March 2008 by The Mining Advocate

Supporting mining and industry in northern Australia

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March 2008

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Can industry lose its electric blues? ISSN 1833-3125

THIS MONTH • Ernest Henry going underground • Indigenous workers willing and able • Angela and Pamela, the NT’s lovely ladies • Get a lifestyle

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Wulguru Steel Sales Executives: Anthony Grasso, Jeff Moore, Ben Falkenhagen, Mick Searle and Richard Toigo.

NEWS

The Mining Advocate | March 2008

The

MINING March 2008

Time for some electrifying moves (COVER)

Power supply has become a burning issue for the northern Australian mining industry. Shad Linley, chief executive of Townsville’s Sun Metals zinc reﬁnery, has seen his electricity costs soar in the past year. He believes the goal of economical and reliable power for North Queensland industry would be best realised by building a coal-ﬁred power station near Charters Towers. Meanwhile, a bold proposal to link the Northern Territory and the North West Minerals Province to grid electricity has some industry players licking their lips.

Brave new world

The times are a-changin’ at Xstrata Copper’s Ernest Henry copper and gold mine, near Cloncurry in North Queensland. A decline is being constructed in the ﬁrst step towards underground mining in April next year, assuming that a feasibility study deems full-scale underground operations proﬁtable. A newly skilled workforce will be required to man the underground operation and new minerals could also be extracted for processing. General manager Mike Westerman is looking forward to the changes and is pleased that they will maintain a great constant for Cloncurry in the continued presence of Ernest Henry mine.

Machinery in the pit at Xstrata Copper’s Ernest Henry mine near Cloncurry could soon be a memory, with a move to underground mining firmly on the cards.

Right to go

North West Queensland mining operations will be able to tap into a skilled indigenous workforce when one of the region’s biggest mines closes in the next decade. Zinifex Century mine is scheduled to shut its gates in 2015, although current exploration work might push back this date. A University of Queensland professor, who has been studying the effects of the mine’s closure, says Zinifex has trained a significant number of indigenous workers and many of them would be willing to work at other operations on a fly in-fly out basis.

FEATURES 10 Industry Update A comprehensive wrap of exploration and operations in North Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Pam-Ang takes oﬀ

14 Between Shifts 18 Mining Expo 23 Engineering Careers 27 TotalFab 30 Safety and Training 32 Lifestyle

Two uranium prospects in the Northern Territory, the Pamela and Angela deposits, will be developed by a joint venture of Paladin Energy and Cameco. The Northern Territory Government received a record 37 applications for development rights over the deposits and chief minister Paul Henderson said billions of dollars would be created if the project lived up to its potential.

32 Why don’t we do it in the road? In the ﬁrst instalment of our new lifestyle section, Trevor Seedwell and Clayton Cook talk about their passion for motorcycles and the call of the open road. Mr Seedwell also explains why even-time rosters make for better workers.

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March 2008 |

The Mining Advocate

High-voltage hook-up An ambitious project could plug the mining industry into grid power for the first time in parts of the Northern Territory and North West Queensland, writes Michael Stevens.

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(EV[MR Some Northern Territory mines could ultimately be powered by grid electricity if a project to link North West Queensland and the Northern Territory to the national electricity market (NEM) comes to fruition. IsaLink proposes to extend a high-voltage powerline from the NEM grid in Central Queensland to Xstrata’s Ernest Henry mine, north of Cloncurry, and to upgrade an existing line from the mine to Mount Isa to link the city with the grid. Under a second stage of development, the high-voltage line would be extended to Xstrata’s McArthur River mine in the NT and through to Katherine and Darwin allowing mines in the northern part of the Territory to connect to the grid. NT Chamber of Commerce chief executive oﬃcer Chris Young said the organisation met with IsaLink between 12 and 18 months ago, and he supported the proposal. “It (the IsaLink proposal) could oﬀer an alternative, and hopefully cheaper, source of electricity,” he said. “We (the chamber) would be very happy to see more electricity suppliers in the Northern Territory.”

The NT Government-owned Power and Water Corporation currently provides the Territory’s electricity. Mr Young said the electricity it provided was expensive for large consumers compared to other states. And he said most NT mining operations had to generate their own electricity because of the tyranny of distance and limited power supplies in the Territory. Mr Young said he did not believe minerals exploration in the NT was discouraged by the present power situation, but the high cost of electricity had to be considered by prospective producers. IsaLink stated in its initial advice statement that it had met with the NT Government. But the oﬃce of Mines and Energy Minister Chris Natt did not believe the government had been approached for input into the project. McArthur River Mining declined to comment on the project. Stage one of the IsaLink project has received ﬁrm support from the Queensland Government and industry groups. Queensland Co-ordinatorGeneral Colin Jensen has

Report advocates alternative link Development organisation Townsville Enterprise (TEL) advocates an alternative to the proposed IsaLink project. It believes a similar link should connect Mount Isa to the national electricity market (NEM) from North Queensland, rather than Central Queensland TEL, the Mount Isa to Townsville Economic Development Zone (MITEZ) and the Mackay and Whitsunday Regional Economic Development Corporation recently issued a report on North Queensland’s power situation. It found users in Mount Isa paid signiﬁcantly more than the rest of North Queensland for electricity. Modelling showed a NEM connection between North Queensland and Mount Isa would provide cheaper power for Mount Isa users than IsaLink ‘s proposal. It would also encourage

investment in a new baseload power station in Central or North Queensland, which the report stated was a second crucial component to lowering electricity prices. The report found that higher electricity costs for North Queensland users connected to the NEM, compared with costs in Central and Southern Queensland, were caused by transmission charges. It found the present development of strong transmission links between Central and North Queensland, to be completed by 2009-10, would reduce price volatility. However, the trend of North Queensland having to pay higher charges would continue until a new baseload power station was built in the region.

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IsaLink high-voltage power transmission project.

declared it a “signiﬁcant” project, streamlining government assessment. Queensland Resources Council chief executive Michael Roche said the IsaLink project would allow miners and minerals processors in the North West to beneﬁt from a

Map: Queensland Department of Infrastructure and Planning

highly competitive marketplace for bulk electricity supplies, with the opportunity for some remote operations to connect to the transmission line through regional distribution companies and energy retailers. “Competitive electricity prices in what is recognised as a world-

THE ISALINK PROPOSAL STAGE ONE: • Construction of a 1100km high-voltage powerline from the national electricity market grid in Central Queensland to Xstrata’s Ernest Henry mine • An AC/DC converter station to be built near Ernest Henry mine • Upgrade of the existing powerline between Ernest Henry mine and Mount Isa • Expected cost of about $900 million, with 300 workers to be employed before and during construction STAGE TWO: • Extension of the high-voltage powerline to Xstrata’s McArthur River mine, to Katherine and to Darwin in the Northern Territory • If extended to Darwin, the route length for the entire project would be about 2700km • Development of stage two would require a separate impact assessment

class minerals province could kickstart a major renaissance of mining and minerals processing activity in the region,’’ he said. According to IsaLink, electricity costs in North West Queensland are two to three times the equivalent costs in South East Queensland. The company stated that connection to the NEM would ensure a competitively priced supply from the large number of alternative suppliers active in the national market. IsaLink will now conduct an environmental impact statement before any ﬁnal alignment of the project is identiﬁed. The company stated that it expected project approvals to be obtained in July 2010 and it expected an environmental assessment to be be submitted for formal public comment and government review in July 2009. IsaLink is an Australian-based company majority owned by the Hong Kong-based Cheung Kong Group.

Potential boost for Dugald River IsaLink could make a big diﬀerence at Zinifex’s Dugald River project. The zinc deposit is located 65km north-west of Cloncurry and could potentially be linked to the IsaLink line. Dugald River is expected to come online as an underground operation in 2011 and produce

400,000 tonnes of concentrate per year. The life of the mine is expected to be at least 16 years. However, Zinifex group manager for the Dugald River project Mel Palancian said the project became less viable if it had to rely on diesel-generated electricity.

“Diesel-generated electricity is expensive and incongruent with Zinifex’s commitment to maintaining environmental best practice,” he said. “Conversely, reasonably priced, grid-sourced electricity will allow more resource to be recovered and increase associated beneﬁts to the Cloncurry region.”

