March 2010

THIS EDITION

• Industry braces for next skills crunch

• Shutdown team rolls out engineering innovations

• Tough new rules tighten access to farming land

• Northern Australia’s fertile phosphate future

Supporting mining and industry in Queensland and the NT

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Supporting mining and industry in Queensland and the NTSupporting mining and industry in Queensland and the NT

ISSN 1833-3125

XSTRATA MOUNT ISA

MINING EXPO PREVIEW

• Mechanical

• Electrical

• Hydraulics

• Auto Air Conditioning

• Parts and Batteries

• Exclusive thermal wrapping

• 24/7 breakdown service

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1The Mining Advocate | March 2010 NEWS

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3 Upswing sparks skills concerns

A strong pipeline of coal growth projects has tipped Incitec Pivot’s $935 million ammonium nitrate plant

back into construction at Moranbah. While the move is a good measure of an industry rebound, the

company has also noted a desire to have work well under way before what it sees as a looming skills crunch.

Meanwhile the Queensland Resources Council warns that the sector will have a battle on its hands to fi nd

the right people for an estimated 41,000 new mining and energy jobs within the next decade.

4 Trailblazing womenWomen making mighty inroads in the minerals and energy industry, both at the coal face and in the board

room, have been recognised at the 2010 Resources Award for Women presentations.

5 Battlelines drawn A State Government discussion paper released recently warns mining companies they face tough new

guidelines for mining land used for food production. In this edition Th e Mining Advocate explores the

potential confl ict over cropping land.

24 A ‘wheelie’ good idea Dysart dragline operator Aidan Gorlick tells how a style of wheel chock he knocked up with a few bits of

angle iron 10 years ago has caught on at his work site and now looks set to spread to other BMA mines.

39 Eyes on the prize Cameron Welsh has promised workmates he will lose his “mono-brow” as well as his crowning glory if he

reaches a $10,000 fundraising tally for charity.

His wife’s battle with cancer has prompted Mr Welsh to join the many resource industry workers

supporting the 2010 World’s Greatest Shave Mine Challenge.

March 2010

FEATURES6 Townsville Regional Capacity

10 Mount Isa Regional Capacity

12 Mackay Regional Capacity

14 Coal and Gas UpdateNews in brief across the coal and gas industries.

16 Industry Update - HardrockA comprehensive wrap of exploration and operations in Queensland and the Northern Territory.

18 Between Shifts

23 Emissions

24 Safety

25 Bigger Tougher Better

26 Best Tractor Parts

28 Mount Isa Property Special

30 Xstrata Mount Isa Mining Expo

36 Building Mining Communities

Managing editor: .........................Robert Dark m. 0417 623 156

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Advertising booking deadlineMay edition: April 23

Drill cores from Krucible Metals’ north-west Queensland phosphate

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The mining and energy sector is facing a skills crunch within the next two years as billions of dollars worth of new projects come on stream, according to the Queensland Resources Council.

Mining executives in Queensland were expressing growing concern about attracting and retaining a skilled workforce as the economy rebounded, QRC deputy chief executive and director of skills policy Greg Lane said.

Mr Lane said there were about $115 billion worth of mining and energy projects at various stages of consideration and development in Queensland.

“Subject to fi nal investment decisions, many could go into construction within 12 months to two years,” he said.

Meanwhile he said the industry growth cycle had already accelerated in Western Australia, with major gas projects under way off the north-west shelf. Another competing factor in the Queensland skills picture was the construction work tied to massive State Government infrastructure investment instituted to help stave off the negative eff ects of the global economic downturn.

Mr Lane said the competition for skills was already starting to bite and he believed Queensland’s resources sector would have a battle on its hands to fi nd the right people for an estimated 41,000 new sector jobs within 10 years.

“Th e development of the coal seam gas (CSG) and LNG industries in Queensland at the

As the economy rebounds and the major project

queue grows, the resource sector is bracing for

new workforce woes, writes Belinda Humphries.

Skills crunch on near horizon

Greg LaneQRC deputy chief executive and

director of skills policy

levels being proposed will need

to be matched by the direct and

indirect employment of more

than 18,000 new employees over

the next decade,” he said.

“Alongside that, labour force outlook studies are pointing to the demand for additional operational workers in the coal, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc and gold sectors in Queensland exceeding 23,000 by 2020.”

Northern Territory Industry Capability Network (ICN) general manager Kevin Peters foresaw signifi cant skills issues arising, with the mining industry competing with oil and gas – including the Inpex project - depending on construction timelines.

“We have a situation with the Gorgon and Wheatstone gas projects in the West, Gladstone LNG developments and the Exxon Mobil project in PNG - put them together with what’s happening here and it’s quite concerning really,” he said.

Such resource sector growth would also be competing with other infrastructure projects for skills, including a $657 million indigenous housing project and about $245 million worth of Defence projects which were drawing heavily on the Territory’s existing construction capacity, Mr Peters said.

He said local industry must prepare by developing an understanding of the programs available to bring in labour from interstate or overseas.

“Th ey also have to acquaint themselves with all the avenues at their disposal to recruit and train

on a local level,” he said“Th ere are certainly potential

pools there in the indigenous area. Th e number one priority is training.”

While off ering lucrative reimbursement packages to compete for the limited pool of suitable skilled people had been an option for the Queensland resources sector in the past, Mr Lane said costs had grown signifi cantly over the last few years and there were limitations on just how far companies could go in that regard.

He said the workers required would have to come from a range of sources including attracting people from overseas and interstate, training people who could be suitably upskilled within a limited timeframe and tapping into under-represented demographics.

“We have to get more women and more indigenous people into the workforce,” he said.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has announced a partnership with industry to develop a $10 million program to train workers for the state’s new CSG and LNG industries.

Mr Lane said the QRC was advocating the establishment of a skills commission in Queensland to ensure future training investment was more strategically focused on the state’s economy and met actual industry skills demand.

Local mining supply businesses are likely to become attractive takeover targets for larger corporations seeking a cut of central Queensland’s massive resource sector growth, a regional business leader says.

Rockhampton Regional Development chief executive Gary Kerr believed the raft of major mining and energy projects in the pipeline, particularly in the Galilee Basin, would see more national and international supply companies establishing a local presence.

He believed many would be looking to establish a foothold quickly by acquiring and expanding local businesses rather than establishing greenfi eld operations.

Mr Kerr said also he expected a new dynamic at play in the supply market, particularly with major projects such as Clive Palmer’s China First development being strongly tied to Chinese fi nance and coal sales.

“My feeling is that Chinese suppliers will be preferred suppliers, certainly for more of the major plant and equipment,” he said.

Mr Kerr said central Queensland was seeing strong evidence of a resources industry upswing. Th e region centred around Rockhampton, Gladstone and Emerald on the Central Highlands had 157 major projects with a total value of $138 billion under consideration or construction, he said.

“We’ve estimated about 25,000 jobs will be created in the region in the next fi ve years – construction and operational workforces,” he said.

Th is would clearly create some skills challenges, he said.“In the past a lot of local businesses have lost skilled workers

to the mining companies,” Mr Kerr said.“It hasn’t come to that just yet - but we’re well aware that will

be an issue in the not-too-distant future.”

Stronger ammonium nitrate demand, linked to coal growth projects, has prompted Incitec Pivot to resume construction of its stalled $935 million manufacturing plant at Moranbah.

Th e company is also conscious of an anticipated skills shortage in the construction arena and its general manager - major projects, Alan Grace, said this had played a part in the decision to press ahead.

“In another year the east coast construction market will be hot and there will be more demand (for skilled labour),” he said.

“So we have been quite keen to recommence the project at a time when we think that labour will be more confi dently available than if we left it another year.”

Th e Moranbah project involves the construction of a 330,000 tonnes-a-year complex comprising ammonia, nitric acid and ammonium nitrate plants as well as a power plant and other

supporting infrastructure.Construction work is scheduled

to resume in May, with the aim of starting production in the fi rst quarter of 2012.

With removal of overburden for coal mine extensions or new projects being a key driver for ammonium nitrate sales, Mr Grace said the level of demand for the explosive could be seen as a good barometer of the industry’s fortunes.

Incitec Pivot (IPL) managing director and chief executive offi cer James Fazzino indicated recently that 90 per cent of the Moranbah plant’s forecast production is already committed.

Th e Moranbah project has twice been placed on ice – fi rst under the ownership of Dyno Nobel in 2007 and again in February last year.

As the global fi nancial crisis bit IPL decided to delay the project, just six months after announcing its resumption following the acquisition of Dyno Nobel.

Mr Grace said the overall project was about one-third complete, with about a quarter of the construction work fi nalised.

About $600 million of the overall budget was still to be spent and while much of that would go on labour, Mr Grace said many tender opportunities remained for equipment and services.

An alliance of United Group Resources, Bilfi nger Berger Services (Australia) and BGC Contracting will continue to act as the major project contractor.

Mr Grace expected about 700 people to be directly employed in the project by the second half of the year.

“Th at does not include people working for subcontractors and the manufacturing workshops supplying and delivering to the project,” he said.

He said IPL’s construction partners had indicated that many of those workers previously involved in the project were keen to come back.

He believed the project would be able to attract the skilled personnel required, but warned of a likely shortage looming in that area.

At the same time, Mr Grace said demand was increasing for mining-related products such as ammonium nitrate.

“What I think has pleased many is the extent to which demand for metallurgical coal from the Bowen Basin in particular has held up and even prospered over the last 12 to 18 months,” he said.

“Our customers see their prospects as strong.”

With an ideal position, Mr Grace said IPL could see potential for further growth at the Moranbah site.

$935m build back on track

Big end of town ready to pounce

The Moranbah ammonium nitrate plant construction site.

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A trailblazing Bowen Basin mining manager and the chief operating offi cer for a large consultancy are joint winners of the 2010 Resources Award for Women.

Th e top honour and various category awards are presented annually at the Queensland Resources Council’s International Women’s Day breakfast to acknowledge and promote women’s achievements in the minerals and energy sector.

Th is year, the judges couldn’t separate Jennifer Mackenzie, a mining manager with BMA, and Susan Denk, chief operating offi cer for the Brisbane-based Unidel group, for the top title.

Ms Mackenzie, a metallurgical engineer, recently became BMA’s fi rst female mining manager when she accepted that position at Norwich Park Mine, Dysart.

It was also the fi rst time

a person from a processing background had been appointed as a mining manager within BMA.

In 2008, Ms Mackenzie was the fi rst woman to be appointed to the role of coal handling and preparation plant manager by the company.

She also founded BMA’s Operational Working Women’s Group, which focuses on education programs and other initiatives for girls and professional development for women.

“As a woman in my current position, I have the ability to not only positively infl uence those coming after me, but also set the standard by which all in the industry should expect professional women to conduct themselves,” Ms Mackenzie said.

Ms Denk is a petroleum engineer with more than 15

An awards presentation has paid tribute to

the achievements of a wide range of women

working in Queensland’s resources sector.

Industry honours female high-fl yers

years’ experience in the energy and infrastructure sectors, working in engineering, operations, management and executive positions.

Her career has included work as Schlumberger’s IT manager in the Middle East and Asia, operating in cultures where she was often required to be fully covered from head to toe in an abaya robe.

Ms Denk is the newly appointed chair of the voluntary group Women in Mining and Resources Queensland, which organises networking opportunities for women in Brisbane and regional centres throughout Queensland.

Highly commended awards in the overall section went to Xstrata Copper Ernest Henry Mine production engineering offi cer Kylie Hughes, RPS Australia/South-East Asia operations director Catherine Brosnan and Wesfarmers Curragh environment and sustainability manager Tracey Tucker.

Kerry Brisbane, the electrical team leader at the Xstrata Skills Centre, Mount Isa won the trade category of the awards, Norwich Park open-cut examiner/assistant shotfi rer Jan Simpson won in the operator category and Jessica Murphy from Emerald State High School won the junior category (open to girls in Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy schools).

Anglo Coal’s Foxleigh Mine won the best company initiative category for its “Hot Seat Crew” roster.

Th e company introduced the concept at the Bowen Basin coal mine last year to cover regular day-shift operator breaks.

Th e crews work from 8am to

4pm and the roster provides a

fl exible career pathway into the

resources industry, especially for

people interested in re-entering

the workforce.

Of the 19 people trained for

the hot seat crew within the local

community of Middlemount, 14

are female.

Queensland Resources

Council chief executive Michael

Roche said that with women

making up only 14 per cent of

member companies’ employees,

and a skills shortage looming,

the industry must continue to

pull out all stops to attract and

retain women in the resources

sector.

Award winners Jennifer Mackenzie and Susan Denk. Photos: Mark Duff us


A passion for military history has seen North Queensland mining consultant Ross Th omas swap the grime of Cannington for the glittering lure of Cannes.

Mr Th omas’s single-minded dedication to highlighting the wartime eff orts of the miners of Australia’s tunnelling companies saw the Townsville resident turn his hand to fi lm making.

Th e resulting movie, Beneath Hill 60, is due to open throughout Australia in April and Mr Th omas is hopeful that it will receive a nomination for the Cannes Film Festival in May.

“It has gone way beyond what we fi rst envisaged,” he said.

“We believe we’re on an iconic production on par with Gallipoli, Breaker Morant and Th e Lighthorsemen.”

Mr Th omas, the executive producer of Beneath Hill 60, was the registered mine manager at BHP Billiton’s Cannington mine in north-west Queensland for 12 months before giving up mining to concentrate on the fi lm project.

He has just returned from the Berlinale Film Festival in Germany, where the fi lm was previewed to potential

This former mine manager had to dig deep to

bring a wartime tale to light through a feature

fi lm that is about to hit Australian cinemas.

From metal ore to silver screen

distributors, and has been having further meetings related to the fi lm’s promotion while awaiting word from the Cannes selection committee.

“Sometimes I’d still rather be digging holes in the ground – but I’m fi nding it a fantastic sidetrack in my career,” Mr Th omas said.

He said he was amazed at the speed in which the fi lm project had come together, despite serious fi nancial hurdles.

He attributed its realisation

to “the fact the Anzac spirit was

behind it”.

While the fi lm - shot in

Townsville - may have come

together within two years, the

research eff ort that unearthed the

story of central character Oliver

Woodward began 18 years ago.

working as Inspector of Mines in Charters Towers and some records from the former School of Mines turned up during an offi ce relocation.

He found several references to Woodward, whose career had included work in gold mines around Charters Towers and tin mines in the Irvinebank area.

Mr Th omas’s subsequent research led him to Woodward’s daughter Barbara, who off ered him access to her father’s wartime diary in 2002.

“When reading the diary I realised how important it was for our military heritage and the untold stories of the Australian mining contribution,” he said,

Mr Th omas’s determination to bring greater recognition for Australia’s tunnellers has also seen him fund a $142,000 memorial to be housed in the new North Queensland Military Museum under construction at Kissing Point, Townsville.

And despite his frustrations with the fi lm industry and protestation that he’d rather still be in mining, Mr Th omas is now keenly pursuing a follow-up project to Beneath Hill 60.

“I’m working on another story which has ripped my heart out about Miss (Elizabeth) Chomley, the secretary of the Prisoners Department of the Australian Red Cross in London,” he said.

“Essentially, she became some kind of patron saint for the Australian POWS, giving them hope and inspiration.”

Woodward was the

Commanding Offi cer of the First

Australian Tunnelling Company

and the fi lm chronicles that

group’s role on the frontline in

Belgium in 1917, tunnelling

beneath an area known as Hill

60 on Messines Ridge to set

off a massive blast and capture

long-contested ground from the

Germans.

Mr Th omas said his interest

was triggered when he was

Ross ThomasBeneath Hill 60 executive producer

Search lights will sweep the sky, Hollywood style, when Townsville hosts the Queensland premiere of the World War I feature fi lm Beneath Hill 60.

Executive producer Ross Th omas said the special event would be held at Birch Carroll & Coyle cinemas in Sturt St on April 14 as a means of thanking the North Queensland community for its support during fi lming.

“We’re closing off that portion of the street for the occasion,” Mr Th omas said.

“We’ll be rolling out the red carpet literally on to the street. Some of the stars will be fl ying up from Sydney and the production crew.”

Beneath Hill 60 was predominantly shot on a property in Kelso, Townsville, where trenches were dug to simulate the western front. Th e underground scenes were fi lmed in a Bohle warehouse belonging to property

developer Brad Webb.Th e eventual cost of

producing the fi lm was $9.6 million, with Screen Australia and its Queensland and New South Wales counterparts providing about one third of that total. Th ose government funds were secured only after the fi lmmakers raised a signifi cant amount of cash from North Queensland backers to get the movie into development.

