The MININGThe MININGSupporting mining and industry in Supporting mining and industry in

northern Australianorthern Australia

August 2008 $2.75 inc GST where sold Monthly

ISSN 1833-3125

PROVIDING THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE RIGHT TIMETownsville 07 4775 5060

Darwin 08 8947 7112www.extraman.com.au

Industry grapples with Industry grapples with carbon changecarbon changeTHIS MONTH

• Darwin looks forward to LNG boom

• Help for NT explorers on new ground

• Plans drawn for rugby league battle

• Walking from Karumba to Townsville

Inside Ernest Henry

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1The Mining Advocate | August 2008 NEWS

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.

CONTACTS

p. (07) 4755 0336 f. (07) 4755 0338

Email: ...........................................................info@industryadvocate.com.au

Address: ..................................2/20 Keane Street, Garbutt, Q, 4812

Postal: ...................................................... PO Box 945, Townsville, Q, 4810

2 Not easy being green (COVER STORY)

Th e Federal Government recently released a green paper outlining its proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction

Scheme (CPRS), due to begin in 2010.

In many instances, but not all, the paper adopted recommendations made by Dr Ross Garnaut (pictured on

this month’s cover) in his draft report on climate change.

Th e emerging CPRS has met with a mixed reaction from the north Australian mining industry.

Some representative organisations have off ered cautious support for the scheme but are determined to ensure

that the right measures are in place to protect trade-exposed heavy industry.

Other individuals have questioned the need to have a CPRS at all, citing perceived scientifi c uncertainty

about whether human activity causes global warming.

7 LNG outlook bright for Darwin Th e world is running out of oil and that’s good news for Darwin, according to business analyst Peter Strachan.

Mr Strachan, who spoke at the recent South East Asia Australia Off shore Conference (SEAAOC), said

Darwin was well placed to service the onshore and off shore liquefi ed natural gas (LNG) industry, which was

booming as the world looked to lessen its dependence on oil.

He said governments in Australia had created a positive investment environment and it was now up to

individual companies to capitalise on LNG opportunities.

SEAAOC, hosted in Darwin, featured numerous government and gas company speakers over two days.

9 Cash incentive for explorers Th e Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines is off ering up to 50 per cent

funding for greenfi elds exploration projects under a new collaborative drilling program. It hopes to encourage

more exploration companies to leave the relatively safe confi nes of the Territory’s brownfi elds to look for new

areas of mineralisation.

9 Gearing up to do battle North Queensland miners are training hard during their down time for the upcoming rugby league

tournament, the Battle of the Mines. Th e OZ Minerals Century Chariots are especially looking forward to a

hit out against their arch rivals from BHP Billiton Cannington mine.

26 Tramping down from the GulfA group of OZ Minerals Century Mine employees recently walked from Karumba to Townsville to raise money

for the Make a Wish Foundation.“Trek” is a novel fundraising event much anticipated by participants. Veteran

Trekker Bernadette Murphy shares the ups and downs of this year’s hike in our Lifestyle section.

August 2008

FEATURES11 People

12 Industry UpdateA comprehensive wrap of exploration and operations in North Queensland and the Northern Territory.

16 Between Shifts

20 Ernest Henry

25 Rec ‘n Tech

26 Lifestyle

28 Education 2009

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 deadlineSeptember edition: August 26

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2 August 2008 | The Mining AdvocateNEWS

A review of climate change

science should have been

conducted before the Federal

Government began work on the

Carbon Pollution Reduction

Scheme (CPRS), says an

experienced North Queensland

mining fi gure.

Citigold chief operating

offi cer Chris Towsey said diesel,

electricity and freight costs

would increase for mining

operations under the scheme,

but scientifi c opinion did not

necessarily support the need for

a carbon trading regime.

“Th ere is a lot of evidence, a

lot of science, which questions

whether humans are responsible

for climate change,” he said.

“Wouldn’t it be sensible if,

when making a decision, we got

all of the relevant facts before

we started? I don’t believe that

has been done (in the process of

moving towards the CPRS).”

Mr Towsey said the world had

gone through periodic climate

change and climate-changing

events historically, and removing

carbon dioxide from the

environment without knowing

its consequences posed a real

risk of harmful environmental

change.

He said introduction of the

CPRS was similar to other

questionable schemes Australia

had undertaken in the past to

deal with environmental issues.

“It’s cane toad science,” Mr

Towsey said.

“Carbon is not a pollutant; it

is a naturally occurring gas vital

to our lifestyle - it provides food

for plants.”

Mr Towsey questioned

Professor Ross Garnaut’s

opinion that the majority of

the world’s scientists supported

carbon reduction measures,

stating that the opposing faction

Climate sciencequestionedA Citigold executive argues Federal Government

decisions on carbon emissions have been based

on dubious grounds, writes Michael Stevens.

was signifi cant but not as vocal. He said the big winners from

the CPRS would be market traders.

“Classing carbon as a pollutant and minimising emissions doesn’t do anything to lessen damage to the environment, it simply puts money in the pockets of the fi nancial sector,” Mr Towsey said.

Chris TowseyCitigold chief operating offi cer

Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme

In a nutshell• Th e CPRS will be a “cap and trade” scheme. It will set an

overall cap on the amount of carbon that can be produced

by industry and will issue a set number of permits for

carbon production. Entities will be allowed to trade

permits, thereby putting a price on carbon. If an entity can

reduce carbon pollution more cheaply than the prevailing

market price of permits, it will choose to reduce carbon

pollution rather than buy permits.

• Th e scheme will cover stationary energy, transport,

industrial processes and fugitive emissions (which include

emissions from the bulk handling and processing of raw

materials).

• Th e Federal Government will establish the Climate

Change Action Fund to provide in-partnership funding

for innovative low emissions processes and industrial

energy effi ciency projects. Th e Government proposes to

settle funding arrangements in the fi nal design decisions

for the scheme.

• Limited direct assistance to existing coal-fi red electricity

generators will be provided.

Free permits for emissions-intensive, trade-exposed (EITE) industries

• Rationale: if assistance was not provided, EITE fi rms

could choose to leave Australia or avoid expanding their

businesses following introduction of the CPRS.

• Th e Federal Government proposes to provide free permits

for a high proportion of the emissions of the most

emissions-intensive activities while providing signifi cant,

but lower, levels of assistance for activities that are

moderately emissions intensive.

• Up to 30 per cent of Australian carbon pollution permits

would be freely allocated to EITE activities when the

scheme starts.

• Th e rate of assistance per unit of baseline emissions would

be reduced over time.

• Assistance is to be provided until 2020 unless broadly

comparable carbon constraints are introduced in other

countries.

Metallica Minerals managing

director Andrew Gillies is

worried that the proposed

Carbon Pollution Reduction

Scheme (CPRS) will divert

attention away from the real

causes of environmental damage.

Mr Gillies said the two main

issues aff ecting the world’s

environment were population

growth and habitat destruction.

He said the CPRS was simply

a political, revenue-geared

policy that would lead to little

or negligible net gain to the

environment and would not

aff ect the human impact on

global climate.

Mr Gillies said he supported

a recent statement from the

Carbon Sense Coalition, which

argued that chilling pictures

and doomsday comments about

“Asian pollution” and “Beijing

Gas-fi red electricity could be the

solution for refi ning operations

hit hard by a Carbon Pollution

Reduction Scheme (CPRS),

according to a Townsville

sustainability expert.

Mark Davis, a senior

sustainability consultant at

Maunsell Townsville, said

refi neries would be heavily

impacted under the CPRS

because Australia continued

to use cheap, outdated and

emissions-intensive coal-

fi red technology to generate

electricity.

He said development of the

CPRS provided yet another

compelling reason to build a

secure and relatively clean gas-

fi red power station in Townsville,

the CPRS clearly enunciated

how the scheme would be

rolled out, and he supported

the provision of free permits

to emissions-intensive, trade-

exposed (EITE) industries to

help them with the transition

from unconstrained carbon

emissions.

smog” during coverage of the Olympic Games would help the media and political scaremongers sell “dud products” like the CPRS.

Viv Forbes, chairman of the

voluntary lobby group, said Asia’s

visible pollution was largely

caused by the ineffi cient open

air combustion of low-quality

fuels, which could release real

pollutants into the atmosphere

such as sulphur, chlorine,

nitrogen, fl uorine and metals.

Mr Forbes said using modern

coal-fi red power stations to

generate electricity had helped

western societies eradicate this

type of pollution.

Mr Gillies said nuclear power

should also be considered as an

alternative source of electricity

generation to operate alongside

coal-fi red power stations.

Metallica Minerals is currently

developing the Lucky Break and

NORNICO nickel projects in

North Queensland.

Case mounting for gas

Proposal misses the mark

Andrew GilliesMetallica Minerals managing director

capable of servicing industry.Townsville is a major refi ning

centre, with the Sun Metals zinc refi nery - Queensland’s second biggest electricity consumer, Xstrata Copper Refi neries and the BHP Yabulu plant based in the city.

Development organisation Townsville Enterprise advocates construction of a gas-fi red base-load power station with a transmission connection to Mount Isa to help alleviate high electricity prices and power shortages in Townsville and the North West Minerals Province.

Mr Davis said gas power generation was far preferable to the clean coal initiatives favoured by some in the industry.

“Since the last time oil prices went through the roof, there has been talk of cleaner coal technology, but here we are three and a half decades later and we’re still no further forward,” he said.

“It is too expensive, it takes too long and frankly there are better ways to invest public money and get more immediate results than throwing money into ‘black hole’ technology.”

He said Australia had enough gas reserves to start reducing its reliance on coal-fi red power generation.

Mr Davis said the Federal Government’s green paper on

In the July edition of Th e Mining Advocate (Page 40) it was incorrectly reported that BHP Billiton Cannington took out honours in the endurance/fi tness category of the 2008 Queensland Mine Rescue Challenge. Th e event was awarded to the Xstrata Ernest Henry team.

We apologise for the error.

CORRECTION

3The Mining Advocate | August 2008 NEWS

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Mining operations in the Northern Territory should receive special consideration under a national trading scheme for carbon emissions, according to a peak industry organisation.

Northern Territory Resources Council chief executive Scott Perkins said that long distances between industry centres and the low population density of the NT meant it was far more exposed to transport emissions than any other state or territory.

Electricity prices were also high in the Territory and had the potential to get even higher under an emissions trading scheme, he said.

Mr Perkins said special monetary or non-monetary compensation should be off ered to companies involved in the Territory mining industry.

He was commenting after the Federal Government issued a green paper outlining its

proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, due to begin in 2010.

Th e green paper was a response to Professor Ross Garnaut’s draft report on climate change, which argued that such a scheme, in operation with similar regional and global schemes, would contribute towards mitigating the risks of dangerous climate change.

Mr Perkins said the green paper’s proposal to give some free permits to emissions-intensive, trade-exposed (EITE) industries (see Page 2) was important to the NT.

With the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme in its early stages, he said the Northern Territory Resources Council expected to be involved in intelligently solving anomalies during the consultation process.

Reactions from other bodies representing the north

Australian mining industry have

been mixed:

• Th e Queensland Resources

Council (QRC) believes the

green paper’s support for

investment in carbon capture

and storage technology is

undermined by a lack of

investment measures, with

a pre-existing government

commitment to the $500 million

National Clean Coal Fund

representing only a fraction

of the investment prescribed

by Garnaut. Th e QRC has

welcomed recognition of the

need to assist EITE industries,

but believes more work is needed

to ensure that the fi nal package

gets the balance right.