NEWS

The Mining Advocate | March 2008

Industry ‘hamstrung’

Powerful argument for action After seeing electricity costs balloon last year, the head of Sun Metals has a bone to pick when it comes to the state of supply in North Queensland, writes Michael Stevens. The high cost of electricity has hamstrung industry in North Queensland, according to a major figure in the refining industry. Townsville zinc refinery Sun Metals paid twice as much for electricity last year as in 2006, which was unacceptable to chief executive Shad Linley. “Sun Metals is the second largest industrial electricity consumer in the state and we

really felt that last year - we spent an extra $50 million on electricity,” he said. “To say that Queensland failed (in supplying electricity) last year is a slight understatement.” Mr Linley was speaking at the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy’s (AusIMM’s) ﬁrst Townsville technical talk for 2008. He said the main reason for the price hike was water

Sun Metals chief executive Shad Linley tackles the issue of electricity supply at the AusIMM technical talk. Photo: Stewart McLean

shortages at Tarong and Swanbank power stations in South East Queensland. But he said prices were also affected by profit maximisation strategies and some electricity was diverted from Queensland into New South Wales to suit this aim. Despite the recent rain in South East Queensland, Mr Linley looks set to be disappointed if he hoped for reduced power costs this year. The Queensland Competition Authority (QCA) recently recommended an increase of 7 per cent to the price cap for electricity from July 1. Queensland Mines and Energy Minister Geoff Wilson

said last year’s price rise was largely based on the effects of the drought. He said he was disappointed with the QCA’s recommendation for further increases. The QCA stated in its draft recommendation that, among other factors, winter rainfall and the implementation of water saving measures had not been sufficient to reverse the impact of the drought in eastern Australia, and this situation affected prices. Mr Linley said North Queensland mining and refining operations experienced problems with supply as well as price, and the solution could be a baseload power station for North Queensland.

More than just a sea change

The next chapter in the evolution of Palmer Street

“What I’m working on with a number of other companies is a new coal-fired power station, probably at Pentland (near Charters Towers), which is not only a DC (direct current) line out to Mount Isa but also goes up the corridor so the other mines along the way can live off that, including Cannington, and it’ll have a DC line out to Townsville,” he said. However, he said the proposed IsaLink project (see opposite page), which would connect Mount Isa with the National Electricity Market, would make a new power station uneconomical and the idea redundant. “The only dilemma I have with the IsaLink (project) is that it only services Mount Isa, it doesn’t service all of the other mines along the way and it doesn’t service Townsville at all,” he said. According to IsaLink’s Initial Advice Statement (IAS), Xstrata’s Mount Isa operations would be the most significant customer, although other businesses and communities within the supply area would also have access to the power. “Some remote resource-based businesses currently relying on diesel for electricity generation would potentially have the opportunity for connection to the transmission line through regional distribution companies and energy retailers,” the IAS states.

NEWS

March 2008 |

Miners reach for the razor in charity battle

Geologist claims academic prize Volcanoes capture Catherine Harman’s imagination, but she wants to make hay in the mining industry while the sun shines. Ms Harman’s outstanding academic achievements in 2007 at James Cook University in Townsville have earned her an Award of Academic Excellence from the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM). She will complete her third and ﬁnal year of a Bachelor of Science degree in geology and economic geology this year. “I wanted to study vulcanology, but I thought I’d go a bit broader and study geology as a whole,” she said. “My long-term goal is to study volcanoes, but whilst the mining industry is in its boom, I’ll be working there.” Ms Harman is on a scholarship with BMA Coal and will take a place in the company’s graduate program after ﬁnishing her studies. “I’ve heard that their graduate program rotates you a fair bit, so you spend 12 months at

Zinifex Century Mine’s health and safety officer Geoff Woods has his scalp liberated in last year’s shave for charity.

North Queensland AusIMM chair Mark Daniell presents JCU geology student Catherine Harman with her award. Photo: Stewart McLean

one mine as a geologist and six months in the field - I’m looking forward to it,” she said. Ms Harman was presented with a certificate and book at the first AusIMM technical talk for

the year in the Townsville. Fellow JCU student Alexander Brown, who is completing the same degree, was also an award winner but was unable to attend the presentation.

The Mining Advocate

Miners will feel a cool breeze up top this month when they shave their locks for charity. The World’s Greatest Shave Mine Challenge, which raises funds for the Leukaemia Foundation, is a hotly contested event in the mining community. A perpetual shield is presented to the site that raises the most funds and participating

companies are also in contention for inclusion on the national Top 30 list. Officially the challenge will run between March 13 and 15, but Zinifex Century Mine in the lower Gulf will stage its shave a bit later to suit rosters. A site spokeswoman said one miner with long dreadlocks had agreed to sacrifice them to the cause. Queensland Mines and Energy Minister Geoff Wilson said last year’s mine challenge had raised $400,000 statewide and attracted 29 companies across 55 sites. He encouraged the mining industry to raise even more money this year, which is the third year of the challenge. A team at BMA Coal’s handling and preparation plant in Blackwater has proved the best performer in Queensland for the past two years, raising an impressive total of $92,000 in 2007. To take part, workers from any mining company, supplier or union can shave their head or colour their hair. Companies, sites and individuals can register at www. worldsgreatestshave.com.

There’s no point unless you are having fun Why bother working if you can’t enjoy the perks? This month The Mining Advocate launches its new lifestyle section. From the top fishing spots to the fastest and loudest big boys’ toys, The Mining Advocate will examine the best ways of clocking off. In the first instalment on Page 32, we look at a band of biking brothers who let the tarmac take away work stress. Clayton Cook (centre) from TP Human Capital in Townsville upgraded to a new motorcycle not long after this one fell through the cracks. Dr John McLellan from James Cook University (at left) and Graeme Reid from Reliance Petroleum ponder the situation.

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The Mining Advocate | March 2008

Following the call of the deep With the viability of its open-cut operation coming to an end, the only way is down for this North West Queensland site. Ernest Henry mine will enter a bold new era if its planned underground operation comes to fruition. The ﬁrst cut of a decline was made recently at the Xstrataowned copper and gold mine, near Cloncurry in North Queensland. General manager Mike Westerman said the decline would initially be a 3.2km development to access a 15 million-tonne block of ore at the bottom of the current open pit. He said the decline and a feasibility study on full-scale underground mining would be completed by April 2009. It was hoped that underground operations would follow immediately. “We’re hoping to submit the feasibility study by January or February 2009 for the board’s approval, and essentially we hope to just keep going with the

decline,” Mr Westerman said. Open-cut mining is due to end at Ernest Henry mine in 2010, but Mr Westerman estimated that underground mining could extend the operation by another 10 years. He said the yield from underground mining would be about half that of opencut mining, with production from underground operations gradually ramping up to ﬁve million tonnes of ore per annum, compared with 11 million tonnes per annum from open-cut mining. However, he said the Ernest Henry operation would also look at extracting other minerals from the underground ore, such as molybdenum and cobalt, and magnetite could be processed from the tailings. Mr Westerman said employee numbers at an underground Ernest Henry operation

The pit at Ernest Henry mine, outside Cloncurry.

Deputy premier Paul Lucas (third from left), Member for Mount Isa Betty Kiernan and Mines and Energy Minister Geoff Wilson (fifth and sixth from left at back) joined Ernest Henry employees for the first cut of the decline development.

would remain the same in the processing and administration areas, but about half the current number of workers would be required for mining. He said the Ernest Henry operation would need employees to be diﬀerently skilled during the production stage, following construction of the decline by contract mining company Barminco. Mr Westerman said some skilled workers would be imported from underground mines in the area, including Xstrata’s Mount Isa Mines, and existing open-cut workers at Ernest Henry would also be retrained. “When the open pit winds down in 2010, we’ll

train workers in base level underground mining and they’ll hopefully progress to the top level,” he said. Mr Westerman said the ore body to be targeted by the proposed underground operation was relatively low grade and an economical sub-level cave mining method was being examined. The proposed IsaLink project, which could link the mine with the national electricity market, would also reduce the operational costs of an underground mine, he said. In the long term, the Ernest Henry operation could have a life beyond the proposed underground stage. Mr Westerman said Xstrata

Copper had a number of exploration tenements in the surrounding area and was engaged in various joint ventures. “There are a number of deposits we call satellite deposits that are not stand-alone, or are not proved to a point where they can be independent, and it makes good sense for Ernest Henry and the junior miners to capitalise on existing infrastructure to process some of those ore bodies,” Mr Westerman said. He praised the Cloncurry community’s support for Ernest Henry’s move towards underground mining. “It’s such an important project for Cloncurry and we all need to pull together to see what we can do to make it happen,” he said.

Family friendly policy winning hearts among mine employees Flexibility is the key to retaining women in the workforce, according to the team at Xstrata Copper’s Ernest Henry mine. The operation’s “Newborn Production Support” program allows pregnant workers and new mothers to change their shifts from full time to permanent part time - typically 9am to 3pm. Women also have the option of moving from production to administrative roles while pregnant. Ernest Henry truck driver and single mother Darrianne McKenzie took an administrative role when she was six months’ pregnant. “I learnt plenty about what the ‘silvertails’ did in the admin oﬃce when I did the reception duties,” she said. “I understood more about

the business from that point of view.” After giving birth, Ms McKenzie returned to work as a permanent part-time employee, driving 220-tonne dump trucks. With the recent introduction of an even-time roster at Ernest Henry, she was able to relocate to Brisbane as a full-time ﬂy inﬂy out employee. Cloncurry-based Anita Morris, the personal assistant to general manager Mike Westerman, remained at work until the week before her daughter’s birth in November. After the birth and leading up to a major project in which she was involved, Ms Morris worked from home with two-week-old Lauren and attended site every Tuesday for half a day. “It is never easy to balance

work and home life, but with support and understanding from the company I have successfully had three children whilst employed at Ernest Henry mine,” she said. In a recent Queensland Resources Council Resource Awards for Women submission, the company reported that the “Newborn Production Support” program helped engender loyalty from employees as well as mitigating the “boys’ club” atmosphere sometimes associated with the mining industry. Women account for about 27 per cent of the Ernest Henry mine’s workforce and almost 10 per cent of those female employees are currently expecting children.