Beneath Hill 60 producer Bill Leimbach said North Queensland investors had provided about a third of the fi lm’s fi nance, while another third was taken as a loan.

“From the very beginning the story and the money has come from North Queensland,” he said.

Th e Australian premiere for the fi lm will be held in Sydney on April 8 and the nationwide release is scheduled for April 15.

Facing off over farmland Mining companies and farmers could be headed for a showdown as competition for land use in Queensland escalates.

A discussion paper the State Government released recently warns mining companies they face tough new guidelines for mining land used for food production.

Infrastructure and Planning Minister Stirling Hinchliff e said the proposed framework ensured mining that permanently alienated the land or reduced its productivity could not occur unless it was overwhelmingly in the public interest.

“Alternately, mining development proponents will need to demonstrate that they can comply with the policy by fully restoring the land back to its previous crop production capacity,” he said.

Th e proposed changes do not apply to grazing land, which comprises 80 per cent of the state and is more easily rehabilitated.

Details of the new policy were thrashed out at a series of meetings across Queensland ahead of the March 12 deadline for comments.

Mick Capelin, director of the Department of Infrastructure and Planning’s Rural Futures Strategy Group, told the Mackay meeting there was increasing confl ict, especially on the Darling Downs and Central Highlands.

“Competition for land use between agriculture and mining is increasing, with about 60 per cent of Queensland’s currently cropped land covered by mining exploration permits,” Mr Capelin said.

And while miners have been accused of gobbling up the state’s agricultural land, the Queensland Resources Council says less than 0.1 per cent of the state is used by mining operations.

A Rio Tinto Coal Australia spokeswoman said the company believed mining and farming could co-exist and planned to make a submission on the discussion paper.

“Th e value that mining brings to local, state and federal economies is signifi cant,” she said.

“However we believe it is our responsibility to

listen and engage with our near neighbours and our

local neighbours, as we respect their livelihoods and

wish to work together.”

According to the discussion paper less than 6 per

cent of Queensland has soil and climate suitable to

support permanent cropping. Of that, less than a

third is used for cropping.

Th is accounts for 30 per cent of Australia’s

fruit and vegetable production and 60 per cent of

Australia’s summer grain crop.

Queensland Resources Council chief executive

Michael Roche said it was important positive

economic, environmental and social outcomes were

achieved.

He said members favoured development

of environmental licence conditions for land

rehabilitation to provide “upfront certainty”.

“Mining and petroleum companies are

acutely aware of their environmental and social

responsibilities,” he said.

“Th ey also believe that the State Government is

best equipped to make rational land use decisions in

the interests of the owners of those resources – the

citizens of Queensland.”

Darling Downs farmer Rob McCreath said a

major open-cut coal mine was planned for land

that presently supported small crops and cereals at

Felton, south of Toowoomba. He said projects such

as Ambre Energy’s Felton clean coal project would

destroy the land and cause pollution.

Mr McCreath said there were dire warnings about

future global food shortages and agricultural land

should be maintained.

“If in 30 or 40 years time if we decide we don’t

need food and we need coal more, the coal will still

be there,” he said.

“If we mine the country now the prime cropping

country’s gone.”

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on the personal side of human resources to get outcomes for clients,

saving them administration costs and insurance.

“We look for honesty, integrity and professional commitment,” Ms

Maguire says.

“If I think it would be a struggle to cross the Atlantic Ocean with them

on a yacht they are not employed. In turn, they show us loyalty.

“We try and get young blood in and off er advice on their careers and

try and mix them with the more experienced geologists and fi eld

hands; this ensures mentoring is available on site and the learning

process is constructive, where possible. That way we get balance,

higher standards and can guarantee a continuity of work.”

Ms Maguire says her ‘Gnomes’ have made a widespread contribution

to helping develop the minerals industry.

“We care about our staff and are truly professional about the way we

conduct our business,” she says.

“Some our people have been with us on and off for 20 years. Others

have risen to become industry leaders.

“At one stage we had ex-‘Gnomes’ working as heads of departments or

project leaders for Xstrata mines copper study, exploration department

and George Fisher Mine, to name but a few.”

Gnomic Exploration Services has supplied contract exploration crews

to most of the major developments and operations in northern

Australia.

The company is gearing up to full capacity to meet new contracts and

in anticipation of an upswing in demand.

GNOMICEXPLORATION SERVICES

7The Mining Advocate | March 2010 Townsville Regional Capacity

Bouncing back from its own “near death” experience, Queensland Nickel has sponsored an initiative to help its suppliers better prepare their businesses to survive adversity and harness growth opportunities.

Th e Yabulu refi nery sponsored an information day in Townsville recently which a key State Government arm now hopes to use as a model to help other industry supply chains.

Th e Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation’s (DEEDI’s) Townsville-based director for regional services, Lawrie Martin, said the recent threatened closure of the refi nery under former owner BHP Billiton had highlighted the region’s sensitivity to major impacts to its manufacturing industry.

With the refi nery now experiencing a turn-around under Clive Palmer’s ownership, Mr Martin said DEEDI

had seen an opportunity for supporting businesses to step up performance also.

Th e supply chain information day included briefi ngs on state-run business improvement programs such as the Jobs Assist and Mentoring for Growth initiatives as well as assistance available from Enterprise Connect, the Industry Capability Network (ICN) and QMI Solutions. It also featured economic overviews and an update on Queensland Nickel’s operations.

“It’s a much more competitive market out there now,” Mr Martin said.

“As a result we want to make sure regional business can maintain a competitive edge and, if any downturn or catastrophic events were to happen, these programs we have on off er will help businesses be prepared for it.”

About 30 per cent of businesses represented at the information session had signed

A recent Townsville forum to help local fi rms

boost performance may become the model for

more events targeting industry supply chains.

Refi nery extends helping hand up that day for various support programs and Mr Martin said DEEDI was following up with the remainder. He expected the majority to get involved in the programs on off er.

While DEEDI frequently ran such workshops, Mr Martin said they did not usually involve partnering with a private organisation such as Queensland Nickel.

“We’re looking at developing a model that could be used for regional centres around the state with major clients, once we measure the success of this one,” he said.

“Th e whole idea is to generate growth for the state and I think this is a good way to do that.”

Queensland Nickel human resources and external relations manager Alan Azzopardi said the company had partnered with DEEDI for the information day as part of its new community engagement approach.

He said the day was primarily aimed at Queensland Nickel’s vendors, but other businesses were also represented among the 100 attendees.

“Th e government agencies will now work through with interested vendors in the programs that suit their business,” he said.

“We will be very interested to see in six months’ time how they have got on with it all, how they have travelled.”

Basil Ahyick from Queensland Nickel speaks at the supply chain information

session in Townsville. Photo: Stewart McLean

Professional technical services fi rm AECOM has doubled its strength in North Queensland since 2006 and is back in recruitment mode after a hiatus last year.

Regional manager for North Queensland, Richard Barrett, said the business had successfully navigated a diffi cult period through 2009.

“Pleasingly we are seeing positive signs of increased activity in parts of the market, which is allowing us to bring new people into our business with increased confi dence,” he said.

However, he said the fi rm still anticipated that “a full and broad market recovery” might take some time.

Mr Barrett’s position covers AECOM offi ces in Cairns, Mount Isa, Rockhampton, Mackay and Townsville. With about 150 of the region’s 200 staff , Townsville has the strongest AECOM presence.

Today’s AECOM is the product of the integration of 20 companies globally with expertise in a range of engineering and other professional services.

Th ese include Maunsell, Bassett, EDAW and ENSR - which all previously operated independently in North Queensland. Th e group has recently undertaken a rebranding

exercise to better unify its teams

under the AECOM banner.

“When I joined AECOM in

2000, at the time that Maunsell

and AECOM merged, there

were about 8000 people in

the AECOM global suite of

companies - today there are about

45,000,” Mr Barrett said.

“As the company has progressed

this change to a unifi ed brand has

really been about having a clearer

brand in the market and a better

integrated internal structure.”

Mr Barrett said the group had

confi dence in the strength of the

North Queensland economy and

Townsville’s development.

He said the mix of work in which AECOM was involved, across diff erent industry sectors, had helped the North Queensland operations “travel quite well” during the past 18 months.

“I guess the downturn has been slow to impact on our business,” he said.

“We had a very strong backlog of projects. Th rough most of last year we were continuing to undertake that work for our clients. I guess we are now starting to see - and have been since late last year - fairly strong recovery in the mining and resources sector in North Queensland and through central Queensland as well.”

He cited commitments to major projects such as Rio Tinto’s Kestrel Mine Extension near Emerald and underground development at the Ernest Henry Mining operation, Cloncurry, as evidence of an upswing.

As a result, AECOM was also becoming more active in the marketplace, Mr Barrett said.

“We have hired a number of new people into the business and still have a few vacancies,” he said.

He believed the region would start to see skills shortages again in some areas over the next 12 months as more major projects moved into the construction phase.

AECOM picks up pace

Richard BarrettAECOM

North Queensland manager

Queensland Nickel has launched a feasibility study with a view to expanding the Yabulu refi nery within the next few years.

Queensland Nickel chief operating offi cer Neil Meadows said the study would look at options to expand the refi nery’s front end to better utilise the idle capacity within the plant caused by the loss of feedstock from Ravensthorpe nickel mine.

Mr Meadows said the expansion could potentially

double Queensland Nickel’s

current capacity.

“Expanding the refi nery would

obviously be very advantageous to

the employees at the refi nery and

the local Townsville economy,”

Mr Meadows said.

“However, we need to fi rst

weigh up the options and ensure

that any potential expansion is

viable and sustainable.”

Th e study is due for completion

by the end of the year.

Th e Townsville Regional Engineering Cluster (TREC) has

lost its general manager, David Wylie, who has taken up a

new position in India.

Townsville Enterprise economic development general

manager Lisa McDonald said that organisation would

continue to off er day-to-day support services for TREC

members.

Th ere were no immediate plans to replace Mr Wylie.

Dr McDonald said the TREC board would reassess the

situation at the end of the fi nancial year.

The Queensland Nickel Yabulu site. Photo: Stewart McLean

Expansion mooted

Manager leaves TREC

8 March 2010 | The Mining AdvocateNEWS

Exciting discoveries driving the revitalisation of the Tennant Creek goldfi elds will be a major focus of the Northern Territory’s Annual Geoscience Exploration Seminar (AGES) in 2010.

AGES, to be held in Alice Springs on March 22 to 24, will focus on the highlights of what was a bumper year for exploration in the NT, according to Northern Territory Geological Survey director Dr Ian Scrimgeour.

“We were the only state or territory to increase spending with exploration during the downturn, so there is a lot of good news we’ll be talking about,” he said.

Th at includes what Dr Scrimgeour describes as many exciting new copper-gold discoveries in the historic

Tennant Creek mining area.“We would expect to see new

mines starting up in the Tennant Creek area in the next few years,” he said.

Excalibur Mining Corporation recently lodged a notice of intent to develop its Juno gold project at Tennant Creek.

Meanhile, Dr Scrimgeour said Adelaide Resources and Westgold Resources had both reported major discoveries in the Rover Field, south-west of Tennant Creek.

Westgold recently announced a maiden JORC mineral resource estimate comprising 5.3 million tonnes at 6.1g/t gold for 1,037,600 gold equivalent ounces for its Rover 1 deposit.

Dr Scrimgeour believed there would be a number of short-term mining operations based on

The mineral fi nds being showcased at a key

geoscience event highlight the underexplored

nature of the Territory, an industry expert says.

small deposits kicked off in the

area within the next fi ve years

and noted the potential for the

discovery of larger occurrences of

copper and gold.

“A number of explorers are

using innovative exploration

models to target these much

larger copper-gold systems at

depth,” he said.

“Th ey are using the latest

3D modelling utilising new

geophysics to target deeply

buried mineral systems.

“Although there has been a lot

of past activity in the Tennant

Creek area, most has been within

the top 100m or so - there has

been very little deeper drilling in

comparison.”

Th e discovery of a sedimentary

basin believed to host lead-

zinc mineralisation under the

Simpson Desert will also be

showcased at AGES.

Dr Scrimgeour said AGES

would also hear about

Th undelarra’s work between

Adelaide River and Pine Creek,

where drilling in the past year

had produced some of the

highest grade uranium intercepts

ever reported in Australia.

And he said Mithril would

be making a presentation

regarding a 10km outcropping

of copper-cobalt mineralisation

in the Hart’s Range area, never

previously discovered.

“It just shows how

underexplored large areas of the

Territory are,” Dr Scrimgeour

said.

NT Geological

Survey director

Dr Ian Scrimgeour.

Photo: Christopher

Knight

NT’s golden age of discovery

A new Darwin Mining Club is set to be launched in April, providing suppliers and service organisations with a forum to network with key Northern Territory mining industry fi gures.

Minerals Council of Australia NT division executive director Scott Perkins said it was anticipated that the club would host monthly gatherings including guest speaker presentations as well as running events such as the Resources Annual Dinner.

It would be chaired by Wendy Oldham, a member of the MCA Northern Territory division’s management committee, he said.

“It’s really aimed at all those people who aren’t necessarily members of the MCA but nonetheless are interested in mining and might provide a service to the industry,” he said.

“It’s a chance to network with the mining industry through social events or to get information from guest speakers.”

Th e move follows the amalgamation late last year of the Northern Territory Resources Council - formerly the NT Minerals Council - into the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA).

While service organisations who worked with the mining industry had been among the old NT Mineral Council’s members, Mr Perkins said the costs and membership structures of the subsequent Territory resource industry bodies had made it more diffi cult for such people to be involved.

“We thought we’d create this Darwin Mining Club to help satisfy the needs of those people,” he said.

New networkingclub for Darwin

ECONOMIC factors alone

would trigger construction of

a railway line to open up coal

exports from the Surat Basin, a

veteran lobbyist for the Northern

Missing Link project says.

Xstrata Coal and business

groups are advocating a

connection between Wandoan

and the existing Moura-

Gladstone line at Banana, as well

as upgrading port facilities.

Whitsunday Mayor Mike

Brunker has spruiked for the

construction of the 69km

Northern Missing Link between

the North Goonyella and

Newlands rail systems in the

northern Bowen Basin coalfi elds

for 10 years.

“Our lobbying kept the

proposal in the spotlight but

the only reason we’re in the box

seat now is because there was a

huge increase in coal prices and

tonnages,’’ Mr Brunker said.

“At the end of the day it’s a

strictly commercial decision by

mining companies.”

Mr Brunker said residents

and local governments in the

Wandoan area should fully

engage with the Environmental

Impact Statement process to

ensure the route avoided confl ict

with communities.

Xstrata has a joint venture

with Australian Transport and

Energy Corridor (ATEC) and

Queensland Rail to probe the

feasibility of the Surat Basin

Rail.

Alongside the development

of the Wandoan Coal Project,

Xstrata Coal is proposing a series

of port and rail developments to

create a new coal chain.

Th e company is also working

closely with QR Network

regarding upgrades to its existing

connections from Moura to

Gladstone and investigating

potential new port developments

at Wiggins and Balaclava islands.

Meanwhile Aquila Resources

has started legal action against

joint venture partner Bowen

Central Coal (BCC), a Vale

subsidiary, over infrastructure

agreements for the $2.3 billion

Eagle Downs coal project near

Moranbah.

Th e action centres on a dispute

over whether to export from

Abbot Point, via the Northern

Missing Link rail project, or the

Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal

in Mackay. BCC says it has

not defaulted on the project’s

infrastructure agreement.

Money speaks loudest says rail lobby veteran

Lift-off for helium plantAustralia has shifted from being a helium gas importer to exporter in one fell swoop with BOC’s new $50 million plant in Darwin.

Federal Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson and Northern Territory Chief Minister Paul Henderson recently marked the offi cial opening of the Wickham Point plant – the fi rst of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

Th e facility extracts helium from waste trace gases from a previously unused vent stream at the nearby ConocoPhillips liquefi ed natural gas plant.

“Sources of helium are relatively rare and this innovative project using waste trace gases will replace imports from the United States and Middle East and also provide a new export opportunity for Australia,” Mr Ferguson said.

Helium has a wide range of applications in the medical, manufacturing, space and defence

industries as well as its best known use – in party balloons and blimps.

BOC South Pacifi c managing director Colin Isaac said the new plant would produce 150 million cubic feet of helium annually, a fi gure representing about 2-3 per cent of world demand.

About a third of the plant’s helium output will be supplied to Australian customers, totally

satisfying domestic needs, while the remainder will be exported.

BOC is part of the Linde Group of companies, whose Linde Global Helium network will use the Darwin product to supply its Asian market.

