2009.
It was hoped that underground operations would follow immediately.
“We’re hoping to submit the feasibility study by January or February 2009 for the board’s approval, and essentially we hope to just keep going with the
decline,” Mr Westerman said.Open-cut mining is due to end
at Ernest Henry mine in 2010, but Mr Westerman estimated that underground mining could extend the operation by another 10 years.
He said the yield from underground mining would be about half that of open-cut mining, with production from underground operations gradually ramping up to fi ve million tonnes of ore per annum, compared with 11 million tonnes per annum from open-cut mining.
However, he said the Ernest Henry operation would also look at extracting other minerals from the underground ore, such as molybdenum and cobalt, and magnetite could be processed from the tailings.
Mr Westerman said employee numbers at an underground Ernest Henry operation
Flexibility is the key to retaining women in the workforce, according to the team at Xstrata Copper’s Ernest Henry mine.
Th e operation’s “Newborn Production Support” program allows pregnant workers and new mothers to change their shifts from full time to permanent part time - typically 9am to 3pm.
Women also have the option of moving from production to administrative roles while pregnant.
Ernest Henry truck driver and single mother Darrianne McKenzie took an administrative role when she was six months’ pregnant.
“I learnt plenty about what the ‘silvertails’ did in the admin offi ce when I did the reception duties,” she said.
“I understood more about
the business from that point of view.”
After giving birth, Ms McKenzie returned to work as a permanent part-time employee, driving 220-tonne dump trucks.
With the recent introduction of an even-time roster at Ernest Henry, she was able to relocate to Brisbane as a full-time fl y in-fl y out employee.
Cloncurry-based Anita Morris, the personal assistant to general manager Mike Westerman, remained at work until the week before her daughter’s birth in November.
After the birth and leading up to a major project in which she was involved, Ms Morris worked from home with two-week-old Lauren and attended site every Tuesday for half a day.
“It is never easy to balance
work and home life, but with
support and understanding
from the company I have
successfully had three children
whilst employed at Ernest Henry
mine,” she said.
In a recent Queensland
Resources Council Resource
Awards for Women submission,
the company reported that the
“Newborn Production Support”
program helped engender
loyalty from employees as
well as mitigating the “boys’
club” atmosphere sometimes
associated with the mining
industry.
Women account for about
27 per cent of the Ernest
Henry mine’s workforce and
almost 10 per cent of those
female employees are currently
expecting children.
Deputy premier Paul Lucas (third from left), Member for Mount Isa Betty Kiernan and Mines and Energy Minister Geoff
Wilson (fi fth and sixth from left at back) joined Ernest Henry employees for the fi rst cut of the decline development.
Following the call of the deep
would remain the same in the processing and administration areas, but about half the current number of workers would be required for mining.
He said the Ernest Henry operation would need employees to be diff erently skilled during the production stage, following construction of the decline by contract mining company Barminco.
Mr Westerman said some skilled workers would be imported from underground mines in the area, including Xstrata’s Mount Isa Mines, and existing open-cut workers at Ernest Henry would also be re-trained.
“When the open pit winds down in 2010, we’ll
train workers in base level underground mining and they’ll hopefully progress to the top level,” he said.
Mr Westerman said the ore body to be targeted by the proposed underground operation was relatively low grade and an economical sub-level cave mining method was being examined.
Th e proposed IsaLink project, which could link the mine with the national electricity market, would also reduce the operational costs of an underground mine, he said.
In the long term, the Ernest Henry operation could have a life beyond the proposed underground stage.
Mr Westerman said Xstrata
Copper had a number of exploration tenements in the surrounding area and was engaged in various joint ventures.
“Th ere are a number of deposits we call satellite deposits that are not stand-alone, or are not proved to a point where they can be independent, and it makes good sense for Ernest Henry and the junior miners to capitalise on existing infrastructure to process some of those ore bodies,” Mr Westerman said.
He praised the Cloncurry community’s support for Ernest Henry’s move towards underground mining.
“It’s such an important project for Cloncurry and we all need to pull together to see what we can do to make it happen,” he said.
With the viability of its open-cut operation
coming to an end, the only way is down for
this North West Queensland site.
Ernest Henry truck driver Darrianne McKenzie with baby George.
The pit at Ernest Henry mine, outside Cloncurry.
Family friendly policy winning hearts among mine employees
“MacAir operates over 30 fl ights each week
between Townville and Mount Isa, with a schedule
that has been constructed in consultation with
key business and community stakeholders in both
communities,” MacAir general manager Kevin Gill
said.
A new operator, Cairns-based Regional Pacifi c
Airlines, has also introduced 10 weekly fl ights from
Cairns and Townsville to Mount Isa
Flights from Cairns to Mount Isa leave at 4pm
on Monday, Wednesday and Th ursday and return
fl ights from Mount Isa leave at 4pm on Tuesday,
Th ursday and Friday.
Flights from Townsville to Mount Isa leave at
10.30am on Monday, Tuesday, Th ursday and Friday
and return fl ights leave at 8am on Monday, Tuesday,
Th ursday and Friday.
6 March 2008 | The Mining AdvocateNEWS
North West Queensland mines
will be able to take advantage of
a ready-made workforce when
the Century operation shuts
down, according to a mining
industry academic.
Skilled indigenous workers will
be available for other operations
after the closure of the lower
Gulf zinc-lead operation,
currently scheduled for 2015.
A University of Queensland
(UQ) study has examined
the likely consequences of
closure and what can be done
between now and then to secure
better long-term sustainable
development outcomes.
David Brereton, director of
the UQ’s Centre for Social
Responsibility in Mining,
said opportunity existed for
indigenous communities in the
Gulf to form relationships with
other mining companies.
While more than 45 per
cent of indigenous employees
surveyed as part of the study
wished to remain based in the
Gulf, it was likely that many
Zinifex Century Mine formed a Gulf Communities Agreement in 1997 with local Native Title groups and the Queensland Government.
Th e Native Title groups involved in the agreement are the Waanyi, Mingginda, Gkuthaarn and Kukatj groups.
One of the desired outcomes of the Native Title groups in negotiating the agreement was to remove their people and other members of their communities from welfare dependency and to promote economic self-suffi ciency.
Century mine currently employs 210 indigenous people
Zinifex Century Mine’s new
general manager, John Lamb,
has past success in longevity that
could come in handy for the
lower Gulf operation.
Mr Lamb was formerly deputy
general manager at Zinifex’s
Rosebery Mine in Tasmania,
where his site management team
engineered the resurgence of the
mine.
By developing a life-of-
mine investment strategy and
refocusing in-mine exploration,
the team increased Rosebery’s
resource base by 65 per cent and
its mine life by 10 years.
Zinifex is currently exploring
its landholding around Century
mine for deposits that can be
processed through the operation’s
infrastructure when the Century
ore body is exhausted in 2015 or
2016.
Mr Lamb said the Century
management team would
continue to focus on this
exploration eff ort, but would also
develop a post-mine strategy to
prepare communities for mine
wind-down and eventual closure.
In relation to operational
performance, he said he would
promote innovative thinking
throughout the organisation.
“I intend to increase business
growth by developing leadership
capacity on site and by
challenging people throughout
our business,” Mr Lamb said.
“Th e management team knows
that I’ll support them if they
need to challenge the status quo,
propose creative solutions or
have diffi cult conversations.
“As a team, we have agreed
that we value constructive
criticism, rigorous thinking and
innovative solutions.”
Improving employee retention
rates and encouraging strong
safety performance were also
major goals, he said.
Other fresh faces on Zinifex
Century Mine’s management
team include human resources
manager Ian Harmer, asset
manager Paul Bottrill and
mining alliance technical services
manager Johan Botha.
Jeff Innes is the mine’s deputy
general manager.
A University of Queensland study highlights the
potential benefi ts to industry in having a pool
of mine-trained indigenous workers about to
hit the job market, writes Michael Stevens.
Skills spin-off from Century
THE FACTS Zinifex Century Mine
closure scheduled for 2015
Operation employs 210
indigenous people from
Gulf communities
Many would be willing to
work at other North West
Queensland operations
“Century mine is not just
employing indigenous people
who are already job trained, it
is providing job training for
Aboriginal workers at the mine,”
he said.
He said the mine could
enhance its contribution to long-
term sustainability in the lower
Gulf by broadening its training
opportunities to promote skills
transportability.
“It’s about giving workers the
opportunity to utilise a wider
range of equipment and giving
them experience in other areas
such as administration and
catering,” he said.
Professor Brereton said some
indigenous businesses had been
successfully established to service
Century mine and now faced the
challenge of diversifying in order
to remain operational after mine
closure.
Th e State Government could
utilise the services of some
of these companies in road
construction projects, he said.
Zinifex is exploring around
the Century site for deposits that
could be processed through the
mine infrastructure after 2015.
Professor Brereton said
an extension of the Century
mine timeline would help the
cause of long-term sustainable
development.
“But no mine lasts forever,
and Century mine should use
any extended period to ensure
indigenous people are skilled up
and to help them with business
development activities,” he said.
Th e study is jointly funded by
Zinifex Century Mine and the
State Government.
It began in mid-2006 and
will be fi nished within the next
couple of months, when the
results will be made public.
Th e Centre for Social
Responsibility in Mining was
established by UQ in 2001 in
response to growing interest
about the role of the mining and
minerals industry in society.
Zinifex Century Mine’s new general manager, John Lamb.
New chief’s focus
on mine longevity
from Gulf communities, representing 21 per cent of the total workforce and including 56 indigenous women.
More than 45 per cent of indigenous employees surveyed
as part of the Centre for Social
Responsibility in Mining study were employed under the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) program before starting work at Century mine and another 5 per cent were unemployed.
Less than 5 per cent of respondents planned to return to CDEP or unemployment after Century mine’s closure.
Th e study found a signifi cant proportion of indigenous former employees of Century mine had transitioned to other employment, which indicated increased mobility and employability.
Th e Century mine-funded Aboriginal Development Benefi ts Trust assists Aboriginal enterprise.
Hookeys Contracting, Waayni Crushing and Spick and Span (site cleaning) are among the indigenous companies established to service the mine.
Nowlands Engineering, the Lawn Hill and Riversleigh Pastoral Company, and the Doomadgee Bakery are among companies established under the program that are independent of the mine.
Aiding employment
and enterprise
Improved Isa air services
MacAir Airlines has changed its schedule to allow
business travelers to be in Mount Isa by 8.30am on
weekdays.
would be willing to work at fl y
in-fl y out operations around
Cloncurry and Mount Isa, he
said.
Professor Brereton said most
indigenous staff working on a
fl y in-fl y out basis at Century
mine were living in communities
including Doomadgee,
Mornington Island, Normanton,
Burketown, Mount Isa and
Townsville.
He indicated that the
expansion of the indigenous
workforce had been Century
mine’s most signifi cant social
achievement to date.
7The Mining Advocate | March 2008 NEWS
Plans to develop two much-coveted deposits
have received the green light in the NT.
A joint venture of Paladin Energy and Cameco Australia will develop the Angela and Pamela uranium deposits in the Northern Territory.
Th e NT Government recently announced the success of the joint venture’s licence application in a hotly contested competition to explore the highly prospective ground, about 25km south of Alice Springs.
“A record 37 applications were received for the Pamela and Angela prospects, and a rigorous selection assessment overseen by independent probity experts Stantons International was undertaken,” Mines Minister Chris Natt said.
Th e prospects were part of a package of land holdings released from minerals exploration prohibition by the NT Government in 2006.
Due to the anticpated high level of interest in the Angela and Pamela prospects, the government placed special
conditions on exploration licence applications.
Companies had to show their capacity for bringing the deposits into production and explain their planned timing and expenditure for the fi rst two years of the project.
Paladin Energy managing director John Borshoff said the joint venture had committed to spending at least $5 million on initial confi rmatory exploration and a further $5 to $10 million on a bankable feasibility study and an environmental impact assessment.
He said the Angela and Pamela prospects off ered Paladin Energy the opportunity to develop a mine in the Northern Territory to complement the company’s Valhalla and Skal joint venture uranium projects near Mount Isa, which were scheduled for development after 2012.
Th e Angela and Pamela deposits were discovered in the early 1970s.
Extensive evaluation work
was undertaken by Uranerz Australia between 1972 and 1983, but exploration was terminated because of unfavourable market conditions.
Mr Borshoff said Paladin Energy owned all of the original drill hole data for the deposits, including geology, geochemistry, down-hole gamma surveys and feasibility studies.