• Th e Minerals Council of

Australia (MCA) is disappointed

the green paper does not provide

a more gradual transition to full

auctioning of permits, with the

European Union not scheduled

to move towards full auctioning

until about 2020. Th e MCA

emphasised that medium-term

reduction targets needed to

be realistic to ensure that the

scheme succeeded.

The tyranny of distance and low population

density make the NT a special case when it

comes to carbon trading, a peak body argues.

Give us a breakResources council responds to green paper

Xstrata Copper is likely to make a decision early next year about whether a proposed transition from open pit to underground mining will go ahead at its Ernest Henry operation, near Cloncurry.

Ernest Henry Mining general manager Mike Westerman said the decision was planned to co-incide with completion of an underground decline in the fi rst quarter of next year.

“We need to demonstrate to the board of Xstrata

Copper that the proposed underground operation makes money and meets our own internal hurdle rates, and we also need to demonstrate that investment in Ernest Henry is a better investment than investment (in mines) elsewhere around the world,” he said.

Construction of the 3.2km decline began in February after a fi ve-year pre-feasibility study.

• More on the Ernest Henry operation and its future plans from Page 20.

Decision loomsThe decline under construction at Ernest Henry.

4 August 2008 | The Mining AdvocateNEWS

MINING AROUND THE WORLD

A photograph from Indonesia has won

this year’s Snowden Photo Competition,

which attracted 500 entries from across

the globe.

Indra Manik’s photo was taken at the

open pit nickel mine operated by PT Inco

on the island of Sulawesi.

PT Inco produces nickel in matte (an

intermediate product) from lateritic ores

at its integrated mining and processing

facilities near the small town of Sorowako.

PT Inco signed a contract of work with

the Indonesian Government in 1968 and

its entire production is sold under long-

term contracts for refi ning in Japan.

The Snowden Photo Competition is

aimed at showcasing beauty in the mining

industry and entries were received this

year from countries including the Czech

Republic, Bulgaria, Mauritius, Mauritania,

India, Bolivia, Chile and the United States

of America.

World-renowned Australian landscape

photographer Richard Woldendorf led a

panel of judges in the selection of one

overall and three category winners.

The fi nal selection of photographs is

being displayed at exhibitions, conferences

and events internationally.

It will be on show at Brisbane’s Riverside

Centre at the end of October.

The photos will also feature in upcoming

editions of The Mining Advocate.

For more information on the

Snowden Photo Competition visit www.

snowdengroup.com.

Townsville infrastructure and planning fi rm Maunsell AECOM has announced a $10,000 per annum scholarship program to assist James Cook University ( JCU) engineering students.

Four places are on off er to students who display academic excellence.

Each scholarship entitles the student to thesis mentoring, vacation employment and ambassadorial roles with Maunsell AECOM.

Th e company launched the scholarship program in honour of its former associate director of water infrastructure, Jonathan Harris, who passed away at the end of 2007.

Dr Harris valued his strong ties to the university - acting as a full-time and part-time engineering lecturer at JCU between 1986 and 2007.

Th is year’s Maunsell AECOM scholarship applications will close on August 25.

Indra Manik’s Loading, Slag Dump Hill at Sorowako, Indonesia. Photo: Courtesy of Snowden

Th e Century zinc mine in the

lower Gulf of Carpentaria is in

the process of being rebranded

with the OZ Minerals logo

(shown right) after the merger

of former owner Zinifex and

resources company Oxiana.

OZ Minerals chief executive

offi cer Andrew Michelmore said

the corporate logo designed for

OZ Minerals was an excellent

graphic expression that captured

the company’s identity and

principles.

great sense of forward motion,

action and growth.”

OZ Minerals has fi ve mining

operations in Australia and Asia,

three new mining projects in

development, and a portfolio of

exploration projects throughout

Australia, Asia and North

America.

• Th e Mining Advocate recently

visited Century mine to check

out its plans for a vibrant future

– see the September edition for

full coverage.

New minerals entity starts to make its mark

Maunsell scholarships

Salient features are:

Far North Queensland prospect

• 25 kms from port facilities direct

• mining lease application (270 ha)

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• geological resource of 100 m tonnes to a verticaldepth of 40 m

• 3rd largest deposit in Queensland (DMErecords)

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Bowen prospect

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“Th e logo draws on the traditional stencil alphabets seen across Australia’s outback which, used traditionally on everyday signage, has a direct, no-nonsense appeal,” he said.

“It obviously draws on the achievements of the two companies with the linking of the O and Z, but it also has a

5The Mining Advocate | August 2008 NEWS

Miners throughout northern Australia will have eyes glued

to the TV following their shifts this month, with the Beijing

Olympic Games set to fi re the public’s imagination until

August 24.

But for BHP Billiton Cannington Mine diesel fi tter Frank

Moff atti, the real action will begin in September when the

Beijing Paralympics take centre stage.

Mr Moff atti’s son, 21-year old swimmer Ricardo Moff atti,

will participate in his second Paralympics after winning gold

and silver at the 2004 games in Athens.

“When he was awarded the medals in Athens four years

ago, wearing the laurel wreath on his head, it’s lucky I didn’t

have a heart attack,” Mr Moff atti said.

Mr Moff atti’s personal connection to the Paralympics is

complemented by the fact that the Cannington mine, 200km

south-east of Mount Isa in North Queensland, supplied the

silver used to manufacture the Paralympics gold and silver

medals, in addition to the medals for the Olympics.

Ricardo Moff atti and the rest of the Australian Paralympic

team begin their chase for medals with the opening of the

Beijing Paralympics on September 6.

A key uranium junior is taking

a softly, softly approach in

opposing the Queensland

Government’s current policy

against uranium mining.

Retired Labor Member for

Mount Isa Tony McGrady - a

former mines minister among

other State Cabinet positions

- is a member of Laramide

Resources’ advisory board.

A wholly owned subsidiary

of Laramide Resources -

Lagoon Creek Resources - is

exploring for uranium on the

Westmoreland lease in the Gulf

region, which Mr McGrady

described as one of the three

most prospective uranium

projects in Queensland.

He said Lagoon Creek

Resources was taking a low

profi le in progressing its ultimate

goal of uranium mining and was

working with the Queensland

Resources Council (QRC) in

presenting its argument.

“We won’t take governments

on and we certainly don’t want to

embarrass anyone,” Mr McGrady

said.

“What we are doing is trying

to convince people, people who

make decisions, of the merits of

allowing uranium mining.

“We are not about to get

involved in debate about nuclear

energy domestically. Th at’s for

governments to determine.

“We are miners. We’re about

digging the ore out of the

ground and exporting it overseas

to responsible users.”

Mr McGrady said the uranium

industry had presented its case

to the federal ALP to overturn

its three-mines policy and the

resolution was carried by a

14-vote majority at the national

conference earlier this year.

“We welcome the change of policy from the federal Labor party and you didn’t see us mounting massive campaigns,” Mr McGrady said.

“We convinced the party there is merit in our case and they accepted it.

“We will continue to advocate the reasons why we believe the State Government should allow the mining of uranium under strict guidelines, and whatever other guidelines governments impose - environment or otherwise - we accept it.”

Mr McGrady said he found it ironic that uranium could be mined in the Northern Territory and South Australia, but not in Queensland.

“My old-fashioned view is that if uranium mining is wrong, it is wrong, and you can’t have good uranium in South Australia and bad uranium in New South Wales or Queensland or anywhere else,” he said.

He was confi dent Queensland Government policy would change sooner rather than later.

A former State minister turned industry advocate

believes the merits of uranium mining should

soon win out in Queensland, writes Robert Dark.

Bringing it home

Gentle nudge towards reform

Ricardo Moff atti, left, with fellow swimmers Ben Austin and Konstantinos Fykas.

6 August 2008 | The Mining AdvocateNEWS

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Construction of an off shore pipeline for ENI’s Blacktip gas project is ready to begin, according to the Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines.

A spokesman said the department had recently issued “consent to construct” certifi cation for the project’s off -shore component.

He said off shore pipe laying was scheduled to begin in September and would be substantially complete by mid October, but full installation was dependent on completion of work on and around the wellhead platform at the Blacktip fi eld.

Th e off shore pipeline is a cross-jurisdictional project involving the Northern Territory, West Australian and Commonwealth governments.

Th e bulk of the pipeline

is in Commonwealth waters

administered by the Northern

Territory, while the gas fi eld,

wellhead platform and a short

section of the pipeline are

in Commonwealth waters

administered by Western

Australia.

Off shore dredging operations

and near-shore and onshore

construction work for the

Blacktip project have already

begun.

Th e off shore and onshore

components of the Blacktip

project will allow ENI to supply

liquefi ed natural gas from the

Blacktip fi eld in the Timor

Sea and transport it over land

through a 270km pipe stretching

from Wadeye to Darwin.

Th e fi rst gas is expected in

early 2009.

Th e 14th annual South East Asia

Australia Off shore Conference

(SEAAOC) off ered delegates

information about emerging and

established gas and petroleum

projects as well as exploring

regional issues surrounding the

industry. Speakers included:

INPEX Browse general manager of external aff airs Sean Kildare: Th e company is developing the

Ichthys natural gas fi eld in waters

north of Broome. Two possible

onshore locations are being

considered for an accompanying

LNG plant; the Maret Islands

(WA) and Middle Arm, Darwin.

A fi nal investment decision on

the project will be made in 2009.

Northern Territory Chief Minister Paul Henderson: Darwin is fast

becoming the region’s primary

service and supply base for

off shore-onshore petroleum

projects. Downstream gas

manufacturing has also emerged

as a priority for government. Th e

Territory is open for business, but

it is the job of industry to make

decisions on investment.

Federal Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson: A comprehensive review of

Australia’s taxation system –

the Henry Review- will assess

barriers to investment in large-

scale downstream gas processing

projects, the hurdles faced by

remote gas developers and the

future policy framework for

“sunrise investment” in Australia’s

gas sector.

ENI’s Blacktip project has passed another

hurdle as it heads towards a planned 2009 start

date for gas delivery, writes Michael Stevens.

Green lightfor pipeline

Speakers off er fuel for thought

Tom Mulcahy, Kim Fyfe and Harry Cheek check out an LNG platform model during an exhibition that was held as part of

SEAAOC to allow suppliers to demonstrate their products and services to key industry players. Photo: Christopher Knight

7The Mining Advocate | August 2008 NEWS

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Darwin is set to capitalise on a boom in liquefi ed natural gas (LNG) as the world is forced to lessen its dependence on oil, analyst Peter Strachan says.

Mr Strachan - who writes the national StockAnalysis newsletter - presented an overview of gas exploration and development activities in Australia at the recent South East Asia Australia Off shore Conference (SEAAOC).

He told Th e Mining Advocate that the LNG industry, driven by coal seam methane, was set to boom in response to peak oil.

“Coal seam methane has come out of nowhere to show big potential for the country,” he said.

“Th ere is only so much oil in the world, and we have used about half.

“By 2012, oil production will be falling away, so we need to use it more carefully or fi nd another form of energy.”

Northern Territory chief minister Paul Henderson, who also spoke at SEAAOC, recently

stated that the Northern Territory Government’s submission to the Federal Government’s green paper on climate change would call for the LNG industry to be supported at the maximum rate of assistance under an emissions trading scheme.