Mr Henderson said the project demonstrated how the growth in the off shore gas industry in the Timor Sea could lead to spin-off industry developments in the NT.

BOC/Linde global head of merchant and packaged gases Steve Penn with NT

Chief Minister Paul Henderson, Federal Resources and Energy Minister Martin

Ferguson, BOC Darwin operations manager Ian Winton and BOC South Pacifi c

managing director Colin Isaac at the offi cial opening. Photo: Christopher Knight


A global hunger for fertiliser is supporting phosphate prices which may tip a number of potential north Australian ventures into production.

Minemakers investor relations manager Dean Richardson says the type of global fertiliser demand forecast by the US Geological Survey, which has predicted increases of 2.5-3 per cent each year over the next fi ve years, underpins the current level of phosphate pricing, which is conducive to new mines getting into development.

“At the moment we have one producing phosphate company in Australia – IPL (Incitec Pivot) - and there are two or three potential producers including ourselves,” he said.

“With (that sort of growth) it does look like there’s opportunity for other potential producers to move into the marketplace.”

Fertilizer Industry Federation of Australia executive manager Nick Drew said the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations had predicted a

The predicted growth in fertiliser demand may

pave the way for new phosphate operations to

get off the ground, a prospective producer says.

Fertile future infi nite resource

production will require more phosphorus,” he said.

As phosphate rock was a fi nite resource, the world would eventually run out in a similar concept to peak oil, he said.

Mr Drew said the International Fertilizer Association (IFA) and the International Fertilizer Development Centre (IFDC) were undertaking a project to update known phosphate resources around the world and to compare this with expected demand.

Mr Richardson said part of the reason that Australia had not been a large phosphate producer in the past was the fact that it was a bulk commodity and deposits were located in diffi cult areas in terms of transport and logistics.

“With Wonarah (the Minemakers project), for

example, it is 1200km from the

coast. Th e completion of the

Adelaide–Darwin rail line has

given us the opportunity to get

into production,” Mr Richardson

said.

Phosphate prices until 2005

had averaged around $US50 a

tonne, which didn’t leave much

margin for new producers to

become established, he said.

“Traditional producers like

Morocco, Jordan and Egypt with

the infrastructure established

used to be able to produce

at a much lower cost,” Mr

Richardson said.

Prices spiked in 2008 around

$US450 a tonne before levelling

out during the global fi nancial

crisis to around $US90 a tonne.

Mr Richardson said they had

trended upward since to around

$US115 to $US125 a tonne.

Minemakers was recently

granted its mining lease for the

Wonarah phosphate deposit in

the Northern Territory. It aims to

produce three million tonnes per

year at full capacity.

Overburden is removed at the Arruwurra trial pit for Minemakers’ Wonarah

phosphate project in the Northern Territory.

Dean RichardsonMinemakers

investor relations manager

37 per cent increase in fertiliser

use from 1995 to 2030 to help

meet global cropping demands.

“Phosphate is one of the

‘macro’ elements, those that

plants need in relatively large

amounts, so any increase in food

Th e Georgina Basin, stretching across a large swathe of the Northern Territory and into north-west Queensland, is a hot spot among vast areas with high

phosphate potential, according to NT Geological Survey (NTGS) director Ian Scrimgeour.

“Th ere is massive potential in the Northern Territory, particularly in the Georgina Basin,” Dr Scrimgeour said.

“Most of that area is covered by black soil plains and remains heavily unexplored.

“Th ere is also a very prospective area in the Wiso Basin west of Tennant Creek and also in the Eromanga Basin south-west of Alice Springs.”

Dr Scrimgeour said improved prices for the commodity had encouraged those companies investigating mining.

In addition to Minemakers’ Wonarah project – which recently exported bulk samples of direct shipping ore, Dr Scrimgeour said Phosphate Australia and Arafura Resources each had advanced phosphate projects in the NT.

Arafura’s Nolans Bore site is predominantly a rare earth project but will also produce phosphate.

Phosphate Australia is investigating three potential routes for a proposed $200 million slurry pipeline to carry product from its Highland Plains project, on the Queensland-Northern Territory border. Th e company is sitting on a 56 million-tonne resource, graded at 16 per cent phosphate, and plans to export up to three million tonnes of high-grade rock phosphate annually.

Dr Scrimgeour could not predict if NT’s untapped phosphate resources would spark the development of multiple

mines in next decade.“It’s very diffi cult to say

because it is so dependent on phosphate price,” he said.

“It’s currently at a marginal level to make these deposits economic.”

Queensland is home to Australia’s only phosphate producer – the Incitec Pivot operation at Phosphate Hill, where about 2.1 million tonnes of phosphate is mined annually to produce di-ammonium phosphate fertiliser (DAP) and mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP).

Legend International Holdings’ Georgina Basin Phosphate Project involves the proposed mining of up to eight phosphate rock deposits in north-west Queensland – with a 1 billion-tonne resource in total.

A Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation spokesman said a number of other companies were investigating potential phosphate operations.

Th ese include GBM, which is investigating phosphate mineralisation at its Bungalien project, about 70km north of the Phosphate Hill mine, while Dragon Energy has been drilling at its Big Toby prospect outside Mount Isa and PepinNini Minerals has conducted preliminary phosphate exploration south of Charters Towers. While tenements at MMG’s Century Mine in the north-west have also shown potential for phosphate, the company said zinc exploration was the current priority.

Hot spot for phosphate

An unexpected turnPhosphate was not even on Krucible Metals managing director Tony Alston’s radar when the company listed back in 2007.

But the price spike that followed in 2008 awoke the company to the potential it was sitting on, with exploration tenements within 3km of Australia’s only producing phosphate operation.

Mr Alston said the company was now planning to start mining phosphate at its PHM South deposit, about 150km south-east of Mount Isa, by late 2011.

“We should be applying for our mining lease in the next month and hope to be bulk sampling in six to nine months,” he said.

Krucible Metals originally acquired the ground around Incitec Pivot’s (IPL’s) Phosphate Hill operation for its uranium prospectivity, as well as gold and base metal potential.

But the phosphate spike of 2008 spurred the team to take a fresh look at the area’s geology and past exploration results.

“Pretty quickly we cranked ourselves up to explore for phosphate,” Mr Alston said.

“Once we decided to get into it, we got into it full on.”

Th e resource stands at about 5 million tonnes at an average grade

of 30 per cent phosphorus oxide

(with a 25 per cent cut off ) or 19

million tonnes at a lower cut off .

Krucible plans to produce

300,000 to 700,000 tonnes of

direct shipping ore annually for

six to eight years.

Mr Alston said there was also

potential to exploit lower-grade

ore on the tenements, possibly as

feedstock for the IPL plant.

He noted the price sensitivity

of the potential operation and the

need to establish a market.

Project manager Ray Koenig

travelled to China in early

March for the FMB Fertilizer

Conference to begin that process.

Krucible Metals

managing director

Tony Alston.

Photo: Stewart McLean

10 March 2010 | The Mining Advocate

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11The Mining Advocate | March 2010 Mt Isa Regional Capacity

Wright’s Welding workshop supervisor Gary Wright, left, and boilermaker

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Incitec Pivot is embarking on two innovative engineering projects to address problems of tank fouling and corrosion as part of its $56 million shutdown program in north-west Queensland.

An 875-strong contractor workforce from more than 75 companies is assisting Incitec Pivot’s (IPL’s) own team across its Phosphate Hill and Mount Isa sites during the scheduled maintenance shutdown, which started on March 2.

Sulphuric acid production at Mount Isa and the manufacture of ammonium phosphate fertilisers at Phosphate Hill is due to resume on March 31.

Th e IPL work has been timed to co-incide with a 29-day Xstrata Copper shutdown to complete a $34 million dollar project replacing the refractory (brick) linings of vessels used to convert copper concentrate to anode in a series of smelting processes at Mount Isa.

IPL northern engineering manager Mark Nash said the

Two major projects being rolled out at

Phosphate Hill are expected to cut plant

downtime and prolong component life.

Engineeringinnovations

IPL shut works included major

projects which would apply

innovative solutions developed by

IPL engineers and technicians to

help prolong the life of a critical-

path reactor in the phosphoric

acid plant at Phosphate Hill and

a mixing tank in the gypsum

reslurry plant also at that site.

“Our objectives were to

eliminate failures, reduce

downtime and make the regular

removal of build-up in the tanks

quicker and safer,” Mr Nash said.

Together the projects will cost

almost $9 million.

In one, shutdown crews will

replace the rubber liner and

brickwork for Reactor 2 at the

acid plant with a special stainless

steel lining and separate baffl es.

“Previously we found we could

not blast off the scale built up on

the inside of the fi nal reactor tank

without damaging the rubber

liner and brickwork,” Mr Nash

said.

“If there was a break in the

rubber, it took only six hours

for the phosphoric acid to eat

into the carbon steel of the

tank, forcing costly and time-

consuming repairs.”

Th e Reactor 2 project involves

ground-breaking design and the

use of an exotic stainless steel

called Nicrofer 3127hMo (Alloy

31) in the liner, fl oor and baffl es.

“We know a lot of chemical

companies, both in Australia and

overseas, are watching our project

with interest,” Mr Nash said.

At the tail end of the

manufacturing process at

Phosphate Hill, the existing 1.5

million-litre carbon steel reslurry

tank is being replaced with a

stainless steel tank completely

assembled on site.

Th is work will also elimate the

need for a rubber liner, making it

safer and easier to remove gypsum

build-up.

In each improvement project,

IPL expects the new components

to last up to 25 years, whereas Mr

Nash said the originals failed or

developed major problems before

they were 10 years old.

About 80 per cent of the

contractors engaged for the IPL

shutdown are either based in

north and north-west Queensland

region, or have a local presence,

according to IPL shutdown

manager Dan Miller.

Th e Xstrata shutdown involves

about 330 contractors in addition

to copper smelter maintenance

and operational employees as well

as some engineering personnel.

Phosphate Hill’s new 1.5 million-litre stainless steel reslurry tank takes shape,

with other sections of the ammonium phosphate-producing facility in the

background. Photo: Roslyn Budd

“We know a lot of chemical companies, both in Australia

and overseas, are watching our project with interest”

A $2.3 billion surge in mining investment in the North West Minerals Province is expected by 2014/15, tripling the load to be carried on the Mount Isa-Townsville rail line, a BIS Shrapnel study shows.

Th e study indicated that the proposed mining development would generate an estimated $3.45 billion in revenue for the State and Commonwealth governments by 2015 through taxes and royalty payments.

Th e results will be a powerful weapon in eff orts to lobby for government funding to upgrade rail capacity for the Mount Isa-Townsville corridor, according to Townsville Enterprise economic

development general manager Dr Lisa McDonald.

“Th is is a big step forward – when you can actually demonstrate the dollar value to the economy, then you start to get politicians’ attention,” she said.

Dr McDonald said the planned mining projects identifi ed by BIS Shrapnel were feasible and a positive sign for the future economic growth of the region.

“An estimated $2.3 billion worth of investment in the North West Minerals Province is expected to get under way between 2009/10 and 2015/16,” she said.

Th e BIS Shrapnel report -

commissioned by Townsville Enterprise, Queensland Rail and the Townsville Chamber of Commerce – found rail traffi c between Mount Isa and the Port of Townsville would increase to 11.7 million tonnes in that time.

Th e total cost of upgrading the rail line to carry more than 10 million tonnes of freight annually would be $250 million, $180 million of which is required to construct the Eastern Access Rail Corridor (EARC) in Townsville.

Townsville Chamber of Commerce president John Carey said it would be unfair to expect new mining projects to

stump up the entire costs of upgrading the corridor.

“Th e private sector is not asking for a handout here, but the expectation that they pay the entire cost of something like the EARC will essentially kill these new projects,” Mr Carey said.

Queensland Rail and Townsville Enterprise will use the information contained in the report to provide a detailed submission to Infrastructure Australia.

Dr McDonald said copies of the report would be sent to key State and federal ministers.

Report predicts $2.3 billion in mining growth

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13The Mining Advocate | March 2010 Mackay Regional Capacity

In the hunt for LNG action A local industry group has been keen to sell

Mackay’s strengths to key contractors for major

gas developments, writes Belinda Humphries.

A round of high-level meetings with Tier 1 contractors in the United States has kick-started a Mackay Area Industry Network (MAIN) campaign to grab a large slice of upcoming LNG project work.

MAIN managing director Narelle Pearse said Queensland Trade Commissioner Peter Beattie had negotiated good corporate connections for the Mackay delegation during its recent visit to the American oil and gas hub of Houston.

“At each meeting we probably had fi ve to seven of the key decision-makers involved,” she said.

Th e aim had been to give the companies that would be leading the construction of proposed Gladstone, PNG and Abbot Point LNG plants a clear understanding of the skills and capacity Mackay industry off ered, she said.

Th e second element of MAIN’s initiative to win LNG project work for the region is a

Mick Crowe and Rod Grinsell from member company G&S Engineering and Enterprise Connect Mining Technology Innovation Centre director Peter Van Iersel.

Th e group secured face-to-face talks with representatives from Bechtel, Worley Parsons, GE and CB&I.

“We certainly got a very good hearing with the decision-makers from the companies,” Ms Pearse said.

“I think they learned a lot about what our expertise and capacity is here.”

As the base for a large mining sector and with many skills that would be transferrable to gas infrastructure, Ms Pearse

Consultant Rodin Genoff aims to help Mackay engineering fi rms better tap mining industry demand for innovation and cater to the need to adapt overseas-manufactured equipment for local conditions.

Mr Rodin began meeting with companies recently in a project initiated by the Mackay Area Industry Network (MAIN) to build member companies’ capacity and capability.

His company, Rodin Genoff and Associates, specialises in the development of businesses clusters and joint ventures to bid for large and technically complex projects.

“Th e underlying aim, I guess, is to build the opportunities for Mackay engineering companies,” Mr Genoff said.

“Th e reality is that they’re working in an environment determined by very large companies such as BHP Billiton, Xstrata and Rio Tinto.

“User-driven innovation and demand by these large global companies means the local companies have to innovate and adapt. By pooling together complimentary activities they’ll be in a position to bid for more

technologically challenging and quite often larger contracts.”

Mr Genoff said Mackay had signifi cant strength in what he described as the foundation industry of engineering process and design.

“Th e challenge moving forward is to take that core engineering and start to expand the potential to be able to work with other companies that, for example, may be doing laser and vision systems, sensing equipment and embedded technology to allow remote-control activity on site,” he said.

Th is may involve collaboration

with other industry sectors within Mackay or companies elsewhere in Australia or overseas that off ered the specialist capabilities required.

Mr Genoff met with 10 companies in February to kick-start the process and plans a further round of meetings in March.

GROUP Engineering managing director Allan Ruming, who is also the deputy chair of MAIN, said local companies already had a good understanding of their capacity and capabilities, the market for their services and

Consultant to help build lucrative liaisons

Rodin Genoff with GROUP Engineering’s Allan Ruming. Photo: Lauren Reed

The Engineers Australia

Mackay local group plans

to spread its wings this year,

with an initiative to better

engage regional membership.

Local group chair Peter

Rosier said bus trips were

planned from Mackay to the

Bowen Basin coalfi elds and

Whitsunday region to visit

sites of interest and meet

engineers in the area.

“Th e committee is

based in Mackay and, as

a consequence, most EA

(Engineers Australia) events

are held in Mackay,” Mr

Rosier said.

“We are aware that we

have not been engaging well

with the outlying members.

We want to make eff orts to

redress this. Of course, we

are looking to the outlying

members to assist in this

matter too.”

Mr Rosier said the local

group’s planned activities

for 2010 included monthly

technical events and work

with schools for Engineering

Week, August 2-8.

Engineers hit the road

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“We certainly got a very

good hearing with the

decision-makers from the

companies.”

pilot scheme to help local fi rms form engineering alliances with the assistance of consultant Rodin Genoff (see story below).

Th e recent MAIN-led

delegation to Houston included

Ms Pearse – who is also chief

executive offi cer for the Mackay-

Whitsunday Regional Economic

Development Corporation,

said MAIN viewed the Mackay

region as being a major source of

supply for those projects.

“Th ere is a range of things the

local guys can do from design

and engineering to pipe welding,

IT (information technology) and

safety specialists,” she said.

Th e group also promoted

the potential that Abbot Point

outside Bowen held as a possible

LNG plant site and Ms Pearse

said MAIN was keen to see the

Energy World proposal for that

site fast-tracked.

Th e delegation’s visit to

Houston was timed to co-incide

with the city staging the USA

Energy Conference.

areas where they could work

together.