NT Chief Minister Paul Henderson said billions of dollars and many years of economic benefi ts would be created if the Angela and Pamela deposits lived up to their potential.
“Th e exploration phase alone will inject millions of dollars
into the economy, creating jobs for Territorians and business opportunities for support and supply services to the project,” Mr Henderson said.
Th e joint venture licence applications will now progress through the administrative procedures set out in the NT’s Mining Act.
Meanwhile, Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) recently reported that work had begun on its expansion of the Ranger uranium mine, 250km east of Darwin.
An extension to the operational open pit will extend the mine’s life until 2012 and, along with optimisation work on the existing pit, will add another 4857 tonnes of
STUART
HIGHW
AY
Alice Springs
10 0 10 20
contained uranium oxide.
Th e majority of the additional
production from the $57
million extension will occur in
2011, with processing at the
Ranger operation scheduled to
continue until 2020.
ERA is continuing to
examine options for extending
the mine further and increasing
production from the processing
plant.
Angela and Pamela uranium potential excites the exploration pack
Hot prospects in Red CentreThe Ranger
uranium plant
seen from the
open pit.
Peter Crooke’s
family gather
in front of the
tugboat named in
his honour.
Photo: Chris
Newman
The location of the landholding
containing the Angela and Pamela
uranium deposits.
Mining industry suppliers in Alice Springs will have a valuable opportunity to network with key miners this month.
Th e Mining Services Expo and Seminar, hosted by the Northern Territory Government, brings local suppliers and mining companies together with a view to bringing work to Alice Springs.
Event organiser Michael Steller said 2008 was an exciting time for Alice Springs suppliers, with three new mining operations scheduled to begin near the city next year - Th or Mining’s Molyhil tungsten and molybdenum project (220km north-east of Alice Springs), Olympia Resources’ Harts Range garnet sands project (170km north-east of Alice Springs), and Arafura Resources’ Nolans Bore rare earths and uranium project (135km north-west of the town).
“Th ose three companies will be giving presentations at the mining supply seminar and we’ve asked them to talk about what their projects involve, what the timing requirements are and what their philosophies are for doing business locally,” Mr Steller said.
According to the government,
last year’s event created 51 new
contracts, four new jobs and one
apprenticeship for Alice Springs
businesses.
Mr Steller said about 42 expo
booths were taken up by 38
companies well before the event,
and he expected a rush of last-
minute exhibitors.
Th e Mining Services Expo
and Seminar will be held at
the Alice Springs Convention
Centre on March 18 and 19 in
conjunction with the Annual
Geoscience Exploration Seminar
(AGES), also hosted by the NT
Government.
AGES is targeted at mineral
explorers and will include new
geoscience from the Northern
Territory Geological Survey
and its partners, company
presentations on recent
exploration highlights and
practical information to assist
explorers with issues such as land
access and titles.
Energy Metals, NuPower
Resources, Uramet Minerals,
Westgold Resources, Toro
Energy and Uranium Equities
will deliver presentations at the
seminar.
Th e second of Rio Tinto’s new 55-tonne tugboats recently arrived in Weipa.
Built at Cheoy Lee Ship Yard at Doumen in China, the tugboat is named the Peter Crooke after a longtime Rio Tinto employee who passed away from a cancer-related illness in August 2006.
Mr Crooke was born in Adelaide in 1953 and joined Comalco in Brisbane as a public relations offi cer in 1976.
His 30-year career with Comalco and the Conzinc Riotinto of Australia (CRA)/Rio Tinto Group included positions in public aff airs, sales and marketing, project management, mergers and acquisitions, and community relations.
During 1999 and 2000, Mr Crooke spent a lot of time at Weipa as Comalco’s lead negotiator for the Western Cape Communities Co-Existence Agreement.
His dedication and commitment to the company during his long career and his unfailing energy and enthusiasm are said to have inspired those who worked with him.
A commemorative plaque on the tugboat states that, like the new vessel, “Peter was at home with the sea, and his positive
attitude and caring nature
guided many through troubled
waters.”
Th e Peter Crooke has joined
the Harry Evans in assisting
ore-carrying ships berthing and
sailing at Lorim Point wharf in
Weipa.
Th e tugboats can also be called
upon as fi rst response salvage
vessels to assist ships in diffi culty
in the harbour.
Tug tribute for employee Expo provides keynetworking forum
8 March 2008 | The Mining AdvocateNEWS
Diversifi cation has helped shield Kagara from
the impact of falling commodity prices.
Base metals producer Kagara was pleased with its most recent fi nancial results, in the context of weaker metals prices in late 2007.
Th e company, previously known as Kagara Zinc, recently announced a $35.9 million net profi t after tax for the six months to December 31.
Kagara executive chairman Kim Robinson said the result was underpinned by strong operating margins at its fl agship base metal operations near Chillagoe and at Mount Garnet in North Queensland, particularly in relation to copper.
He said a combination of higher production volumes, high grades and signifi cant by-product credits contributed to low cash operating costs.
“Although we saw a 30 per cent reduction in the realised zinc price during the half, the continued diversifi cation of our production – with copper currently the main driver of our earnings growth – provided a solid buff er against adverse commodity price movements,” Mr Robinson said.
“We are very pleased overall with the result, which really highlights the robust nature
of our operations and their
ability to generate strong cash
fl ow and profi ts at all phases
of the commodity cycle. Th e
operational improvements
we implemented last year, including the change to owner-operator mining and increased operational fl exibility arising from the re-commencement of mining at Mount Garnet, has also given us greater capacity to withstand seasonal rainfall events and other operational challenges.”
Mr Robinson said Kagara’s production profi le would continue to grow, with production on target to exceed 30,000 tonnes of copper metal and 40,000 tonnes of zinc metal for the 2007/08 fi nancial year.
“We are also continuing to deliver on our growth strategy,
with construction of the new
$80 million Mungana base metal
production centre on track to
commence in April,” he said.
“Th is project, which is being
developed as an underground
operation, will drive our
production and earnings growth
through the rest of the decade,
enabling us to double our zinc
production to 100,000 tonnes of
metal by 2010.”
Mr Robinson said other
recent highlights included high-
grade base metal discoveries at
Waterloo, near the Th alanga
copper plant, and Victoria in the
Chillagoe region.
“We are very pleased
overall with the result,
which really highlights
the robust nature of our
operations and their
ability to generate strong
cash fl ow”
Coppertops up coff ers
Kagara’s Mount Garnet
treatment plant.
Visitors to Darwin are now able to access information on the city’s engineering achievements.
Th e Engineers Australia Northern Division’s engineering heritage committee has released a driving and walking tour brochure of 16 sites in Darwin’s central business district (CBD).
Committee chair Owen Peake said the brochure helped correct a gap in tourist information.
“When we surveyed tourist material we found that there was nothing available for the average tourist about our engineering heritage,” he said.
Th e brochure was funded by Darwin City Council and has been distributed to tourist bureaus, libraries and some hotels.
Th e committee is also fi nalising a second driving brochure of engineering sites in greater Darwin, from the end of the CBD to 60km outside the city.
Due for completion this month, the brochure has been supported by the Northern Territory Department of Justice’s public funding program for small projects.
Mr Peake - now semi-retired - spent most of his career as an electrical engineer in the power and utilities sector in Darwin.
He said the NT’s engineering heritage, infl uenced by a slow development rate and the requirements of World War II,
ENGINEERING HIGHLIGHTSOF THE DARWIN CBD
‘Sandfl y’ locomotive (1886)• – Built in the United States and landed at Port Darwin in 1886 for construction work on the Palmerston to Pine Creek railway
No. 6 oil storage tank (1934)• – By 1942 this tank was one of a series of 11 tanks. Its shell was among the only remnants of Darwin’s oil storage facilities after Japanese bombing in World War II
Stokes Hill Wharf (1956) • – The main general cargo wharf for Port Darwin until the commissioning of the New Fort Hill wharf in 1981
CopperStrike is hopeful it has discovered a signifi cant zinc and lead resource 20km east of Zinifex Century Mine in the lower Gulf.
CopperStrike managing director Tom Eadie said results from the fi rst drill hole at its Kamarga prospect were promising.
“We have a very thick intersection; altogether the mineralisation runs over about 100m,” he said.
“If you add up the best sections, we ended up with almost 39m of reasonable grade mineralisation at almost 5 per cent zinc.”
Th e prospect was explored during the 1970s and 1980s by companies including Newmont, Conzinc Riotinto of Australia and Mount Isa Mines.
However, Mr Eadie said the historic drilling showed lower grade mineralisation than that revealed by CopperStrike’s initial results.
“Th ey (historic explorers) were looking for a huge system, (but it was) pretty low grade ... it was more like 2 to 3 per cent material,” he said.
“And what was important was that they couldn’t fi nd the direction that it was getting better in.”
Mr Eadie said CopperStrike’s results clearly indicated that the mineralisation was strengthening towards the Bream Fault and
further drilling work in this area
would be carried out this year.
He said the strike length was
greater than 1km, so the deposit’s
tonnage potential was large.
Mr Eadie said it was positive
for CopperStrike that the
prospect was close to the milling
and transportation infrastructure
of Century mine.
CopperStrike is also
conducting resource assessment
drilling at its Einasleigh project,
about 300km north-west of
Townsville.
Mr Eadie said strong assay
results were being received from
the project’s Jackson inferred
resource and the Einasleigh
project remained CopperStrike’s
main focus.
Engineering heritage committee
chairman Owen Peake.
Photo: Christopher Knight
A network of World War II military
sites around Darwin gives visitors a
glimpse of the city’s heritage.
Photo: Christopher Knight
was worthy of note despite the
lack of keynote structures.
“Th e Northern Territory is
sparsely populated and so there
are not as many engineering
sites,” Mr Peake said.
“We don’t have the
spectacular sites like the Sydney
Harbour Bridge and the Story
Bridge (in Brisbane) but we
have to accept what we’ve got,
which is still signifi cant for the
tourist industry, and we need
to boost it by off ering the best
documentation we can.”
Tom EadieCopperStrike managing director
A step into Darwin’s past Drilling yields
promising results
9The Mining Advocate | March 2008 NEWS
Darwin-based Pearl Aviation business centre manager Fergus O’Branagain is a man on a mission.
Mr O’Branagain is an Irish national who started work in the operations department of Aer Lingus more than 30 years ago.
In 1989 the father of three moved to Australia and worked for British Airways and the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Perth.
About 14 years ago he joined the aviation business unit of the Paspaley group of companies, which consists of Pearl Aviation, AeroRescue, AeroPearl, and Pearl Air Engineering.
Th e business unit has doubled in size in the last 12 months, largely on the back of a contract to deliver special mission aviation for Federal Government agencies.
Mr O’Branagain’s mission is to retain the Paspaley group’s long-term clients in the resources sector while growing the business as new opportunities arise.
Q: What is involved in the
Paspaley group’s government
contract? FO: “Pearl Aviation won a
contract with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), a Federal Government entity based out of Canberra. AMSA provides search and
rescue as one of its core tasks right across Australia and Australian waters. To provide a fully focused service we formed AeroRescue and introduced a full search and rescue service based in Darwin, Perth, Essendon, Brisbane and Cairns. AeroRescue has fi ve very sophisticated Dornier 328 aircraft that incorporate search radars, infrared cameras, very capable drop systems, and very sophisticated and complex communications capabilities. It is the high end of the range for this type of search and rescue and surveillance capability.”
Q: What is the most rewarding
thing about doing business in
northern Australia? FO: “It is never boring. We
have a fantastic client base and the type of business we operate is very meaningful to not only the community, through our aeromedical operation, but also for the Australian economy. We provide signifi cant support to the oil companies and mining companies with fl y in-fl y out services.”
Q: What do you see as the main
requirements for working with the
resources industry?FO: “Th e company is
constantly looking to improve and expand existing operations. We’re able to say that we provide
Bridges were built between engineers and the community in Mount Isa recently during an Engineers Australia North West Local Group bridge construction competition.
Entrants were required to make their bridges out of standard paddlepop sticks and any type of glue.
Th e bridges had to span a gap of 50cm and allow a 10cm test vehicle to pass over them - in this case a miniature Volkswagon Beetle.
Th e bridges were also judged according to a structural test, with a loading block placed in the centre of each bridge and pressure applied.
Sound engineering practices such as truss construction and the use of gussets and mitred joints were encouraged, as was “thinking outside the square”.