Ernest Henry truck driver Darrianne McKenzie with baby George.

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March 2008 |

The Mining Advocate

Skills spin-oﬀ from Century A University of Queensland study highlights the potential benefits to industry in having a pool of mine-trained indigenous workers about to hit the job market, writes Michael Stevens. North West Queensland mines will be able to take advantage of a ready-made workforce when the Century operation shuts down, according to a mining industry academic. Skilled indigenous workers will be available for other operations after the closure of the lower Gulf zinc-lead operation, currently scheduled for 2015. A University of Queensland (UQ) study has examined the likely consequences of closure and what can be done between now and then to secure better long-term sustainable development outcomes. David Brereton, director of the UQ’s Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, said opportunity existed for indigenous communities in the Gulf to form relationships with other mining companies. While more than 45 per cent of indigenous employees surveyed as part of the study wished to remain based in the Gulf, it was likely that many

THE FACTS Zinifex Century Mine closure scheduled for 2015 Operation employs 210 indigenous people from Gulf communities Many would be willing to work at other North West Queensland operations

would be willing to work at fly in-fly out operations around Cloncurry and Mount Isa, he said. Professor Brereton said most indigenous staff working on a fly in-fly out basis at Century mine were living in communities including Doomadgee, Mornington Island, Normanton, Burketown, Mount Isa and Townsville. He indicated that the expansion of the indigenous workforce had been Century mine’s most significant social achievement to date.

“Century mine is not just employing indigenous people who are already job trained, it is providing job training for Aboriginal workers at the mine,” he said. He said the mine could enhance its contribution to longterm sustainability in the lower Gulf by broadening its training opportunities to promote skills transportability. “It’s about giving workers the opportunity to utilise a wider range of equipment and giving them experience in other areas such as administration and catering,” he said. Professor Brereton said some indigenous businesses had been successfully established to service Century mine and now faced the challenge of diversifying in order to remain operational after mine closure. The State Government could utilise the services of some of these companies in road construction projects, he said. Zinifex is exploring around the Century site for deposits that could be processed through the mine infrastructure after 2015. Professor Brereton said an extension of the Century mine timeline would help the cause of long-term sustainable development.

“But no mine lasts forever, and Century mine should use any extended period to ensure indigenous people are skilled up and to help them with business development activities,” he said. The study is jointly funded by Zinifex Century Mine and the State Government. It began in mid-2006 and

Aiding employment and enterprise Zinifex Century Mine formed a Gulf Communities Agreement in 1997 with local Native Title groups and the Queensland Government. The Native Title groups involved in the agreement are the Waanyi, Mingginda, Gkuthaarn and Kukatj groups. One of the desired outcomes of the Native Title groups in negotiating the agreement was to remove their people and other members of their communities from welfare dependency and to promote economic selfsuﬃciency. Century mine currently employs 210 indigenous people

New chief’s focus on mine longevity Zinifex Century Mine’s new general manager, John Lamb, has past success in longevity that could come in handy for the lower Gulf operation. Mr Lamb was formerly deputy general manager at Zinifex’s Rosebery Mine in Tasmania, where his site management team engineered the resurgence of the mine. By developing a life-ofmine investment strategy and refocusing in-mine exploration, the team increased Rosebery’s resource base by 65 per cent and its mine life by 10 years. Zinifex is currently exploring its landholding around Century mine for deposits that can be processed through the operation’s infrastructure when the Century ore body is exhausted in 2015 or 2016. Mr Lamb said the Century management team would continue to focus on this exploration eﬀort, but would also develop a post-mine strategy to prepare communities for mine wind-down and eventual closure. In relation to operational performance, he said he would

promote innovative thinking throughout the organisation. “I intend to increase business growth by developing leadership capacity on site and by challenging people throughout our business,” Mr Lamb said. “The management team knows that I’ll support them if they need to challenge the status quo, propose creative solutions or have diﬃcult conversations. “As a team, we have agreed that we value constructive criticism, rigorous thinking and innovative solutions.” Improving employee retention rates and encouraging strong safety performance were also major goals, he said. Other fresh faces on Zinifex Century Mine’s management team include human resources manager Ian Harmer, asset manager Paul Bottrill and mining alliance technical services manager Johan Botha. Jeﬀ Innes is the mine’s deputy general manager.

will be ﬁnished within the next couple of months, when the results will be made public. The Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining was established by UQ in 2001 in response to growing interest about the role of the mining and minerals industry in society.

Zinifex Century Mine’s new general manager, John Lamb.

from Gulf communities, representing 21 per cent of the total workforce and including 56 indigenous women. More than 45 per cent of indigenous employees surveyed as part of the Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining study were employed under the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) program before starting work at Century mine and another 5 per cent were unemployed. Less than 5 per cent of respondents planned to return to CDEP or unemployment after Century mine’s closure. The study found a signiﬁcant proportion of indigenous former employees of Century mine had transitioned to other employment, which indicated increased mobility and employability. The Century mine-funded Aboriginal Development Beneﬁts Trust assists Aboriginal enterprise. Hookeys Contracting, Waayni Crushing and Spick and Span (site cleaning) are among the indigenous companies established to service the mine. Nowlands Engineering, the Lawn Hill and Riversleigh Pastoral Company, and the Doomadgee Bakery are among companies established under the program that are independent of the mine.

Improved Isa air services

MacAir Airlines has changed its schedule to allow business travelers to be in Mount Isa by 8.30am on weekdays.

“MacAir operates over 30 flights each week between Townville and Mount Isa, with a schedule that has been constructed in consultation with key business and community stakeholders in both communities,” MacAir general manager Kevin Gill said. A new operator, Cairns-based Regional Pacific Airlines, has also introduced 10 weekly flights from Cairns and Townsville to Mount Isa Flights from Cairns to Mount Isa leave at 4pm on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and return flights from Mount Isa leave at 4pm on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Flights from Townsville to Mount Isa leave at 10.30am on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and return flights leave at 8am on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

NEWS

The Mining Advocate | March 2008

Angela and Pamela uranium potential excites the exploration pack

Hot prospects in Red Centre Plans to develop two much-coveted deposits have received the green light in the NT.

Alice Springs

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conditions on exploration licence applications. Companies had to show their capacity for bringing the deposits into production and explain their planned timing and expenditure for the first two years of the project. Paladin Energy managing director John Borshoff said the joint venture had committed to spending at least $5 million on initial confirmatory exploration and a further $5 to $10 million on a bankable feasibility study and an environmental impact assessment. He said the Angela and Pamela prospects offered Paladin Energy the opportunity to develop a mine in the Northern Territory to complement the company’s Valhalla and Skal joint venture uranium projects near Mount Isa, which were scheduled for development after 2012. The Angela and Pamela deposits were discovered in the early 1970s. Extensive evaluation work

ST UA RT

A joint venture of Paladin Energy and Cameco Australia will develop the Angela and Pamela uranium deposits in the Northern Territory. The NT Government recently announced the success of the joint venture’s licence application in a hotly contested competition to explore the highly prospective ground, about 25km south of Alice Springs. “A record 37 applications were received for the Pamela and Angela prospects, and a rigorous selection assessment overseen by independent probity experts Stantons International was undertaken,” Mines Minister Chris Natt said. The prospects were part of a package of land holdings released from minerals exploration prohibition by the NT Government in 2006. Due to the anticpated high level of interest in the Angela and Pamela prospects, the government placed special

The Ranger uranium plant seen from the open pit.

was undertaken by Uranerz Australia between 1972 and 1983, but exploration was terminated because of unfavourable market conditions. Mr Borshoﬀ said Paladin Energy owned all of the original drill hole data for the deposits, including geology, geochemistry, down-hole gamma surveys and feasibility studies. NT Chief Minister Paul Henderson said billions of dollars and many years of economic beneﬁts would be created if the Angela and Pamela deposits lived up to their potential. “The exploration phase alone will inject millions of dollars

Tug tribute for employee The second of Rio Tinto’s new 55-tonne tugboats recently arrived in Weipa. Built at Cheoy Lee Ship Yard at Doumen in China, the tugboat is named the Peter Crooke after a longtime Rio Tinto employee who passed away from a cancer-related illness in August 2006. Mr Crooke was born in Adelaide in 1953 and joined Comalco in Brisbane as a public relations oﬃcer in 1976. His 30-year career with Comalco and the Conzinc Riotinto of Australia (CRA)/Rio Tinto Group included positions in public aﬀairs, sales and marketing, project management, mergers and acquisitions, and community relations. During 1999 and 2000, Mr Crooke spent a lot of time at Weipa as Comalco’s lead negotiator for the Western Cape Communities Co-Existence Agreement. His dedication and commitment to the company during his long career and his unfailing energy and enthusiasm are said to have inspired those who worked with him. A commemorative plaque on the tugboat states that, like the new vessel, “Peter was at home with the sea, and his positive