He said development of the LNG industry would be a signifi cant opportunity for the Territory as the world turned to cleaner sources of energy.

Mr Strachan said companies such as ENI and ConocoPhillips were developing LNG projects in the Timor Sea and renewed interest had recently been shown in onshore coal seam methane in the Northern Territory’s Amadeus Basin, with Central Petroleum exploring gas and oil prospects in the area.

He said that outside of exploration companies and producers, a wide range of service businesses in Darwin would benefi t from the LNG boom.

However, the major

fabrication requirements for the LNG sector would continue to be constructed in Asia and transported to Australia for on-site assembly, with bigger manufacturing facilities and cheaper labour remaining as major overseas drawcards, he said.

Local engineering and civil construction companies would

instead benefi t from projects such as the manufacture of housing and scaff olding.

Mr Strachan said the government sector in northern Australia was encouraging the development of gas projects by creating a positive environment and maintaining consistent legislation.

“Governments are bending

over backwards, so it’s up to the

companies to come along and

sow the seeds,” he said.

SEAAOC 2008 - which

also included an exhibition of

industry products and services

- was held at the Holiday Inn

Esplanade in Darwin by event

company IIR Conferences.

Peak oil sets the scene for an NT economic

boom driven by coal seam methane, a major

energy industry forum heard recently.

Stepping on the (natural) gas

Independent analyst Peter Strachan addresses the SEAAOC conference. Photo: Christopher Knight

8 August 2008 | The Mining AdvocateNEWS

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Despite the growing acclaim Myuma is earning for its indigenous training program, managing director Colin Saltmere is determined not to expand the organisation at an unsustainable rate.

From its base in Camooweal, Myuma off ers pre-vocational training and some modules in civil construction and mining to indigenous trainees.

Th e company also undertakes tendered projects such as road construction to give trainees real-life work experiences.

It started operating in 2006 as part of the Split Rock Inca Alliance (with the Department of Main Roads and Seymour White Constructions), completing the fi nal stage of the Barkly Highway upgrade.

Mr Saltmere said Myuma had gone on to successfully tender for numerous civil construction projects and establish relationships with the region’s biggest mining companies.

But the organisation was not getting ahead of itself.

“Th e reason we went with alliancing in the fi rst place

was so that we could set up

an apprenticeship process for

ourselves to learn how the

industry works,” he said.

“And we didn’t get greedy - we

took contracts we could do and

each component we worked with

taught us something, and we

learnt from it.”

Myuma trainees spend 13

weeks at a residential camp in

Camooweal, with many also

undertaking work experience at

mining operations in addition to

life-skills and vocational training

units.

Rio Tinto Alcan’s Weipa

bauxite operation accepts

Myuma trainees for four months’

work experience, with successful

trainees going on to undertake

fi xed-term contracts as mine or

plant operators.

Incitec Pivot also accepts

Myuma trainees for work

experience and job projects

at its north-west Queensland

operations, and the company

recently presented a Myuma

crew with a bonus cheque for

completing a project with zero

injuries.

Mr Saltmere said three groups

of trainees had passed through

the Myuma course so far, with

numbers increasing from 10 in

the fi rst intake to 30 in the most

recent course.

“We’re not going to take any

more trainees than 30, otherwise

it starts to turn into a sausage

factory and we do not want to

have a sausage factory out here

- we’re here to make sure that

individual goals, achievements,

and aspirations are met,” he said.

Mr Saltmere said numerous

graduates were now working

in the mining industry and the

skills they had learnt through

Myuma were transportable

across sites.

Myuma is a not-for-profi t

company that redistributes

its profi ts to the Rainbow

Gateway charity organisation

and the Dugalanji Aboriginal

Corporation.

Steady growth for Myuma

Pace perfect

Incitec Pivot training co-ordinator Mal Greer (front row, second from right end) with Myuma trainees he recently took

through an industry induction process as part of their work-readiness training.

Colin SaltmereMyuma managing director

9The Mining Advocate | August 2008 NEWS

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Th e Century Chariots are stepping up fi tness training in preparation for this year’s Battle of the Mines rugby league competition on October 18.

Last year, the team from Century zinc mine in the lower Gulf of Carpentaria was hoping to make it three championships in a row.

But the Xstrata Copper Mine Devils spoiled the trifecta in a hard-fought fi nal.

Chariots co-ordinator Jared Naughton said the team had lost a few good players from last year but had gained sound replacements from throughout the Gulf.

He said the players would be put through their paces in

regular training sessions over the next couple of months, despite the challenges of diff ering roster structures for team members.

Mr Naughton said the team was focused on simply enjoying the competition rather than extracting revenge for last year’s disappointment.

However, the Chariots were especially looking forward to another hit-out against their arch rivals from BHP Billiton Cannington Mine.

“We had a 0-0 draw with them in the semifi nals last year and the year before that we played them in a semi and had to score twice in the last fi ve minutes to get into the fi nal,” Mr Naughton said.

Funding is now available to help Northern Territory explorers advance greenfi elds projects.

Th e Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines is off ering up to 50 per cent funding for greenfi elds exploration projects - to a cap of $100,000 - under a new collaborative drilling program.

Northern Territory Geological Survey director Ian Scrimgeour said the program specifi cally targeted activity in under-explored regions of the Northern Territory with high potential for new discoveries.

“Th ere is an increasing trend for companies to prefer the low risks of known exploration areas, but we’re trying to encourage explorers to get out to less-understood regions,” Dr Scrimgeour said.

“A very large area of the Northern Territory is virtually unexplored.

“Th ere is a higher risk involved in greenfi elds exploration (compared to brownfi elds), but the benefi t of fi nding new mineralisation is that companies will have the opportunity to explore them further and exploit the deposits.”

He said he expected large discoveries to be made in Territory greenfi eld areas in the future and that the collaborative drilling program would signifi cantly advance company exploration programs by reducing initial cost outlay and risk.

Th e $2.4 million program, which will run over the next three years, will assist companies

The Northern Territory Government has

kicked off a collaborative drilling program to

lure more explorers into uncharted territory.

with projects on their own exploration leases.

Information gained from collaborative drilling will be made public three months after a project is completed.

“Even if something is not found (during an exploration project), at least there will be more information in the public domain for other explorers to use,” Dr Scrimgeour said.

He said similar programs operated in Queensland, South Australia and Victoria, but the Northern Territory program was diff erent because it also incorporated geophysical surveys.

“It’s these types of program that will ensure the Northern Territory gets its share of the growth currently being experienced in the Australian resources sector,” he said.

Th e NT collaborative drilling program is part of the government’s Bringing Forward Discovery initiative.

Cash incentive to

test new grounds

Battle lines drawn

Chariots prop forward Keiren Grieves breaks through the defence of the Xstrata

Copper Smelter Mongrels at last year’s Battle of the Mines. Photo: Roslyn Budd

10 August 2008 | The Mining AdvocateNEWS

Dawsons Engineering workers were applauded for their commitment to safety on a recent project at BHP Billiton Cannington Mine.

A six-man construction crew headed out to the operation, 200km south-east of Mount Isa, to complete the demolition and remodelling of the regrind area in its mill.

Dawsons Engineering construction estimator Sam Dorahy said the crew came to site with the tooling and

machinery required and were able to complete the job without incident and ahead of schedule in two weeks.

“Th e job was undertaken in an operating plant so it was essential that the work method and safe work management was watertight,” he said.

“Our crew was publicly congratulated on its safety performance, so the guys were rapt.”

Th e construction crew has recently completed other jobs in

Karumba, Cooktown, Emerald, Mission Beach and on Hamilton Island.

“We’ve found that the combination of work in town and in remote locations has really kept them interested and using all of their skills,” Mr Dorahy said.

“Naturally all the boys put their hands up for the job on Hamilton Island, but they are just as happy to be out west.”

Dawsons Engineering is based in Cairns and Townsville.

A new quarrying training

program has emerged as a result

of co-operation between two

industry organisations.

Cement, Concrete and

Aggregates Australia (CCAA)

has long off ered training

workshops covering various

aspects of concrete production

and its use in construction.

Th e Institute of Quarrying

Australia (IQA) recently

worked with the CCAA to

complement these workshops

with an Introduction to Quarry

Products training program.

Th e program is designed for

new entrants to the industry

and individuals who would like

to become more familiar with

what quarries do.

Product segments covered in

the workshops include concrete

aggregates, sealing and asphalt

aggregates, gabion, mattress, rail

ballast, large rock, road bases,

stabilisation, and manufactured

sands.

A one-day course will be held

in Darwin on August 13 and in

Brisbane on September 30 and

October 1.

A four-day advanced course is

currently under development.

Th e Introduction to Quarry

Products workshops are

recognised under the IQA’s

professional development

program - a series of activities

and technical events off ered

to IQA members and

industry personnel who

wish to undertake post-

qualifi cation training in

technical, operational, fi nancial,

personal, environmental, legal

compliance, regulatory and

management disciplines.

For more information, visit

www.quarry.com.au.

Key industry groups have developed a

quarrying products primer program for those

keen for a taste of the business.

New entry-level workshops

Joint eff ort

‘Have tools, will travel’ is construction crew’s credo

The Dawsons

Engineering crew

works on the

Cannington mill

project.

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COWBOYS CORRAL KIDS WHILE TPHC DRAFT STAFFFamilies in remote Queensland will

continue to receive essential support from Bush Children’s Mount Isa branch after it was saved from closure by the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys.

Together with corporate partner TP Human Capital, the Cowboys have donated funding and professional services to keep the health services centre running.

The Bush Children’s of ce in Mount Isa has experienced difficulties in retaining and attracting skilled staff due to increased competition in the booming local economy and the remoteness of the area.

The centre has provided specialist health and community services for children and families with children to age 13 years to Mount Isa and surrounding communities, including Cloncurry, Julia Creek and Richmond, since 1995.

The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys, through the Cowboys in the Community program, worked closely with Bush Children’s to develop a practical program of support that would address the operational challenges faced by the non-pro t organisation.

Cowboys CEO Peter Parr said he was delighted that the club had been able to assist Bush Children’s and said he was particularly grateful to corporate partner TP Human Capital for their commitment to keeping this service alive.

Under the new partnership, Townsville-

based TP Human Capital will assist in the challenge of resourcing the branch with skilled professionals.

TP have donated their specialist recruitment services to ll four key positions with Bush Kids and will also provide ongoing specialist human resources support.

While the efforts now will help the facility to stay open, the Cowboys are looking for other corporate partners to assist in realising longer-term bene ts and growth.

“We’re calling on organisations or businesses that recognise the value of the Bush Children’s program, or perhaps see synergies with their social charter, to join us as a corporate partner,” Mr Parr said.

“Bush Children’s is an outstanding program that makes a signi cant contribution to the well-being of isolated Queensland communities,” he said.

“We’re delighted to be able to contribute to the ongoing operation of the Mount Isa facility, and are particularly grateful to our corporate partner TP Human Capital for their commitment to keeping this service alive.”

Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Queensland Bush Children’s Health Scheme Cheryl Miller said the pledge of support from the Cowboys and TP Human Capital was the difference between closing the doors after 13 years and remaining a vital service for the region.

11The Mining Advocate | August 2008 PEOPLE

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Maryann Wipaki’s

heart and soul

are in north-west

Queensland.

So she is very happy in

her current role as Xstrata

Copper North Queensland

Operations safety and

health manager.