Local group chair Chris Handley said some extremely creative bridges were entered and participants had obviously put a lot of time into their projects.
Th e primary school division was won by Herman Kahl and
Chris Handley and Neil Carlsen from Engineers Australia begin the testing.
Photo: Ruth Fahey
A selection of paddlepop bridges.
Photo: Ruth Fahey
Engineers Australia has declared 2008 to be the Year of the Engineering Team.
Th e peak organisation said an engineering team consisted of engineers, technologists and associates.
Questions had been raised over whether the value technologists and associates received from their Engineers Australia membership was proportionate to their team contribution.
Engineers Australia said it had established a project taskforce to address the issue.
Its objective was to ensure that Engineers Australia equally represented all members of the engineering team.
Th e taskforce has committed to fully engaging technologists and associates in the organisation’s internal governance processes.
Engineers Australia said
the taskforce acknowledged
a central role for the
National Committee of
Engineering Technologists
Australia and the National
Committee of Engineering
Associates in the Year of
the Engineering Team, and
those committees would
conduct joint meetings of
their boards this year that
would generally coincide
with those of the taskforce.
Among Engineers
Australia’s 83,000 members,
about 5000 are associates
and 1400 technologists.
Engineers Australia said
the Year of the Engineering
Team was expected to
be quite diff erent from
2007’s Year of Women in
Engineering in that it would
have an essentially inward,
rather than outward, focus.
High-fl ying role for Fergus Keeping resource sector clients happy while
also cultivating new business is the challenge
facing one Northern Territory manager.
a service that meets all of the
high standards of the resources
industry, that we work well
with our clients, maintain their
confi dence and do it as cost-
eff ectively as we can. Th e mining
industry is very focused, as we
are, on safety and reliability
and we have a very high set of
minimum skills requirements
for the fl ight crew and the
organisation.”
Q: What characteristics do you
appreciate most in your fl ight
staff ?
FO: “Th ey’re a very
professional bunch of people
that have exceptional skills
and capabilities. Th ey have
resilience as well - it is a harsh
climate, particularly during the
wet season. To continuously
provide support and services at
a high level of compliance and
standards is exceptional to see.
Th ere are a lot of very committed
people within the organisation.”
Q: Describe living in Darwin?
FO: “It is a great town. It
is compact, it is safe, it is easy
living and my family is very
settled here. Darwin is a place
you either love or hate, because
the weather does have an impact,
but it has a lot of attractions.”
“We provide a service
that meets all of the high
standards of the resources
industry...”
Pearl Aviation business development manager Fergus O’Branagain. Photo: Christopher Knight
the secondary school division by Werner Kahl.
Mark Massa earned fi rst place in the adult division, Andrew Buch was second and Kevin Ang was third.
Mr Handley said one of Engineers Australia’s aims was to promote engineering in the community and the North West group’s design competitions were a fun way to go about it.
Local group building bridges Focus on engineering technologists, associates
10 March 2008 | The Mining AdvocateINDUSTRY UPDATE
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Th e number of Chinese mining companies visiting the Northern Territory is growing, according to Mines and Energy Minister Chris Natt.
Speaking at a recent International Business Council lunch in Darwin, Mr Natt said seven Chinese mining companies had already visited the Territory this year.
“Th is is an exceptional result compared to last year, where we had 13 companies visit for the 12 months,” he said.
“It shows that the interest in the Northern Territory is escalating and that our China Minerals Investment Attraction strategy is working.”
He said the strategy aimed to make Chinese companies more aware of the mineral and investment opportunities in the Territory and encouraged Chinese partnerships with local mining and exploration companies.
“In mid-February we received a visit from Stone Resources Limited and the China Development Bank, who met with four Territory exploration companies and one service provider,” Mr Natt said.
“It was an extremely exciting week with the prospect of four possible joint ventures and a possible Darwin offi ce for Stone Resources.
“I look forward to Stone Resources’ next visit to the Territory, which could be as soon as April this year.”
Stone Resources chairman Duan Yongji stated on his departure from Darwin that the government assistance he received in the Territory was “second to none”.
Mr Natt said 12 exploration licence applications had
NT attracts growing
interest from China
New managerUranium explorer Deep Yellow has appointed
Sandy Moyle as its Australian exploration manager.Mr Moyle has 20 years’ experience in the uranium
industry, including direct involvement in the discovery of the Lihir gold deposit in Papua New Guinea.
He was also the general manager of exploration at Redport during the company’s resource defi nition process at its Lake Maitland uranium deposit in Western Australia.
Mr Moyle will lead Deep Yellow’s exploration team at Mount Isa and Alice Springs from the company’s Perth offi ce.
Deep Yellow will focus this year on Joint Ore Reserve Committee ( JORC) compliant resource delineation at its Queen’s Gift project in Mount Isa, further drilling at 10 prospects in the Mount Isa and Cloncurry district, and exploration of several prospects in the Alice Springs district.
Maitland on trackGlengarry Resources has stated that assay
results from a resource evaluation drilling program completed late last year at its Maitland prospect, near Kidston in North Queensland, continued to indicate good potential for an economic copper deposit.
Managing director David Richards said the results confi rmed the continuity of high-grade copper mineralisation in the main southern shoot, which contained the bulk of the potential resource.
He said a resource estimation was expected to be completed before the end of March.
Early promiseQueensland Gold and Minerals says it has received
very encouraging tantalum, lithium and tin assay results from an initial shallow drilling program on four pegmatite bodies at the Buchanan’s Creek prospect, near Georgetown in North Queensland.
Tantalum and lithium are used in the electronics industry for products including mobile phones and computers, and in the chemical and ceramic industries.
Queensland Gold and Minerals managing director Adrian Day said the drilling had covered only part of the project area, and the company planned follow-up fi eld work and additional drilling after the wet season.
Warm welcomeTh e Australian Logistics Council has welcomed the
appointment of Sir Rod Eddington as the inaugural chair of Infrastructure Australia.
Infrastructure Australia was established by the Federal Government to develop a strategic blueprint for Australia’s infrastructure needs, in partnership with the states, territories, local governments and the private sector.
Australian Logistics Council chief executive Hal Morris said Sir Rod would bring global perspective and experience to the role from his extensive career in the domestic and international transport industry, particularly in the aviation industry.
Sir Rod is a former head of British Airways, Ansett and Cathay Pacifi c.
Gassed upA multibillion-
dollar liquefi ed natural gas (LNG) plant could be built at Middle Arm Peninsula in Darwin.
Environmental concerns have delayed international oil and gas company INPEX’s proposed project on the Maret Islands off the Kimberley Coast in Western Australia.
INPEX is exploring options in the event that its deal with the Western Australian Government falls through, and Northern Territory Chief Minister Paul Henderson recently signed a project facilitation agreement with the company outlining the possibility of piping gas from the Ichthys fi eld in WA to Darwin.
“Th e NT Government has clearly demonstrated that Darwin off ers an alternative site that could be developed within a reliable time frame,” INPEX managing director Jiro Okada said.
Director appointed Barry Kelly has been appointed
as a non-executive director of Queensland Ores and its subsidiaries, as the company’s Wolfram Camp project nears production.
Mr Kelly (pictured) has spent more than 40 years in the minerals and resources sector in Australia, Asia, the United Kingdom and South America and been involved with a number of corporate and industry boards and committees.
He is a graduate of the Harvard Business School and has held senior executive roles focused on marketing, strategy and fi nance with the Th iess Group, MIM Holdings and Western Mining Corporation.
“Mr Kelly is an extremely knowledgeable and experienced director who will be able to make a considerable contribution to Queensland Ores as the company makes the all-important transition from mine developer to mine operator at our fl agship Wolfram Camp tungsten and molybdenum project in North Queensland,” Queensland Ores chairman Roger Marshall said.
also been received from Chinese companies so far this year.
“We are confi dent that Chinese investment will drive exploration in the Northern Territory and this in turn will increase the likelihood of the next major discovery being here,” he said.
Northern Territory Mines and Energy Minister Chris Natt
and Stone Resources chairman Duan Yongji overlook
Darwin Harbour.
NT Chief Minister Paul Henderson reaches an agreement with INPEX managing director Jiro Okada.
11The Mining Advocate | March 2008 INDUSTRY UPDATE
Xstrata sponsorship is helping kids enjoy their footy in Townsville.
Xstrata has committed $15,000 per year over three years to the Townsville and District Rugby Union (TDRU) junior competition, played on Friday nights.
TDRU president Craig Stack said the money would be used to further develop the juniors program.
“We started junior rugby in 1996 and we’re now pushing up to 1000 registered players in Townsville clubs,” he said.
“To service that expansion we have two full-time development offi cers, who conduct skills training in schools and at a club and representative level.”
He said Xstrata’s sponsorship would also boost morale amongst the junior rugby volunteers.
“Every time we get support from an organisation like Xstrata it’s great to get the money, but the real benefi t is the eff ect on the volunteers who help out,” Mr Stack said.
“When they see that a big group like Xstrata takes an interest in what they’re doing, it gives everyone that extra spring in their step.”
Xstrata also supplied bags and water bottles for a recent juniors’ sign-on night.
Th e rugby union sponsorship is part of its community partnership program, directed at improving services and facilities in the North Queensland communities of Mount Isa, Cloncurry, Townsville and Bowen.
Xstrata Copper North Queensland chief operating offi cer Steve de Kruijff said the program
Junior players score a
share of mining wealth
Golden optionAustralasia
Gold has entered into an option for the purchase of the McKinlay gold deposit, 45km north of Pine Creek in the Northern Territory.
Th e company stated the deposit was fi rst developed in 1938 and had been held by a prospecting syndicate for more than 30 years.
A decision will be made on the purchase by the end of 2008.
Australasia Gold proposes to map and sample the lode zone and test the depth extensions with an induced polarisation geophysical survey, with further drilling programs to follow.
It stated that the option over the McKinlay gold deposit (area pictured above) followed recent encouraging drilling results at its Mount Ringwood gold prospect, also in the Pine Creek region.
Shared work Minerals Corporation has announced an agreement
with Gulf Alumina to undertake joint mining at Skardon River on Cape York.
Minerals Corporation stated that recent drilling by Gulf Alumina had confi rmed the general viability of bauxite and kaolin mining at the site.
Under the agreement, the two companies will share equally the mining costs and prepare joint mining plans and environmental studies.
Uranium agreementDeep Yellow recently announced it had reached an
agreement with Xstrata’s Mount Isa Mines, whereby Deep Yellow could ultimately acquire 100 per cent of the uranium rights over six tenements held by Xstrata.
Th e tenements cover 504sq km immediately west of Mount Isa and contain a number of known uranium occurrences explored by Queensland Mines in the 1970s.
Xstrata will retain the rights to other resources on the tenements.
Meanwhile, Deep Yellow announced it had received highly encouraging assay results from an initial and limited reverse circulation percussion drill program at its Conquest prospect, 75km north of Mount Isa.
Th e Conquest prospect is the subject of a joint venture between Deep Yellow and Matrix Metals.
Las Minerale resultsCuDeco has announced positive results from its
latest drilling program at the Rocklands Group copper project near Cloncurry in North West Queensland.
Chairman Wayne McCrae said resource defi nition drilling at the project’s Las Minerale Central prospect had confi rmed the thickness and grade of copper, cobalt, and gold mineralisation in areas where there were previous gaps in the drilling data set.
Pajingo on targetNorth Queensland Metals (NQM) says it produced
5314 ounces of gold at the Pajingo mine in February.Th e mine, located near Charters Towers in North
Queensland, was formerly owned by Newmont Mining but was sold to a joint venture of NQM and Heemskirk Consolidated late last year.
NQM chief executive offi cer John McKinstry said February’s production met the initial target rate of 62,000 ounces per year, but he expected the annual rate to increase to 70,000 ounces from July on the back of higher grades.
He said Pajingo mine’s fi rst Joint Ore Reserve Committee ( JORC) compliant reserve and resource statement would be released later this month and would incorporate new mining plans.
“Th e statement will no doubt surprise those who might have been under the impression that Pajingo was almost exhausted,” he said.
Coyote Gold progressTanami Gold is pleased with the progress at its
Coyote Gold underground project, in the Kimberley region of Western Australia near the Northern Territory border.
Executive chairman Denis Waddell said
underground decline development was progressing
steadily to access the high-grade underground ore.