Peter Crooke’s family gather in front of the tugboat named in his honour. Photo: Chris Newman

attitude and caring nature guided many through troubled waters.” The Peter Crooke has joined the Harry Evans in assisting ore-carrying ships berthing and

sailing at Lorim Point wharf in Weipa. The tugboats can also be called upon as ﬁrst response salvage vessels to assist ships in diﬃculty in the harbour.

into the economy, creating jobs for Territorians and business opportunities for support and supply services to the project,” Mr Henderson said. The joint venture licence applications will now progress through the administrative procedures set out in the NT’s Mining Act. Meanwhile, Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) recently reported that work had begun on its expansion of the Ranger uranium mine, 250km east of Darwin. An extension to the operational open pit will extend the mine’s life until 2012 and, along with optimisation work on the existing pit, will add another 4857 tonnes of

The location of the landholding containing the Angela and Pamela uranium deposits.

contained uranium oxide. The majority of the additional production from the $57 million extension will occur in 2011, with processing at the Ranger operation scheduled to continue until 2020. ERA is continuing to examine options for extending the mine further and increasing production from the processing plant.

Expo provides key networking forum Mining industry suppliers in Alice Springs will have a valuable opportunity to network with key miners this month. The Mining Services Expo and Seminar, hosted by the Northern Territory Government, brings local suppliers and mining companies together with a view to bringing work to Alice Springs. Event organiser Michael Steller said 2008 was an exciting time for Alice Springs suppliers, with three new mining operations scheduled to begin near the city next year - Thor Mining’s Molyhil tungsten and molybdenum project (220km north-east of Alice Springs), Olympia Resources’ Harts Range garnet sands project (170km north-east of Alice Springs), and Arafura Resources’ Nolans Bore rare earths and uranium project (135km north-west of the town). “Those three companies will be giving presentations at the mining supply seminar and we’ve asked them to talk about what their projects involve, what the timing requirements are and what their philosophies are for doing business locally,” Mr Steller said. According to the government,

last year’s event created 51 new contracts, four new jobs and one apprenticeship for Alice Springs businesses. Mr Steller said about 42 expo booths were taken up by 38 companies well before the event, and he expected a rush of lastminute exhibitors. The Mining Services Expo and Seminar will be held at the Alice Springs Convention Centre on March 18 and 19 in conjunction with the Annual Geoscience Exploration Seminar (AGES), also hosted by the NT Government. AGES is targeted at mineral explorers and will include new geoscience from the Northern Territory Geological Survey and its partners, company presentations on recent exploration highlights and practical information to assist explorers with issues such as land access and titles. Energy Metals, NuPower Resources, Uramet Minerals, Westgold Resources, Toro Energy and Uranium Equities will deliver presentations at the seminar.

NEWS

March 2008 |

The Mining Advocate

Copper tops up coffers Diversification has helped shield Kagara from the impact of falling commodity prices. Base metals producer Kagara was pleased with its most recent financial results, in the context of weaker metals prices in late 2007. The company, previously known as Kagara Zinc, recently announced a $35.9 million net profit after tax for the six months to December 31. Kagara executive chairman Kim Robinson said the result was underpinned by strong operating margins at its flagship base metal operations near Chillagoe and at Mount Garnet in North Queensland, particularly in relation to copper.

He said a combination of higher production volumes, high grades and significant byproduct credits contributed to low cash operating costs. “Although we saw a 30 per cent reduction in the realised zinc price during the half, the continued diversification of our production – with copper currently the main driver of our earnings growth – provided a solid buffer against adverse commodity price movements,” Mr Robinson said. “We are very pleased overall with the result, which really highlights the robust nature

Kagara’s Mount Garnet treatment plant.

“We are very pleased overall with the result, which really highlights the robust nature of our operations and their ability to generate strong cash flow” of our operations and their ability to generate strong cash ﬂow and proﬁts at all phases of the commodity cycle. The operational improvements

A step into Darwin’s past Visitors to Darwin are now able to access information on the city’s engineering achievements. The Engineers Australia Northern Division’s engineering heritage committee has released a driving and walking tour brochure of 16 sites in Darwin’s central business district (CBD). Committee chair Owen Peake said the brochure helped correct a gap in tourist information. “When we surveyed tourist material we found that there was nothing available for the average tourist about our engineering heritage,” he said. The brochure was funded by Darwin City Council and has been distributed to tourist bureaus, libraries and some hotels. The committee is also ﬁnalising a second driving brochure of engineering sites in greater Darwin, from the end of the CBD to 60km outside the city. Due for completion this month, the brochure has been supported by the Northern Territory Department of Justice’s public funding program for small projects. Mr Peake - now semi-retired - spent most of his career as an electrical engineer in the power and utilities sector in Darwin. He said the NT’s engineering heritage, inﬂuenced by a slow development rate and the requirements of World War II,

ENGINEERING HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DARWIN CBD • ‘Sandfly’ locomotive (1886) – Built in the United States and landed at Port Darwin in 1886 for construction work on the Palmerston to Pine Creek railway • No. 6 oil storage tank (1934) – By 1942 this tank was one of a series of 11 tanks. Its shell was among the only remnants of Darwin’s oil storage facilities after Japanese bombing in World War II • Stokes Hill Wharf (1956) – The main general cargo wharf for Port Darwin until the commissioning of the New Fort Hill wharf in 1981 Engineering heritage committee chairman Owen Peake. Photo: Christopher Knight

was worthy of note despite the lack of keynote structures. “The Northern Territory is sparsely populated and so there are not as many engineering sites,” Mr Peake said. “We don’t have the spectacular sites like the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Story Bridge (in Brisbane) but we have to accept what we’ve got, which is still signiﬁcant for the tourist industry, and we need to boost it by oﬀering the best documentation we can.”

A network of World War II military sites around Darwin gives visitors a glimpse of the city’s heritage. Photo: Christopher Knight

we implemented last year, including the change to owneroperator mining and increased operational flexibility arising from the re-commencement of mining at Mount Garnet, has also given us greater capacity to withstand seasonal rainfall events and other operational challenges.” Mr Robinson said Kagara’s production profile would continue to grow, with production on target to exceed 30,000 tonnes of copper metal and 40,000 tonnes of zinc metal for the 2007/08 financial year. “We are also continuing to deliver on our growth strategy,

with construction of the new $80 million Mungana base metal production centre on track to commence in April,” he said. “This project, which is being developed as an underground operation, will drive our production and earnings growth through the rest of the decade, enabling us to double our zinc production to 100,000 tonnes of metal by 2010.” Mr Robinson said other recent highlights included highgrade base metal discoveries at Waterloo, near the Thalanga copper plant, and Victoria in the Chillagoe region.

Drilling yields promising results CopperStrike is hopeful it has discovered a significant zinc and lead resource 20km east of Zinifex Century Mine in the lower Gulf. CopperStrike managing director Tom Eadie said results from the first drill hole at its Kamarga prospect were promising. “We have a very thick intersection; altogether the mineralisation runs over about 100m,” he said. “If you add up the best sections, we ended up with almost 39m of reasonable grade mineralisation at almost 5 per cent zinc.” The prospect was explored during the 1970s and 1980s by companies including Newmont, Conzinc Riotinto of Australia and Mount Isa Mines. However, Mr Eadie said the historic drilling showed lower grade mineralisation than that revealed by CopperStrike’s initial results. “They (historic explorers) were looking for a huge system, (but it was) pretty low grade ... it was more like 2 to 3 per cent material,” he said. “And what was important was that they couldn’t find the direction that it was getting better in.” Mr Eadie said CopperStrike’s results clearly indicated that the mineralisation was strengthening towards the Bream Fault and

Tom Eadie CopperStrike managing director

further drilling work in this area would be carried out this year. He said the strike length was greater than 1km, so the deposit’s tonnage potential was large. Mr Eadie said it was positive for CopperStrike that the prospect was close to the milling and transportation infrastructure of Century mine. CopperStrike is also conducting resource assessment drilling at its Einasleigh project, about 300km north-west of Townsville. Mr Eadie said strong assay results were being received from the project’s Jackson inferred resource and the Einasleigh project remained CopperStrike’s main focus.