“I was born and bred in

Cloncurry and have lived

the last 20 years in Mount

Isa,” Ms Wipaki said.

“I love this part of the

country and my family and

friends are here.

“I have been working for

the company for 13 years

in various training, system

and safety roles, and in

this role I am responsible

for safety and health

systems across our NQ

operations.”

Th e role means

Ms Wipaki oversees

emergency management,

hygiene monitoring and

reporting, health and

injury management,

self insurance, training,

compliance, system

development and

document control.

It’s a job she loves and

she’s quick to credit safety

and health personnel

throughout the whole

Xstrata North Queensland

network.

“I am working with

other people to make real

improvements in safety

and health,” Ms Wipaki

said.

“Th at’s one of the best

Right at home in mine role

Safety and health manager

Maryann Wipaki.

Photo: Ruth Fahey

Story: Meredith Papavasiliou

“I am working with other people to make

real improvements in safety and health”

parts of my job. I also open our generic induction two to three times a week. It’s a great opportunity to talk with the diff erent people coming into the industry and hear about their experiences.”

Ms Wipaki is one of thousands of people to make good in the north-

west Queensland mining

industry.

However, even in 2008,

there are some barriers

to break and hurdles to

overcome.

“I would never really

consider being a woman

in this industry a

disadvantage,” Ms Wipaki

said.

“But you do need to

work hard at building

respect and ensuring that

you are heard.

“I’m currently working

toward doing some further

external studies in areas

of human resources or

psychology. Eventually I’d

like to move into a more

senior role within the

company.”

When she’s not at work,

Ms Wipaki loves nothing

more than spending time

with her partner, two dogs

and cat.

She’s also a keen camper

and loves getting into

projects around the house

- with big plans this year

to fi nish work on the deck,

entertainment area and

back yard at home.

“I am lucky to have a

great family and network

of friends in Mount Isa,”

Ms Wipaki said.

“We love it here. It’s also

good being able to access

many unique and beautiful

areas of the north west.

“It would be nice to

have a few more specialty

shops and restaurants,

although I certainly make

up for it when I am away.”

12 August 2008 | The Mining AdvocateINDUSTRY UPDATE

ENTERPRISE CONNECT MANUFACTURING NETWORK

“As a result of implementing the recommendationsof the Business Review, we believe we'll be 30%more productive” - Martin Tanti Avoca Engineering

Enterprise Connect is a $200 MillionAustralian Government initiativethat designed to boost productivity,improve innovation and increasethe competitiveness of Australiansmall and medium sizedenterprises. (SMEs)

HOW WILL ENTERPRISE CONNECTHELP SMES?

Enterprise Connect recognises that oneof the biggest challenges facing SMEsis having the time and know-how toimplement innovative changes in theirbusiness.

Through a national network ofEnterprise Connect ManufacturingCentres, highly skilled Business Advisersdeliver integrated, practical servicesthat help SMEs improve productivity,build internal capacity and capitalise ontheir growth potential.

What Services are available?Free Business Review - eligible SMEswill have access to an experiencedBusiness Adviser who will work withthe firm to:

• Assess the firms's business strategyand current operations

• Identify the strengths andweaknesses of the firm, includingbenchmarking against bestpractice

• Identify potential areas forimprovement and growth

• Identify how the firm can addressthese areas by providing apathway forward

Businesses are then eligible for amatched grant up to $20,000 toimplement improvements. These mayinclude strategic planning, supply chain

management, human resource orWH&S issues, lean manufacturing orquality management systems.

Who is Eligible for the BusinessReview?• Firms with a turnover of between

$2 million and $100 million• Firms who have been in business

for at least 3 years• Firms who are manufacturers or

provide services to manufacturersor who are exposed tointernational trade

How do Firms Apply?The application process is simple andquick.Visit www.enterpriseconnect.gov.auor phone Cathy Morato on0421 003 815.

Th e Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has appointed Greg Lane to the newly created position of deputy chief executive.

Since joining the peak representative body a little over two years ago as director of education and training, Mr Lane has been involved in developing the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy, expanding relationships with the university sector and developing online delivery of QRC material to Queensland teachers and students.

He will continue to have skills policy responsibilities in his new role, in addition to strategic policy development responsibilities and high-level representational duties.

QRC chief executive Michael Roche said the growth in QRC membership and the range of issues being handled in the past few years meant the time had come to bolster the senior ranks of the organisation.

“Greg’s expert grasp of the broad range of issues confronting the resources sector in Queensland made him the ideal candidate for the position of deputy chief executive,” Mr Roche said.

Mr Lane joined the QRC from the Queensland Government’s then Department of Employment and Training, where he was a senior executive

Deputy role brings

added fi repower to

QRC’s top ranks

Cobalt value sparks rethink Th e high price of cobalt has changed CuDECO’s

plans for its Rocklands copper project, 15km west-north-west of Cloncurry.

Chairman Wayne McCrae said that because the price of cobalt was now about 10 times the price of copper, zones of cobalt mineralisation outside of the copper envelope previously ignored now needed to be included in resource modelling calculations, especially in waste and pit design.

He said drilling was continuing on a 700m-by-500m zone at the project that encompassed the Le Meridian, Rocklands Central and Southern Rocklands prospects.

Preferred tenderUniversal Resources has selected GR Engineering

Services (GRES) as the preferred contractor to build the treatment facility and selected infrastructure for its Roseby copper and gold project, 65km north-west of Cloncurry.

Universal Resources executive chairman Peter Ingram said a conditional letter of intent had been signed by both parties and the companies would now negotiate a formal contract.

He said GRES was a well-established engineering design and construction organisation specialising in mineral processing plants and associated infrastructure.

Not-so-skimpy Bikini Summit Resources has completed a resource

estimate for its Bikini uranium deposit, 36km north of Mount Isa.

Executive chairman Brendan O’Hara said the drilling results to date had been pleasing and confi rmed the company’s belief in the prospectivity of its Mount Isa North tenements.

He said the resource had been classifi ed as inferred, primarily due to drill spacing, and it was expected that any future infi ll drilling would lead to an uplift in the classifi cation.

NQM adds to holdingsNorth Queensland Metals (NQM) has bought the

tenement next to its Baal Gammon copper, tin, silver and indium project near Herberton.

NQM chief executive offi cer John McKinstry said EPM 14016 was acquired from Dianne Mining Corporation for a cash settlement.

Th e tenement would create the opportunity to drill two targets immediately to the north of the planned Baal Gammon pit, Mr McKinstry said.

He said the Baal Gammon project - scheduled for commissioning in late 2009 - was expected to mine and process about 500,000 tonnes of ore per year over a seven-year life.

New fi nancial offi cerRoss Glossop is the new chief fi nancial offi cer for

the Paladin group of companies, having replaced Ron

Chamberlain.

Paladin Energy managing director John Borshoff

said Mr Chamberlain resigned under amicable

circumstances to pursue other interests.

Mr Borshoff said Mr Glossop had more than 25

years’ experience in the resources industry, having

held positions in internal audit, treasury and fi nance,

with increasing managerial responsibilities.

Paladin Energy is involved in uranium projects

including the Valhalla project in North Queensland

and the Angela and Pamela and Bigrlyi projects in

the Northern Territory.

Record productionGBS Gold has reported record gold production for

the second quarter of this year from its Union Reefs operations centre, near Pine Creek in the Northern Territory.

Chairman Gil Playford said mill throughput increased by 44 per cent from the previous quarter, refl ecting improved utilisation of the Union Reefs plant following commissioning of the second milling circuit.

Mr Playford also said development work was progressing well at the Tom’s Gully mine site, with the underground decline having been extended into the main Block 2 part of the ore body and ore being stockpiled on the surface for processing.

GBS Gold also recently announced a signifi cant expansion to the resource estimate for its Chinese “big pit” area.

responsible for leading the department’s responses

to training for priority industries.

As former director of SmartVET, the

government’s precursor to the $1 billion

Queensland Skills Plan, Mr Lane was also closely

involved in development of the Mining Industry

Skills Centre.

QRC deputy chief executive Greg Lane.

13The Mining Advocate | August 2008 INDUSTRY UPDATE

Energy Metals, manager of the Bigrlyi joint venture

in the Northern Territory, has announced a 93 per

cent increase in uranium production potential for the

project, up from 8.4 million pounds of uranium to

16.2 million pounds.

Executive director Lindsay Dudfi eld said the

project, 390km north-west of Alice Springs, could

also produce 14.5 million pounds of vanadium - up

107 per cent from the project’s initial scoping study

announced in November 2007.

He said expected mine life had increased from eight

to 12 years with improved plant utilisation.

Mr Dudfi eld said the Bigrlyi mineralisation

remained open adjacent to the open pit and

underground mining positions evaluated by the study,

with excellent scope to delineate additional resources

and enhance the project’s economics.

Ongoing metallurgical and engineering studies

were also expected to identify opportunities to extend

mine life.

Th e next Bigrlyi drilling campaign starts this month

and is scheduled to continue until the end of the fi eld

season.

Meanwhile, Energy Metals has appointed Nick

Burn as exploration manager.

Mr Burn is a geologist with 22 years’ experience in

exploration and development of gold, uranium, base

metals and mineral sands resources across Australia.

Major boost for Bigrlyi uranium project

Leichhardt plant upgradeTh e expansion of Matrix Metals’ Leichhardt copper

cathode plant, near Mount Isa, has been completed.Managing director Shane McBride said a ramp-up

in production capacity rate, from 5500 tonnes per annum copper cathode to 9000 tonnes, would occur during the commissioning process.

He said mining, crushing and stacking contractors had already scaled up activities to allow for the production of additional copper cathode.

Sweet results at Honey PotFusion Resources says further drilling at the

recently discovered Honey Pot prospect within its Valhalla North project, near Mount Isa, has continued to intersect high-grade zones of uranium mineralisation.

Managing director David Berrie said the assay results indicated the presence of a high-grade zone of uranium mineralisation over more than 1.6km of strike, which could be traced down dip from surface.

He said the mineralisation was open at depth and further drilling was planned to the north and south to explore for potential off sets and extensions.

North Queensland focusAxiom Mining will concentrate during the next six

to 12 months on establishing mineral resources for its Nightfl ower silver, lead and zinc project and Cardross copper and gold project, near Chillagoe in North Queensland.

Chairman John Cook said the company was focusing on its most advanced projects in Australia and Vietnam to move the company toward becoming a serious mining house.

Axiom Mining operates in Australia through its subsidiary, Ozmin Resources.

Iron ore promiseKangaroo Metals recently announced that fi rst

results from samples collected during a fi eld survey at its Mt Ruby prospect in Silver Valley, North Queensland, showed high-grade iron ore.

Managing director Brett Teale said the company would follow up with additional fi eld work to determine the optimal approach prior to drilling extensions to confi rm continuity of length, depth and grade around Mt Ruby.

‘Spectacular’ intersectionsInterMet Resources has announced “spectacular”

gold intersections from its fi rst drilling program at Forsayth, 40km south of Georgetown.

Th e company is planning further drilling in September and October to follow up on the high-grade intersections.

Back to work at GeorgetownMega Uranium has resumed work at its

Georgetown uranium project following the wet

season, with a focus on drilling in the vicinity of

the Maureen deposit to locate additional uranium

resources.