He said the mine aimed for a minimum annual
production rate of 50,000 ounces of gold by June
2008 and 70,000 ounces of gold by June 2009.
Mr Waddell said mining had also begun at the
Sandpiper deposit, 35km north of the Coyote mill.
Good progress had been made in constructing the
haul road between the Sandpiper and Kookaburra
deposits and the mill, he said.
Ore from Sandpiper and Kookaburra would
be treated over the next few months and would
supplement the Coyote high-grade underground ore
feed as it developed, Mr Waddell said.
Training awardsNominations for the 2008 Queensland Training
Awards close this month.
State Education and Training minister Rod
Welford said the awards recognised individuals
and organisations who strove for best practice and
innovation in vocational education and training.
For more information visit www.qta.qld.gov.au.
TDRU president Craig Stack and players Jesse Kinbacher,
12, Frank Ray, 11, and Cameron Galletly, 9, with Xstrata
community relations offi cer Avril Plath.
Photo by: Stewart McLean
demonstrated Xstrata’s belief that local communities
should benefi t from the company’s operations in the
short and long term.
“Since 2005 the program has made a huge
contribution to North Queensland such as installing
computer rooms in local schools, helping to train
medical staff , improving medical services, and helping
disadvantaged people gain skills and jobs,” he said.
Xstrata recently committed an extra $5 million to
the program, raising its value to almost $11 million
between 2005 and 2010.
12 March 2008 | The Mining AdvocateINDUSTRY UPDATE
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CSTC Pty Ltdis a Queensland companyand an accredited RegisteredTraining Organization (RTO).We were established in 1994and have trained over 80,000students across a broadspectrum of constructionrelated fields.
Th e Mount Isa Running and Triathlon Club (Isa Rats) is holding a four-race triathlon series in the lead-up to April’s Julia Creek Dirt and Dust event.
For a change of scenery, the fi rst triathlon was held in Cloncurry and was sponsored by Xstrata’s Ernest Henry Mine.
Local participants joined triathletes who had travelled from Mount Isa for the event.
Competitors swam 300m in Chinaman Creek Dam, ran 1km on a dirt road, cycled 9km on the old highway bitumen, and ran a fi nal 2km back to the dam and along the shore.
Cloncurry event organiser Liz Rainnie said she was impressed with the enthusiasm of local competitors.
She said Cloncurry would be included in the Isa Rats calendar of events in the future.
Th e open men’s division winner was Ashley Milroy, who entered the run-bike transition in fi rst place and maintained his lead in the fi nal two legs.
Th e open women’s division was a tight struggle between Kate Rose and Steph McDonald.
Rose was the fi rst woman into the run-bike transition but was overtaken in the cycle leg by McDonald.
Rose was able to regain the lead in the cycle leg and went on to win by almost three minutes.
She said the Cloncurry event was her fi rst triathlon and she was keen to compete in the remainder of the series.
Cloncurry to host
further race events
Time to processSun Metals chief executive Shad Linley believes
North Queensland needs to increase its focus on metals processing.
He said at a recent Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) technical talk that the continued export of concentrates by the North Queensland mining industry was a sign of failure.
“I believe exporting raw materials is a very unfortunate, short-term view of the world,” Mr Linley said.
He said energy was wasted in the process of exporting raw materials when they could be easily processed in Australia.
Sun Metals last year produced a record 250,000 tonnes of zinc metal.
Exploration plansIron ore mining company Territory Resources has
committed $7.5 million to exploration around its Frances Creek operation (right), 190km south of Darwin in the Northern Territory.
Chairman Michael Kiernan said four drill rigs would explore the region in the next two years in an attempt to extend the operation’s mine life beyond 2012.
He said the main iron mineralisation at Frances Creek was known over a distance of about 35km.
Statement lodgedGBS Gold has lodged an environmental impact
statement with the Northern Territory Government for its proposed Maude Creek project, about 20km north-east of Katherine.
After community consultation, the company has changed its plan from an open-cut to underground operation.
Th e ore mined at the proposed mine would be transported to the company’s Union Reef processing plant near Pine Creek.
Good indicationsExco Resources announced that recent infi ll
drilling at its E1 North deposit indicated the widest zone of ore grade mineralisation seen at the prospect so far.
Th e deposit is part of the E1 Camp, about 40km north-east of Cloncurry and about 8km east of Xstrata’s Ernest Henry Mine.
Exco Resources managing director Michael Anderson said the drilling program also confi rmed that the E1 North deposit remained open at depth.
He said further extensional drilling would begin shortly.
Meanwhile, the company has signed a joint venture agreement with Paradigm Metals to explore for uranium and other minerals at the Toolebuc Limestone Formation, near Cloncurry in North West Queensland.
Mill restartsCitigold
announced recently that its gold mill near Charters Towers in North Queensland had resumed operations following repairs.
Managing director and chief executive offi cer Mark Lynch said the large electric motor on the plant (pictured) needed to be rewired.
He said underground mining and ore stockpiling continued while the rewiring was carried out.
Mr Lynch also said that heavy rains in Charters Towers in February had not aff ected Citigold’s underground mining because of the operation’s eff ective system of pumps and drainage channels.
Call for papersTh e Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE)
has called for entries in an international competition.Th e HKIE Outstanding Paper Award for Young
Engineers and Researchers provides a platform for young professionals to share and exhibit their
accomplishments in various engineering fi elds.
Th e award welcomes papers from sole authors or
fi rst authors of co-authored papers who are aged 35
and below.
Th e deadline for submissions is April 11. (Visit
www.hkie.org.hk/paper_award2008 for more
information).
London callingTamaya Resources is relocating its corporate
headquarters to London in April.
Th e company stated that its relocation did not
aff ect the registered offi ce or the company’s listing on
the Australian Securities Exchange.
Th e move is intended to position the company
nearer to its asset base and to capitalise on the success
of recent investor roadshows in building Tamaya
Resources’ profi le in Europe and North America.
Tamaya Resources holds 23 mining leases covering
an area of 21sq km and three exploration permits
covering an area of 341sq km near Charters Towers in
North Queensland.
Gary Hall, Suzi Santaguida and Dale Rackham
won the veterans divisions.
Th e event also consisted of junior and teams
divisions.
Open men’s division winner Ashley Milroy breaks the tape
at the Cloncurry triathlon organised by Isa Rats.
13The Mining Advocate | March 2008 INDUSTRY UPDATE
A DOLLAR A DAY GOES A LONG WAY!
Payroll Deduction is a simple andsuccessful way of donating to the
Cootharinga Society of NorthQueensland Disability Services.
A dollar a day goes a very long wayassisting us to provide services which
increase the quality of life forpeople living with disabilities
in our community.
Deducting donations from your pay is
convenient for you as well as assisting
Cootharinga to continue to provide
ongoing quality services to people who live
with disabilities in North Queensland.
Cootharinga's services include Supported
accommodation, Individual and Family
Support, Community Linking, Therapy
and Rehabilitation Technology Service
(modifying mobility equipment). We
would also like to make you aware of our
new range of respite care services.
PLUS you will automatically receive the
benefit of a tax deduction in every pay!
GIVE AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE!!!
Ask your payroll officer to contact
Janelle Bulman at Cootharinga on
07 4759 2033 and Janelle will assist with
all enquiries on how to make the
deductions.
The Cootharinga Society of North
Queensland would like to take this
opportunity to welcome and thank the
newest organisation to join the program.
Rollex Group of North Queensland
Remember all money donatedto Cootharinga stays in
North Queensland!
Hinchinbrook Shire Council
Herbert River District Canegrowers
Bowen Shire Council
Mackay City Council
Mackay Sugar Co-op Assoc
Mitre 10
Mt Isa Hardware
Network Design (Telstra)
Australia Post
Australian Workers Union
NQEA Engineers & Shipbuilders
Townsville City Council
Transfield Services Aust P/L
Tully Sugar Ltd
NQ Chemicals
Bell & Moir Corp. P/L
Bundaberg Sugar Ltd
Cardwell Shire Council
Cavallaro Leonardi & Assoc
CSR Sugar
Flinders Shire Council
Friendly Motors
Telstra Corporation
Ken Eade recently bid farewell to a career of more than 47 years with Maunsell Australia and McIntyre and Associates.
Mr Eade started work at the Townsville offi ce of engineering fi rm McIntyre and Associates as a cadet draftsman on November 28, 1960.
After a short stay in Mount Isa in the 1960s, he relocated to Brisbane when McIntyre and Associates opened an offi ce there.
He later renewed his connection with the North West, working on company projects at Mount Isa Mines and on the region’s coal railway.
Mr Eade returned to Townsville in 1977, and between 1978 and 1988 was the drafting section leader for Townsville Water Group.
Th is group was involved in developing the Charters Towers sewerage scheme, the Mt Saint John sewage treatment plant, the Burdekin Falls dam and Haughton main channel.
In 1988, Mr Eade decided to trade in his drafting pen in order to lead McIntyre and Associates’ clerical section.
In this position he oversaw the department’s adaptation to new technologies.
Manual records and dedicated word processing machines were superseded with the introduction of the Uniplex word processing and database computer system, and the subsequent introduction of the Microsoft Offi ce suite led to the present day computer-based clerical system.
Manager bows out after
long career in the North
Mighty merger Oxiana and Zinifex recently announced they had
entered into an agreement to merge their businesses, creating a new base and precious metals mining company.
Th e merged company will be re-named and will remain headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
A joint statement said that the board of Zinifex and the board of Oxiana each believed that the new entity would be better positioned for growth than either company on a stand-alone basis, and the merger would combine two companies with highly complementary operational, development and exploration profi les.
According to the statement, the senior management team would be drawn from the two companies’ existing management teams and, given the scale of the combined group and its development pipeline, overlap of roles was expected to be minimal.
Zinifex owns and operates the Century zinc mine in the lower Gulf region of North West Queensland - Australia’s largest zinc mine based on concentrate production.
Oxiana is currently constructing the Prominent Hill copper-gold mine in South Australia and owns and operates the Golden Grove base and precious metals operation in Western Australia.
Conference preparationsTh e Queensland Resources Council (QRC) expects
more than 600 people at this year’s Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference.
Th e theme of this year’s event is “Breaking New Ground”.
Th e conference - a partnership between the QRC, the Queensland Department of Mines and Energy, and mining unions - will be held at the Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre and Jupiters Hotel and Casino between August 17 and 20.
New Caledonian tourAustrade is inviting industry professionals to participate in the 2008 Australian Mining
Delegation to New Caledonia, on March 16 to 21. It will be Austrade’s eighth mining mission and will assist Australian mining
equipment, technology and services fi rms to take advantage of the signifi cant business opportunities in the market.
Contact regional export advisor Brett Henderson on (07) 4721 3677.
Lean breakfastLean manufacturing is the subject of a breakfast clinic to be held at Rydges Esplanade
Resort in Cairns on March 19.QMI Solutions’ David Velasquez will explain the concept’s three principles -
eliminating waste, making products and material fl ow, and basing supply on demand pull.Th e clinic is also hosted by the Department of Tourism and Regional Development.For more details visit www.qmisolutions.com.au/events.asp?pn=events.
Gala eventTh e Cairns Chamber of Commerce is holding a gala dinner and the launch of the
“2007 Cairns Report” on March 15.
Th e event will take place at the Cairns Colonial Club Resort, in the Lockhart
Ballroom.
For more information phone (07) 4031 1838
Use your membraneA sugar industry workshop will take place at James Cook University in Townsville on
April 28.
Th is workshop will focus on the numerous applications of membranes in the sugar
industry in general and provide specifi c details on the clarifi cation of sugarcane juice for
raw sugar production.
To register email Dr Li Shu at [email protected] or phone (07) 4781 4871.
Retired Maunsell business service manager Ken Eade.
DATE CLAIMERS
In October 1998, McIntyre and Associates merged with fellow engineering company Maunsell.
Mr Eade gradually acquired more duties, leading to his fi nal position as business service manager.
Mr Eade is married to wife Pam and has two children, Scott and Belinda, who live on Gold Coast.
He also has two grandchildren.
14 March 2008 | The Mining AdvocateBETWEEN SHIFTS
AusIMM Far North Queensland branch annual technical talk
Cairns
John Nethery (Queensland
Gold and Minerals), Kirstin
Isaacs (consultant) and
Andrew Beaton (Kagara).
David Curtain (Curtain
Brothers) and Brett Duck
(Brennan Minerals).