NEWS

The Mining Advocate | March 2008

High-ﬂying role for Fergus Keeping resource sector clients happy while also cultivating new business is the challenge facing one Northern Territory manager. Darwin-based Pearl Aviation business centre manager Fergus O’Branagain is a man on a mission. Mr O’Branagain is an Irish national who started work in the operations department of Aer Lingus more than 30 years ago. In 1989 the father of three moved to Australia and worked for British Airways and the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Perth. About 14 years ago he joined the aviation business unit of the Paspaley group of companies, which consists of Pearl Aviation, AeroRescue, AeroPearl, and Pearl Air Engineering. The business unit has doubled in size in the last 12 months, largely on the back of a contract to deliver special mission aviation for Federal Government agencies. Mr O’Branagain’s mission is to retain the Paspaley group’s longterm clients in the resources sector while growing the business as new opportunities arise. Q: What is involved in the Paspaley group’s government contract? FO: “Pearl Aviation won a contract with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), a Federal Government entity based out of Canberra. AMSA provides search and

rescue as one of its core tasks right across Australia and Australian waters. To provide a fully focused service we formed AeroRescue and introduced a full search and rescue service based in Darwin, Perth, Essendon, Brisbane and Cairns. AeroRescue has five very sophisticated Dornier 328 aircraft that incorporate search radars, infrared cameras, very capable drop systems, and very sophisticated and complex communications capabilities. It is the high end of the range for this type of search and rescue and surveillance capability.” Q: What is the most rewarding thing about doing business in northern Australia? FO: “It is never boring. We have a fantastic client base and the type of business we operate is very meaningful to not only the community, through our aeromedical operation, but also for the Australian economy. We provide significant support to the oil companies and mining companies with fly in-fly out services.” Q: What do you see as the main requirements for working with the resources industry? FO: “The company is constantly looking to improve and expand existing operations. We’re able to say that we provide

Pearl Aviation business development manager Fergus O’Branagain.

“We provide a service that meets all of the high standards of the resources industry...” a service that meets all of the high standards of the resources industry, that we work well with our clients, maintain their conﬁdence and do it as costeﬀectively as we can. The mining

Local group building bridges Bridges were built between engineers and the community in Mount Isa recently during an Engineers Australia North West Local Group bridge construction competition. Entrants were required to make their bridges out of standard paddlepop sticks and any type of glue. The bridges had to span a gap of 50cm and allow a 10cm test vehicle to pass over them - in this case a miniature Volkswagon Beetle. The bridges were also judged according to a structural test, with a loading block placed in the centre of each bridge and pressure applied. Sound engineering practices such as truss construction and the use of gussets and mitred joints were encouraged, as was “thinking outside the square”. Local group chair Chris Handley said some extremely creative bridges were entered and participants had obviously put a lot of time into their projects. The primary school division was won by Herman Kahl and

the secondary school division by Werner Kahl. Mark Massa earned ﬁrst place in the adult division, Andrew Buch was second and Kevin Ang was third. Mr Handley said one of Engineers Australia’s aims was to promote engineering in the community and the North West group’s design competitions were a fun way to go about it.

A selection of paddlepop bridges. Photo: Ruth Fahey

Chris Handley and Neil Carlsen from Engineers Australia begin the testing. Photo: Ruth Fahey

Photo: Christopher Knight

industry is very focused, as we are, on safety and reliability and we have a very high set of minimum skills requirements for the ﬂight crew and the organisation.”

wet season. To continuously provide support and services at a high level of compliance and standards is exceptional to see. There are a lot of very committed people within the organisation.”

Q: What characteristics do you appreciate most in your ﬂight staﬀ? FO: “They’re a very professional bunch of people that have exceptional skills and capabilities. They have resilience as well - it is a harsh climate, particularly during the

Q: Describe living in Darwin? FO: “It is a great town. It is compact, it is safe, it is easy living and my family is very settled here. Darwin is a place you either love or hate, because the weather does have an impact, but it has a lot of attractions.”

Focus on engineering technologists, associates Engineers Australia has declared 2008 to be the Year of the Engineering Team. The peak organisation said an engineering team consisted of engineers, technologists and associates. Questions had been raised over whether the value technologists and associates received from their Engineers Australia membership was proportionate to their team contribution. Engineers Australia said it had established a project taskforce to address the issue. Its objective was to ensure that Engineers Australia equally represented all members of the engineering team. The taskforce has committed to fully engaging technologists and associates in the organisation’s internal governance processes.

Engineers Australia said the taskforce acknowledged a central role for the National Committee of Engineering Technologists Australia and the National Committee of Engineering Associates in the Year of the Engineering Team, and those committees would conduct joint meetings of their boards this year that would generally coincide with those of the taskforce. Among Engineers Australia’s 83,000 members, about 5000 are associates and 1400 technologists. Engineers Australia said the Year of the Engineering Team was expected to be quite diﬀerent from 2007’s Year of Women in Engineering in that it would have an essentially inward, rather than outward, focus.

INDUSTRY UPDATE

March 2008 |

The Mining Advocate

New manager

NT attracts growing interest from China The number of Chinese mining companies visiting the Northern Territory is growing, according to Mines and Energy Minister Chris Natt. Speaking at a recent International Business Council lunch in Darwin, Mr Natt said seven Chinese mining companies had already visited the Territory this year. “This is an exceptional result compared to last year, where we had 13 companies visit for the 12 months,” he said. “It shows that the interest in the Northern Territory is escalating and that our China Minerals Investment Attraction strategy is working.” He said the strategy aimed to make Chinese companies more aware of the mineral and investment opportunities in the Territory and encouraged Chinese partnerships with local mining and exploration companies. “In mid-February we received a visit from Stone Resources Limited and the China Development Bank, who met with four Territory exploration companies and one service provider,” Mr Natt said. “It was an extremely exciting week with the prospect of four possible joint ventures and a possible Darwin oﬃce for Stone Resources. “I look forward to Stone Resources’ next visit to the Territory, which could be as soon as April this year.” Stone Resources chairman Duan Yongji stated on his departure from Darwin that the government assistance he received in the Territory was “second to none”. Mr Natt said 12 exploration licence applications had

Gassed up

Uranium explorer Deep Yellow has appointed Sandy Moyle as its Australian exploration manager. Mr Moyle has 20 years’ experience in the uranium industry, including direct involvement in the discovery of the Lihir gold deposit in Papua New Guinea. He was also the general manager of exploration at Redport during the company’s resource deﬁnition process at its Lake Maitland uranium deposit in Western Australia. Mr Moyle will lead Deep Yellow’s exploration team at Mount Isa and Alice Springs from the company’s Perth oﬃce. Deep Yellow will focus this year on Joint Ore Reserve Committee ( JORC) compliant resource delineation at its Queen’s Gift project in Mount Isa, further drilling at 10 prospects in the Mount Isa and Cloncurry district, and exploration of several prospects in the Alice Springs district.

Maitland on track Glengarry Resources has stated that assay results from a resource evaluation drilling program completed late last year at its Maitland prospect, near Kidston in North Queensland, continued to indicate good potential for an economic copper deposit. Managing director David Richards said the results conﬁrmed the continuity of high-grade copper mineralisation in the main southern shoot, which contained the bulk of the potential resource. He said a resource estimation was expected to be completed before the end of March.

Northern Territory Mines and Energy Minister Chris Natt and Stone Resources chairman Duan Yongji overlook Darwin Harbour.

also been received from Chinese companies so far this year. “We are conﬁdent that Chinese investment will drive exploration in the Northern Territory and this in turn will increase the likelihood of the next major discovery being here,” he said.

Early promise

Director appointed

A multibilliondollar liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant could be built at Middle Arm Peninsula in Darwin. Environmental concerns have Chief Minister Paul Henderson delayed international NT reaches an agreement with INPEX oil and gas company managing director Jiro Okada. INPEX’s proposed project on the Maret Islands off the Kimberley Coast in Western Australia. INPEX is exploring options in the event that its deal with the Western Australian Government falls through, and Northern Territory Chief Minister Paul Henderson recently signed a project facilitation agreement with the company outlining the possibility of piping gas from the Ichthys field in WA to Darwin. “The NT Government has clearly demonstrated that Darwin offers an alternative site that could be developed within a reliable time frame,” INPEX managing director Jiro Okada said.

Barry Kelly has been appointed as a non-executive director of Queensland Ores and its subsidiaries, as the company’s Wolfram Camp project nears production. Mr Kelly (pictured) has spent more than 40 years in the minerals and resources sector in Australia, Asia, the United Kingdom and South America and been involved with a number of corporate and industry boards and committees. He is a graduate of the Harvard Business School and has held senior executive roles focused on marketing, strategy and ﬁnance with the Thiess Group, MIM Holdings and Western Mining Corporation. “Mr Kelly is an extremely knowledgeable and experienced director who will be able to make a considerable contribution to Queensland Ores as the company makes the all-important transition from mine developer to mine operator at our ﬂagship Wolfram Camp tungsten and molybdenum project in North Queensland,” Queensland Ores chairman Roger Marshall said.

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Queensland Gold and Minerals says it has received very encouraging tantalum, lithium and tin assay results from an initial shallow drilling program on four pegmatite bodies at the Buchanan’s Creek prospect, near Georgetown in North Queensland. Tantalum and lithium are used in the electronics industry for products including mobile phones and computers, and in the chemical and ceramic industries. Queensland Gold and Minerals managing director Adrian Day said the drilling had covered only part of the project area, and the company planned follow-up ﬁeld work and additional drilling after the wet season.