What they lacked was a

successful mechanism or vehicle

that could be employed on a

repeated basis to allow fi rms to

work together as opportunities

arose.

Mr Ruming said the project

involving Mr Genoff would

hopefully generate such a model,

to be tested in a pilot scheme,

which could then be rolled out to

a wider industry membership.

MAIN is undertaking the

project in conjunction with the

Department of Employment,

Economic Development and

Innovation (DEEDI) and

Enterprise Connect.

14 March 2010 | The Mining AdvocateINDUSTRY UPDATE - COAL AND GAS

Liquefi ed Natural Gas Limited (LNG Ltd) has entered an agreement to sell the

entire Fisherman’s Landing project in Gladstone to Arrow Energy, which has

been developing the coal seam gas supply infrastructure for the plant.

Arrow will acquire LNG Ltd subsidiary Gladstone LNG for a combination of

cash, royalties and Arrow options.

Th ese include an upfront purchase price of $51 million and a further $116.5

million in payments linked to project milestones.

Initial site works have commenced at Fisherman’s Landing and project design

and planning is well advanced, with fi rst LNG production expected in late 2012.

“Arrow is excited to be taking full control of the construction and future.

operation of the world’s fi rst coal seam gas to LNG facility,” Arrow Energy chief

executive offi cer Nick Davies said.

Installation of a wick drain at the Fisherman’s Landing site.

Arrow takes over

First pipeline licence issued

Th e Queensland Government has

issued a pipeline licence to Arrow

Energy to transport natural gas

from the Surat Basin to Fisherman’s

Landing.

Mines and Energy Minister Stephen

Robertson said this was the fi rst of

several proposed licences for Gladstone

LNG projects.

“Th is represents one of the fi rst stages

towards facilitating a LNG industry in

Queensland,” Mr Robertson said.

Th e pipeline, expected to cost $550-

$600 million, will be about 470km long

and is expected to transport around 90

petajoules of coal seam gas a year from

a processing facility near Dalby.

Supply contracts fl ow

QGC, a BG Group business, will

commit to contracts for long-lead

items valued at more than $3 billion

in the fi rst half of 2010 as it advances

plans for its LNG project at Gladstone.

Th e company recently announced

that Bechtel Oil, Gas & Chemicals

had been awarded the engineering,

procurement and construction contract

for the Queensland Curtis LNG plant.

Bechtel has been issued an initial

notice to proceed to order items such

as compressors and storage tanks and

to begin preparations for initial site

construction.

QGC will also begin to commit

to orders for

materials and

equipment

for gasfi eld

development and

construction of

the collection

header pipeline

and a 340km main

export trunk line

to transport gas to

Gladstone from

QGC tenements

in the Surat Basin.

Draft EIS lodged

Australia Pacifi c LNG has lodged the

draft environmental impact statement

(EIS) for its coal seam gas to liquefi ed

natural gas project.Th e EIS covers

the gasfi elds in southern central

Queensland, a 450km pipeline and a

four-production-train LNG plant on

Curtis Island in Gladstone.

“Th e lodging of our draft EIS is

another milestone in our progress

towards a fi nal investment decision,”

project director Todd Creeger said.

Th e fi nal investment decision is due by

December, with the fi rst gas expected

to be exported in late 2014.

Santos announces record reserves

Santos has announced a 42 per cent

increase in its year-end 2P (proven

and probable) reserves, taking the

company’s total 2P reserves to a record

1.44 billion barrels of oil equivalent.

Th e company said the signifi cant

increase outlined in the 2009 reserves

report was the result of the consistent

delivery of Santos’ transformational

LNG growth strategy.

At year end, GLNG project 2P reserves

were 4003 PJ. Th e reserves build for the

Gladstone project was ahead of target

and exceeded the reserves requirement

for the fi rst train, Santos said.

Skills boost for Surat Basin

Students at seven Surat Basin schools

are being off ered

education and

training options

geared towards

careers in the

expanding coal

seam gas industry.

Th e Queensland

Minerals and

Energy Academy

(QMEA) is

extending its reach

in 2010 to include

state high schools at Roma, Chinchilla,

Dalby, Toowoomba, Oakey and

Pittsworth as well as the independent

Downlands College at Toowoomba

– taking the total number of QMEA

schools statewide to 25.

QMEA is off ering the Surat Basin

high school program with the support

of Energy Skills Queensland and coal

seam gas companies Origin Energy,

QGC and Santos.

Gladstone water project advances

Gladstone industry is on track to

gain a new water source following

endorsement of the environmental

impact statement for the Gladstone-

Fitzroy River Pipeline project.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh

recently announced that the Co-

ordinator-General had signed off on a

report recommending the $345 million

project proceed subject to conditions.

Th e Gladstone Area Water Board

(GAWB) plans to build a 115km-long

pipeline to transfer up to 30 gigalitres

of water per annum from the southern

bank of the lower Fitzroy River, near

Rockhampton, to Gladstone.

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15The Mining Advocate | March 2010 INDUSTRY UPDATE - COAL AND GAS

John Holland reached a major project milestone recently with the completion

of a $52 million shiploader for the Abbot Point terminal near Bowen.

Th e new shiploader, weighing more than 1380 tonnes and standing more than

54m high, will boost coal loading capacity at the terminal to a peak average rate

of 7200 tonnes per hour. Th e project was wholly completed in Brisbane utilising

John Holland’s Richlands fabrication workshop.

Th e shiploader is part of the $818 million Abbot Point X50 Expansion Project,

which is the third-largest port expansion in the history of Queensland.

“When this project is completed in 2011 it’ll increase Abbot Point’s coal export

capacity to an incredible 50 million tonnes per annum - more than a 100 per cent

increase on its current capacity of 21 million tonnes per annum,” State Transport

Minister Rachel Nolan said.

The mammoth shiploader makes its way from Brisbane, bound for Abbot Point.

Long wide loadBMA projects fast-tracked

Th e Queensland Resources Council

has welcomed a funding commitment

of more than half a billion dollars to

accelerate development of the Caval

Ridge mine, additional exports from

the Peak Downs mine and the Stage

3 expansion of the Hay Point Coal

Terminal, south of Mackay.

QRC chief executive Michael Roche

said the addition of up to 8 million

tonnes per annum of coking coal

production and the expansion of

privately-owned port facilities were a

substantial vote of confi dence in the

industry and the Queensland economy.

Th e operations in question are owned

by the BHP Billiton Mitsubishi

Alliance (BMA) - a 50/50 joint venture

between BHP Billiton and Mitsubishi

Development Corporation.

Announcing its $297 million share of

the pre-approved capital, BHP Billiton

said the feasibility studies for the

projects were expected to be completed

in the third quarter of 2011.

Waratah resource expands

Waratah Coal has released new drilling

results doubling the size of its central

Queensland coal resources to more than

seven billion tonnes.

Waratah chairman Clive Palmer said

drilling results for the company’s North

Alpha Project, 40km north of its China

First thermal coal project, had revealed

an insitu resource of 3.48 billion tonnes.

“Waratah’s coal resources now total

approximately 7.4 billion tonnes if you

add North Alpha to the China First

project,” he said.

Th e $7.5 billion China First project

includes a proposed 495km railway line

linking the proposed mine site near

Alpha, west of Emerald, to an export

coal terminal at Abbot Point.

“Both the North Alpha project and the

West Alpha project will benefi t from

the China First infrastructure,” Mr

Palmer said

Talinga ramp up

Australia Pacifi c LNG has commenced

commissioning of the second, high

pressure stage of its Talinga coal seam

gas development near Chinchilla in

Queensland as part of the progressive

ramp up to full production.

Australia Pacifi c LNG is a coal seam gas

(CSG) to liquefi ed natural gas (LNG)

joint venture between Origin and

ConocoPhillips.

Origin executive general manager -

upstream oil and gas, Paul Zealand, said

development of the Talinga gas plant

had involved a peak of more than 300

workers on site in the past year, with a

total of 56 wells drilled to date.

Thiess wins Curragh contract

Th iess has secured an $800 million

contract from Wesfarmers Curragh to

continue overburden pre-strip at its

Curragh North mine.

Th e company began operations at

the Bowen Basin mine in 2004 and

was awarded a $260 million contract

extension in 2008 after exceeding

production and safety targets.

Th e new contract will see Th iess

operating at the Blackwater district

mine for a further 10 years.

Th iess will invest a further $50 million

into the project by introducing a new

fl eet of seven 360-tonne Ultra Class

trucks at the mine.

Asciano in $250m haulage deal

Macarthur Coal has given the haulage

contracts for Coppabella and Moorvale

mines to Queensland Rail competitor

Asciano, through its subsidiary Pacifi c

National, in a deal worth $250 million.

Asciano announced recently that it had

executed a long-term contract with

Macarthur Coal for the movement of

7 million tonnes of coal per annum

from the Bowen Basin mines to

the Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal

commencing in November this year.

With its fi rst 10 train sets in

Queensland now contracted, Asciano

managing director and chief executive

offi cer Mark Rowsthorn said the

company would proceed to purchase

further sets to support its ongoing

growth in the market.

“Th e coal haulage opportunities

presented by the northern and southern

missing link infrastructure projects, as

well as the development of the Surat

and Galilee basins, are clearly next on

our agenda,” Mr Rowsthorn said.

Terms of reference released

ZeroGen’s $4.3 billion proposal to

build a clean coal power plant in the

Bowen Basin has progressed to the

next stage with the State Government

releasing the draft terms of reference for

environmental investigations.

Infrastructure and Planning Minister

Stirling Hinchliff e said the ZeroGen

Extension work in full fl ight

Rio Tinto Coal Australia’s $1.3 billion

Kestrel Mine Extension (KME) project

near Emerald remains on track to meet

its fi rst coal shipment in 2012.

KME general manager Colin Farr said

work in 2010 was expected to focus on

Th e company said the establishment

of three water management dams

with a combined total capacity of 575

megalitres was also a major focus.

Th e project will see rapid growth

in activity this year, including

establishment of a 300-room temporary

construction camp on site.

Cairns builds PNG links

Queensland Treasurer Andrew Fraser

will lead a trade mission to Papua New

Guinea in March with a heavy focus

on positioning Cairns as a business

hub to support the country’s projected

resources sector growth.

Meanwhile Cairns Chamber of

Commerce Resource and Industrial

Taskforce chair Sharon Dawson said

that group had recently completed a

four-day visit to PNG.

Ms Dawson said this had involved a

15-strong delegation of local business

and chamber representatives.

“New opportunities for business were

identifi ed by the delegates – from

industries as diverse as shipping to

engineering services,” she said.

New bus service for mines

Greyhound Australia has introduced

a new bus service between Emerald

and Blackwater to cater for increased

demand linked to mining operations.

Greyhound chief executive offi cer

Robert Th omas said mines in the region

that could benefi t from the freight and

shuttle services included Wesfarmers

Curragh, Rio Tinto Kestrel, BMA

Blackwater, Felix Resources Yarrabee, as

well as contractors and small businesses

who serviced mines in the region.

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project west of Gladstone could

generate more than 2000 construction

jobs and see Queensland become a

world leader in clean coal technology.

“If approved, construction of the $4.3

billion facility could begin in January

2012 - with start up and proving

operations beginning in September

2015 and full operations from 2020,”

Mr Hinchliff e said.

the start of construction of the conveyor

to transport coal to Kestrel Mine’s

facilities for processing and railing,

an upgrade of the coal handling and

preparation plant at Kestrel Mine and

associated infrastructure and services.

About 300 people are working on the

KME site, where construction of two

underground drifts, a ventilation shaft

and major earthworks are under way.

Queensland Nickel recently celebrated the successful maiden voyage of the Pearl

Halo, a newly built 58,100-tonne bulk carrier which will help the Townsville

refi nery achieve an expected ore importation record of 4 million tonnes in 2010.

Ore supply and business development manager Peter Harrington said the

vessel’s charter owner, Daiichi Chuo Shipping, had allowed Queensland Nickel to

name the ship in recognition of the importance of their business relationship.

“I attended the naming ceremony in Cebu (in the Philippines) where the ship

was constructed, representing Queensland Nickel as the sponsor of this particular

ship,” Mr Harrington said.

Th e ship will visit the Port of Townsville regularly from New Caledonia,

Indonesia and the Philippines, helping transport some of the 90-odd vessel-loads of

nickel ore due to be processed at Queensland Nickel’s Yabulu plant during the year.

The newly christened Pearl Halo enters the Port of Townsville for the fi rst time.

Refi nery’s ship comes in

Cloncurry joint venture

Minotaur Exploration and Japan’s

JOGMEC have announced a joint

venture worth up to $4 million

to explore for copper-gold in the

Cloncurry district.

Th is agreement brings to fi ve the

number of Australian joint ventures

with JOGMEC ( Japan Oil, Gas and

Metals National Corporation) since

2005, with two currently active.

Th e Cloncurry joint venture covers

546sq km incorporating 14 tenements

situated about 130km north-east of

Mount Isa.

‘Carlin-style’ gold province

D’Aguilar Gold has secured exploration

licence applications over what it

describes as an extensive new “Carlin-

style” gold province on the eastern edge

of the northern section of Queensland’s

Bowen Basin.

Carlin-style mineralisation was typed

near the town of Carlin in Nevada, in

the United States in the early 1980s

and occurs in long structural corridors

known as trends, such as the famous

Carlin and Battle Mountain trends

which host more than 200 million

ounces of gold.

D’Aguilar subsidiary Navaho Gold has

lodged a total of 14 applications along

almost 200km of strike and covering

some 3800sq km between Clermont and

Collinsville.

D’Aguilar Group

exploration

manager Neil

Wilkins said

recent Queensland

Government-run

geophysical surveys

over much of the

area had proved the

key to recognising

the potential of

the north Bowen

Basin.

Boost to Kokomo resource

Metallica Minerals has released an

updated independent resource estimate

for the Kokomo deposit, 4km north of

Greenvale in North Queensland.

Th e combined measured, indicated

and inferred mineral resource for the

Kokomo nickel-cobalt-scandium laterite

project now stands at 16.3 million

tonnes at 0.67 per cent nickel and 0.12

per cent cobalt.

Th e company said this was a 4.1

million-tonne increase on the 2008

estimate, which had similar grades.

Metallurgical test work is ongoing and

Metallica is undertaking a scoping study

into trucking high-grade scandium

and nickel-cobalt ore to a possible

processing plant located at Greenvale

as part of the company’s NORNICO

project.

Far northern shopfront

Bauxite hopeful Cape Alumina has set

up an offi ce in the western Cape York

community of Mapoon.

Managing director Dr Paul Messenger

said establishment of the Cape Alumina

Mapoon offi ce and community

information centre was a vital step prior

to release of the Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) for the company’s

proposed Pisolite Hills mine and port

project. Cape Alumina expects to

complete the EIS by the fi rst half of this

year and be in a position to commence

construction in 2012, subject to the

outcome of the bankable feasibility

study and receipt

of all regulatory

approvals.

Eva excites

NuPower

Resources says

it has received

a second batch

of high-grade

uranium-gold

assay results from

Eva prospect in

the Northern Territory, confi rming the

existence of signifi cant mineralisation.

NuPower executive chairman Mick

Muir said the latest results confi rmed

the company’s belief that Eva was an

exciting deposit with exceptional grades

over signifi cant widths at shallow

depths.

Arafura fundraising

Arafura Resources has launched a $35

million capital raising bid, comprised of

a $17.5 million placement and associated

rights issue, to help advance its Nolans

rare earth project in the Northern

Territory.

“Arafura’s 100 per cent-owned Nolans

project contains a world-class rare earths

deposit capable of supporting a 20-year

mine life and the company is targeting

production of 20,000 tonnes of rare earth

oxide per annum from 2013,” managing

director Dr Steve Ward said.

“Th e fact that Arafura is one of the few

near-term rare earths producers outside

China capable of supplying customers in

markets throughout the world makes the

company attractive to all global rare earth

users.”

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16 March 2010 | The Mining AdvocateINDUSTRY UPDATE - HARDROCK

17The Mining Advocate | March 2010 INDUSTRY UPDATE - HARDROCK

Tanami Gold plans to restart mining at the former Groundrush gold project in

the Northern Territory after acquiring the operation from Newmont Mining

Corporation recently for $22 million.

Th e acquisition is part of a broader transaction with Tanami Gold’s exploration

alliance partner ABM Resources encompassing an extensive exploration portfolio

being divested by Newmont in the Tanami-Arunta region of central Australia.

Tanami Gold is now targeting an increase in production from its combined

tenement holdings to more than 200,000 oz of gold per annum within two years.