John Sainsbury (Consolidated Tin) and Trevor Pilcher (Auzex
Resources).
Glen Little (Ozmin Resources) and Brian New (Kangaroo
Metals).
Brett Teale (Kangaroo Metals) and Paul Dale (CPM). Paul Turpin (North Queensland Miners Association) and Judy
Grieves (AusIMM committee member).
Tom Eadie (CopperStrike), Andrew Border (Queensland Ores and Metals, Wolfram Camp) and John
McKenna (McKenna and Associates).
15The Mining Advocate | March 2008 BETWEEN SHIFTS
International Business Council/Northern Territory Minerals Council - China business update luncheon
Frontier Darwin Hotel
Steve Rowe, Jim Rowe and
Gary Perkins (all from SRA
Information Technology)
with Tony Matt (ANZ).
Wendi Masters and Greg
Flanagan ((Department of
Employment, Education and
Training) with Fay Miller (NT
opposition spokeswoman for
Mines and Energy).
Peter Stoner and Alan Holland (both from the Department of
Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines).
Craig Wynn (Ready Workforce) with Jeremy Dawson and Peter
Walsh (Commonwealth Bank).
Sean Mahoney (International College of Advanced Education)
and Greg Bicknell (NT Chamber of Commerce).
Chris Natt (NT Mines and Energy Minister) with Chris Young (NT
Chamber of Commerce).
Peter Tomkin (GHD), David Rolland (GHD), Brian Fowler (Arafura Resources) and Rachel Wedd
(GHD).
PHOTOS: Christopher Knight
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16 March 2008 | The Mining AdvocateBETWEEN SHIFTS
Engineers Australia Cairns Local Group members’ luncheon
Cairns Colonial Club Resort
PHOTOS: Romy Siegmann
Lee-ann Pitcher and Peter Dutaillis (both from RECS
Engineers).
Katherine Gould and Megan Maujean (both from GHD).
John Menzies (PDR Engineers), Terry Medhurst (AMC Consultants)
and Peter De Roma (PDR Engineers).
Steve Tyter and Brad Finegan (Cairns City Council) with guest
speaker, Cairns Mayor Kevin Byrne..
Nancy Lanskey and Thelma Spelta.Han Barkmeyer and Lee Ticehurst (both from ARUP).
Julian Hayson, Steven Real, Paul Stubbs and Warren Hughes (all
from Maunsell Australia).
Heather Vaughan and John Burton (Cairns City Council) with
guest speaker Val Schier and Mark Buttrose.
Mark Aitken, Victor Adamczyk, Blain Morgan and Robert
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17The Mining Advocate | March 2008 BETWEEN SHIFTS
Mount Isa Community Helicopter 2008 Gala Launch and Sportsman’s Dinner
Overlander Hotel, Mount Isa
PHOTOS: Ruth Fahey
Andy Bichel and Isaac Kalik (21 months) have a yarn about the
helicopter.
Matt Wendtman, Tahnee Watson and Jonathan Sanders (Keas
rugby union team).
Anthony Toholke (Overlander Hotel) and wife Ranita pose with
rugby identity Tom Lawton.
Nicky Brennan, pilot Glen McIntyre and Beverly Baxter.Tristan Bowen (8) inside the helicopter.Matt Skea and James (aged 3).
Kassidy Reynolds (4) trys out the cockpit.
Mel Cox with some of the merchandise on off er.
Trevor Kidd (Queensland Police Service) and his wife Lyn.
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D R I V I N G T H E W O R L D
Mount Isa at the present time is still having problems coping with the demands of the mineral boom, and the shortages of housing and workers have not diminished.
But the junior miners who have already started up or are soon to start are adding a sense of strength and stability to the region, and there is still a sense of urgency surrounding those hopefuls that they can become active in time to capitalise on the current demand for metal.
Th e fact that the 2008 mining expo (April 15-17) appears to be headed for record numbers of exhibitors should come as no surprise, given the enthusiasm currently surrounding everything mining in this part of Queensland.
An air of enthusiasm surrounds “all things
mining” in North West Queensland at present,
writes Mount Isa Mayor Ron McCullough.
Th e new venue at Buchanan
Park will bring a new-look expo
as exhibitors seem to be planning
to set up more sophisticated
displays on par with those
used in major city venues, and
already the demand for space
is at a premium. Another
outcome is the increased
interest in attendance by senior
management personnel from
supply and service organisations,
who are viewing the expo in a
new light given the sustained
high prices for minerals and
bullish outlook for mining.
Over the past decade the
Mount Isa Mining Expo has
put both the Carpentaria
Minerals Province and the city
of Mount Isa to the forefront
in mining industry circles and
government decision making,
and the potential for growth of
the region has brought a new
confi dence to residents and
investors alike.
A team explores for copper in the Cloncurry district for junior miner Exco Resources.
Th e ring of confi dence
Event refl ects positive vibe
Ron McCulloughMount Isa Mayor
19The Mining Advocate | March 2008 ADVERTISEMENT
2008 Xstrata Mount Isa Mining ExpoBreaking Ground in Mining
Xstrata Entertainment Centre - Buchanan Park15, 16 and 17 April 2008
Showcasing the latest in mining tools, trade and technologyin one of the richest mineral provinces in Australia
Purchase your tickets now to the Official Opening Function and the first ever’Mining the Carpentaria Breakfast’ where you will receive leading industry
information from guest speakers from throughout the Carpentaria.
Don’t miss out on your chance to capitalise on information that may affectthe growth and expansion of your organisation!
For further details contact the Mount Isa Chamber of Commerce onPhone (07) 4743 9881 Fax (07) 4743 7266
MINING EXPO LAUNCHES NEW EVENTMINING EXPO LAUNCHES NEW EVENTThe Mount Isa Chamber of Commerce is launching the “Mining the Carpentaria Break-fast” at this year’s Xstrata Mount Isa Mining Expo, which is being held on 15, 16 and 17 April at the Xstrata Entertainment Centre in Buchanan Park.
The “Mining the Carpentaria Breakfast” will be an information session inviting key mining industry personnel and professionals from within the Carpentaria Mineral Province to speak about project activity within the region.
This event has been designed to network both industry personnel and exhibitors and provide guests with leading industry informa-tion from within the area.
Mount Isa Chamber of Commerce President Brett Peterson said whilst the breakfast only invited a handful of keynote speakers this year, event organisers were looking at po-tentially growing this event into an extremely informative conference in future years.
“The world is currently in a mining boom and Mount Isa is lucky enough to be right in the middle of the one of the richest mineral prov-inces in the world,” he said.
“We therefore have a number of project lead-ers and general managers of major mines in the region at our fi ngertips to give them the
opportunity to share leading information that may affect those involved in the industry.”
Event organisers for the fi rst time this year had a signifi cant waiting list for sites at the Xstrata Mount Isa Mining Expo and had to recently change the fl oor plan of the event to accommodate the demand.
Over 150 exhibitors will showcase a compre-hensive range of mining and mining related
products at the new Buchanan Park facility in Mount Isa.
There will be a number of outdoor sites ex-hibiting the latest in heavy mining machinery, portable demountable structures, mining fl eet vehicles and shelving systems.
The fi nal fl oor plan for the event is available on the Mount Isa Chamber of Commerce website at www.michamber.com.au.
Mount Isa Chamber of Commerce
President Brett Peterson.
20 March 2008 | The Mining AdvocateXSTRATA MOUNT ISA MINING EXPO
Pybar has a reputation as a progressive and innovative leader in Mining and Civil services. Having the right people is the key to delivering a quality service and outcome on each project. Safety is always our priority and Pybar’s management practices reflect this. Pybar’s extensive range of equipment and experienced personnel ensure flexibility, good service and a focus on continuous improvement. Through our established procedures and our commitment to the environment we are continually working towards minimising the impact of our activities. Pybar has recently opened an office in Townsville to support its clients in the north and has been successful in several contracting opportunities with Blue Chip Clients in the northern Region. For further information, contact either, Shane Kennelly – General Manager or Andrew Glastonbury – Business Development Manger Tel: 02 6361 4499 Fax: 02 6360 2783 Web: www.pybar.com.au Email: [email protected]
Xstrata Mount [sa Mining Expo 2008Proud to be associated with the
Xstrata Mount [sa Mining Expo 2008
Supporting mining and construction
in North Queensland
THIS MONTH
• Townsville’s $100m wastewater works
• Panel power slashes building times
• Miners braving the rodeo ring
• Pipeline pacesetters mark a milestone
September 2006
$2.75 inc GST where sold
Monthly
ISSN 1833-3125
MINES SAFETY AND RESCUE SPECIAL
Supporting mining and construction
in North Queensland
THIS MONTH
• Copper refinery begins major upgrade
• Cannington rock falls spark $20m repair project
• Local inventor’s welding safety breakthrough
• Metal trades shine in Townsville awards night
May 2006 $2.75 inc GST where sold
Monthly
ISSN 1833-3125
Zinifex Century Mine special
Supporting mining and construction in North Queensland
NEWS - RECRUITMENT - TRAINING - HEALTH AND SAFETY - PROFILES - LIFESTYLEMOVERS AND SHAKERS - SOCIAL PAGES - UPCOMING EVENTS
THIS MONTH
• Local opportunities flagged in $130m prison project• Lagging exploration efforts spark concern• The lowdown on Lady Annie• Outback miners tune in to chamber music
July 2006 $2.75 inc GST where sold
Monthly
ISSN 1833-3125
BHP BILLITON QNI UPGRADE
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Supporting mining and industry in
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February 2008
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A new name,
a new territory
ISSN 1833-3125
Local government reform in
Local government reform inNT means more taxes but
NT means more taxes but what’s in it for miners?
what’s in it for miners? THIS MONTH• Options package slashes staff churn
for Kagara• Overseas opportunities for suppliers
• Push for shares incentive to promote
exploration investment• A junior player with a big appetite for
NT uranium
21The Mining Advocate | March 2008 XSTRATA MOUNT ISA MINING EXPO
Th e Mount Isa Community Helicopter is relying on the mining industry’s support to provide a valuable service to the North West Minerals Province.
Chief executive offi cer Alex Dorr said the rescue chopper would be on display at the Xstrata Mount Isa Mining Expo.
“Hopefully we’ll get a few more mining companies on board with sponsorship,” he said.
“We’ve had a very good response from the local community and businesspeople, which is important, but for the amount of dollars we need to grow, we rely mainly on the mining industry to step up to the plate.”
He said the helicopter cost about $600,000 per year to run at the moment, but the fi gure would rise to about $1 million as the service expanded.
Th e Mount Isa Community Helicopter is intended to add to the resources of the Royal Flying Doctor Service by assisting in emergencies.
Mr Dorr said the helicopter would possibly attend incidents at mine sites, and the organisation visited numerous sites this year and last year to conduct safety awareness courses for operating around a helicopter.
Th e donations of mining companies to the organisation would ultimately feed back into benefi ts for themselves, he said.
A gala launch and sportsman’s dinner for the Mount Isa Community Helicopter was held recently at the Overlander Hotel in Mount Isa.
Rugby union identities Chris
Mr Dorr said more than 50
items were sold on the night and
the auction raised about $20,000.
Before the event, the
helicopter was landed in the
hotel car park and the public
was shown its inner and outer
workings.
CopperCo is the major
sponsor of the Mount Isa
Community Helicopter.
Sponsorship plea to resource sectorAn appearance at the annual mining expo
is hoped to spark increased support for the
Mount Isa Community Helicopter.
The Mount Isa Community Helicopter on display at the Overlander Hotel, Mount Isa, for the service’s gala launch. Photos: Ruth Fahey
“Hopefully we’ll get
a few more mining
companies on board with
sponsorship”
Ray White Rural Mount Isa placed 6th
in the annual Ray White Rural Awards.
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Lots under the hammer for an average of $93,000. The 7
remaining lots have been sold post auction.
Mount Isa 07 4743 9499
raywhiterural.comwww.raywhite-mountisa.com.au
“Buddha” Handy and Tom
Lawton joined rugby league
great Steve “Blocka” Roach and
cricketer Andy Bichel in giving
the evening celebrity presence.
About 220 people attended
the event, where 60 pieces of
sports memorabilia were off ered
for auction.
Items included a signed Don
Bradman cricket bat, a wicket
keeper’s glove autographed by
Adam Gilchrist and a boxing
glove signed by Joe Frazier.