Warm welcome The Australian Logistics Council has welcomed the appointment of Sir Rod Eddington as the inaugural chair of Infrastructure Australia. Infrastructure Australia was established by the Federal Government to develop a strategic blueprint for Australia’s infrastructure needs, in partnership with the states, territories, local governments and the private sector. Australian Logistics Council chief executive Hal Morris said Sir Rod would bring global perspective and experience to the role from his extensive career in the domestic and international transport industry, particularly in the aviation industry. Sir Rod is a former head of British Airways, Ansett and Cathay Paciﬁc.

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INDUSTRY UPDATE

The Mining Advocate | March 2008

Golden option Australasia Gold has entered into an option for the purchase of the McKinlay gold deposit, 45km north of Pine Creek in the Northern Territory. The company stated the deposit was ﬁrst developed in 1938 and had been held by a prospecting syndicate for more than 30 years. A decision will be made on the purchase by the end of 2008. Australasia Gold proposes to map and sample the lode zone and test the depth extensions with an induced polarisation geophysical survey, with further drilling programs to follow. It stated that the option over the McKinlay gold deposit (area pictured above) followed recent encouraging drilling results at its Mount Ringwood gold prospect, also in the Pine Creek region.

Shared work Minerals Corporation has announced an agreement with Gulf Alumina to undertake joint mining at Skardon River on Cape York. Minerals Corporation stated that recent drilling by Gulf Alumina had conﬁrmed the general viability of bauxite and kaolin mining at the site. Under the agreement, the two companies will share equally the mining costs and prepare joint mining plans and environmental studies.

Uranium agreement Deep Yellow recently announced it had reached an agreement with Xstrata’s Mount Isa Mines, whereby Deep Yellow could ultimately acquire 100 per cent of the uranium rights over six tenements held by Xstrata. The tenements cover 504sq km immediately west of Mount Isa and contain a number of known uranium occurrences explored by Queensland Mines in the 1970s. Xstrata will retain the rights to other resources on the tenements. Meanwhile, Deep Yellow announced it had received highly encouraging assay results from an initial and limited reverse circulation percussion drill program at its Conquest prospect, 75km north of Mount Isa. The Conquest prospect is the subject of a joint venture between Deep Yellow and Matrix Metals.

Las Minerale results CuDeco has announced positive results from its latest drilling program at the Rocklands Group copper project near Cloncurry in North West Queensland. Chairman Wayne McCrae said resource deﬁnition drilling at the project’s Las Minerale Central prospect had conﬁrmed the thickness and grade of copper, cobalt, and gold mineralisation in areas where there were previous gaps in the drilling data set.

Junior players score a share of mining wealth Xstrata sponsorship is helping kids enjoy their footy in Townsville. Xstrata has committed $15,000 per year over three years to the Townsville and District Rugby Union (TDRU) junior competition, played on Friday nights. TDRU president Craig Stack said the money would be used to further develop the juniors program. “We started junior rugby in 1996 and we’re now pushing up to 1000 registered players in Townsville clubs,” he said. “To service that expansion we have two full-time development officers, who conduct skills training in schools and at a club and representative level.” He said Xstrata’s sponsorship would also boost morale amongst the junior rugby volunteers. “Every time we get support from an organisation like Xstrata it’s great to get the money, but the real benefit is the effect on the volunteers who help out,” Mr Stack said. “When they see that a big group like Xstrata takes an interest in what they’re doing, it gives everyone that extra spring in their step.” Xstrata also supplied bags and water bottles for a recent juniors’ sign-on night. The rugby union sponsorship is part of its community partnership program, directed at improving services and facilities in the North Queensland communities of Mount Isa, Cloncurry, Townsville and Bowen. Xstrata Copper North Queensland chief operating officer Steve de Kruijff said the program

Pajingo on target North Queensland Metals (NQM) says it produced 5314 ounces of gold at the Pajingo mine in February. The mine, located near Charters Towers in North Queensland, was formerly owned by Newmont Mining but was sold to a joint venture of NQM and Heemskirk Consolidated late last year. NQM chief executive oﬃcer John McKinstry said February’s production met the initial target rate of 62,000 ounces per year, but he expected the annual rate to increase to 70,000 ounces from July on the back of higher grades. He said Pajingo mine’s ﬁrst Joint Ore Reserve Committee ( JORC) compliant reserve and resource statement would be released later this month and would incorporate new mining plans. “The statement will no doubt surprise those who might have been under the impression that Pajingo was almost exhausted,” he said.

Coyote Gold progress Tanami Gold is pleased with the progress at its Coyote Gold underground project, in the Kimberley region of Western Australia near the Northern Territory border.

Local People, Local Coverage...

TDRU president Craig Stack and players Jesse Kinbacher, 12, Frank Ray, 11, and Cameron Galletly, 9, with Xstrata community relations officer Avril Plath. Photo by: Stewart McLean

demonstrated Xstrata’s belief that local communities should beneﬁt from the company’s operations in the short and long term. “Since 2005 the program has made a huge contribution to North Queensland such as installing computer rooms in local schools, helping to train medical staﬀ, improving medical services, and helping disadvantaged people gain skills and jobs,” he said. Xstrata recently committed an extra $5 million to the program, raising its value to almost $11 million between 2005 and 2010.

Executive chairman Denis Waddell said underground decline development was progressing steadily to access the high-grade underground ore. He said the mine aimed for a minimum annual production rate of 50,000 ounces of gold by June 2008 and 70,000 ounces of gold by June 2009. Mr Waddell said mining had also begun at the Sandpiper deposit, 35km north of the Coyote mill. Good progress had been made in constructing the haul road between the Sandpiper and Kookaburra deposits and the mill, he said. Ore from Sandpiper and Kookaburra would be treated over the next few months and would supplement the Coyote high-grade underground ore feed as it developed, Mr Waddell said.

Training awards Nominations for the 2008 Queensland Training Awards close this month. State Education and Training minister Rod Welford said the awards recognised individuals and organisations who strove for best practice and innovation in vocational education and training. For more information visit www.qta.qld.gov.au.

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INDUSTRY UPDATE

March 2008 |

The Mining Advocate

Time to process Sun Metals chief executive Shad Linley believes North Queensland needs to increase its focus on metals processing. He said at a recent Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) technical talk that the continued export of concentrates by the North Queensland mining industry was a sign of failure. “I believe exporting raw materials is a very unfortunate, short-term view of the world,” Mr Linley said. He said energy was wasted in the process of exporting raw materials when they could be easily processed in Australia. Sun Metals last year produced a record 250,000 tonnes of zinc metal.

Cloncurry to host further race events The Mount Isa Running and Triathlon Club (Isa Rats) is holding a four-race triathlon series in the lead-up to April’s Julia Creek Dirt and Dust event. For a change of scenery, the first triathlon was held in Cloncurry and was sponsored by Xstrata’s Ernest Henry Mine. Local participants joined triathletes who had travelled from Mount Isa for the event. Competitors swam 300m in Chinaman Creek Dam, ran 1km on a dirt road, cycled 9km on the old highway bitumen, and ran a final 2km back to the dam and along the shore. Cloncurry event organiser Liz Rainnie said she was impressed with the enthusiasm of local competitors. She said Cloncurry would be included in the Isa Rats calendar of events in the future. The open men’s division winner was Ashley Milroy, who entered the run-bike transition in first place and maintained his lead in the final two legs. The open women’s division was a tight struggle between Kate Rose and Steph McDonald. Rose was the first woman into the run-bike transition but was overtaken in the cycle leg by McDonald. Rose was able to regain the lead in the cycle leg and went on to win by almost three minutes. She said the Cloncurry event was her first triathlon and she was keen to compete in the remainder of the series.

Exploration plans

Open men’s division winner Ashley Milroy breaks the tape at the Cloncurry triathlon organised by Isa Rats.

Gary Hall, Suzi Santaguida and Dale Rackham won the veterans divisions. The event also consisted of junior and teams divisions. accomplishments in various engineering ﬁelds. The award welcomes papers from sole authors or ﬁrst authors of co-authored papers who are aged 35 and below. The deadline for submissions is April 11. (Visit www.hkie.org.hk/paper_award2008 for more information).

Mill restarts Citigold announced recently that its gold mill near Charters Towers in North Queensland had resumed operations following repairs. Managing director and chief executive officer Mark Lynch said the large electric motor on the plant (pictured) needed to be rewired. He said underground mining and ore stockpiling continued while the rewiring was carried out. Mr Lynch also said that heavy rains in Charters Towers in February had not affected Citigold’s underground mining because of the operation’s effective system of pumps and drainage channels.

Tamaya Resources is relocating its corporate headquarters to London in April. The company stated that its relocation did not affect the registered office or the company’s listing on the Australian Securities Exchange. The move is intended to position the company nearer to its asset base and to capitalise on the success of recent investor roadshows in building Tamaya Resources’ profile in Europe and North America. Tamaya Resources holds 23 mining leases covering an area of 21sq km and three exploration permits covering an area of 341sq km near Charters Towers in North Queensland.