Managing director Graeme Sloan said this would be achieved through the new

assets and increased production at Tanami’s Coyote project, about 90km west of

the new tenements, which is currently producing about 50,000 oz of gold a year.

Th e Groundrush project was mothballed by its previous owners in 2005.

An aerial photograph of the Groundrush treatment plant.

Tanami gold rush

markets, was now being mined

opportunistically to support production

throughput in the Mount Isa zinc-lead

concentrator.

“We have opted to share fl eet resources

between the nearby Black Star open

cut and Handlebar Hill when they are

available,” Xstrata Zinc Australia chief

operating offi cer Brian Hearne said.

“For example, we will use these resources

to mine Handlebar Hill when there are

scheduled breaks in mining at Black

Star.”

Hunt for bauxite

Monax Mining has signed a deal which

will see it explore for bauxite on fi ve

highly prospective Delminco tenements

west of Coen on Cape York Peninsula.

Th e company is paying $50,000 for the

rights to the tenements, covering 1358sq

km, over the next year. It will have

the option of then buying a tenement

outright for a fi nal payment of $500,000.

Monax has also recently submitted three

exploration permit applications covering

an area of about 644sq km on Cape York.

Q Copper off the table

Cape Lambert Resources has withdrawn

the initial public off ering (IPO) for

spin-off company Q Copper Australia,

saying it will hold off until market

conditions improve. Th e company said

it intended to proceed with its planned

exploration drilling program at the Lady

Annie project in the meantime.

“Whilst we are disappointed with

the deterioration

of the market

in recent weeks,

and its impact on

the IPO, Lady

Annie remains a

very good copper

project within

a substantial

landholding in the

world-class Mount

Isa Inlier,” Cape

Lambert executive

chairman Tony Sage said.

Cape Lambert bought the Lady Annie

operation, 120km north of Mount Isa,

last year along with other assets linked

to failed mining junior CopperCo.

Environmental charges

Charges have been laid against

four mining companies in north-

west Queensland recently relating

to environmental harm and water

management.

MMG Century faces two charges,

each carrying a maximum penalty of

$832,500, for allegedly causing serious

environmental harm by discharging

contaminated wastewater into Page

Creek during the heavy wet season

earlier in the year.

Th e State Government said Birla Mt

Gordon had also been charged over

issues including continuing to store

excessive amounts of contaminated

water on site.

Meanwhile former Lady Annie mine

owner CopperCo and Great Australia

Mine owner, the Australian Raw

Materials Corporation, have been

charged in relation to the contamination

of waterways during 2009.

Th e matters are due for court mentions

in Mount Isa and Cloncurry in late

March and early April.

Magnetite contract awarded

Ausenco has won a $9.6 million

engineering, procurement and

construction management contract

for the planned

magnetite

extraction plant at

Xstrata Copper’s

Ernest Henry

Mining (EHM)

operation near

Cloncurry.

Construction of

the magnetite plant

will be undertaken

during 2010 with

commissioning

expected in early 2011.

Silver Hill on hold

Conquest Mining’s defi nitive feasibility

study for the Silver Hill gold-silver-

copper project in North Queensland has

revealed lower than expected commercial

returns.

Th e project would still be profi table but

was not suffi ciently robust to develop

before off take arrangements were

fi nalised, managing director John Terpu

stated in a recent ASX announcement.

“In its current form, the project does not

provide the board suffi cient confi dence

to commit to a development timetable at

this stage,” he said

Conquest has appointed consultants to

conduct a strategic review of the project,

south-east of Charters Towers.

Limited mining at Handlebar Hill

Xstrata Zinc has restarted operations on

a limited basis at its Handlebar Hill mine

outside Mount Isa.

Th e company said the site, placed in care

and maintenance in February 2009 due

to the downturn in global commodity

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18 March 2010 | The Mining AdvocateBETWEEN SHIFTS

Central Highlands Development Corporation business forum

Gateway Motel, Emerald

Noeleen Mazza (Mazza Industries) with Maureen McMartin

(Emerald Visitor Information Centre).

Mary Carroll (Capricorn Tourism), Perry Bacon (Explorer’s Inn,

Emerald) and Robyn Edward (Central Highlands Development

Corporation).

Jocelyn Bate (Bendee station) with Peter Maguire (Central

Highlands Regional Council mayor).

Nicole Travis (Capricorn Tourism) with Maureen Tutton (Rio Tinto

Kestrel Coal).

Michelle Waters (MRAEL) with Grant and Susie Craker (Sargent

4WD Hire).

Deborah Mead (AusIndustry) and Derek Bremer (Enterprise

Connect).

PHOTOS: Sue Sands

Coal to Liquids and Gas to Liquids Conference

Sofi tel, Brisbane

Adam Martin (Air Liquide Australia) with Steve Pearce (Solid

Energy NZ).

Uwe Zwiefelhofer and Peter Downie (Lurgi) with Chris Hagan

(Coalworks).

Sean Rooney and Renee Kjar (both from the Department of

Primary Industries, Victoria).

Peter Sallons (Liberty Resources), Matthew Robinson (BMT WBM)

and Toshihide Hiriai (Chiyoda Corporation).

Rick Penning (Rentech USD) and Merrill Gray (Syngas/GulfX). Paul Harrison (Queensland Government) and Brian Diver (BOC).

PHOTOS: Fiona Harding

19The Mining Advocate | March 2010 BETWEEN SHIFTS

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Pete Brooks (BMC Poitrel), Nathan Filinski (MEC Mining), Melvin Leonard (Elastomers Australia) and Mark Brenmuhl (Global Cranes).

Kieran Mitchell (Sedgman), Andrew Raguse (Sedgman), Jenni English (Reserve Group) and Daniel

Jones (Peabody Energy).

Ian Gibson (Gibson Instrumentation Services) with Cameron

Welsh (Sedgman).

Chris Vassallo (G & S Engineering), Vincent Malayta (Sarina Crane Hire) and Keith Green (G & S

Engineering).

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Andrew Dineen (Parker Travel Collection), Joh Switzer (Zinc 666)

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Steve Jones (Skytrans) with Alisha Nagel (Zinc 666). Errol Culbertson and Kris Strahle (both from Pybar) with Bill

Cummings (Cummings Economics).

Alan Mathieson (Airside Logistics), Gary Murray (Harvey

World Travel), David Glasson (Liquip Engineering) and Robert

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Stuart Bryans (One Steel), Yancy McDonald (Firelift Engineering) and

Ron Moren (RGM Welding Services).

Tanya Burns (BlueScope), Leanne Power (BlueScope), Jade Muir

(Chocoholics Anonymous) and Fiona Millican (Firelift Engineering).

20 March 2010 | The Mining AdvocateBETWEEN SHIFTS

New AECOM launch

AECOM Tower, Townsville

Richard Barrett (AECOM NQ), Mario Zappala (Parkside

Developments) and Kelly May (AECOM NQ).

Michael Arri (AECOM NQ) and Craig Bloxham (AECOM WA). Stephen Downs (AECOM NQ), Sonya Bryce (AECOM NQ) and Andy

Olsen (AECOM SQ).

Tony Craperi (AECOM NQ), John Hathaway (Department of

Defence) and Dyrick Hobbs (AECOM NQ).

Jake Pienaar (AECOM NQ) and Michelle Jackson (Hays

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Rob Kent (Townsville City Council) and Amy Cook (AECOM NQ).

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Queensland Nickel Supply Chain Initiative networking drinks

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Clyde Evans (NQEA) and Neville Kerr (Krause Safety and Training). Alan Azzopardi (Queensland Nickel), Trevor Goldstone

(Townsville Enterprise) and Trefor Flood (Queensland Nickel).

Mick Gedling (KG Engineering) and Marcel McLeod (Total Fab

Engineering Services).

David Cole (Dec- Mech) and Paul Schulten (Condition Monitoring

Services).

Geoff Adams (Department of Employment, Economic Development

and Innovation) with Mario Martini and Gary Christian (both from

QMI Solutions).

Mark Williams and George Clarke (both Pacifi c Coast Engineering)

with Basil Ahyick (Queensland Nickel).

PHOTOS: Stewart McLean

21The Mining Advocate | March 2010 BETWEEN SHIFTS

Australian Institute of Company Directors business breakfast

Ocean International, Mackay

Bill Frier and Yvonne Carson (both WHF Group). Brad Fish (North Queensland Bulk Ports), Steve Payne

(Commonwealth Bank) and Col Meng (Mackay Regional Council

Mayor).

Scott Manley and Francis Attard (both from Key Solutions Group).

Dr Thomas Block (MADEC) with Paul Haff ner and Doug Lithgow

(both from Multiskilled Resources Australia).

Mark Johnson (Seawave Mining) and Peter Tait (SH Tait & Co). Kurt Volenhoven (Drivetrain Power), Dr Pierre Viljoen (CQ

University) and Kim Gebers (Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal).

PHOTOS: Lauren Reed

BOC helium plant official opening

Wickham Point, Darwin

Douglas Gorry, Jeswant Brahamanandam and Neville Carrington

(all from Darwin LNG) with Ian Winton (BOC).

Harry Heek , Dan Wilson and Jason Garrett (all BOC). Bruce Currie, Emma James, and Ross Huggett (all BOC).

Allen Gower (BOC), Kirkor Kurtcuoglo (Linde Group), Steve

Penn (BOC) and Brian O’Gallagher (NT Government).

Shona Faber (BOC) with Joseph Yu (Linde Group). Peter Re (BOC), Warring Neilsen (Elgas), Stephen Sheppard (BOC)

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In the often heated debate on greenhouse gas emissions and carbon pricing, the potential gains off ered by energy effi ciency measures in homes and businesses are being overlooked, according to a prominent Australian engineer.

Rolfe Hartley, a past national president of Engineers Australia and chair of the National Engineering Registration Board, said discussions on emission reductions had tended to focus on “big ticket” items such as reforming the power generation industry.

“We’re ignoring those achievements that can be made by improving effi ciency in existing systems such as commercial and residential building systems and transport systems,” Mr Hartley said.

“Th e International Energy Agency did some modelling on a whole range of scenarios and over each of those about 45 per cent of the reduction that needed to be achieved (to avoid the worst eff ects of climate change) can be achieved through refi ning existing systems.”

Mr Hartley said the expertise existed in Australia right now to make many of the changes required, as was evident in some of the work being done on fi ve or six-star energy-rated buildings.

New technology and methods were emerging also to improve the situation. However Mr Hartley said there was a need for more people to generate ideas and continually expand the frontiers of engineering.

“Th ere are not enough people

Refi ning existing systems to be more effi cient

will make major inroads in meeting emission

reduction targets, a leading engineer says.

doing that - we are desperately short of engineers in Australia,” he said.

Mr Hartley said while it was necessary to invest resources into

“big ticket” items for emission reduction such as investigating alternatives to coal-fi red power generation, for example, there was also a need to look into improving effi ciencies in existing processes and plants.

Good design in residential buildings could also achieve great energy effi ciencies, including in heating and cooling systems. Th e selection of materials with a manufacturing process which was relatively energy effi cient would also reduce the carbon footprint of a new home.

“Th ere’s a tremendous amount of work being done in the commercial sector but not much in residential,” Mr Hartley said.

“Th e majority of houses are designed by builders and don’t necessarily take advantage of these things we can do relatively simply to increase energy effi ciency.”

Mr Hartley said there was a need for better co-ordinated

awareness and rebate programs

to encourage more home owners

to invest in energy effi ciency

measures.

Th e Federal Government

should also be encouraging energy

effi cient design in new homes by

off ering rebates for upfront costs,

he said.

When it came to SMES

(small and medium enterprises),

many would like to introduce

effi ciencies to reduce the cost

of operations for their plant or

facilities, Mr Hartley said.

“But it requires signifi cant

capital outlay and, while returns

can often be there quickly,

making that capital outlay can be

diffi cult,” he said.

While engineering expertise

could help such businesses fi nd

the most cost-eff ective options,

Mr Hartley said there was also a

need for support programs to ease

the fi nancial burden of making

the initial investment.

An ideal avenue for many mining companies to reduce costs and carbon emissions lies in the power supply options adopted for portable accommodation camps, according to generator specialists WASP.

Th e fl uctuating load produced by camps, including dramatic spikes at shower and meal times, provided an opportunity to truly customise generator selection to suit the load and slash fuel consumption, Brisbane-based WASP applications engineer Jerry Radsord said.

“Traditionally, two generators have been used to power camps - a large running machine capable

of satisfying the maximum demand and a second standby generator that runs in the event of failure of the fi rst generator,” Mr Radsord said.

Th is approach meant the larger machine would use far more fuel than was necessary during shoulder and base loads, resulting in unnecessary carbon emissions.

Mr Radsord said also generators were designed to operate at a minimum of 50 per cent of their maximum-rated capacity.

If a unit was used on lighter loads for an extended period, severe and irreversible engine damage would result, he said.

“Th e real key to maximising effi ciency and cost benefi ts to any accommodation camp is to develop a power plan,” Mr Radsord said.

“Although there are general rules of thumb that can be used as a guide, the more accurate the information that can be obtained

about the camp’s actual load, the greater the fuel savings that can be achieved.”

He believes a three-generator system should ideally be used to power camps.

“Th is allows for a smaller machine to operate during the base load in order to maximise

fuel effi ciency and minimise carbon emissions,” he said.

“Peak load is achieved by using two of the machines in parallel.

“Th is occurs automatically as the system detects increases in load from the camp and starts the second generator. It also shuts down the second generator as the load drops away.

“Th e third generator starts automatically in the event of failure of one of the fi rst two units.”

Many of Australia’s largest miners were turning to specialist power generation companies to provide expert guidance on ways to capitalise on such cost-saving opportunities, he said.

Overlooked path to carbon cuts

Rolfe HartleyNational Engineering Registration

Board chairman

Taking a load off the environment

A three-megawatt diesel generator farm for a mining accommodation camp.

24The Mining Advocate | March 2010 SAFETY

Ten years ago Aidan Gorlick combined a couple of bits of angle iron with some old-fashioned ingenuity to make life easier when it came to chocking the wheels of his beaten-up old work car.

Now the Dysart resident’s patented ARG chocks are being used throughout BMA’s Norwich Park coal operation and the company is considering rolling them out to other Bowen Basin sites.

Mr Gorlick’s device consists of two long triangles joined by a backing plate with a folding handle, eliminating the need for people to bend down when inserting or removing wheel chocks.

“It’s a lot easier than the other chocks. If it saves one bloke’s back from being hurt, I

have achieved something,” Mr Gorlick said.

Mr Gorlick, a qualifi ed boilermaker, created the device while employed with a private contractor at the Stanwell power station outside Rockhampton about a decade ago.

His work vehicle, with a generator set in the back, had lacked a working handbrake.

“To start the genset I had to have the car running,” Mr Gorlick said.

“I got sick of leaving my work boots under the tyres to stop it running away.

“I knew it wasn’t too good, so I got a couple of bits of angle iron from the workshop and made these chocks up for myself.”

Mr Gorlick has since been employed as a dragline operator with BMA, which requires

Wheel chocks designed by a Dysart dragline

operator may soon be standard issue across

a swag of Bowen Basin coal mines.

workers to chock vehicle wheels when not parked in a designated parking zone.

After hearing of a colleague hurting his back while taking a conventional chock out from under his tyre, Mr Gorlick said he had approached his safety offi cer and described his design.

He was asked to make up a sample, but had been very surprised when the offi cer then asked if he could fi ll an order for 100 chocks, he said.

“In one week I had to start up a business (ARG Industries). I had a little workshop made out the back and I got stuck into doing them,” Mr Gorlick said.

“It has been working out really well.

“I have had a lot of comments from the blokes at work about them – they really do like them.”

Norwich Park Mine general manager Gus Gomes said one of BMA’s seven “Life Saving Rules” required employees and contractors to park equipment securely so that it could not move in an uncontrolled way.

“Aidan’s invention was not only very practical, but easy to implement. It greatly assists to make a safe practice even safer and ensures correct ergonomic posture while chocking vehicles,” Mr Gomes said.

“Less than two months after the chocks were designed, they were already widely embraced by our entire workforce.”

Mr Gorlick has received an engineer’s certifi cate setting out structural capacity guidelines for the device.

He can see potential for ARG Industries to become a full-time enterprise as more mines adopt his style of wheel chocks.

“I will see how it goes. It might turn out that way,” Mr Gorlick said.

People seeking further information can contact ARG Industries at [email protected]. or by phoning 0400 779236.

Aidan’s idea

catches on

Left - Aidan Gorlick

in his backyard

workshop.

Below - The ARG

chock at work.