22 March 2008 | The Mining AdvocateXSTRATA MOUNT ISA MINING EXPO
M iner's M ate's RatesOnly $95 per night*
SINGLE OR DOUBLE ACCOMMODATION
Bonus: Enjoy 2 relaxing beers at Celsius barand we will shout you the 3rd!
* conditions apply - Valid until 31st December 2008
Mercure Townsville:• unique tropical gardens• large resort-style pool• Celsius restaurant and bar• 24hr reception
XSTRATA MOUNT ISA MINES MINING EXPOContact Ruth Prideaux for family and
corporate specials.
Leave your details for the chance to wintwo tickets to the Cowboys v Broncos
home game.
RUTH PRIDEAUXMERCURE TOWNSVILLEPh: 07 4725 2222
Th ere is little doubt that the
booming North West Minerals
Province is the economic engine
room of the State, and indeed
the country.
In the past 12 months the
mining explosion has continued
with the commencement of
CopperCo’s Lady Annie mine
and Xstrata’s Handlebar Hill
mine.
With the State Government’s
commitment and the injection of
exploration dollars, exploration
is at an all-time high and
the region is demonstrating
an unprecedented level of
investment, activity and energy
not witnessed for decades.
We can celebrate these boom
times, but it’s the prospects for
future growth that are most
exciting.
Th is year in particular, the
North West Minerals Province
will present opportunities to
the mining industry that will be
This year is shaping up as a special one for the
resources industry in Mount Isa district and
the 2008 mining expo will be the icing on the
cake, writes State MP Betty Kiernan.
the North West have on off er.
In November, the newly
elected Premier, Anna Bligh,
held her fi rst Community
Cabinet in the Cloncurry-
Mount Isa area.
Four weeks prior she had
travelled to Mount Isa to sign a
substantial indigenous land use
agreement (ILUA) on behalf of
the State Government with the
Kalkadoon People, which opened
up three substantial areas of land
for industrial development.
She also witnessed the signing
of an ILUA between Mount Isa
City Council and the Kalkadoon
people for a large area earmarked
for residential development.
Both the Premier and I
agree that the booming North
West Minerals Province is fast
becoming the economic engine
room of the State, and the
country.
It is a wonderful time to be the
State Member representing a
diverse and exciting electorate.
I again congratulate the
organisers of the 2008 mining
expo and know that we will once
again experience great pride in
the event and opportunity it
brings to our region.
‘Economic engine room’ revs up
Betty KiernanState Member for Mount Isa
realised over many years to come.
I congratulate events such as
the mining expo that display
these opportunities and, most
importantly, show what we in Copper cathode being prepared for export at CopperCo’s processing plant near
Mount Isa.
23The Mining Advocate | March 2008 ENGINEERING CAREERS
MACKAY
ROCKHAMPTON
TOWNSVILLE
CAIRNS
MOUNT ISA
BRISBANE
To find out more about Maunsell and employment opportunities, visit our website at www.maunsell.com or email [email protected]
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A practical bent and interest in design drew Clayton Adam to mechanical engineering.
He never imagined that engineering, in turn, would draw him into the realm of surgeons and scalpels through groundbreaking work dedicated to helping children battling debilitating spinal deformities.
And his experience has prompted him to urge others studying engineering to be open to opportunities out of left fi eld.
Associate Professor Adam runs the Paediatric Spine Research Group, a Queensland University of Technology (QUT)collaboration with Brisbane’s Mater Children’s Hospital.
“We do research into
paediatric spinal deformities – the main one is scoliosis – and I work very closely with two spinal surgeons here at the hospital,” Professor Adam said.
“We study the outcomes of surgical procedures they’re performing and try to come up with improved ways of treating scoliosis.”
Professor Adam said his colleagues used a keyhole technique to implant a metal rod in cases requiring surgical correction – an approach resulting in shorter recovery times than traditional methods.
“It is a relatively new procedure - our surgeons are the only ones in Australia doing that,” he said.
“So we carefully document
how well these deformities get corrected and, if there are complications, what causes them to occur.”
So how does engineering come into this?
“Th e spine is a structure. Its role is to carry forces and withstand loads,” Professor Adam said.
“We build computer models of the spine before surgery, simulate the stresses and strains on the structure during the surgery and determine what will be a good correction.
“Hopefully, with this modelling, we should be able to predict the risk of complications or whether the spine after surgery will act as a stable structure to withstand the forces that daily activities place on it.”
Th e former Cairns schoolboy completed his degree at James Cook University in 1993 and a PhD project in 1998 before working in the sugar industry and then as a lecturer at QUT.
“It was through that work I met Mark Pearcy, a professor of medical engineering, and got interested in that fi eld – he mentored me and guided me,” Professor Adam said.
Th is was defi nitely not where he imagined he’d end up when he took his engineering degree, he said.
“I considered medicine at one point but I’m too squeamish...,” Professor Adam said.
“I didn’t know this sort of job
Taking the road lesstravelled An engineering degree is a passport to a huge
range of job options. In Clayton Adam’s case
it took him in an unexpected direction.
existed. It has been a learning curve for me.”
He said he was glad he had completed an engineering degree as the skills involved were
valuable across many industries. “I have no idea where it will
lead me from here – it’s an ongoing adventure,” Professor Adam said.
Associate Professor Clayton Adam with a biomodel of a spine.
24 March 2008 | The Mining AdvocateENGINEERING CAREERS
Engineering graduates entering
a skills-hungry job market have
been warned against adopting an
arrogant approach with potential
employers.
A recruitment executive
said companies were rejecting
some qualifi ed applicants
because their demands seemed
greedy and their brash attitude
caused fears they would clash
with other workers as well as
shutting out advice and learning
opportunities.
Th e executive, WorkPac
national business development
manager Brett Lee, said the
infl ated expectations of some
Australian graduates in the face
of the well-known demand for
engineering talent was one factor
driving more fi rms overseas in
the quest for suitable candidates.
“I think the best advice I
would give any graduate is still
be humble when going for that
job - recognise you can gain a
quite generous remuneration, but
still be humble and thankful as
you negotiate rather than being
bullish, arrogant and seen to be
greedy,” Mr Lee said.
WorkPac operates 27 offi ces
nationwide and specialises in
recruitment for the mining,
Janice Ballard is well
placed to help other rising
engineers within Maunsell
Australia in her role as the
company’s Young Professional
Development Program co-
ordinator for Townsville.
Th e 26-year-old water
engineer is nearing the end of
her own time in the program
as she prepares to take her
fi nal interview with Engineers
Australia to gain chartered
status.
Th is means she is well aware
of the advantages Maunsell’s
program off ers engineering
graduates in steering a steady
course through the early years
of their career.
“I found that the program
had a really good structure –
you get a manual at the start
and guidance on writing reports
and other things you should be
looking at in terms of achieving
your CPEng (Chartered
Professional Engineer status),”
she said.
Miss Ballard said the Young
Professional Development
Program linked recent
graduates to mentors, provided
skills development activities
such as technical sessions and
encouraged social networking
between young engineers
within the company.
“Our new graduates also
attend Maunsell’s graduate
induction program, which
is a two-day introduction to
Maunsell,” she said.
“Here the graduates get to
meet Maunsell’s managers,
learn about the business and
begin networking with their
colleagues.”
Th e program has two branches,
one taking in young professional
engineers and the other for cadet
technical offi cers.
Miss Ballard said it included
17 young professional engineers
and 11 cadets in Maunsell’s
Townsville, Cairns, Mackay and
Rockhampton operations.
Th ere was a strong focus on
supporting young professionals
in meeting the criteria required
to obtain chartered status – a
process that generally took
three to fi ve years, she said.
As well as gaining guidance
from Engineers Australia and
more senior engineers within
Maunsell, Miss Ballard said
those involved in the Young
Professional Development
Program benefi ted from being
able bounce ideas off one
another.
Miss Ballard said her role as
Townsville co-ordinator for the
program included arranging
activities and liaising between
young professionals and
mentors.
She was supported by one of
the fi rm’s principal engineers,
David Derrick, as the local
program manager, she said.
Maunsell Australia off ers a structured program
to support engineers and technical offi cers in
the early years of their career.
Top tips for graduates navigating the job market
construction, engineering,
manufacturing and industrial
sectors.
Mr Lee off ered the following
advice for graduate engineers
weighing up potential job off ers:
• Determine if the role on
off er will apply your skills in a
range of settings and present
challenges to help you grow as
an engineer.
Mr Lee said this was usually
preferable to taking a job
that was very specifi c, unless
somebody wanted to develop a
specialist skill.
“If the job is too specifi c in a
narrow fi eld and will repeat itself
over and over, then you’ll fi nd
that when you reach three years
post-graduation you will have
fallen behind your peers in terms
of competitiveness,” he said.
• Establish the potential to
transfer to other locations,
including international
postings if working overseas is
your goal.
“I would do some research
on the internet and have some
knowledge of the company and
its sites around the globe,” Mr
Lee said.
“Make it clear you are
committed to the position on
off er, but explain that you are
keen to join a company that
gives you opportunities after
that.”
• Make inquiries about who
your mentor will be and any
other senior engineers you will
be working alongside.
“Find out about their
backgrounds and how much
opportunity you will have to
learn from them,” Mr Lee said.
He said employees should
be open to the idea that the
most valid and useful sources of
information could be the people
they were working with.
• Ask about the company’s
support for professional
development initiatives.
Th is may include part
reimbursement upon successful
completion of post-graduate
courses, for example.
• Do some research regarding
the pay range that someone in
the job on off er could expect as
a graduate.
“You must know the
acceptable range so that you can
recognise if it’s a fair and good
off er,” Mr Lee said.
He said recruitment agencies
such as WorkPac provided
job candidates with detailed
information on such issues.
Th ose going it alone may
fi nd it useful to speak to fellow
graduates to determine the rates
being off ered, Mr Lee said.
Mr Lee also urged graduates
to take job interviews as
an opportunity to observe
diff erences in company
structures, managers and team
dynamics.
“Just as no two graduates
are alike, the same applies to
companies,” he said.
“Th is philosophy will help to
ensure your values are aligned
to your organisation and will
undoubtedly make you happier
in your role, more so than any
money could off er.”
“The best advice I would
give any graduate is still
be humble when going
for that job - recognise
you can gain a quite
generous remuneration,
but still be humble and
thankful”
Brett LeeWorkPac national business
development manager
Maunsell’s Young Professional Development Program co-ordinator for Townsville, Janice Ballard, chats with program
participants Aloysius Chang, Greg Chesterfi eld and Terrence Jeppeson. Photo: Stewart McLean
Helping hand
for young
professionals
25The Mining Advocate | March 2008 ADVERTISEMENT
WHERE EDUCATION AND INDUSTRYWORKTOGETHER
USQ is a recognised leader in Resources technology, sustainable environmental practices and computational mechanics. We continue to earn awards for teaching and research excellence, and to lead the pack in distance education.
Our Faculty of Engineering and Surveying invites you to take advantage of our knowledge base and extensive industry partnerships.
Whatever your enterprise’s size and wherever you are located, our range of services will open up a myriad of industry possibilities—from short term objectives to long-term partnerships.
So whether you want to educate existing staff, recruit graduates or simply form an allegiance with one of the industry’s leading education providers, talk to us...
Faculty of Engineering and Surveying
As Queensland settles comfortably into the current resources boom, it becomes more and more evident that well-trained engineers are in demand, not just in the present but well into the future.
Training those engineers is the domain of the University of Southern Queensland (USQ). As the leading provider of engineering by distance education, USQ is also leading the way in industry partnerships.
“It was clear to us that having well-trained staff on the ground from the word go was important in the industry,” says Trevor White, faculty manager. “Our on-campus programs are grounded in theory and include best industry practice to ensure that our graduates are industry ready. To help companies that have training and education requirements for their staff, we have specifi cally designed programs so employees can get the training they want, whilst still continuing with their career.”
With long-established ties with Ergon Energy and in-demand cadetship places, USQ has taken another step toward meeting industry demands.
“We have just introduced a
power engineering award, with the creation of this program directly due to the growth in the power generation fi eld and the need for highly trained staff,” said Mr White.
The program – the only one of its kind in Queensland - covers not only generation and distribution but systems and engineering project management. Students also complete a fi nal year project in power engineering, which gives them a functional background into the fi eld.
And just how do students work and study at the same time?
“USQ has been teaching engineering awards via distance education for over 20 years. It is our speciality, I suppose,” points out Mr White.