The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) has called for entries in an international competition. The HKIE Outstanding Paper Award for Young Engineers and Researchers provides a platform for young professionals to share and exhibit their

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Statement lodged GBS Gold has lodged an environmental impact statement with the Northern Territory Government for its proposed Maude Creek project, about 20km north-east of Katherine. After community consultation, the company has changed its plan from an open-cut to underground operation. The ore mined at the proposed mine would be transported to the company’s Union Reef processing plant near Pine Creek.

Good indications London calling

Call for papers

CSTC Pty Ltd

Iron ore mining company Territory Resources has committed $7.5 million to exploration around its Frances Creek operation (right), 190km south of Darwin in the Northern Territory. Chairman Michael Kiernan said four drill rigs would explore the region in the next two years in an attempt to extend the operation’s mine life beyond 2012. He said the main iron mineralisation at Frances Creek was known over a distance of about 35km.

www.cstc.org.au

Exco Resources announced that recent inﬁll drilling at its E1 North deposit indicated the widest zone of ore grade mineralisation seen at the prospect so far. The deposit is part of the E1 Camp, about 40km north-east of Cloncurry and about 8km east of Xstrata’s Ernest Henry Mine. Exco Resources managing director Michael Anderson said the drilling program also conﬁrmed that the E1 North deposit remained open at depth. He said further extensional drilling would begin shortly. Meanwhile, the company has signed a joint venture agreement with Paradigm Metals to explore for uranium and other minerals at the Toolebuc Limestone Formation, near Cloncurry in North West Queensland.

INDUSTRY UPDATE

The Mining Advocate | March 2008

Mighty merger Oxiana and Zinifex recently announced they had entered into an agreement to merge their businesses, creating a new base and precious metals mining company. The merged company will be re-named and will remain headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. A joint statement said that the board of Zinifex and the board of Oxiana each believed that the new entity would be better positioned for growth than either company on a stand-alone basis, and the merger would combine two companies with highly complementary operational, development and exploration proﬁles. According to the statement, the senior management team would be drawn from the two companies’ existing management teams and, given the scale of the combined group and its development pipeline, overlap of roles was expected to be minimal. Zinifex owns and operates the Century zinc mine in the lower Gulf region of North West Queensland - Australia’s largest zinc mine based on concentrate production. Oxiana is currently constructing the Prominent Hill copper-gold mine in South Australia and owns and operates the Golden Grove base and precious metals operation in Western Australia.

Conference preparations The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) expects more than 600 people at this year’s Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference. The theme of this year’s event is “Breaking New Ground”. The conference - a partnership between the QRC, the Queensland Department of Mines and Energy, and mining unions - will be held at the Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre and Jupiters Hotel and Casino between August 17 and 20.

New Caledonian tour

Manager bows out after long career in the North Ken Eade recently bid farewell to a career of more than 47 years with Maunsell Australia and McIntyre and Associates. Mr Eade started work at the Townsville office of engineering firm McIntyre and Associates as a cadet draftsman on November 28, 1960. After a short stay in Mount Isa in the 1960s, he relocated to Brisbane when McIntyre and Associates opened an office there. He later renewed his connection with the North West, working on company projects at Mount Isa Mines and on the region’s coal railway. Mr Eade returned to Townsville in 1977, and between 1978 and 1988 was the drafting section leader for Townsville Water Group. This group was involved in developing the Charters Towers sewerage scheme, the Mt Saint John sewage treatment plant, the Burdekin Falls dam and Haughton main channel. In 1988, Mr Eade decided to trade in his drafting pen in order to lead McIntyre and Associates’ clerical section. In this position he oversaw the department’s adaptation to new technologies. Manual records and dedicated word processing machines were superseded with the introduction of the Uniplex word processing and database computer system, and the subsequent introduction of the Microsoft Office suite led to the present day computer-based clerical system.

Retired Maunsell business service manager Ken Eade.

In October 1998, McIntyre and Associates merged with fellow engineering company Maunsell. Mr Eade gradually acquired more duties, leading to his ﬁnal position as business service manager. Mr Eade is married to wife Pam and has two children, Scott and Belinda, who live on Gold Coast. He also has two grandchildren.

DATE CLAIMERS

Austrade is inviting industry professionals to participate in the 2008 Australian Mining Delegation to New Caledonia, on March 16 to 21. It will be Austrade’s eighth mining mission and will assist Australian mining equipment, technology and services ﬁrms to take advantage of the signiﬁcant business opportunities in the market. Contact regional export advisor Brett Henderson on (07) 4721 3677.

Gala event

The Cairns Chamber of Commerce is holding a gala dinner and the launch of the “2007 Cairns Report” on March 15. The event will take place at the Cairns Colonial Club Resort, in the Lockhart Ballroom. For more information phone (07) 4031 1838

Use your membrane

Lean breakfast

Lean manufacturing is the subject of a breakfast clinic to be held at Rydges Esplanade Resort in Cairns on March 19. QMI Solutions’ David Velasquez will explain the concept’s three principles eliminating waste, making products and material ﬂow, and basing supply on demand pull. The clinic is also hosted by the Department of Tourism and Regional Development. For more details visit www.qmisolutions.com.au/events.asp?pn=events.

A sugar industry workshop will take place at James Cook University in Townsville on April 28. This workshop will focus on the numerous applications of membranes in the sugar industry in general and provide speciﬁc details on the clariﬁcation of sugarcane juice for raw sugar production. To register email Dr Li Shu at li.shu@jcu.edu.au or phone (07) 4781 4871.

A DOLLAR A DAY GOES A LONG WAY! Payroll Deduction is a simple and successful way of donating to the Cootharinga Society of North Queensland Disability Services. A dollar a day goes a very long way assisting us to provide services which increase the quality of life for people living with disabilities in our community. Deducting donations from your pay is convenient for you as well as assisting Cootharinga to continue to provide ongoing quality services to people who live with disabilities in North Queensland. Cootharinga's services include Supported accommodation, Individual and Family Support, Community Linking, Therapy and Rehabilitation Technology Service (modifying mobility equipment). We would also like to make you aware of our new range of respite care services.

PLUS you will automatically receive the beneﬁt of a tax deduction in every pay!

GIVE AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE!!! Ask your payroll oﬃcer to contact Janelle Bulman at Cootharinga on 07 4759 2033 and Janelle will assist with all enquiries on how to make the deductions. The Cootharinga Society of North Queensland would like to take this opportunity to welcome and thank the newest organisation to join the program. t Rollex Group of North Queensland

Remember all money donated to Cootharinga stays in North Queensland!

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Hinchinbrook Shire Council Herbert River District Canegrowers Bowen Shire Council Mackay City Council Mackay Sugar Co-op Assoc Mitre 10 Mt Isa Hardware Network Design (Telstra) Australia Post Australian Workers Union NQEA Engineers & Shipbuilders

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BETWEEN SHIFTS

March 2008 |

The Mining Advocate

AusIMM Far North Queensland branch annual technical talk Cairns John Nethery (Queensland Gold and Minerals), Kirstin Isaacs (consultant) and Andrew Beaton (Kagara).

John Sainsbury (Consolidated Tin) and Trevor Pilcher (Auzex Resources).

David Curtain (Curtain Brothers) and Brett Duck (Brennan Minerals).

Tom Eadie (CopperStrike), Andrew Border (Queensland Ores and Metals, Wolfram Camp) and John McKenna (McKenna and Associates).

Glen Little (Ozmin Resources) and Brian New (Kangaroo Metals).

Brett Teale (Kangaroo Metals) and Paul Dale (CPM).

Paul Turpin (North Queensland Miners Association) and Judy Grieves (AusIMM committee member).

BETWEEN SHIFTS

The Mining Advocate | March 2008

International Business Council/Northern Territory Minerals Council - China business update luncheon

PHOTOS: Christopher Knight

Frontier Darwin Hotel Steve Rowe, Jim Rowe and Gary Perkins (all from SRA Information Technology) with Tony Matt (ANZ).

Peter Stoner and Alan Holland (both from the Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines).

Wendi Masters and Greg Flanagan ((Department of Employment, Education and Training) with Fay Miller (NT opposition spokeswoman for Mines and Energy).

Peter Tomkin (GHD), David Rolland (GHD), Brian Fowler (Arafura Resources) and Rachel Wedd (GHD).

Craig Wynn (Ready Workforce) with Jeremy Dawson and Peter Walsh (Commonwealth Bank).

Sean Mahoney (International College of Advanced Education) and Greg Bicknell (NT Chamber of Commerce).

Chris Natt (NT Mines and Energy Minister) with Chris Young (NT Chamber of Commerce).

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BETWEEN SHIFTS

March 2008 |

Engineers Australia Cairns Local Group members’ luncheon

The Mining Advocate

PHOTOS: Romy Siegmann

Cairns Colonial Club Resort

Mark Aitken, Victor Adamczyk, Blain Morgan and Robert Donnan (all from ARUP). Lee-ann Pitcher and Peter Dutaillis (both from RECS Engineers).