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25The Mining Advocate | March 2010 BIGGER, TOUGHER, BETTER

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26 March 2010 | The Mining AdvocateBest Tractor Parts Promotion

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• Truck and ute bodies made to your needs

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• Full equipt workshop and a complete mobileservice available

141 Boundry RdPaget Mackay Qld

Phone Shaun0417761058

Best Tractor Parts (BTP) Queensland’s new facilities will allow the workshop to enhance its throughput of vehicles and machinery being stripped for components, resulting in increased availability of parts for clients.

Employee numbers are also on the rise, with two fi tters, a boilermaker, tool storeman and trades assistants due to come on board by the end of March, taking the total workshop strength to 18.

“Th e new premises will allow us to put more people on and get rid of the backlog, meaning more components in stock,” workshop supervisor Aaron Poli said.

Th e workshop operations include wrecking and stripping heavy earthmoving equipment for parts, maintaining the company’s rental fl eet and a service exchange business for Caterpillar, Hitachi and Komatsu components.

Th e company’s new complex at Connors Rd, Paget, includes four full work bays with high

bay facilities, two new 10-tonne overhead gantry cranes, a fully equipped wash pad with water recycling facilities, a small boilermaker shop and an air-conditioned, dust-free component room with two three-tonne overhead gantry cranes.

Th ere is also extensive concreted workspace outdoors that can be utilised for repairs should the bays be occupied.

“Th e speed of turning over components now is a lot quicker than it ever used to be,” Mr Poli said.

“We can handle a bigger infl ux of machinery to fi x at one time, whereas before we were pretty much tripping over each other.”

He said the workshop crew was previously limited by having just one undercover work bay, with much of the machinery stripping occurring outside.

With an internal bay now dedicated to stripping, that work could continue “come rain, hail or shine”, he said.

Mr Poli said the new

Workshop conditions have gone ahead in “leaps

and bounds” with the recent BTP shift and so

too has performance, says this supervisor.

Component output ramps up

workshop was a well-designed

space, with designated walkways

free of trip hazards and features

such as retractable airlines and

state-of-the-art compressors

which enhanced safety and ease

of use.

“It honestly just doesn’t

compare (with the old

workshop),” he said.

“Safety-wise and output-wise

we have gone ahead in leaps and

bounds.”

He said the new workshop

could also accommodate larger

vehicles than the old Ron Searle

Drive premises.

“We just had a Caterpillar 785

rear dump in here and we could

go much bigger,” Mr Poli said.

Mr Poli has been with BTP

for the past 10 months, making

the switch from Komatsu

Mackay, where he was working

as build supervisor.

Th e fact that the Mackay BTP

operation was part of a growing,

Australian, family-owned

business had been attractive, he

said.

“Th e benefi ts of working

for a family-owned business

directed by Greg (Murphy)

himself means that decisions can

be made locally at the branch

rather than having to go through

diff erent cities to get an answer.

Th at’s defi nitely a drawcard for

me,” he said.

BTP workshop supervisor Aaron Poli at the new premises in Paget. Photo: Lauren Reed.

Mackay-based company Best Tractor Parts Queensland is set to triple its business over the coming fi ve years, according to managing director Greg Murphy.

BTP Queensland was seeing evidence of an industry upturn and, with the recent move to bigger premises in Paget, it was well placed to meet demand, Mr Murphy said.

“Being in the new premises will help us to keep expanding this business,” he said.

“We have forecasts in place for the future – we’d like to triple what we are currently doing.”

BTP Queensland has been

operating out of new facilities at 191 Connors Rd, Paget since December and recently celebrated the move with a launch party and open day.

Mr Murphy said the six-acre site (2.4ha) included almost 5000sq m of built space. Th is includes 1520sq m of workshop space and a 1540sq m parts warehouse.

“We’d run out of room in our old premises (at Ron Searle Drive, Mackay Harbour),” Mr Murphy said.

“We had a workshop and warehouse there and another 5km down the road and several empty

Bigger and better premises have perfectly

positioned Best Tractor Parts Queensland

for a new wave of growth.

blocks of dirt around Mackay

- we wanted to put it all in one

area.”

Th e new facilities had increased

the scope of work BTP could

perform and dramatically lifted

workshop capacity, he said.

Mr Murphy moved from

includes bases in Perth and the

Singleton region in New South

Wales. Mr Murphy said there

had been strong growth across

the group in the past fi ve years,

particularly in Queensland and

Western Australia.

Th e business originated in the

mid 1980s, when Caterpillar

distributor Wigmores saw an

opportunity to market used

earthmoving machinery parts and

established Best Tractor Parts.

Australian company Emeco

purchased Best Tractor Parts

in 1987 and Th e Murphy

Family Trust took over in 1999,

subsequently establishing the

Queensland and New South

Wales arms of the business.

Broaderhorizons

Left - Greg Murphy with the

restored Best 30 tractor,

built in 1923, which is

proudly displayed outside

the new complex at Paget.

Photo: Lauren Reed

Inset - The Best 30 before

its restoration in the BTP

Mackay workshop.

The new BTP premises at 191 Connors Road, Paget.

27The Mining Advocate | March 2010 Best Tractor Parts Promotion

Good value shines throughThe pressure on purchasing offi cers to shop around for good prices has assisted Best Tractor Parts Queensland to win increased business with major mining companies during the economic downturn.

New and used parts sales manager Simon Ross believes the company will not only maintain that foothold, but see it fi rm as the industry’s recovery gathers pace.

“Our goal is to become the No. 1 supplier of heavy earthmoving components in Australia,” Mr Ross said.

“What we’ve just built here, the new facility, should really enable us to meet that goal in the next couple of years.

“We want to be the business that comes straight to people’s minds when a component in their machine has just failed. We want to be the fi rst port of call for those people.”

Mr Ross said BTP Queensland’s business had increased substantially since 2007 as a result of the economic downturn – a fact that had enabled the fi rm to bring forward the development of the new Connors Rd premises.

He believed the company would maintain the customer relationships it had gained in that time as the Bowen Basin mining industry entered what he believed was the next boom.

Th e mining industry accounts for the vast majority of BTP’s business, with the company specialising in providing parts for heavy earthmoving equipment including Terex, Komatsu, Caterpillar, Hitachi and Liebherr machines.

“We buy the machines,

dismantle them, recondition

the components and put them

on the shelf to satisfy customer

demands,” Mr Ross said.

“Th ere is no other business in

Australia or overseas that would

supply the variety of parts that

we off er. We’re a bit of a one-stop

shop for the mining industry.”

Mr Ross said the price for

parts provided by BTP was 20-30

per cent lower than equivalent new or reconditioned parts from OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). As well as competitive pricing, he said BTP off ered reliable, knowledgeable and friendly service.

“We’re not a big OEM. We realise that if a part doesn’t perform as expected to we won’t get repeat business,” he said

While the Mackay-based BTP operation sends out hundreds of parts each week to mines in the Bowen Basin and elsewhere in Australia, Mr Ross said about 30 per cent of its business came from overseas.

Th e company supplied mines in countries including New Zealand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Canada, the United States, South Africa, Dubai, India, Egypt and the United Kingdom, he said.

Mr Ross said Best Tractor Parts was open 24/7 to meet any customer request.

“If BTP Queensland don’t have it on the shelf, we have a variety of suppliers around the world that can get it for us,” he said.

Simon RossBTP new and used parts

sales manager

Best Tractor Parts roped in rugby

league legend Wally Lewis to

help launch the business’s new

premises, using Th e King’s star

power to assist in raising more

than $53,000 for charity amidst

the opening celebrations.

More than 300 people

attended a Friday night function

featuring Lewis as guest speaker,

according to event organisers DP

Advertising.

DP Advertising sales manager

Chris Bonanno said the launch

party was aimed at providing BTP

clients with a sneak peek at the

new premises and the chance to

celebrate the opening with staff .

Th e night’s entertainment

included a live band and a charity

auction conducted by Hassall

Auctions to raise funds for CQ

Rescue and the Leukaemia

Foundation.

Mr Bonanno said Lewis, who

attended with wife Jacqui, had

signed many of the items up for

auction, adding value to the lots.

An open day at Best Tractor

Parts’ multimillion-dollar Paget

complex the following day drew

more than 1000 people.

Mr Bonanno said Lewis had

been inundated with fans wishing

to have memorabilia signed.

Perth to start the Mackay-based

Queensland operations for BTP

in 2001 and said the business had

grown threefold since then.

Th e family-owned BTP group

Opening celebrations raise

$53,000-plus for charity

A new company has emerged from Best Tractor Parts operations across Australia to focus on the hire and sale of earthmoving machines.

Mackay-based sales and rental manager Richard Belcham is in charge of business in the eastern states and Northern Territory for BTP Equipment, which was formed in January this year.

He said the formation of the new company would mean a greater focus on equipment hire and sales, which had

previously been run only as a sideline to BTP’s successful parts division in Queensland and New South Wales.

In Western Australia, BTP had already been running a separate Tahmoore equipment business and this was also now operating under the BTP Equipment banner, he said.

Mr Belcham said BTP Equipment off ered clients a wide range of machinery for hire or sale, with everything from 30-tonne to 300-tonne excavators and D8

to D11 dozers in its fl eet, for example.Th e world-wide procurement network

that BTP had in place also gave the equipment arm excellent capability in sourcing particular pieces to meet client requests, he said.

Mr Belcham said he could see a huge potential for growth in this aspect of BTP business.

He was already receiving good feedback from clients and was working on some substantial proposals, he said.

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29The Mining Advocate | March 2010 Mount Isa Property Special Promotion

It may seem a big call to say that property opportunities in Mount Isa can provide, in some cases, superior returns and value for money to many fl ashier centres in south-east Queensland.

Due to returns and certain opportunities in and around Mount Isa, the Queensland Property Investors Group has been bringing outside money into the outback town for the past four years.

Principal Tony McDonald, who has more than 25 years’ experience in property and fi nance throughout Queensland, has been promoting Mount Isa as one of the places to invest in Queensland.

“In today’s market, people are more educated and discerning regarding their investment

property choices,” Mr McDonald said.

“Our investors come from as far afi eld as Sydney and Perth - they are looking for properties with capital growth potential.

“Th e mining industry drives the economies of Queensland and Western Australia.

“Th e current resurgence in mining and infrastructure development does impact certain cities and towns in regional Queensland.

“But while there will always be highs and lows in the market, operations like Mount Isa Mines remain stalwart.

“Th ese large mining companies have core staff numbers which support families, they have high-cost maintenance agendas which support local economies and they

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have a corporate commitment to growth which they are legally obliged to pursue.”

Mr McDonald said this

wealth fl owed to the east coast - not vice versa. “Conversely the economic drivers in many coastal communities are building

Healy Heights is the premier suburb in Mount Isa. Photo: Roslyn Budd

Th e heat is being turned up on the Mount Isa property market.

Director of Ray White Real Estate Mount Isa, Rifet Turcinovic, says it is in line with the optimistic outlook for the mining industry.

“Th e talking down of the minerals market has stopped and everyone is holding their breath to see what is around the corner,” Mr Turcinovic said.

“Business has been steady since the 2008 global fi nancial crisis and the announcements of several signifi cant investments have replaced any pessimism.”

Mr Turcinovic said the catalysts for change were Xstrata’s half a billion dollar investment in its Ernest Henry Mining operation outside Cloncurry, Cape Lambert’s re-igniting the failed Lady Annie mine north of Mount Isa and movements from junior miners.

“Xstrata has made a business decision based on the quality of the resource and demand for base metals,” he said.

“It is a tremendous show of confi dence in the region.

“More junior miners are starting to invest in plant and machinery, which means they are closer to production.

“On top of this there are at least two uranium explorers in Mount Isa who are proving up ground in anticipation of a change in government policy to allow mining in Queensland.

“We also have new airlines fl ying into and out of Mount Isa.

“Th is is a big confi dence boost for our city.”

Th e real estate website Domain.com reported median house prices at $342,500 and median unit prices at $270,000 in Mount Isa in the 12 months to February 2010. Th e website reported capital growth rates of 30 per cent in median house prices in 2004-05.

Growth has tapered off since then to the point where it is now

a buyers’ market, according to Mr Turcinovic.

“It is now a matter of when the market will shift,” he said.

“It won’t be long now. Th ere are traditionally low vacancy rates and even now investors can expect rental returns upwards of 8 and 9 per cent.”

Th e performance of the Ray

White team in Mount Isa speaks volumes for the local market.

In 2009 Laurelle Cavanough achieved second place in Australia in residential sales for the Ray White Rural Group.

Ray White Rural Mount Isa also achieved eighth place nationwide in residential and rural sales.

Buyers’ market in boom town

The outlook for mining and real estate is improving in Mount Isa.

Photo: Roslyn Budd

A subdivision located to the south-east of Mount Isa has created a residential market of its own in the mining city.

Healy Heights was conceived by Mount Isa City Council in the fi rst half of the last decade in response to the chronic lack of housing in the city.

Th e new generation of business owners, engineers and managers

coming into the city wanted modern conveniences and access to technological innovations, as well as a planned community in which to raise their children.

It seems they got it. Th e council has 180 blocks

planned for the community, which is being progressively rolled out. About 70 blocks have so far been released.

Sales consultant with Mount Isa Properties and Auctioneers, Kim McKelvie, has sold 21 properties in the subdivision in the past 14 months and says homes in the exclusive area are commanding prices in the late $500,000s and early $600,000s.

Th at compares to a median house price of about $324,000 for the rest of the city.

Ms McKelvie said homes that came on the market in Healy Heights were readily taken up, mostly by owner-occupiers.

“Healy Heights is its own market by virtue of the demand for the type of housing,” she said.

“Homes here generally hold their value, even when the market is slow. Its position in relation to the mine off ers an opportunity to enjoy the night views over the city and also nestle in the raw beauty of the surrounding hills.

“For those who have held on to the vision, Healy Heights is going ahead. It is now the most sought-after land in Mount Isa.”

Investors are getting some of the best returns in their portfolios from Mount

Isa real estate. Photo: Roslyn Budd

Healy Heights raises the bar

Th e Gold Coast’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year is looking to Mount Isa to expand his award-winning business.

Managing director of MKM Homes, Michael Kljaic, built fi ve homes in Mount Isa last year and already has eight on the books for 2010.

After starting business 15 years ago, MKM Homes is now building 50 homes a year and has offi ces on the Gold Coast and in Warwick.

Th ey set up a third base in Mount Isa two years ago.

Mr Kljaic said there were many advantages in doing business in regional areas like Mount Isa.

“Th e approvals process in regional areas is generally much faster than the south-east corner of the state,” he said.

“We are building in Gladstone, Rockhampton and Ipswich as well as Mount Isa, among others, and we fi nd local authorities much more responsive - which is good for business.”

MKM Homes has made a name for itself by

delivering on-time and on-budget homes in

areas like Mount Isa where tradespeople can be

in short supply.

“Our secret is projecting excess capacity in

tradespeople to where the business calls for it,”

Mr Kljaic said.

“Combining fl y in-fl y out staff with local

tradespeople makes for a winning combination.

“We have tradespeople fl ying into Mount Isa

from Cairns and Townsville at the moment.

“Th ey will be there for around fi ve weeks.

Others may fl y in from the Gold Coast. I know

them all and know they can deliver a good job.”

Mr Kljaic said MKM Homes’ effi ciencies and

established relationships with suppliers resulted

in savings which could be passed on to clients.

“We are cheaper. In Mount Isa we found

where we can source cheaper trusses, for

example. Th at makes us competitive,” he said.

Entrepreneur turns to the Isa

and tourism, both of which are volatile industries,” he said.

Th e Queensland Property Investors Group identifi es potential areas for stable, ongoing growth. Th ey also take rental returns and the ability to value-add to property into the equation.

“Th e appeal of areas such as Mount Isa comes in the unique rental returns and the ability to make real capital returns in the short term,” Mr McDonald said.

“At the end of the day, every area is diff erent, every property is diff erent.”

Mr McDonald said the Queensland Property Investors Group helped people to create a plan to build their wealth and then assisted them in locating suitable property opportunities to achieve their goals.

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31The Mining Advocate | March 2010 Xstrata Mount Isa Mining Expo Promotion

Xstrata Mount Isa Mining Expo organisers push hard to take the event to a new level each year, says Chamber of Commerce president Brett Peterson.

“We want our event to be seen not just as an expo, but a ‘must go’ event on the Queensland industry calendar,” he said.

With the event marking its 15th anniversary in 2010, Mr Peterson described the expo as a real success story in the relationship between the chamber

and the mining industry.While the public event may

only last a matter of days, he said the work behind the scenes went on for 12 months as the team considered how it could continue to improve the expo experience.