With the flexibility to meet industry needs and with the support systems already in place, USQ looks as though it is well placed to continue on this path. Mr White believes the key is in the lack of distinction between on-campus study and distance education.
“Wherever you are, the syllabus materials, assignments and exams are all the same.”
Sometimes the distance students have the edge, Mr White notes.
“When students are out there putting theory into practice they are well placed to have a really good handle on the content.”
But traditional engineering is not the only fi eld that USQ is proving itself in. Mechatronic and environmental engineering are also covered.
“Our environmental engineering programs are something we
are particularly proud of,” Mr White comments. “This major is unique because it focuses on the sustainable management of Australia’s vital soil and water resources.
“The Australian Centre for Sustainable Catchment is also located at the university, so our students have a unique opportunity to work alongside the leading research body.”
As environmental engineers are being employed across a wide range of companies, there is an opportunity for many different fi rms to be associated with the university.
”We recognise that it is not only the more traditional fi elds that employ environmental engineers, but real estate developers, town councils, tourism operators to name just a few. We think that all types of companies would benefi t from aligning themselves with us.”
That is certainly true for Russell Mineral Equipment (RME). For more than 17 years USQ has been closely aligned with RME. A previous winner of Queensland exporter of the year, RME exports mining equipment throughout the world, and to ensure the high
quality of their products, they have utilised the expertise of Professor Than Tran Cong.
“I have been consulting for RME since about 1989, primarily working on computer modelling for new machinery design,” Professor Tran-Cong said.
“My job is to help RME to stay at the forefront of new technology and reduce the trial-and-error phase of new machinery design. Using computer modelling and simulation, we try to eliminate or reduce the cost of building prototypes to see if the machine works the way we want it to.
“When a machine is built we like to have the confi dence that it is going to work and last.”
Mr White said the university was always looking for industry leaders to form partnerships with.
“It is important to us that we stay ahead of industry needs. Here at USQ we have realised that the way for us to do this is to work with industry, in research and education, so our graduates are what the evolving industry wants and needs.”,
For more information contact Trevor White at USQ on (07) 4631 2525.
SHARP FOCUS ON INDUSTRY NEEDS
26 March 2008 | The Mining AdvocateENGINEERING CAREERS
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peopleYour first choice for
Th e leaders of key professional and academic bodies have committed to a new action plan to tackle Australia’s shortfall in engineering graduates.
A draft report identifying six main areas requiring attention was completed last month following an 11-month study conducted on behalf of the Australian Council of Engineering Deans (ACED) with Carrick Institute funding.
Th e study’s project manager, Professor Robin King, said organisations had been nominated to take responsibility for specifi c recommendations within the report to ensure they moved forward.
Th ey included Engineers Australia, the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, the Australasian Association for Engineering Education and ACED, he said.
“Th ey will be seeking further support from the Carrick Institute, industry partners, peak bodies and governments to progress some of the proposed actions,” Professor King said.
While the report - addressing the supply and quality of future engineers - was still to be fi nalised, Professor King outlined its major points at a Business/Higher Education Round Table (BHERT) symposium in Melbourne last month.
Th e recommendations include:
• Raising the visibility of engineering Th is would include
highlighting engineering’s contributions to society through the media and increasing the profi le of engineering in schools.
• Reviewing qualifi cations and roles of engineering technologists and offi cers and promoting those streamsProfessor King described
will know that we have got the
engineering curriculum right
for its generic values that blend
science and business, problem
solving, teamwork, etc. when
it becomes taken as a generic
degree like business and law are,”
he told the BHERT symposium.
“Th en maybe you will fi nd
maybe eight or 10 of the
fi rst 100 students you bump
into on campus will be doing
engineering. Th at will be enough
well-educated engineers to meet
demand and some left over.”
• Increasing and sharing
resources
Professor King said the
education system needed more
staff and equipment, and it
must share them better to get
maximum value.
• Engaging with industry
Th is would include the co-
ordination of industry advisory
groups as a lobbying force.
Th e report notes the need
for students to have improved
knowledge of industry practice
through more authentic learning
experiences.
It also advocates the
development of specialist
engineering postgraduate
programs in areas of demand
such as power, defence,
water, roads, rail, aviation,
microelectronics and logistics.
• Increasing pathways into
engineering
A range of measures are
proposed to attract and retain
more women in engineering
as well as supporting people
attempting to re-enter the fi eld,
including migrant engineers
seeking to enter the Australian
industry.
“...We also see great
opportunities for increasing
the number of pathways into
engineering from mature
entrants with the appropriate
aptitudes and motivation,
irrespective of previous
qualifi cations,” Professor King
said.
Professor King - former
Pro Vice-Chancellor of the
University of South Australia’s
Division of Information,
Technology, Engineering and
the Environment - was recently
appointed as ACED’s executive
offi cer.
this as a critical issue and
believes many tertiary students
dropping out of the four-year
course required to become a
professional engineer would be
well suited for these alternative
engineering paths.
• Developing best-practice
engineering education
Th e report identifi es 16 areas
of teaching and curriculum
requiring continued attention
to increase the eff ectiveness
and value of an engineering
education.
Professor King told the BHERT forum more active learning was the key and highlighted the CDIO concept (conceive-design-implement-operate) being used explicitly in some Australian engineering schools.
Th e report also highlights the need to position engineering as a “generic” degree.
Professor King said the curriculum’s focus on “generic” elements such as problem solving, project management, communications skills and teamwork should be further developed and made more widely known to prospective students.
“Many would say that we
Peak bodies back action planA new report funded by the Carrick Institute
provides a blueprint for Australia to enhance
the supply and quality of future engineers.
“We also see great
opportunities for
increasing the number
of pathways into
engineering from
mature entrants with the
appropriate aptitudes and
motivation, irrespective of
previous qualifi cations”
Professor Robin King at the BHERT forum in Melbourne, where he released
details of his study into engineering education in Australia.
STOCKISTS OF FLATS, ROUNDS, ANGLES,SQUARE BAR, BEAMS, PLATE AND CHANNELS
Totalfab has grown immensely since its inception, but managing director Marcel McLeod is not resting on his laurels.
Th e North Queensland company employs 13 full-time staff and for the last six years has provided sheet metal and steel fabrication solutions to the mining, construction and minerals processing industries.
Its customers include BHP Billiton Cannington Mine, Zinifex Century Mine, Barrick Osborne Mine, and Xstrata’s Mount Isa, McArthur River and Ernest Henry mines.
Not bad for a company that started as a one-man operation in 2001.
Mr McLeod said Totalfab was now poised to take further advantage of the mining boom.
“We’ve just expanded our workshop in the last 12 months, which has increased our capacity,” he said.
“We’re now in the process of building another workshop, so we’re continually growing.”
He said Totalfab was able to
meet any customer demand for steel products and frequently manufactured items including pipe work, replacement chutes, tanks and platforms.
“We’re also starting to develop a product range; we’re getting a lot of calls for skip bins and larger tool cabinets, and we’re making four or fi ve diff erent types at the moment,” Mr McLeod said.
Mr McLeod spent 15 years in the mining industry before starting his own business and he said this experience helped him tailor Totalfab to that sector’s needs.
“My last position was operations team leader at Zinifex Century Mine - I’ve got a background in the maintenance and operational side of the industry, so I’ve got a pretty good understanding of its requirements,” he said.
“I’ve also got an understanding of timelines, which is important because when a mine is shutting down for planned maintenance it needs to have gear and people
Townsville-based fabrication fi rm Totalfab is
increasing workshop capacity as it continues
on its upward path, writes Michael Stevens.
Mining boom fuels expansion
on site immediately; it’s not
a situation where it can wait
another week for it.”
Mr McLeod said the labour
hire side of Totalfab had been
recently separated into a new
company.
Additional segmentation could
be a method of future expansion.
“We could separate the sheet
metal side so we’d have heavy
and light fabrication divisions, or
we could have a products-based
separation,” Mr McLeod said.
“Totalfab is on a journey
to become a world-class
manufacturing business and all
our staff practise the principles
of lean manufacturing -
elimination of waste, quality
management and, most
importantly, delivering what the
customer ordered, on time and
in full.”
He said a visiting electrician
recently said that the company’s
workshop was the second tidiest
he had seen in Australia.
“Th is is something we are
all proud and passionate about
and when I told my team, their
response was that we want to
be the best, so we need to make
improvements,” Mr McLeod
said.
Totalfab is based at 125
Allambie Lane, Townsville -
phone (07) 47893777.
Totalfab operations manager Greg Bellinger and managing director Marcel McLeod. Photo by: Stewart McLean
28 March 2008 | The Mining AdvocateTOTALFAB
Totalfab operations manager Greg Bellinger understands what the mining industry wants.
Hailing from Mount Isa, he started his working life as a boilermaker’s apprentice at Mount Isa Mines in 1977.
Mr Bellinger went on to work at numerous sites in the Carpentaria Minerals Province, Papua New Guinea and Fiji over the next three decades.
He said his recent managerial appointment at Totalfab was a great opportunity to work in a privately owned company where everyone from the cleaner to the managing director were passionate about providing
customers with a service that would delight them.
“My role is to provide planning and direction for all activities at the Townsville operations,” Mr Bellinger said.
“I also ensure the achievement of strategies and objectives in relation to business development and growth, improving production throughput, on-time deliveries and safety and quality outcomes.
“I have operated and managed similar operations in other companies, so I have a lot of experience in manufacturing and fabrication generally.”
He said the huge contact base
he had developed in his 31 years
in the mining industry helped
him in his role at Totalfab.
“With people in the mining
industry, you have to know what
they need and know what they’re
talking about,” Mr Bellinger said.
He said he had worked out
some goals for the future with
Totalfab managing director
Marcel McLeod
“We want to continue building
the business into a world-class
manufacturing fi rm committed
to continuous improvement,
personal development and
customer service,” he said.
Totalfab’s energetic and ambitious employees are great contributors to the company’s success. Kelvin Canty is Totalfab’s workshop supervisor, responsible for the daily running of the workshop and supervising and quality checking jobs.
He is originally from Victoria and has been employed at Totalfab for three and a half years, initially as a tradesman and then as a supervisor for the past 18 months.
“I’ve been here since this was a very small business and seen it develop through to the expansions that have happened just recently,” Mr Canty said.
He said Totalfab was set for another period of growth and he was excited to be part of it.
“I’ll continue in my supervisor’s role and get more experience in it, and as the company grows I’ll try to grow with it and work my way further up the ladder,” he said.
Tanya Battiato has been Totalfab’s administration and marketing offi cer for one year.
Her duties include administration of the payroll and superannuation, but she said the Totalfab culture encouraged her to be fl exible in her role.
“We all have to pitch in and help each other, and I like the variety of work I get to do,” she said.
When Th e Mining Advocate
visited she was compiling a
safety manual for a job Totalfab
had recently been awarded at
the Townsville prison, being
constructed by Balderstone
Hornibrook.
Ms Battiato said she also
“dabbled” in marketing and was
keen to develop this side of the
business in the future.
“I am currently developing
marketing material and working
out the logistics for travelling
to Mount Isa to exhibit our
company at the 2008 Xstrata
Mining Expo,” she said.
She said she also had
the opportunity to study
accountancy and eventually take
charge of the company books.
Totalfab managing director
Marcel McLeod said the
company’s future lay in
developing its people.
“I encourage all of my
employees to step up and
contribute to our success, make
a few mistakes and learn and
develop their competence -
because with competence comes
confi dence,” he said.
“We have developed a great
team of competent people and
nothing pleases me more than
to see them succeed, especially
younger team members like our
apprentices who could one day
be managing Totalfab.”
Totalfab fosters fl exibility in its workforce, with
managing director Marcel McLeod keen to see
employees grow with the company.
Top team
crucial to
success
The Totalfab workshop.
Photos: Stewart McLean
Above: Totalfab workshop
supervisor Kelvin Canty.
Left: Producing an integrated tool
carrier-skip bin.
Pipe fabricated at the Totalfab workshop is installed at Zinifex Century Mine.
Photo supplied
Attuned to industry needs
29The Mining Advocate | March 2008 TOTALABILITY
LoumincoManagers of Procurement and Maintenance Services
Services Provided• Procurement
Management• Maintenance Services• Drawing and Document
Louminco Mount Isa164 Duchess Road, Mount IsaPh: 07 4743 9111Email: [email protected]
Labour and resource solutions company Totalability Workforce is providing co-ordinated solutions to the mining industry skills shortage.