On the east-west trending lineament fault zone,

about 25km south-southwest of Maureen, a 1400m

drilling program is under way on the 300m strike

length of known mineralisation in the Central 50

prospect to test for extensions of the mineralisation

to 200m in depth.

Th is follows a reverse circulation drilling program

in the last quarter of 2007 in which three holes

intersected signifi cant mineralisation, but other holes

deviated off the planned target.

Positive tin results Consolidated Tin Mines says the fi rst results from

a recently completed drilling program at its fl agship Mount Garnet tin project in North Queensland returned signifi cant intercepts of both tin and iron mineralisation. Th e program targeted the company’s three key deposits - Gillian, Pinnacles and Deadman’s Gully - and was designed to verify existing data and obtain material for metallurgical testing.

Phosphate takeoverAragon Resources has entered into an agreement

to acquire Territory Phosphate, subject to shareholder approval. Territory Phosphate’s key assets are three granted exploration titles and one lease application covering the Ammaroo and Lady Judith phosphate prospects in the Northern Territory.

Exploration drilling at Energy Metals’ Bigrlyi project in the Northern Territory.

14 August 2008 | The Mining AdvocateINDUSTRY UPDATE

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Exco Resources has expanded the size of the operation to be examined by the defi nitive feasibility study for its Cloncurry copper project.

Th e recently commenced study will focus on an operation treating 2.5 to three million tonnes per annum through a concentrator facility located at the project’s E1 camp.

Th e project would produce about 25,000 tonnes of copper in concentrate per annum at this throughput level, which is 25 per cent more than envisaged by the pre-feasibility study.

Exco managing director Michael Anderson said the company was encouraged by positive pre-feasibility study results and the expectation of further resource upgrades in the short term.

He said the defi nitive feasibility study would address aspects including mining, ore benefi ciation, metallurgy, infrastructure and ore transport scenarios.

It would also investigate the recovery of magnetite and cobalt as value-adding by-products with the potential to signifi cantly enhance the project economics.

After a successful role in the pre-feasibility work, GRD Minproc has been appointed study manager for the defi nitive feasibility study.

Mr Anderson said Exco Resources anticipated the study would be completed in the fi rst quarter of 2009.

Study fl ags greater

throughput for

Cloncurry project

Metallica adds to nickel stashMetallica Minerals has identifi ed additional ore-

grade nickel mineralisation at its Bell Creek South

prospect, part of the company’s NORNICO project

in the Greenvale region of North Queensland.

Managing director Andrew Gillies said a resource

update for the prospect using the additional drilling

data was expected this month.

He said deep holes were planned at Bell Creek

South to test granite and serpentinite contact where

highly anomalous copper, lead, zinc, chrome and

sulphur was identifi ed in shallow nickel laterite holes.

Diamonds at depthNorth Australian Diamonds says analysis of drill

core from the PalSac pipe at its Merlin project has

confi rmed diamonds at depth.

But the company stated that the absolute

commercial diamond grade would not be established

until these core sample analyses were correlated with

results from analysis of larger samples to be excavated

from the open pits and with the results of previous

mining operations.

Th e Merlin project is 720km south-east of Darwin.

Copper fi rst off the blocksTh e focus of Copper Strike’s Einasleigh project

feasibility study has changed from early zinc, lead and

silver production to early copper production.

Managing director Tom Eadie said the decision

was infl uenced in part by the continued strengthening

of copper prices, the weakening prices of zinc and

lead, and an anticipated upgrade to zinc and lead

resources at the project.

He said the fi nancial model was being revised on

the basis of copper production starting in 2010 and

zinc-lead production in 2012.

Th e feasibility study is on track to be released this

month.

Resource doubledA new estimate based on 2007 drilling and assay

results has doubled the inferred resource estimate

for Toro Energy’s Napperby uranium project, 150km

north-west of Alice Springs.

Th e estimate is now at 4.6 million tonnes of ore

for 1420 tonnes (3.13 million pounds) of contained

uranium oxide.

Th at is 112 per cent more than the last inferred

estimate, prepared 18 months ago by Deep Yellow.

Toro holds an option to acquire 100 per cent of

the project from Deep Yellow on certain commercial

terms.

So far, so goodMithril Resources is pleased with progress

following the completion of the fi rst phase of drilling at the Huckitta prospect, 250km north-east of Alice Springs

Managing director Graham Ascough said fi ve diamond drillholes had been completed on two prospects located 34km apart.

He said four of the fi ve holes had intersected signifi cant intervals of sulphide mineralisation and assays had returned highly anomalous copper values.

Drilling was targeted at testing potentially mineralised zones related to bedrock conductors identifi ed under thin alluvial cover and the company was encouraged by locating signifi cant sulphide intersections at an early stage of exploration.

Th e Huckitta project is comprised of four separate joint ventures involving Mithril Resources and covers 5070sq km of prospective ground.

Oil shale optionsA drilling program is evaluating oil shales in permit

areas owned by Paradigm Metals and Exco Resources near Cloncurry in North Queensland.

Based on a data review, the joint venture partners believe it has 100sq km of oil-bearing shale at least 10m thick and beneath 10-30m of sedimentary cover.

Large near-surface deposits were found in the 1970s and early 1980s when oil shale exploration took place between Cloncurry and Julia Creek, but the oil content of the shale was too low to be considered economic for open-cast mining at that time. Th e joint venture partners stated that companies including Shell and Schlumberger were investigating new technologies to exploit the oil shale using in situ mining methods. If economically viable and environmentally acceptable methods were developed, oil shales could become an important source of world energy in the future, they said.

Th is was in line with the company’s aim to be in production by late 2010.

Th e Cloncurry copper project is made up of numerous tenements and mining leases hosting the E1 camp, Monakoff and Great Australia deposits.

Resources delineated for the project to date total 35.8 million tonnes of ore, containing 332,500 tonnes of copper and 287,100 ounces of gold.

A drill rig at Exco Resources’ E1 camp.

15The Mining Advocate | August 2008 INDUSTRY UPDATE

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Territory Resources has announced a strong operational performance for the June 2008 quarter, with ramp-up of production at its Frances Creek iron ore mine continuing towards a target of two million tonnes per annum by December.

A third mining fl eet was deployed at the operation - 190km south of Darwin - during the quarter and ancillary works were completed, including an expansion of the camp to 170 persons.

Design and planning also began for a wet crushing and processing facility to improve product yield and quality and reduce unit costs.

Th ree shipments totalling 211,000 tonnes of high-grade lump and fi ne ore were sent to Chinese customers, with a fourth shipment of 72,000 tonnes sent just after the quarter.

Procurement activities continued on schedule and on budget for an $8 million expansion of the company’s stockpile capacity at the Port of Darwin’s East Arm Point.

Managing director Allan Quadrio said Territory Resources would spend about $11 million on exploration during each of the 2008/09 and 2009/10 fi scal years, with the target of increasing resources at Frances Creek to at least 20 million tonnes during the next two years.

He said the company would also maintain a focus on ongoing improvements in the cost of production through greater effi ciencies in mining and processing and realising economies of scale from increased production.

However, it was not all good news for Territory Resources.

Strong business quarter

as ramp-up builds steam

Red Dome pleasesKagara is pleased with results from the second deep

hole completed in the current drilling program at its Red Dome gold project, near Chillagoe in North Queensland.

Executive chairman Kim Robinson said drilling was planned to continue until March 2009 when a new resource estimate was scheduled for completion.

Currently an inferred resource of 8.5 million tonnes at 1.61 grams per tonne gold and 0.4 per cent copper exists at Red Dome.

More fi nds at WatershedVital Metals says initial results from the fi rst

holes of its 2008 drilling program at the Watershed project confi rmed further extensions to tungsten mineralisation to the south-west and north of the defi ned resource.

Managing director Andy Haslam said high-grade mineralisation continued to be encountered over an expanding area and further verifi ed the potential long-term value in persisting with progressive and staged development of the project, 150km north-west of Cairns.

Territory mining developmentTh e Northern Territory has nine minerals and

energy projects considered to be advanced, under construction or about to be constructed, according to a recent Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics (ABARE) report.

Th e ABARE fi gures included: • Two stages of Coogee Resources’ Montara and

Skua off shore oilfi eld, costing $800 million,• Th e Blacktip gas pipeline to Darwin, costing

$150 million, • Compass Resources’ Browns Oxide mine, costing

$140 million, and • BOC Gases’ Darwin helium plant, costing $40

million.

Promise at Kalman SouthSyndicated Metals says it has encountered a highly

signifi cant copper intersection during an ongoing drilling program at the Kalman South molybdenum, copper, gold and rhenium deposit, 60km south-east of Mount Isa in north-west Queensland.

Kalman South is a joint venture between Syndicated Metals and Kings Minerals, in which Kings Minerals has the right to earn up to 70 per cent of the prospect by completing a fi nal feasibility study.

Meanwhile, Syndicated Metals has also begun a follow-up infi ll drilling program at its Barbara copper and gold prospect, within the company’s Mt Remarkable project near Mount Isa.

Costing revisedCosts have risen at Compass Resources’ Browns

Oxide base metals project in the Rum Jungle region

of the Northern Territory.

Company secretary Neil Guest said the cost of the

project had been reviewed and the revised estimated

capital cost for processing plant construction was

expected to be $175 million, up from the $140

million announced in December 2007.

He said the revised estimate for items including

fi rst fi lls, pre-production operating costs and owners’

costs was expected to be $40 million, up from the $32

million forecast in December 2007.

Commissioning activities have begun at the project

and production of copper cathode is scheduled for the

second half of September.

Drilling at WollogorangUp to 10,000m of drilling will be conducted on

prospective targets at Gulf Mines’ Wollogorang

copper project in the Northern Territory.

Managing director Graham Reveleigh said the

fi rst target to be drilled would be a major magnetic

anomaly lying beneath Masterton Ridge.

Overseas aid Northern Territory mining businesses employed

90 workers on special 457 skilled worker visas in

2007/08 - up from 40 in the previous year.

Federal Immigration Minister Chris Evans said the

increase in the subclass 457 visa permits highlighted

the importance of the program in delivering skilled

labour to employers in the NT.

Production levels at Territory Resources’ Frances Creek iron

ore operation are increasing.

Th e company’s previous strategy involved broad

diversifi cation and included an investment in Monarch

Gold Mining Company, which was forced into voluntary

administration during the quarter.

Territory Resources is now focusing its attention on

Frances Creek as the cornerstone of its activities for at

least the next two years, although it will maintain its

investment in the mineral sands industry through its

interests in Matilda Minerals and Olympia Resources.

16 August 2008 | The Mining AdvocateBETWEEN SHIFTS

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17The Mining Advocate | August 2008 BETWEEN SHIFTS

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19The Mining Advocate | August 2008 BETWEEN SHIFTS

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20 August 2008 | The Mining AdvocateErnest Henry

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• Located 38km north-east of Cloncurry in north-west Queensland.

• Th e ore body is the third largest copper deposit in Australia, after Olympic Dam in South Australia and Mount Isa Mines.

• Construction of the operation began in 1995 and the fi rst copper concentrate was produced in 1997.

• Th e operation is currently open pit, but a decline is being constructed that could support a move to underground mining.

Th e Ernest Henry copper and gold operation

Photo: Through The Looking Glass Studio

21The Mining Advocate | August 2008 Ernest Henry

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Geotechnical engineer Jayson Summerville is working to ensure that Ernest Henry’s underground decline will be stable over the long term.