Mr Peterson said networking initiatives such as “Meet the Buyer” spots off ering exhibitors face-to-face meetings with mine purchasing offi cers were an important plank of the event’s industry appeal.

Th e driving force in organising

this year’s mining expo, Patricia

O’Callaghan holds what may

well be the perfect qualifi cations

for the job.

Th e 26-year-old not only

brings a work history of event

marketing and public relations

to the role, but a lifelong love of

Mount Isa.

Ms O’Callaghan has been

manager of the Mount Isa

Chamber of Commerce since

2007 and is now organising her

third mining expo.

Born and bred in Mount Isa,

Ms O’Callaghan’s only stint

outside the mining city was for

three years in Brisbane, when

she studied at the Queensland

University of Technology

(QUT).

“I had off ers to stay in

Brisbane but declined them

and came back home where

I’m surrounded by family and

friends,” she said.

Th ose loved ones include

mother Efrenia, father Michael

– a retired miner, and her two

brothers Shane and Michael –

who both work in the mining

industry in Mount Isa.

As the mother of four-and-

a-half-year-old son, Keanau,

Ms O’Callaghan also enjoys

the lifestyle benefi ts the area

off ers young families, including

camping and play in the new

family fun park.

“I’ve always loved Mount Isa,”

she said.

“I’ve always loved the lifestyle

of outback living.

“With Mount Isa we have the

conveniences of metropolitan

services such as cafes and

restaurants, but with the

atmosphere and community

spirit that I really missed when I

was in Brisbane.”

Ms O’Callaghan gained a

business degree majoring in

public relations and marketing

from her time at QUT,

graduating with distinction.

“I have always been an

outgoing person, so public

relations was a fi eld I wanted to

go into,” she said.

“My degree allowed me to get

a strong foundation in business

but also study in two areas that

I’ve always loved.”

Ms O’Callaghan worked with

Nova Consultants, a local events

marketing and public relations

business, upon her return to

Mount Isa in 2005.

The mining expo may be a proven success for

the north-west, but that hasn’t stopped eff orts

to keep improving on its winning formula.

Event a ‘must go’ for industry

“We’ve had a great response

from several mines who are

bringing more purchasing offi cers

because they think it’s a great way to look at new products or generic products that off er the same benefi ts at a cheaper price,” Mr Peterson said.

“When you’re getting that sort of response back from purchasing offi cers and a fantastic response from exhibitors, you know you’re on the right track.”

While the industry had suff ered ups and downs, Mr Peterson said interest in the expo had remained strong and its location at the heart of a major mineral province with an impressive potential for growth bode well for its ongoing success.

“It has given exhibitors a way

to showcase their services and what they can supply to the mining industry in one strategic location,” he said.

“We are the hub of the North West Mineral Province. With a lot of exploration being carried out, mines getting ready to open or looking at the feasibility stage, this is defi nitely the event to be at for suppliers.”

Th e expo also helps the mining sector engage with the general community, including off ering many children with extra insight into the industry that employs dad or mum. About 8000 visitors went through the exhibits at Buchanan Park in 2009.

“Th at gave me my fi rst taste

of the mining expo – they

contracted services to the expo

committee,” she said.

Th at was followed in 2006

with her appointment as north-

western project offi cer with

the North Queensland Area

Consultative Committee.

“Both positions grounded

me perfectly for the job I’m in

now, which has a strong focus

on events management, PR

and marketing but also requires

a knowledge of economic

development and wider issues,”

Ms O’Callaghan said

She said Brett Peterson had

encouraged her to apply for

the manager’s role after he

became Mount Isa Chamber

of Commerce president in late

2007.

Organising the Xstrata Mount

Isa Mining Expo is one of her

biggest annual projects, along

with co-ordinating the district’s

Quick Smart Easifi nd directory

and the Mount Isa and Regional

Business Awards.

Th ere’s no place like

the Isa for Patricia

Chamber of Commerce manager Patricia O’Callagahan. Photo: Roslyn Budd

Brett PetersonMount Isa Chamber of Commerce

president


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Improved energy infrastructure

is a prerequisite for further

mining development in the

North West Minerals Province,

according to Federal Member for

Kennedy Bob Katter.

And he is keen to brief Mount

Isa Mining Expo participants

on the raft of “plug-in” projects

that he is advocating in the push

to gain an AC transmission line

linking the region to the coast.

Mr Katter is due to address the

annual “Mining the Carpentaria”

breakfast on the proposed

Northern Australia Clean Energy

Corridor, a raft of renewable

energy projects which would feed

into the national grid via the

proposed AC line.

Th at concept includes a solar

project at Cloncurry, a major

wind farm at Hughenden and a

proposed generator at Julia Creek

to be fuelled by burning the pest

plant prickly acacia.

Expo guests will be briefed on the Clean Energy

Corridor proposal and its role in securing crucial

electricity supply for industry in the north west.

Katter makes powerful case It also includes a cluster of

electricity generation projects in far north Queensland using the sugar industry waste product bagasse as fuel.

“Most important is a proposed $500 million solar/biofuel project east of Pentland,” Mr Katter said.

Former Mount Isa MP Tony McGrady will highlight the potential benefi ts of a Queensland uranium industry during a presentation at this year’s mining expo.

Th e Laramide Resources advisory board member, who has previously held Queensland ministerial roles including the mines and energy portfolio, will be among the speakers at the “Mining the Carpentaria” breakfast on April 14.

Legend International Holdings project manager Ed Walker and Queensland Resources Council industry policy director Andrew Barger are also scheduled to speak along with Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter (see main story) and representatives from Xstrata and Port of Townsville.

“We’re at a stage now where cheques have to be

written or we will run into desperate trouble.”

“Th is project by itself would

produce 1 per cent of Australia’s

base-load power requirements and

5 per cent of its fuel needs (in the

form of ethanol).”

Th e Pentland proposal includes

construction of the Hells Gate

Dam on the upper reaches of the

Burdekin River to assist in the

development of about 120,000ha

of cane farming land in the area.

Demand for an enhanced

power supply for the North West was desperate, Mr Katter said.

While the present generating capacity at Mount Isa’s Mica Creek power station stood at 355 megawatts (MW), he said State Government modelling had shown that demand in the region

would reach 370MW within two

years.

Mr Katter said the North West

Minerals Province was the richest

minerals province on earth, with

associated commodity production

earning $15 billion a year in

revenue for Australia and many

major resources still untouched.

“Th at’s the importance (of this

area) – but we have no electricity,”

he said.

Th e Federal Government had recognised the gravity of the issue, placing the national electricity grid second after broadband as a budget infrastructure item.

“...Which is code for connecting the Pilbara, Olympic Dam and the North West Minerals Province,” Mr Katter said. And his clean energy corridor concept received a good hearing at the Renewable Energy Roundtable in Canberra last year.

“But we’re at a stage now where cheques have to be written or we will run into desperate trouble,” Mr Katter said.

“If the cheques are written, I think we will see an unprecedented boom in mining in the north west.”

He proposes that the Federal Government contribute $100 to $150 million for the transmission line, in the form of a repayable grant, in addition to fi nancial assistance for some of the renewable projects.

Breakfast forum promises topical speaking line-up

Networking key to successMount Isa’s annual mining expo

may not be the largest event of

its kind, but organisers take pride

in the networking edge it off ers

participants.

Th is is achieved through a

mix of carefully orchestrated

social functions and industry presentations as well as “Meet the Buyer” sessions, which off er exhibitors 20-minute slots of individual contact with purchasing offi cers from key mining operations.

“We’re not concentrating on becoming the biggest event, but becoming a quality event where exhibitors get the opportunity to interact with relevant people,” Mount Isa Chamber of Commerce manager Patricia O’Callaghan said.

Th e booth price at the Xstrata Mount Isa Mining Expo included access to networking events, she said.

Social occasions during the 2010 expo include a gala opening function on Monday night, April 12, which has been themed around the event’s Crystal Anniversary, marking 15 years of operation.

Th at will be followed on April 13 by the “Buyer and Supplier

Networking Dinner”, where purchasing offi cers from mines throughout the region rub shoulders with other guests.

Ms O’Callaghan said the key to these functions’ success was their ability to get people interacting in a fun and relaxing environment.

“We have a number of ways of getting them talking and moving, including some networking games,” she said.

“On Wednesday (April 14) we have the Mining the Carpentaria breakfast, for industry to discuss current and impending projects, and on Th ursday night we have a big closing function.

“Th at’s always a huge night. Last year had a Pirates of the Caribbean theme and we have something special planned for this year.

“We theme the nights to make them very entertaining and to encourage people to feel comfortable. It’s an innovative approach to networking.”The 2009 expo closing function had a Pirates of the Caribbean theme.

Authorised by the Queensland Government, George St, Brisbane

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Department of Employment, Economic Development and InnovationSupporting exploration and mining in the North West Queensland Mineral Province by:

• providing the latest geophysical, geological and seismic data, geological mapping and drill hole information

• creating temporary land Release Areas (RAs) over prospective geophysical anomalies on untenured land

• promoting the search and development of new petroleum and geothermal energy sources.

For more information telephone 07 3006 4666 or email [email protected]

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Th e Mount Isa City Council is proud, once again, to be a major sponsor of the Xstrata Mount Isa Mining Expo.

Mount Isa is well known as the major industrial and commercial hub for the North West Minerals Province and the Mount Isa City Council strongly supports any and all eff orts to encourage further development in this region.

Th e mining expo’s value as an industry attraction should not be undervalued.

It showcases some of the mining industry’s most innovative ideas and developments, and allows the networking of individuals from all sides of the industry to further their common goals.

Furthermore, the expo serves as a fantastic event to showcase the facilities of the Mount Isa Buchanan Park Events Complex.

Built during 2006/07 at a cost of more than $20 million, Buchanan Park is the perfect environment to host such a large-scale and prestigious event.

Th e Xstrata Entertainment Pavilion is fi lled with exhibitors and visitors over the expo’s duration (last year more than 8000 attended over the three days) and the Mount Isa City Council is thrilled to see the venue put to such valuable use.

In addition to the positives that the mining expo brings to the city’s businesses and commercial operators, there are fl ow-on benefi ts experienced by the entire Mount Isa population.

Th e increase in visitors to the area, the festival atmosphere and the family-oriented events that are held, advantage the entire community.

Th e Mount Isa City Council is extremely proud of its strong relationships with many local partners, working tirelessly to foster associations with the Chamber of Commerce, Xstrata Mount Isa Mines and associated commercial and industrial operators.

But Mount Isa is not just about mining.It is a family-friendly city - rich with community pride,

a land of opportunity with regard to career, education and lifestyle.

From the $4.25 million all-abilities family park opened in June 2009 to the Lake Moondarra Barramundi Fishing Classic, from the Mount Isa Rotary Rodeo to the ample retail and shopping facilities, there is a wide variety of attractions that make visiting, living and working in the city such an attraction.

We look forward to meeting all of you who are attending the 2010 Xstrata Mount Isa Mining Expo and hope that you enjoy your time in our great city.

Expo greetings from the Mount Isa City Council

Joining the Xstrata Mount Isa

Mining Expo each year is not a

question of short-term gain for

local Hastings Deering branch

manager Andrew Revell.

Mr Revell said the company’s

long-standing presence at the

event was more a matter of

supporting the local community

than selling products.

“We don’t tend to pick up

major equipment sales any

more,” he said.

“In years gone by, mining

expos were really about suppliers

like us showcasing new product,

with the potential for managers

to come in and place orders.

“Th at doesn’t generally happen

in this day and age.

“Th e information technology

pipeline allows them to get that

information more readily than

waiting for it to turn up at a

local mining show.”

However he said exhibiting

at the Xstrata Mount Isa

Mining Expo reconfi rmed

Hastings Deering’s commitment

and support for the products

it supplied to local mining

companies.

Mr Revell also mentioned

the many school children who

fi le through the expo exhibits

each year, eagerly collecting

merchandising items such as

balloons and stickers and gazing

with excitement at some of the

larger equipment.

“Hopefully in years to come,

if these kids are looking for a

career or a machine, they will

think favourably of Hastings

Deering and Caterpillar,” he said.

“Being a part of the mining

expo is about being a part of the

Isa mining community.”

A question of community

The Hastings Deering display site at the 2008 expo.

Participation bears business leadsStatewide Bearings is heading to Mount Isa for its third consecutive mining expo this year after receiving a very good response from its participation in 2009.

Th e impetus for the company to join the annual event was generated through a local link.

Its Brisbane-based mining rep, Neal Ragau, grew up in the north-west Queensland mining city and completed an apprenticeship with Mount Isa Mines before entering the bearings business.

Mr Ragau said his fi rst priority upon shifting to Statewide Bearings from another supplier in 2005 had been to seek exposure in the North West Minerals Province.

He said he had made a point of returning regularly to Mount Isa to check out the annual mining expo even before joining as an exhibitor.

He believed the value the event off ered had improved in recent years.

“Th ere are some excellent contacts to be made

from the expo and it’s very well organised,” Mr

Ragau said.

“We go to a number of expos around

Queensland and Australia, but I do tend to

think the (Mount Isa) Chamber of Commerce

runs probably the best one we go to...although

I might be a bit biased, being an ex Mount Isa

person.”

Mr Ragau said the company’s fi rst year at the

Mount Isa expo had been a matter of getting

people familiar with Statewide Bearings and its

products.

Its subsequent appearance in 2009 had been

very successful in securing new work, he said.

Mr Ragau said Statewide Bearings planned

to have a sizeable display indoors at this year’s

mining expo, with four staff on hand to deal

with inquiries.

36 March 2010 | The Mining AdvocateBuilding Mining Communities

We seek no power, no riches, no glory, just the basic right of equality....

Mount Isa students have been

hitting the high notes thanks

to a visiting opera workshop

sponsored by CS Energy.

Th e Moving Opera! program was coaching local

schoolchildren in musical theatre

and opera in early March in

an experience culminating in a

public concert.

Moving Opera! is an intensive,

in-school residency program that

focuses on the creative process of

making opera and music theatre.

Th e program gives students

the opportunity to learn from

fi ve professional artists.

In this case the students

worked with director Sean

Dennehy, soprano Dania

Cornelius, mezzo-soprano

Louise Dorsman, tenor Bernard

Wheaton and music director/

pianist Amanda Hodder.

Moving Opera! was last

presented in Mount Isa in 2008

to students from Spinifex State

College and Good Shepherd

Catholic College. Th is year, the

program involved 35 students

from Spinifex State College,

Townview State School, St

Joseph’s Catholic School and St

Kieran’s Catholic School.

CS Energy Mica Creek site

manager Greg Dale said the

company was proud to bring

Moving Opera! back to Mount

Isa for the fourth time.

“We support Moving Opera!

because it gives students in the

remote north-west a chance

to learn from some of the best

opera performers in Australia,”

Mr Dale said.

Since its inception in 2002,

the Moving Opera! program has

taken opera and music theatre

into the classrooms of some

4000 secondary school students

throughout Queensland.

Budding performers in the north-west have had

the benefi t of some professional polish in an

arts program backed by the local power plant.

Hitting the high notes

Th e children at Cloncurry

Kindergarten have been enjoying

some colourful new play areas

since doors opened for 2010

thanks to a partnership with

Ernest Henry Mining (EHM).

A number of projects have been

completed at the kindergarten

in the past year with funding

from EHM under the Xstrata

Community Partnership Program

North Queensland.

“We renovated an old ‘mud

hut’ structure to open it up,

creating a new castle-like play

area for the children,” Cloncurry

Kindergarten Beautifi cation

Committee member Susan

Dowling said. “We also cut back

an old shed to produce a gazebo

area with seating and we built

a new vermin-proof shed for

additional storage space.”

Renovations are child’s play Director Sean Dennehy from Moving Opera! gives students a few pointers. Photo: Ros Budd

Cloncurry Kindergarten Beautifi cation Committee members Susan Dowling,

Penny Back and Donna Turner with Imogen Back, Jordana Dowling and Darcy

Back in front of the new castle play area.

37The Mining Advocate | March 2010 Building Mining Communities

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A little girl’s distress at her dad’s absences from home for fl y in-fl y out (FIFO) work has spurred an Adelaide woman to develop a new web-based support and networking forum for mining families.

Mother of two Alicia Ranford developed the Mining Family Matters website after discovering there were few online resources to help people dealing with the challenges of the FIFO lifestyle.

Mrs Ranford, a registered nurse by profession, said that over the years she and her mining engineer husband, Joe, had dealt with the many ups and downs of both a FIFO lifestyle and postings in remote communities.