Th e company was established 18 months ago after the labour hire section of Totalfab was separated from its manufacturing and steel fabrication arm.
Totalability Workforce managing director Marcel McLeod said the mining industry was calling out for consistency and balance in the provision of labour and other resources, and the company was developing the methods to meet that demand.
He said a newly launched interactive website (at www.totalability.com.au) would provide a tool for clients to communicate and plan their requirements.
“Th ere might be three or four mines having shutdowns at the
same time and they’re all going to suck out of the same shared labour pool, so we’re creating a system where companies can go online and have a look at a schedule of what the market is doing,” he said.
“Companies have the opportunity to move their shutdowns to dates where labour and resources are more readily available.”
Mr McLeod said Totalability Workforce’s databases included several thousand skilled workers and that number was constantly growing.
“We also own and operate a 14-room motel in Mount Isa, so when we send workers to Mount Isa we don’t have to fi ght for accommodation,” he said.
Mr McLeod said he had started the labour hire section of Totalfab soon after the business began, but demand meant it
A new enterprise has arisen from Totalfab’s
longstanding commitment to sourcing
reliable workers to meet clients’ needs.
Totalability Workforce labour co-ordinator Anne-Marie Kehres and
administration offi cer Marissa Adamson with Totalfab administration and
marketing offi cer Tanya Battiato. Photo by: Stewart McLean
could now operate as a company
in its own right.
“Originally the labour hire
service began when we started
to fabricate items for the mining
industry and sites would ask us to
come out and do the installation,
usually during planned shutdown
periods,” he said.
“In doing that we had to
source skilled labour and build
a database of competent and
reliable workers, and then we’d
service another mine and the
database continued to grow.
“Now that Totalability
Workforce has been created, it
and Totalfab complement each
other.”
Mr McLeod said Totalability
Workforce also serviced the
construction industry.
Totalability Workforce is
based at 1258 Riverway Drive,
Townsville - phone (07)
47893677.
Labour servicecomes of age
30 March 2008 | The Mining AdvocateSAFETY AND TRAINING
Mining and Resources“ Executive“ Administration“ Finance“ Information Technology
Stop employers doing“dumb things”
Some hiring managers do “dumb things” that mean HR managers and recruiters have to work harder and the best candidates are often missed.
Avoid long delays in interviewing candidates
Good candidates are rarely on the market long enough to hang around for your managers to act, so this is not only a wasted effort, but worse, a distinct opportunity cost.
There IS a skills shortage and to be competitive, employers need to act as fast as possible. Recruitment processes involving multiple interviews, assessments, medicals, site tours, psychometric assessments, etc might sound theoretically fantastic – however SPEED is the key ingredient to success in many industries.
Recruitment is similar to shing. You need to make the position and company attractive to the candidate, you need to ‘hook’ them and ensure the process to getting them ‘on-board’ your company is as fast as possible. The slower you wind them in, the more chance of losing them to other prey.
It is a highly competitive market and there are not a lot of ‘ sh in the sea’ at present. If you get a quality candidate hooked, act as fast as you can.
A new manager will be striving to make safety
the word on everyone’s lips at Cannington.
Adam Matison believes open communication is the key to mine safety.
Mr Matison is the new health, safety, environment and community (HSEC) manager at BHP Billiton Cannington Mine in North West Queensland.
He describes himself as a “straight talker” and wants to use his position to strive for ever-improving safety practices.
“I see my role as infl uencing the management team and challenging the current thinking paradigms,” he said.
“We need to maximise our learnings from incidents and near misses.”
Th e best way to learn and develop ideas was for workers and management to talk honestly, he said.
“I want to promote a reporting culture because we need people to feel comfortable in letting other people know they’ve made a mistake,” Mr Matison said.
responsibility to be proactive.“Once an issue is raised, we
need to be seen doing something about it, because if people don’t see something being done, they think ‘why report it?’,” he said.
Mr Matison has spent 12 years in the mining industry health and safety sector and previously worked at the Peak Downs coal mine.
His new role at the head of a 22-person team will be far more wide ranging, with responsibilities including health surveillance, rescue, risk assessment, site hygiene, greenhouse gas reduction and community engagement.
“It’s early days for me yet and I need to consult a number of people on site, including the asset leader (Shane Hansen),” Mr Matison said.
“In time, I’ll have an idea of where we need to head for long-term improvement.”
A fatality occurred at Cannington mine in January, 13 months after a Townsville miner died in an underground accident at the same site.
“We have to build the confi dence of guys who’ve had near misses, so that they’ll say ‘gee whiz, there might be a lesson we can learn here that we need to get out’.”
Mr Matison said also managers and supervisors had a
‘Straight talker’ joins mine team
Adam MatisonBHP Billiton Cannington Mine
HSEC manager
Cannington employees training in BATS observations on the job.
New duo to guide
‘BATS’ program A key safety program at BHP Billiton Cannington Mine has new leadership.
Underground operator Pat Larssen and warehouse controller Phil Allen are the new Better Attitude Towards
Safety (BATS) program
facilitators.
BATS is designed to instill
confi dence in the workforce
that the sharing of experiences
and opinions will result in best
safety practice.
Mr Allen said he was looking
forward to using his experience
in engineering, business and
law to drive the BATS process
forward and eventually make it
a process that incorporated best
practice in all areas.
He said that although the
role required administrative
responsibilities, he and Mr
Larssen would maintain a
visible presence.
“We will be out and about
at every opportunity assisting
staff and promoting the BATS
process,” he said.
Mr Larssen is experienced
in Cannington’s underground
operations and he recently
completed his 10th year of
service at the mine.
Mr Allen said the coming
months would see some
changes made to the BATS
process, including ramping
up training for observers and
supervisors.
“Th e key challenges that lie
ahead are varied, but the initial
focus will be initiating a change
in the safety culture on site,” he
said.
“Th is is vital to give all
employees utmost assurance
and confi dence that the BATS
process is driven by them and
will be successful.
“At the end of the day it is
simply mate looking after mate,
and we’re just here to help them
along.”
31The Mining Advocate | March 2008 SAFETY AND TRAINING
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A not-for-profi t organisation hopes to help
the mining industry by supplying top-notch
electrical apprentices and trainees.
Electro Group Apprentices is targeting the mining industry in an eff ort to address a shortage of electricians.
A not-for-profi t-organisation, Electro Group Apprentices was established by the electrical industry in 1998 and is dedicated solely to supplying trainees and apprentices in the electrical fi eld.
It has branches in Darwin and Brisbane and opened an offi ce in Townsville at the end of last year.
Electro Group Apprentices Townsville branch fi eld offi cer John Macnamara said the North West Minerals Province presented opportunities for business development.
“Th ere is a lot of mine maintenance work going on, especially out west in the Mount Isa mining corridor, and I’d certainly like to get more involved in that,” he said.
“I think there’s a good need for it, especially in fl y in and fl y out operations where they don’t
have the staff or the time to put on apprentices.
“What we off er is an easy option for them to train people for the future, because otherwise we’re just going to run out of tradesmen; the electrical trade is a skills shortage trade.”
Electro Group Apprentices supplies apprentices and trainees to host employers, but remains their legal employer.
As such, the company takes care of the paperwork and usual employer requirements.
It provides tools for its trainees and apprentices specifi c to the electrical industry.
Mr Macnamara said the system of networking with host employers meant that apprentices and trainees had opportunities for wide-ranging experience.
“We can rotate our apprentices to give them a good spread of training, so that when they do fi nish their apprenticeships and
apply for their electrical licences,
they’ve done the required
training,” he said.
He said it was also
advantageous for the company’s
trainees and apprentices to
be employed by a dedicated
electrical trade organisation
because the industry was heavily
regulated and licensed compared
with some other industries.
Mr Macnamara took on
his role at Electro Group
Apprentices at the start of
the year after working in the
resource sector.
He completed an electrical
apprenticeship at Mount Isa
Mines and was an apprenticeship
co-ordinator for Transfi eld
Services at BHP Billiton’s
Yabulu nickel refi nery in
Townsville for two years.
“I saw this opportunity with
Electro Group Apprentices
and thought it was a brilliant
concept, not just because of the
service it provides to clients but
also because of the care that
is taken in looking after the
apprentices,” he said.
Mr Macnamara can be
contacted on 0400 014914.
A white knight inthe skills struggle
Scott Bould recently completed his electrical apprenticeship with the
industry’s not-for-profi t organisation, Electro Group Apprentices.
Vocational education students from Chile will be trained on scholarships in Queensland next year following an agreement between the Queensland and Chilean governments.
Education and Training Minister Rod Welford said Queensland had been chosen by Chile as one of three study destinations for the scholarship program.
Th e Chilean Government had allocated 30 scholarships to Queensland in 2008, from a total of 80 globally, he said.
Th e scholarships will involve 20 weeks of English language training and 20 weeks of technical training in areas such as mining, metallurgy, energy and tourism.
A spokeswoman from Mr Welford’s offi ce said the students would spend the fi rst six months of the scholarship program studying English at Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
She said those students studying in the mining industry
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After riding almost 400km on two rides in the last few days, my impressions of the bike are that it’s impressive and exciting.
Th e fi rst ride, through varied terrain in the mountains around Atherton, enabled me to get acquainted with a big bike.
Th e three most impressive traits are its smooth and manageable power, its hill climbing ability and its brilliant suspension.
Th e huge power on tap enables you to be in one of three gears at any time and still maintain impressive speed and the ability to lift the front over obstacles.
A few of the other riders noticed how easily the Husky was tractoring up hills and said it looked like it was “hooking up” very nicely.
Th ere were no jetting issues with the high altitude due to the Husqvarna being one of the only bikes currently off ering fuel injection.
After covering almost 100km in over four hours of riding I was much less fatigued than I am on other bikes, and I believe this was due to the brilliant suspension.
A few days later I joined some Ernest Henry boys on a ride from Herveys Range to Hidden Valley.
We found some enduro-style tracks and a quarry, and as I started to get used to the big bore in the slippery conditions, I got more and more addicted to the Husqvarna’s power and handling.
Th e power lets you relax when you need a bit of a break whilst keeping up a good pace, and all-day riding like this is a joy.
Th e open road is the perfect place to get to know workmates, according to Trevor Seedwell.
Mr Seedwell is a senior workshop supervisor for Hastings Deering at Xstrata’s Ernest Henry mine, 38km north-east of Cloncurry.
His great escape when he’s not working is eating up the bitumen on his Yamaha WRF450 motorcycle.
“I go out with the guys at work and anyone else who wants to come along,” Mr Seedwell said.
“It’s good for bonding - we usually get a good cross-section across the shifts and we have anywhere between six and 14 riders per trip.”
He said a roster change at Ernest Henry to one week on–one week off , as opposed to the previous two weeks on–one week off roster, meant the bike fanatics could pursue their passion more often.
Besides freeing up time for riding, Mr Seedwell said the implementation of the new roster since January had transformed the workers’ mindset.
“Morale has been boosted and life at home has improved because we’re not away for as long,” he said.
Mr Seedwell said the fi rst time his group of bikies went out for a big trip was in 2002, and
since then it has made a few three and four-day trips to Cape York.
Th e group also makes shorter trips, with the most recent one being to Hidden Valley, near Paluma outside Townsville.
Trevor Seedwell churns
the water near the
Daintree in North
Queensland.
Glenn Brown, left, and
Trevor Seedwell kick back at
Hidden Valley Cabins after a
motorcycle ride.
Husqvarna heavenClayton Cook regularly rides with motorcycle enthusiasts
from Ernest Henry mine. Here he discusses his new
pride and joy – a Husqvarna TE450.
Not only is the Husky an impressive performer, it is in my opinion the best looking bike in the market at the moment.It also boasts the highest level equipment standard including Brembo brakes, Magura hydraulic clutch, an Arrow aftermarket exhaust and
competition mapping for the fuel injection.
In early 2007 when I got back into motorbike riding
after an absence of 10 years or so, I decided to
take a client up on the opportunity to purchase
his Honda CRF250x. All the people I rode with own
more powerful two- and four-stroke motorbikes, so as I
improved my riding skills, I found
that I regularly needed to have the Honda at full throttle to keep up, so I made the change to the Husqvarna.
Featuring 307kW LS2 V8 engine, leather interior, remote hard tonneau, 20-inch deep dish alloy wheels and more, this super car is valued at over $65,000 and ready for action.
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