“We’ve taken a fair bit of care and a fairly conservative approach because a lot of what you do depends on the mine life; we’ve put in the heavy support,” he said.

One of the main focuses of his geotechnical team has been optimising the use of rock bolts.

“We come up with diff erent rock bolting patterns depending on the type of ground we encounter and we spray concrete over the tunnel as well,” Mr Summerville said.

“We need to make sure the rock bolts are permanent installations that can deal with a range of conditions.”

He said a 3m resin bolt could hold a 15-tonne block of

material in place. Construction of the 3.2km decline began in February and could support a move to underground mining.

General manager Mike Westerman said the decline,

which is being constructed

by contractors Barminco, was

being made larger than usual to

facilitate the use of rigid body

open pit trucks.

Development of the decline

was on track for completion

early next year, he said.

Mr Westerman said that even

if the underground mining

project was not approved, ore

could continue to be removed

from the decline area to support

a minimum three-year mine life

beyond scheduled closure in

2010.

“Th e decline justifi es itself at a

rate of three million tonnes per

annum, so it’s good news all up,”

he said.

Th e Ernest Henry deposit

is known to extend more than

400m below the fi nal Stage 7

open pit.

Th e angle of the ore body

means open pit mining beyond

Stage 7 would be uneconomical

due to the amount of waste that

would need to be stripped to

access the ore.

A geotechnical team is installing heavy

support to enable Ernest Henry’s new

underground decline to stand the test of time.

Forty new rooms were recently constructed at Ernest Henry’s accommodation village to help meet the bedding demands of a new roster.

Th e en suite rooms, valued at $700,000, cater for about 80 workers on a hot-bed basis.

About 55 per cent of Ernest Henry’s full-time workforce is fl y in-fl y out, with the remainder mostly living in nearby Cloncurry.

Th e operation sources local labour where

appropriate, but a number of skilled professionals are recruited from centres such as Townsville and Brisbane.

Th ese professionals are often unable to relocate to Cloncurry because of family and other commitments at their origin.

A new roster was instituted this year, meaning some employees work an 8-6-7-7 roster (eight days on, six days off , seven nights on, seven nights off ), while others work an 8-6 roster (eight days on, six off ).

Future pinned onstable structure

Bed boost meets roster demands

New accommodation at the Ernest Henry village.

Photo: Through The Looking Glass Studio

Jayson SummervilleErnest Henry geotechnical engineer

22 August 2008 | The Mining AdvocateErnest Henry

Ernest Henry mine employees Donna and Matthew Cliff ord recently relocated from Hobart to Cloncurry to escape the fl y in-fl y out (FIFO) lifestyle.

Mr Cliff ord, a resource geologist, said he had been fl ying to Ernest Henry mine from Hobart for his work shifts, but wanted the opportunity to experience life in north-west Queensland.

He said he fi rst became unhappy with the FIFO lifestyle a couple of years ago when he was living in Perth and working at a West Australian mine site.

“Donna and I didn’t have a really good chance to look around Western Australia,” he said.

“You’d do your 12-hour day and fl y home at the end of the roster and we missed a good

opportunity to look at a part of Australia that would have been good to see.

“With this job at Ernest Henry, we just took the opportunity to come out and have a look.

“A lot of the younger guys are more interested in living in Brisbane or Townsville on their week off - which is fi ne - but I guess Donna and I have reached a point in our lives when the city life is not as important as it was once.”

Ms Cliff ord, who works part-time in the geotechnical support department at Ernest Henry mine, said she and her husband had already enjoyed exploring the nearby Lawn Hill National Park.

She recently fi nished studies in naturopathy and herbal medicine

Tamara Oakley has a great view from her offi ce, but she could never be accused of staring aimlessly out of the window.

Ms Oakley is a dispatcher and co-ordinates truck movements from her position overlooking the pit to ensure enough ore is removed during her shift.

“I allocate certain trucks to certain machines such as shovels and diggers,” she said.

“Th e supervisors give us a target (of ore to be removed) every day that we have to try to beat.”

When Th e Mining Advocate visited Ms Oakley she had to direct 25 trucks around the pit to achieve the removal of 53,000 tonnes of ore in the 6am-6pm shift.

Th e operation was on track

to exceed this fi gure by 5000

tonnes.

Ms Oakley began work at

Ernest Henry as a truck driver

before becoming a grader

operator and eventually choosing

to train as a dispatcher about 12

months ago.

“Th ere’s a lot of training

involved, so you shouldn’t come

up here if you don’t want to be

up here,” she said.

Ms Oakley said the job

appealed to her because it kept

her “on the ball” all day.

“It can be diffi cult, it can be a

real rat race when it wants to be,

but if you’re organised and know

how to run the place you’ll be

alright,” she said.

Some participants on the bi-weekly Ernest Henry mine tours have ended up staying longer than they might have thought.

General manager Mike Westerman said there had been occasions when individuals in the tour groups had mentioned that they had prior mining industry experience and were interested in working at Ernest Henry mine.

Th ey were subsequently referred to the human resources department for more information on the recruitment process.

However, he said the main value in off ering the public tours was to promote the operation as a sound contributor to the local community.

“We started the tours four years ago, and we’ve had over

1000 people come through,” Mr Westerman said.

“Most people are amazed and in awe of the size of the operation and comment very positively about their experience.”

Money raised from the mine tours is donated to the Cloncurry Historical Society, with more than $3000 raised in 2007.

and plans to pursue these

interests in Cloncurry.

When Th e Mining Advocate

caught up with Mr and Ms

Cliff ord, they were running an

Ernest Henry information booth

at the Cloncurry and District

Agricultural Show.

“We volunteered to do it,

it’s all part of being in the

community,” Mr Cliff ord said.

Mr Cliff ord is heavily

involved with the proposed

underground mining transition

at Ernest Henry.

“It’s a really interesting part

of my job and was one of the

reasons I wanted to stay at the

mine as a permanent Ernest

Henry employee after my initial

contract work was over,” he said.

“It’s pretty exciting – it’s not

that common for a mine to go

through that sort of change and

it’s interesting to see how it’s

done and what’s involved.”

One couple has ditched the airborne commute

to Ernest Henry for a fuller experience of north-

west Queensland life, writes Michael Stevens.

Keeping their feet on the ground

Donna and Matthew Cliff ord help out at Ernest Henry’s information booth at

the Cloncurry and District Agricultural Show.

Tamara Oakley directs truck movements in the Ernest Henry open pit.

Truck movements are Tamara’s call

Tours showcase operation

Visitors gaze out over the open pit at Ernest Henry mine, outside Cloncurry.

23The Mining Advocate | August 2008 Ernest Henry

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Ernest Henry mine is working to ensure that tourism fi lls an economic gap in Cloncurry when the mining operation eventually ends.

General manager Mike Westerman said the mine injected about $10 million per year into Cloncurry’s economy in wages alone.

He said that increasing revenue from tourism by as little as 5 per cent would deliver huge benefi ts to the town’s economy.

“Even though tourism is seasonal, running from around May to October, encouraging it would add a lot more value to the town and would give Ernest Henry the opportunity to set up a sustainable

industry outside of mining,” he said.

“If it turns out we can continue mining

(with a transition to an underground

operation), the more tourism the better.”

Ernest Henry has recently engaged

tourism consultants as part of its

Cloncurry Tourism Development Plan.

Mr Westerman said the success of

the Dirt and Dust Festival at nearby

Julia Creek had provided inspiration for

developing signature events at Cloncurry.

He said the annual Cloncurry Rotary

Merry Muster and the Rockhana Gem

and Mineral Festival were events that

could possibly be expanded.

Xstrata helped fund a new skate park for Cloncurry youth last year and will this year help to install

shade structures at the venue.

In 2007, Xstrata’s Community Partnership Program North Queensland supported 14 initiatives in Cloncurry to a value of $296,000.

Among the projects were contributions towards a new skate park for local youth and the laying of a synthetic grass surface on a sports court at Cloncurry State School.

Contributions were also made towards

establishing destination signage along

the tourist drive between Cloncurry and

Mount Isa known as Fossicker’s Way.

Projects to a value of $1.3 million are

planned for Cloncurry over the three years

from 2008 to 2010 under the program.

Working to

lift tourismErnest Henry’s operators are keen to nurture an alternative

industry to aid Cloncurry’s economy when the mine closes.

Xstrata gets behind community projects

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• Reduced Workforce Risk Management

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At SKILLED we’re proud to take ownership of each individual project, no matter how large or small, and our commitment to safety is second to none. SKILLED employees rely on us to keep them safe and our track record speaks for itself.

For further information of SKILLED’s mining services, or to become a team member please call 1300 366 606.

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26 August 2008 | The Mining AdvocateLIFESTYLE

Recreational anglers will hope to benefi t from the start of a buy-back of commercial barramundi fi shing licences by the Northern Territory Government.

Fisheries Minister Chris Natt said the Government was contacting all commercial barramundi fi shermen to begin licence buy-back negotiations.

Mr Natt said the Government had already bought back inshore commercial coastal net fi shing licences and had closed Darwin

Harbour and Shoal Bay to make

recreational fi shing better.

“Barramundi is the icon fi sh

of the Territory and we want to

ensure the great fi shing today

continues into the future – that

is why we are buying back

commercial licences,” he said.

“Boat ownership here is the

highest in the country and more

than 100,000 tourists who come

here say they wet a line during

their stay.”

We had two teams of walkers - one group did the whole 1500km walk from Karumba to Townsville and the second group did a shorter 85km walk from Century Mine to Gregory River.

Every day someone had to wear a Superman suit, which was a way of making sure we were seen and heard about along the way.

Kids love spotting Superman on the road and he always does the appropriate pose as they go by.

We shake cans and pull over vehicles along the way to ask for donations, and this year we managed to get a couple of buses to stop for us.

One of the nicest moments was when we pulled over a car heading out west, in which a

young boy and his grandmother were returning home after he went to see a specialist in Townsville for his kidney problems.

Gran donated some money and as we walked away the little guy called us back and gave some of his own pocket money – it doesn’t get any better than that.

I don’t think any of us escaped without blisters and some tendonitis of the feet - we certainly kept the Band-Aid industry in good shape and no shoes were to be taken off inside the support bus.

We mostly cooked for ourselves. We slept in swags beside creeks and rivers or we pulled into caravan parks when and where we could to grab showers.

We learned to secure the swags

to the support bus after they

fl ew off the back of the trailer on

one occasion - lucky someone

noticed or there would have been

some unhappy campers at the

end of that day.

Some of us have done Trek

two or three times before, and

this year we had three new

walkers join us.

Th ey were a bit perplexed at

the beginning but were going

strong after a few days.

We had two musicians with

us - Mark Carter, who works at

Century, and Dave Knight, an

entertainer from Townsville who

generously gave up his time to

walk and put on shows along the

way.

What we look forward to at

the end of the walk is our own

beds, a long shower or bath, a

coldie or two and a peaceful

sleep (I think all the guys on

the walk snore loud enough to

challenge the noise from the

freight trains).

We fi nished up at the Seaview

Hotel in Townsville and had

a sausage sizzle with family,

friends and workmates.

Century Mine employees Danny Murphy (in the

Superman suit) and Mick Hogan trudge between

Century Mine and Gregory River.

Serious anglers will soon have the chance to go up against some fi ghting marlin off Townsville and be in the running to win prizes for their eff orts.