Th eir work had taken them to locations including South Africa, Charters Towers in North Queensland and Cobar in outback New South Wales, she said.

When the young family moved to Adelaide about three years ago and Mr Ranford began FIFO stints in Western Australia, Mrs Ranford said their daughter

The ups and downs of the mining lifestyle

are all too familiar for the creator of a new

website off ering information and advice.

basic things to do that were eff ective immediately. Although not all problems can be fi xed immediately, it really helped Abby out and made her feel not so far away from her dad.”

Th e website she subsequently developed includes professional advice from her friend Angie Willcocks, who acts as resident psychologist for the site, as well as social worker Nicole Pietsch.

It off ers a host of information and tips such as an “On the Move” page to assist people with relocations, an online shopping

guide, a career section, profi les of various mining communities and a chat forum.

Mrs Ranford said the reaction to the website, launched in February, had been “phenomenal” – with 1000 unique hits within the fi rst week.

“We’re very much about the positive promotion of the mining lifestyle,” Mrs Ranford said.

Th e Ranfords have always found ways to make the mining lifestyle work for them, both as a couple and then as parents, according to Mrs Ranford.

Th is included opting to swap their Cobar posting for the Western Australian FIFO position that off ered Mr Ranford fi ve full days per fortnight of quality time off with daughter Abby, now aged 5, and son Sam, 4.

“Th at’s really the attitude we’ve taken through the years to his career – we’ve got to see great places, interesting things and meet fantastic people,” Mrs Ranford said.

Th e website can be found atwww.miningfm.com.au.

Online support for families

Alicia Ranfordminingfm.com.au founder

Abby had trouble coping with her father being away at night.

“I went on to the web at night to see how best to explain to a three-year-old why Dad’s away at work and there were no resources I could fi nd to help,” Mrs Ranford said.

“I turned to a friend who is a psychologist for help and she was able to give me three really

Registered psychologist Angie Willcocks provides

some pointers for keeping the connection alive

when a parent is away working.

• For young children, make or fi nd a special “connection” token for each of you (child and dad/mum) that can be carried or worn at all times. Talk through the idea that when one is thinking of the other they can touch the special connection token and send their love to each other. Th is sort of idea is supported by books such as Th e Invisible String by Patrice Karst and You, Me and the Rainbow by Petrea King.

• For older children, parent and child can each

have a copy of the same book or movie to watch when they are apart and can talk about this either over the phone or when they are back together again. Th is then becomes a shared interest and something easy to talk about together.

• For children of all ages, the absent parent should let them know specifi c times they were thinking of them and why, if possible. For example, “I was thinking of you when I was fl ying back to the site because I heard that song you like.” It is important for all kids to be reminded that out of sight does not mean out of mind.

Th ree simple tips to help kids cope


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Find the right insurance products

Tony Doring

As many of you shortly will be

attending the Xstrata Mount Isa

Mining Expo, we thought it might

be useful to explain the benefi ts

of having your equipment, or

livelihoods, insured with the

correct insurance company.

Out in the insurance market there

are a huge number of insurance

companies to choose from,

however, choosing the right one

can be diffi cult.

Many of your main insurance

companies are considered general

insurance companies. There are,

however, specialist insurance

companies to look after specifi c

industries to give you the best

possible service.

These specialist insurance

companies are designed to know

your industry inside and out. This

is benefi cial in time of a claim as

they understand the urgency of

expediting things along, knowing,

for example, that as having a piece

of equipment out of action can be

a fi nancial strain on your business.

This also applies with your personal

insurance risks, when searching for

the right company to look after

your life, Key Man and income

protection insurance.

There are only a few companies

that look after the mining industry

specifi cally and as a miner, give you

the best possible cover according

to your occupation and your

family’s future.

Having the time and access to

this information can be diffi cult as

the time that you have off should

be spent with your family and/or

friends.

Give Phil Doring Insurance Brokers

a call as we have been dealing

within the mining industry for

the past 15 years and have an

extensive knowledge on ensuring

you have the best possible cover

based on your individual or

company situation.

We act on your behalf, not the

insurance company.

So when it is time for a claim, we

take care of you and ensure the

situation is resolved in the best

possible time.

For more information, phone

(07) 4953 1240 or email

[email protected]

A mining equipment manufacturer has come

up with an eye-catching way to encourage

people to dig deep for a breast cancer charity.

With a bright pink paint job and baby blue eyes, 41-tonne “Bertha” is a bucket with a diff erence.

She is the 150th dragline bucket produced by CQMS Razer in Mackay and the manufacturer has celebrated the milestone by dolling up “Bertha” and sending her out to lend her considerable weight to the battle against breast cancer.

Her eff orts will include a high-profi le appearance at Mackay’s Harrup Park Country Club before she starts her working life in the coalfi elds of the Bowen Basin.

CQMS Razer chief executive offi cer David Haslett said it was hoped that that “Bertha Bucket” – also known as CQ150 - would raise more than $100,000 with the help of generous sponsors and donations from businesses as well as the public.

“Th e aim is to raise as much

money as possible for the McGrath Foundation and its work in supporting breast cancer patients and their families,” Mr Haslett said.

Th e money would be used to employ more McGrath Breast Care Nurses in rural and regional communities, he said.

Th e 8m-wide pink Eartheater bucket was recently placed on display at Boundary Rd, near the Mackay Airport, prior to a grand appearance at “Dig Deep for Charity 2010”.

Th e community and industry event, to be held at Harrup Park on March 14, is being hosted by CQMS Razer and BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) to raise funds for the McGrath Foundation.

Th e family fun day will include a charity cricket match between the Queensland Fire ladies team and a team of local

BMA has announced plans

to install an air quality

monitoring station in the

township of Moranbah

following feedback from the

Isaac Regional Council and

the local community.

Th e company said the

device would provide

important information

about air quality, including

the type and level of dust

particles, and assist in

planning future operations

in the region.

Isaac Mayor Cedric

Marshall said independent

third parties would collect,

analyse and report the

results from the air quality

monitoring station in town.

“Th e report will then

be made available to the

community,” he said.

BMA chief executive

offi cer Marcelo Bastos

said also the Caval Ridge

Project had expanded its

dust monitoring program to

include six continuous air

monitoring stations around

the proposed mine site,

south-east of Moranbah.

Pretty in pink for country club date

players bolstered with celebrity appearances by Olympic gold medalists Linda McKenzie and Tracy Belbin.

Former Australian cricketing international Michael Bevan will represent the McGrath Foundation at the event.

Mr Haslett said Bertha would head off the next day to start work at BMA’s Norwich Park Mine, outside Dysart, where she would be moving more than 6000 tonnes of overburden per hour.

“As we mark the occasion of our 150th dragline bucket, we wanted CQ150 to make a real impact in more ways than one,” he said.

“Big, pink and out to impress, she will certainly turn a few heads on her road trip to Norwich Park Mine.”

Since the design and development of the company’s fi rst dragline bucket in 1996, CQMS Razer has secured a position as a global leader in advanced bucket technology and wear products.

Nicole Tortora, Madeleine Maurer and Kym Kirkwood from Sun City Signs apply

some fi nishing touches before “Bertha Bucket’s” public appearances in Mackay.

Air monitors on their way

39The Mining Advocate | March 2010 Building Mining Communities

T 1800 659 114 F 07 3229 9842 E [email protected] W www.hallpayne.com.au ts

_hp

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4

Work accident claims Motor vehicle

accident claims Family law Estate law Conveyancing

YOUR UNION YOUR LAWYER

Cameron Welsh may not be looking forward to having his head shaved for charity, but the coal handling and preparation plant operator is the fi rst to admit that, for him, going bald will be no big deal.

It has been far tougher for his wife, Fiona, who has lost her hair as the result of her ongoing chemotherapy after being diagnosed in December with breast cancer.

“I thought to support her I would shave my hair as well and I may as well do it for a good cause,” Mr Welsh said.

Mr Welsh is among hundreds of resource industry workers who will be going under the razor, or submitting to the dye pot, in March as part of

the Leukaemia Foundation of Queensland’s World’s Greatest Shave Mine Challenge.

Th e Sedgman employee, who works at the Red Mountain joint venture plant outside Moranbah, began his fundraising eff orts with a target of $3000.

However, his tally was well past $6000 by late February and Mr Welsh had his sights set on achieving the $10,000 mark.

“I have a mono-brow and I’ve told the guys at work that if I raise $10,000 I will shave that off as well,” he said.

Mr Welsh said his World’s Greatest Shave fundraising eff orts had drawn strong support from people involved in both the coal and cane industries.

Mr Welsh was employed with

Cameron eyes $10,000 target

the United Group on shutdown maintenance work in the coal industry before joining Sedgman about four years ago. He also has a strong background in the sugar cane industry, having grown up and worked on farms in the Mackay district.

“Also, my wife works with CSR at Sarina and the people she works with at the sugar mill and ethanol plant have given me support,” Mr Welsh said.

Th e couple, who live at Campwin Beach outside Sarina, have a four-year-old son,

Brayden, and an eight-year-old

daughter, Kiralee.

“Th ey both had a fair shock

when Fiona fully lost her hair,

but they have grown to live with

it,” Mr Welsh said.

“Th ey know I’m going to

shave and my boy reckons he

wants to shave his hair as well.”

He said also Kiralee’s school,

St Anne’s Catholic Primary

School in Sarina, was holding a

“crazy hair” day to support his

fundraising eff ort.

World’s Greatest Shave Mine

Challenge chairperson Paul

Barnard said 44 sites throughout

the state had signed up for

the challenge by early March,

including mining operations

throughout the Bowen Basin

and North West Minerals

Province as well as company

headquarters in Brisbane.

He hoped to see the event

raise $500,000 this year to

assist with the care of patients

and their families living with

leukaemias, lymphomas,

myeloma and related blood

disorders.

Mr Barnard said the Mine

Challenge raised about $385,000

in 2009 compared to an average

of $400,000 to $425,000 in

previous years.

“Th e only thing we can put

that down to was the fi nancial

crisis. We hope to do a bit of

catch-up this year,” Mr Barnard

said.

Local mine workers and other members of the Dysart community are being steered towards healthier lifestyle choices thanks to a free seven-week program sponsored by BMA.

Th e “Measuring Up” program was launched in February, with sessions held every Wednesday at 7.30am and again at 7pm to cater for diff erent work shifts.

BMA health, safety, environment and community vice-president Jason Economidis said the program was based on the national “Measure Up” campaign.

Th at campaign is part of the Australian Better Health Initiative, which aims to reduce the risk factors for chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

“Most people have probably seen the Measure Up ads on TV

– we want to take this one step further and provide people with the skills they need to make a healthy diff erence in their life,” he said.

Participants receive expert advice from local dietician Rachael Cox, psychologist Tara Payne and personal trainer Juanita Henry.

Ms Cox, who runs Health Avenues in Dysart, said 16 people had joined the program within the fi rst couple of weeks and she was hopeful numbers would build.

Shift workers in particular faced a number of challenges in terms of maintaining a healthy eating and exercise regime when they were working long hours, she said.

Th ese included fi nding time to go shopping and doing the preparation work required to cook healthy foods at home, Ms Cox said.

Th ose in camp accommodation

faced their own challenges in

making healthy selections from

provided meals.

“It defi nitely can be hard,

but there are ways and means

of adopting a few habits to

make things a bit healthier in a

typical day - whether it’s more

incidental activity at work or

taking some time during days

off to plan or prepare meals,”

Ms Cox said. Th e Measuring

Up sessions gave participants

more information regarding

healthy eating, physical activity,

motivation and goal setting, she

said.

As resource industry workers throughout the

state sacrifi ce their hair for charity, one man tells

of his heartfelt motivation to go the extra mile.

Measuring up for a healthier lifestyle

“Measuring Up” program participants Jo-Ann Lucke, Deb Hancox, Rachael Cox (dietician), Ruth Dalton, Tara Payne

(psychologist), Jane Blackbourne and Russell Dendle.

Cameron Welsh gears up for the World’s Greatest Shave Mine Challenge.


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Ask anyone around North Queensland who Rod Stockham is and it’s likely you’ll get a shoulder shrug.

But mention “Cowboy from the union” and there’s a good chance you will receive a diff erent reaction.

Th at’s the word from the man himself, Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) northern district secretary “Cowboy” Stockham, whose role sees him represent about 6500 workers in fi elds as diverse as health, hospitality and metalliferous mining.

“I was a rodeo rider,” Mr Stockham explains.

“For a lot of years I rode saddle broncs and bulls. I was nicknamed Cowboy in the early part of my working life and it stuck like the proverbial.”

Mr Stockham has family links to mining, with his grandfather Jack Stockham having worked as a gold miner in Ravenswood until his death in the 1940s.

Th e family’s freehold property in the area was sold decades later to Carpentaria Gold.

Cowboy’s own work history has been varied.

“I worked in the building industry in the late 70s and did my trade as a glazier,” Mr Stockham said.

“I have worked contracting, did a fair bit of work in the bush - ringing, fencing, yard building.

“I then worked in the cement industry in various jobs at North Australian Cement Limited (in Townsville).”

Mr Stockham was made redundant when that plant folded and he moved into the sugar industry in the Burdekin,

This former rodeo rider has worked “fl at out”

since becoming the AWU’s northern district

secretary and is preparing for a big year ahead.

Saddling up for the union cause

“I didn’t hesitate. I jumped at the opportunity to join

the ranks as an offi cial of the AWU.”

where he began his involvement as an Australian Workers’ Union offi cial.

“I have always had strong union views and I was working at Invicta Mill in Giru when the off er of an organiser position was made to me,” he said.

“I didn’t hesitate. I jumped at the opportunity to join the ranks as an offi cial of the AWU.

“On the retirement of Burdekin organiser, the late Brian Hutchings, I took over the area.

“I did a reasonable stint in the Mackay region as well with the retirement of an organiser there.”

He has also worked in the Townsville and Charters Towers regions over the years, representing many resource sector workers including

employees at the Charters Towers and Ravenswood gold mines and process workers at the Xstrata Copper and Queensland Nickel refi neries in Townsville.

He was also a local organiser during the heated dispute that arose in the construction of the Korea Zinc (Sun Metals Corporation) refi nery in the late 1990s.

Mr Stockham took over as northern district secretary in July last year following the retirement of his predecessor, Bob Boscacci.

He said he had been “fl at out” since and was grateful for the

great support provided by the

organisers and administrative

staff working in the northern

district.

“Our Mount Isa organisers

and I will have a big year

in the area with the Xstrata EBA (Enterprise Bargaining Agreement) up for negotiation and as we speak negotiations continue with North Queensland Metals for the process workers at Pajingo mine at Charters Towers,” he said.

“Th e union continues to grow and provide representation - both legal and industrial - and service to our members, which is good.

“Every day in this job brings diff erent and varied challenges.

“Th e people that come through our doors rarely have a good news story for us.

“But with the challenges of the Howard Government’s WorkChoices legislation behind us, it has paved the way for mining workers to be better represented by their respective unions - which is great news for those in the industry.”

When not fi ghting for workers’ rights, Mr Stockham can often be found at the “Stingers Boxing Club”, which he runs with son Bobby at their Majors Creek home, south-west of Townsville.

“We train kids from 10 years old upwards and adult fi ghters, both male and female. Some girls train for fi tness also,” he said.

“Th e Queensland branch of the AWU sponsors the Sunstate Amateur Boxing League, which I am the president of, and this greatly assists the Queensland team.

“Th e boxers’ shirts and singlets have the words ‘proudly sponsored by the AWU’ - which is good promotion for the union also.”

Bobby won the Australian amateur boxing title as a

mosquito weight fi ghter in 2003, in what Mr Stockham describes as one of the proudest moments of his life.

Th e 49-year-old’s other interests include working on the small farm at Majors Creek, where he lives with wife Gayle, 18-year-old Bobby and daughter Jodie,17.

“We have 200 acres (80ha) on which we grow cattle and hay.We have mangoes and have tried our hand at small crops farming in the past, but work soon put an end to that,” he said.

Mr Stockham’s son is an apprentice diesel fi tter with the Markwell Group while Jodie has started a traineeship with TORGAS.

“My hopes for the future include, like everyone, paying my place off and improving it,” Mr Stockham said.

“But certainly, above all that, my priority is to grow this great union and continue to service and represent our members to contribute toward the next 124 years of our existence.”

Australian Workers’

Union northern

district secretary

Cowboy Stockham.

Photo: Stewart McLean

THE AUSTRALIAN WORKERS' UNION:PUTTING MINERS SAFETY FIRST

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AD03 2010.eps 1 25/02/10 4:43 PM

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March 2010