Th e 2008 Gilbert Group Billfi sh Challenge will be held on September 5–11.

Event organiser, the Townsville Game Fishing Club, believes that this year’s tournament will be the largest in its 26-year history, with more than $100,000 in cash and prizes.

Th e event consists of fi ve days of fi shing plus a “meet and greet” on the fi rst evening, a golf day and gala presentation dinner at Jupiters Townsville Hotel and Casino on the fi nal day

Many anglers choose to charter large boats for the event, but an “8m and Under” category also encourages smaller boats to enter in the tournament.

Th e Cairns heavy tackle season begins soon after the Billfi sh Challenge and the event is positioned as a great opportunity for boats heading north to stop off and experience Townsville’s hospitality and the best 6kg light tackle fi shing the area has to off er.

With complementary parties and barbecues planned, the

A group of OZ Minerals Century Mine employees earned

themselves some massive blisters recently when they walked

to Townsville from the Gulf community of Karumba for

charity.

“Trek” was started by workers at Century Mine in 2004

to raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation.Th eir

employer supports the event by giving participants time off

work, food, vehicles, petrol and some accommodation.

Century Mine health and hygiene co-ordinator and veteran

Trekker, Bernadette Murphy, shares her experiences of this

year’s walk.

Tales from the outback Trek

NT moves on barra take

The barramundi - “icon fi sh of the Territory”.

Challenge reels them in

challenge has become a premium

social event for the whole

of the north and north-west

Queensland mining industry.

For more information visit

www.townsvillegamefi shclub.

com/billfi sh_challenge_08/index.

htm.

27The Mining Advocate | August 2008 LIFESTYLE

First Home Buyers - Investment Loans - Commercial Loans - Debt Protection Advice - Consolidation Loans - Overseas Borrowers

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1. Smarter Mortgage Solutions are exclusive members of Australia’s largest aggregator Australian Finance Group (AFG). This benefits you as we have the bargaining power to negotiate with the lenders for the best rates and fees available. 2. We maybe able to save you hundreds of $ per month on a consolidation loan. Regular assessments ensure you are always getting the right deal. 3. We have a major retail bank with branches throughout Australia, that only offers a special product to the broker channel and the branch network can not offer it. 4. Over 50% of borrowers now use a mortgage professional to help them into their purchases. There is no way that over half of the market has it wrong. At Smarter Mortgage Solutions we take on the role of your “personal banker”.5. Did anyone mention we are a FREE SERVICE TO YOU?6. With our experience and knowledge of the industry and the systems in place we ensure you get the best deal available at the time.

Moving north has been a wonderful lifestyle choice for one Bowen Basin miner and his family. Rob Butler is a diesel fi tter at Newlands Coal Mine at Suttor Creek, 129km west of Mackay.

He works shifts of four or fi ve days on site and has the following four or fi ve days off , in alternating patterns

His family moved base from Mackay to the Whitsunday region about 18 months ago and Mr Butler said he relished arriving home from work after a 90-minute drive for some quality down time.

“It’s a lot diff erent up here, a lot slower - we love it up here without the traffi c,” Mr Butler said.

He also said leisure activities were second to none in the Whitsundays.

When he’s not slaving away at mining machines, Mr Butler likes nothing better than taking his boat out and wetting a fi shing line in the sparkling blue water.

Mr Butler has lived at the Whitsunday Shores estate, just south of Bowen on the North Queensland coast, for about 12 months and the family is rapt with their new home.

“Th e best thing about living at Whitsunday Shores is that it’s new and there is room to move about – we’re not living in each others’ pockets,” Mr Butler said.

He said one of his favourite parts of his house was the large back yard.

Th e Aspen Group is focusing on developing the

estate as a self-suffi cient community, including the

creation of a retail precinct, tavern, playgrounds,

retirement village, landscaped parks and boardwalks.

Essential and luxury items are also available a short

drive away in Bowen.

A country club and 18-hole golf course is planned

for Whitsunday Shores in the future.

For more details visit www.whitsundayshores.com.au.

Th e Bowen region off ers a great alternative in

relaxed coastal living for central Queensland

miners, according to one recent convert.

A sea change for the better

ADVERTORIAL

28 August 2008 | The Mining AdvocateEDUCATION 2009

COLUMBA CATHOLIC COLLEGECHARTERS TOWERS

• Caring, safe environment.

• Classes from Prep to Year 12.

• Extensive subject and extra-curricular range.

• Over 30 Subject choices at Senior level.

• Vocational education.

• School based apprenticeships.

• Practical innovative learning.

• Curriculum focus in the Middle Years (7-9)

• Prep to Year 6 special focus on Literacy Programs

leading into Middle School.

• Discipline - firm and fair.

• Cattle Club.

• Innovative Agricultural Science Program.

• Marybank - a College outdoor education facility

on the nearby Burdekin River.

• Modern facilities.

• Staff commitment to the best in teaching.

• Residential care and opportunities for

personal growth.

• Separate residential campuses for boys and

girls from Year 4 to Year 12.

• Option for weekly boarding.

• Family friendly fees and payment options.

COLUMBA CATHOLIC COLLEGE

CHARTERS TOWERS

PO Box 274

Charters Towers

Qld 4820

E office@columba.qld.edu.au

W www.columba.qld.edu.au

P 0747 871744

F 0747 874986

Founded 1917

• Anglican School • Co-Ed Day & Boarding • Early Childhood to Year 12

tcs@cathedral.qld.edu.au • www.cathedral.qld.edu.au

07 4722 2000 Educating for life-long success

We develop the whole-person, preparing them for life-long success

in the real world. To find out more about the amazing opportunities

offered at The Cathedral School, telephone our Registrar Mrs Toni Lanphier on 4722 2000

The Cathedral School provides students with multiple academic and training pathways

Th e proud 100-year tradition of educating students from near and far at Columba Catholic College continues in 2008.

Th e beauty of Charters Towers is that it off ers everything of a large metropolitan centre while maintaining the appeal of a rural community, a college spokeswoman says.

And Columba Catholic College boarders never miss out.

“A real home away from home for our students from the bush - weekends are spent going to the movies, having barbecues, swimming at various waterholes, camping, taking trips to Townsville, shopping down town or simply relaxing around the boarding house,” the spokeswoman said.

She said Columba boarding off ered parents and their children a structured environment that was conducive to scholastic endeavour.

“Our boarders have

free access to all of the

learning facilities of the

college, which also boasts

a ratio of one computer

for every residential

student - an important

element in the education

of 21st century students,”

the college spokeswoman

said.

In addition to the physical resources, teaching staff help students during study time, providing a meaningful connection between day and boarding school.

Th e college off ers residential students a number of structured and engaging co- and extra-curricular activities which ensures their lives are very full.

Columba has students participating in netball, touch football, tennis,

taekwondo and judo, as well as involvement in various inter-school sporting competitions.

Th e spokeswoman said a number of Columba Catholic College students were also engaged in the arts during weekends, working on various performance projects incorporating drama and music.

“Furthermore, a number of our rural students enjoy their membership in Cattle Club and regularly travel (with much success) to agricultural shows,” the spokeswoman said.

“Once again, the emphasis is on ensuring our boarders never miss out.”

Th e college’s residential staff are experienced and well placed to meet the needs of each and every individual.

“Columba Catholic College is thriving and continues to off er rural families the best in education,” the spokeswoman said.

“The emphasis is on

ensuring our boarders

never miss out”

A ‘home away from home’

for boarders from the bush

Multiple career pathways at CathedralTh e Cathedral School is very aware that the “one- size-fi ts-all” approach is no longer relevant in today’s career market.

As a result, the Townsville-based school works very closely with each individual child, mapping out a career pathway that suits their academic needs and life goals.

“Students are increasingly looking for alternatives to academic study, often focusing on a trade,” said Cathedral School careers adviser Katrina Wilshire.

“We strongly encourage students to stay on at school, to complete Year 12, yet we work very hard to allow them to start their trade

while still at school.”Th e Cathedral School

has a strong working partnership with TORGAS, placing students in their school-based apprenticeship program.

One such student is Mark Neilsen - an apprentice boilermaker completing Year 12 at Th e Cathedral School.

“I want to have my own company one day after I spend some time working out at the mines,” Mark said.

TORGAS arranged

Mark’s placement with host business Locker Group, where he is highly regarded.

“Mark is a great example of the benefi ts

of a school-based apprenticeship and the life-long opportunities provided by Th e Cathedral School,” Mrs Wilshire said.

School-based apprentice Mark Neilsen (right) from The Cathedral School completes a task under

the watchful eye of Locker Group supervisor Lindsey Briggs.

29The Mining Advocate | August 2008 EDUCATION 2009

Register on 1300 665 733 or visit www.atcnq.edu.au

YEAR 10?Learn a trade -• Bricklaying • Electrical • Carpentry • Auto Mechanic • Spray & Panel BeatingAND FINISH YEAR 12 AND GET PAID!

Australian Technical CollegeNorth Queensland

If you are in Year 10, you can enrol in the Australian Technical College and have on the job training, fi nish your QCE and get paid for it! How good is that! Applications are now invited to enrol in the 2009 year by contacting the College direct or via our web page.

Mid Year EnrolmentsLimited places are now available for mid year enrolments. If you would like to join the College mid year contact us now for full details.

Apprentices from the Australian Technical College – North Queensland are fast becoming sought-after employees in local industry.

Th e college turns out school-based apprentices in the four broad industry areas of construction, engineering, electro-technology and automotive work.

Since the college opened its doors in February last year, its apprentices have been snapped up by about 190 North Queensland businesses.

Chief executive offi cer Roslyn Baker said employers across the region were recognising the quality of the students.

“Recently we surveyed all of our employers and almost 100 per cent of respondents said they would recommend the college to other employers,” Ms Baker said.

“It’s really great to see that our students are out there in industry proving that they are as good, if not better, than their counterparts.

“It all comes down to the focus we have on meeting industry needs.

“We run the college as an extension of the workplace, so our students know what their employers are expecting of them before they even go out to their placement.

“Th is year we have set up an Apprentice Action Team which monitors the performance of all apprentices and works closely with employers, students and parents to ensure that everyone’s needs are being met.”

Townsville City Council is among the many employers who have seen the advantages of the college.

“As a local employer, it would always be our preference to employ people from here in Townsville and having the Australian Technical College – North Queensland training means our young people stay in the north,” a council spokesperson said.

“We have a number of apprentices on our books who train at the college and we have been so happy with the way their skills have been developed.

“With many of our young

people having so many options available to them in terms of their future, we fi nd having this training available means they can stay here in North Queensland and contribute to the development of their own community.”

Ms Baker said the college off ered a diff erent approach to the traditional school-based apprenticeship model.

“Unlike the regular one day a week of industry placement, our apprentices are out with their

employers for up to fi ve weeks at a time,” she said.

“It’s win-win for the student and the employer, because the student is getting more on-the-job training and the employer gets their apprentice working with them for a much longer period.”

Th e Australian Technical College – North Queensland has apprentices in a number of trade areas ready for the workplace. For more information call 1300 665 733.

Australian Technical College - North Queensland Apprentice of the Year Jesse Jackson. Photo by: Stewart McLean

Industrysnaps upstudents

30 August 2008 | The Mining AdvocateEDUCATION 2009

“NURTURING OUR YOUTH,THEIR FUTURE IS IN OUR HANDS”

IN-STeP is a non-profi t organisation funded through

an Australian Government Initiative, Career Advice

Australia (CAA). Through CAA IN-STeP delivers the

Local Community Partnership program to Townsville,

the Burdekin, Charters Towers, Ingham and Palm

Island, that assists all young people between the ages

of 13 and 19

We work with schools, businesses, government

and community organisation to provide a range of

tailored services and programs to enhance the future

prospects for young people.

LINKING YOUNG PEOPLE, SCHOOLS, PARENTS, BUSINESSES AND THE COMMUNITY

email: in-step@in-step.com.au

www.in-step.com.auPh: (07) 4725 2688

• 3 Course fine dining meal• Plasma screens strategicallly placed in the

marquee will show the races• Individual Horse Naming race rights

sponsorship available ($2500) only 6 available• Individual team sponsorships available ($1000)• Individual players at $250per head

Cootharinga Charity Race Day & Bonanza Tipping CompetitionOn the 25th of October, Cox Plate

Cootharinga Disability Services and Parry Nissan are giving away a

NISSAN MICRA

TEAM VS TEAMBONANZA TIPPING

COMPETITIONin the Grand Marquee.

All food and Drinks provided

All proceeds go to people living withdisabiities in North Queensland. Prizeswill be given for best dressed person,

best hat and best dressed team.

Th e non-profi t organisation IN-STeP is helping young people throughout North Queensland explore potential career pathways to secure a bright employment future.

IN-STeP (Industry School Training Partnership) works with schools, businesses, government and community organisations to provide a range of tailored services and programs.

With funding from Career Advice Australia, IN-STeP delivers the Local Community Partnership program to Townsville, the Burdekin, Charters Towers, Ingham and Palm Island - assisting young people between the ages of 13 and 19.

Local Community Partnerships implement three career development and transition support programs:

• Structured Workplace Learning – facilitating the provision of structured workplace learning opportunities to students in a real or simulated workplace;

• Career and Transition Support – facilitating access for young people to a range of career and transition support programs; and

• Adopt A School – encouraging businesses to work with schools to engage young people in hands-on learning experiences and develop their understanding of work and employability skills.

Th rough these initiatives the organisation works with schools, parents, industry and professional career development practitioners to deliver services and material including:

• Australian Career and Development Studies,

• Industry presentations and visits,

• Career education materials,• “Rolling for a Career” – a

career activity for 13 and 14-year-olds,

• Teacher Professional Development workshops,

• Access to professional career advice,

• Industry work placements, and

• Parent workshops about post-school options.

Th e organisation promotes vocational and technical education pathways and opportunities.

It works to enhance monitoring and mentoring arrangements for young people,

A helping hand for region’s youth

particularly Year 9 and 10 students.

IN-STeP’s philosophy is to aid the whole community.

Its aim - to encourage young people to listen to their

heart, follow their dreams and realise their potential through empowerment, knowledge and experience.

IN-STeP strives to bridge the gap between key stakeholders,

facilitate quality partnerships

and improve opportunities for

young people.

For more information visit

www.in-step.com.au.

Businesses can benefi t by having

meaningful work completed while

developing students’ skills.

Young people get

practical help to

choose their career

paths.

DOES YOUR BUSINESS NEED AN

APPRENTICE OR TRAINEE?

STEP 1Talk to TORGAS the Apprentice& Trainee Specialists on1300 655 199TORGAS has over 20 years experiencemanaging apprentices and trainees

STEP 2Leave the worry to usTORGAS provides your business with aflexible and worry free service

You can also contact TORGASby email: torgas@torgas.com.au

or www.torgas.com.au

Vocational education teachers and

industry worked together at a recent

validation and moderation day in

Townsville to ensure that students

received the best possible start to their

industry careers.

The event was organised by TORGAS theApprentice and Trainee Specialists, theBarrier Reef Institute of TAFE (BRIT), TAFEQueensland, and the School IndustryTraining Network [SITLink].

Over 20 vocational education teachersfrom throughout North Queenslandconsulted with BRIT, TORGAS, and industryrepresentatives about assessmentrequirements relevant to workplaces, andsubmitted their lesson plans for review.

TORGAS managing director Alan Morris

said that, as far as he knew, it was the first

event of its type that had been staged, and

he hoped it would become an annual

occurrence.

He said teachers not only benefited from

talking to industry representatives, they

also learnt from interacting with each

other.

“Schools were able to look at how others

were delivering vocational education and

were exposed to a variety of different

methods of delivery,” he said.

“A number of schools have set up informal

partnerships to share knowledge, ensure

consistency, and support new networks.”

Mr Morris said the vocational education

sector was required to deliver relevant and

precise qualifications, and the validation

and moderation day helped reinforce what

schools needed to do to satisfy this

requirement.

The event also helped show them how

they could capture evidence to

demonstrate the relevance of their

vocational training.

Pacific Coast Engineering managing

director George Clarke was head of the

engineering industry representatives at the

validation and moderation day.

He said his main advice to teachers was to

focus more on workplace health and safety.

“Students need to know how to comply

with the different elements of safety

legislation before they go out on site these

days,” he said.

He said he learnt a number of things from

his discussions with teachers at the event,

especially in regard to school examination

processes.

The Queensland education sector was on

the right track with its vocational training

programs, he said.

TORGAS is a non-profit Group Training

Organisation operating on a commercial

basis.

It services North Queensland from Cardwell

to Mackay and the Whitsundays, and the

North West Mineral Province.

TORGAS employs over 500 apprentices and

trainees in various fields including

engineering, mining, construction,

automotive, hospitality and administration.

George Clarke

SCHOOLS MEET INDUSTRY NEEDS

32 August 2008 | The Mining AdvocateEDUCATION 2009

•••••

Townsville Catholic Education OfficeTelephone: 4773 0900enquiries@tsv.catholic.edu.au

MA

KC

E043

“I have come so that you may have life and have it to the full” John 10:10

Faith Life Learning

www.tsv.catholic.edu.au

Catholic education has a long and proud history in the west, dating back to the establishment of the fi rst Catholic school in Charters Towers in 1876 and Mount Isa in 1932. Today, this strong tradition continues with almost 2000 students attending the Catholic schools which serve Mount Isa, Cloncurry, Hughenden, Winton, Charters Towers and the surrounding communities.

Catholic schools off er a distinct style of education - quality curriculum delivered in line with the Catholic ethos and Christian values.

At its heart is a focus on nurturing and development of the individual child – academically, spiritually, socially, emotionally and physically.

Students are encouraged to become actively involved in the life of the school and in their local communities and are educated to become responsible stewards of the environment.

Catholic schools in the west provide families with a Catholic

education from Prep through to Year 12, with six primary schools and two secondary colleges, including a boarding facility in Charters Towers.

Columba Catholic College in Charters Towers provides families with a quality boarding option for their children, in a structured environment conducive to academic endeavour, social and physical development.

Columba Catholic College’s residential staff is experienced and well placed to meet the needs of individual students.

Residential facilities are off ered from Year 4 to 12, with girls’ and boys’ boarding dormitories located on two separate campuses.

Columba Catholic College now off ers a state-of-the-art training centre providing students with a best-practice facility for those interested in pursuing a career in agricultural and vet science.

Th is facility, known as one of the best of its kind in Australia, off ers students a hands-on

learning experience.

Catholic Education

director for the Townsville

Diocese, Cathy Day, said the

organisation was very proud

of the long history of Catholic

schooling in the west.

“Catholic schools have long

been an important part of our

western communities, whether

they serve families living in

the immediate towns or those

located in more remote areas

through our boarding facilities,”

Dr Day said. “We look forward

to continuing to be a strong

presence in the west and to

the ongoing delivery of quality

education and residential care

in our strong Catholic ethos.”

Columba Catholic College in Charters Towers

combines a long schooling tradition with the

best of modern training facilities.

A proud history in the west

Columba Catholic College off ers students state-of-the-art training facilities.

The spill control sector is an important part of the overall industry and a critical segment of any organisation’s environment protection strategy but remains largely unregulated.In this unregulated environment, there are four important questions that consumers need to ask when buying spill control equipment to ensure due diligence is being exercised.

1. Why do I need spill control equipment?One common thread that runs through the various state environment protection legislations is the obligation for all businesses and individuals to exercise their General Environmental Duty. The Environment Protection Act 1994 defi nes this as: “A person must not carry out any activity that causes, or is likely to cause, environmental harm unless the person takes all reasonable and practicable measures to prevent or minimise the harm”.If a pollution incident occurs and the responsible company is unable to provide evidence that the General Environmental Duty has been observed, maximum penalties of up to $5 million and 7 years’ imprisonment are available to the courts.

2. How much spill control equipment do I need?Section 2.3.4 (Spillage Control) of The Australian Standard AS1940-2004 for The Storage and Handling of Flammable and Combustible Liquids states that all spills and leaks shall be cleaned up immediately. Liquids should not be allowed to fl ow into drains or on to neighbouring land, or enter any creek, pond or waterway.When recommending the amount of spill control equipment required, AS1940-

2004 states, “Precautions should be based at least on the loss of contents of the largest container kept.”Mobile bins are a common spill kit container but the size of the container that a spill kit is packed into does not refl ect its ability to absorb a certain amount. Always ask your spill control provider what the absorbent capacity of the spill kit is. It is important that your supplier can support these claims by providing you with a copy of maximum sorbency testing results from an accredited laboratory.

3. Is training provided?The Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) conducted compliance audits on 52 licensed

management facilities and 10 non-licensed premises that store and handle liquid chemicals and manage spills. On a number of the audited sites it found appropriate training had not been provided. The fi nal report identifi ed the need for, “developing and implementing procedures to train staff in spill management and the use of spill kits.”As with all emergency response equipment, staff must be trained in correct deployment in the event of an incident occurring. As well as providing a thorough understanding of how to correctly use the on-site spill control equipment, the training should also make staff aware of how the legislation applies to both them and the company. This is critical as there are responsibilities and

liabilities carried by both individuals and the site occupier and ignorance of the law is no excuse.Due diligence requires spill control suppliers to include complete product training to assist with achieving best environmental outcomes.

4. How do I dispose of used absorbents?Whenever waste is generated, it must be deposited into the correct waste stream. The type of liquids absorbed and the amount of contaminated absorbents will determine the waste stream into which the used absorbents must disposed of.All states apart from Northern Territory provide documented waste disposal guidelines to ensure correct disposal of oil soaked waste. There are slight differences in these guidelines from state to state. The common principles shared by these guidelines are up to 100kg of oil soaked waste can be disposed of as solid or inert waste provided that there are no free liquids present.The test method required by these guidelines to show that there are no free liquids is the USEPA Paint Filter Liquids Test – Method 9095A. Ask your spill control provider to supply you with the document that establishes that the absorbents they offer meet this requirement. If they are unable to provide this documentation, the consumer may be vulnerable to prosecution for illegal dumping of waste.

By asking your spill control provider these four important questions you can feel secure in the knowledge that due diligence is being exercised and that the correct tools for effectively addressing an emergency spill incident are on hand.

Contact Spill Station Australia on1300 664 266 for your nearest stockist.

ADVERTISEMENT

THIS REGION IS:• One of the two largest base metals mining regions in the world.• Host to the world’s largest miners and processors including: Xstrata,

BHP Billiton; and Zinifex, among others.• One of the oldest gold mining belts in the country.• An emerging diamond and minor metals producer.• Australia’s bauxite central.

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