Katherine Gould and Megan Maujean (both from GHD).

Heather Vaughan and John Burton (Cairns City Council) with guest speaker Val Schier and Mark Buttrose.

John Menzies (PDR Engineers), Terry Medhurst (AMC Consultants) and Peter De Roma (PDR Engineers).

Julian Hayson, Steven Real, Paul Stubbs and Warren Hughes (all from Maunsell Australia).

Han Barkmeyer and Lee Ticehurst (both from ARUP).

Nancy Lanskey and Thelma Spelta.

Steve Tyter and Brad Finegan (Cairns City Council) with guest speaker, Cairns Mayor Kevin Byrne..

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BETWEEN SHIFTS

The Mining Advocate | March 2008

Mount Isa Community Helicopter 2008 Gala Launch and Sportsman’s Dinner

PHOTOS: Ruth Fahey

Overlander Hotel, Mount Isa

Andy Bichel and Isaac Kalik (21 months) have a yarn about the helicopter.

Trevor Kidd (Queensland Police Service) and his wife Lyn.

Matt Wendtman, Tahnee Watson and Jonathan Sanders (Keas rugby union team).

Anthony Toholke (Overlander Hotel) and wife Ranita pose with rugby identity Tom Lawton.

Mel Cox with some of the merchandise on offer.

Kassidy Reynolds (4) trys out the cockpit.

Matt Skea and James (aged 3).

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XSTRATA MOUNT ISA MINING EXPO

March 2008 |

The Mining Advocate

Event reﬂects positive vibe

The ring of conﬁdence An air of enthusiasm surrounds “all things mining” in North West Queensland at present, writes Mount Isa Mayor Ron McCullough. Mount Isa at the present time is still having problems coping with the demands of the mineral boom, and the shortages of housing and workers have not diminished. But the junior miners who have already started up or are soon to start are adding a sense of strength and stability to the region, and there is still a sense of urgency surrounding those hopefuls that they can become active in time to capitalise on the current demand for metal. The fact that the 2008 mining expo (April 15-17) appears to be headed for record numbers of exhibitors should come as no surprise, given the enthusiasm currently surrounding everything mining in this part of Queensland.

A team explores for copper in the Cloncurry district for junior miner Exco Resources.

Ron McCullough Mount Isa Mayor

The new venue at Buchanan Park will bring a new-look expo as exhibitors seem to be planning

to set up more sophisticated displays on par with those used in major city venues, and already the demand for space is at a premium. Another outcome is the increased interest in attendance by senior management personnel from

supply and service organisations, who are viewing the expo in a new light given the sustained high prices for minerals and bullish outlook for mining. Over the past decade the Mount Isa Mining Expo has put both the Carpentaria

Minerals Province and the city of Mount Isa to the forefront in mining industry circles and government decision making, and the potential for growth of the region has brought a new conﬁdence to residents and investors alike.

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The Mining Advocate | March 2008

MINING EXPO LAUNCHES NEW EVENT The Mount Isa Chamber of Commerce is launching the “Mining the Carpentaria Breakfast” at this year’s Xstrata Mount Isa Mining Expo, which is being held on 15, 16 and 17 April at the Xstrata Entertainment Centre in Buchanan Park.

Mount Isa Chamber of Commerce President Brett Peterson.

The “Mining the Carpentaria Breakfast” will be an information session inviting key mining industry personnel and professionals from within the Carpentaria Mineral Province to speak about project activity within the region. This event has been designed to network both industry personnel and exhibitors and provide guests with leading industry information from within the area. Mount Isa Chamber of Commerce President Brett Peterson said whilst the breakfast only invited a handful of keynote speakers this year, event organisers were looking at potentially growing this event into an extremely informative conference in future years. “The world is currently in a mining boom and Mount Isa is lucky enough to be right in the middle of the one of the richest mineral provinces in the world,” he said. “We therefore have a number of project leaders and general managers of major mines in the region at our fingertips to give them the

opportunity to share leading information that may affect those involved in the industry.”

products at the new Buchanan Park facility in Mount Isa.

Event organisers for the first time this year had a significant waiting list for sites at the Xstrata Mount Isa Mining Expo and had to recently change the floor plan of the event to accommodate the demand.

There will be a number of outdoor sites exhibiting the latest in heavy mining machinery, portable demountable structures, mining fleet vehicles and shelving systems.

Over 150 exhibitors will showcase a comprehensive range of mining and mining related

The final floor plan for the event is available on the Mount Isa Chamber of Commerce website at www.michamber.com.au.

2008 Xstrata Mount Isa Mining Expo

Breaking Ground in Mining Xstrata Entert ainment Centre - Buchanan Park 15, 16 and 17 April 2008 Showcasing the latest in mining tools, trade and technology in one of the richest mineral provinces in Australia

P u rchase your tickets now to the Official Opening Function and the first eve r ’Mining the Carpentaria Breakfast’ where you will receive leading industry information from guest speake rs from throughout the Carpentaria. Don’t miss out on your chance to capitalise on information that may affect the growth and expansion of your organisation! For further details contact the Mount Isa Chamber of Commerce on Phone (07) 4743 9881 Fa x (07) 4743 7266 or Email isaminingexpo@michamber.com.au or go to Website www.michamber.com.au

XSTRATA MOUNT ISA MINING EXPO

March 2008 |

The Mining Advocate

MINE NORTHERN AUSTRALIA FOR OPPORTUNITIES e h t h t i w d e t a i c o s 8 Proud to be as 0 0 2 o p x E g n i n Mi a s [ t n u o M a t a r Xst The Mi Th Mining i Ad Advocate - your access to decision d i i makers k · ·

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info@industryadvocate.com.au sales@industryadvocate.com.au

THE AUSTRALIAN WORKERS' UNION: PUTTING MINERS SAFETY FIRST ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR RIGHTS AT WORK? ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY? DO YOU THINK YOU DESERVE BETTER?

Pybar P yb has a reputation as a progressive and innovative leader in Min Mining and Civil services. Having the right people is the key to del delivering a quality service and outcome on each project. Safety is always our priority and Pybar’s management practices reflect this. alw Pybar’s extensive range of equipment and experienced personnel Pyb ensure flexibility, good service and a focus on continuous ens improvement. Through our established procedures and our imp com commitment to the environment we are continually working tow towards minimising the impact of our activities. Pyb Pybar has recently opened an office in Townsville to support its clie clients in the north and has been successful in several contracting opp opportunities with Blue Chip Clients in the northern Region. For further information, contact either, Shane Kennelly – General Manager or Sha Andrew Glastonbury – Business Development Manger And Tel: 02 6361 4499 Tel Fax: 02 6360 2783 Fax Email: pybar@pybar.com.au We Web: www.pybar.com.au

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XSTRATA MOUNT ISA MINING EXPO

The Mining Advocate | March 2008

Sponsorship plea to resource sector An appearance at the annual mining expo is hoped to spark increased support for the Mount Isa Community Helicopter. The Mount Isa Community Helicopter is relying on the mining industry’s support to provide a valuable service to the North West Minerals Province. Chief executive officer Alex Dorr said the rescue chopper would be on display at the Xstrata Mount Isa Mining Expo. “Hopefully we’ll get a few more mining companies on board with sponsorship,” he said. “We’ve had a very good response from the local community and businesspeople, which is important, but for the amount of dollars we need to grow, we rely mainly on the mining industry to step up to the plate.” He said the helicopter cost about $600,000 per year to run at the moment, but the figure would rise to about $1 million as the service expanded. The Mount Isa Community Helicopter is intended to add to the resources of the Royal Flying Doctor Service by assisting in emergencies. Mr Dorr said the helicopter would possibly attend incidents at mine sites, and the organisation visited numerous sites this year and last year to conduct safety awareness courses for operating around a helicopter. The donations of mining companies to the organisation would ultimately feed back into benefits for themselves, he said. A gala launch and sportsman’s dinner for the Mount Isa Community Helicopter was held recently at the Overlander Hotel in Mount Isa. Rugby union identities Chris

“Buddha” Handy and Tom Lawton joined rugby league great Steve “Blocka” Roach and cricketer Andy Bichel in giving the evening celebrity presence. About 220 people attended the event, where 60 pieces of sports memorabilia were oﬀered for auction. Items included a signed Don Bradman cricket bat, a wicket keeper’s glove autographed by Adam Gilchrist and a boxing glove signed by Joe Frazier.

“Hopefully we’ll get a few more mining companies on board with sponsorship” Mr Dorr said more than 50 items were sold on the night and the auction raised about $20,000. Before the event, the helicopter was landed in the hotel car park and the public was shown its inner and outer workings. CopperCo is the major sponsor of the Mount Isa Community Helicopter.

The Mount Isa Community Helicopter on display at the Overlander Hotel, Mount Isa, for the service’s gala launch.

Photos: Ruth Fahey

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XSTRATA MOUNT ISA MINING EXPO

March 2008 |

The Mining Advocate

‘Economic engine room’ revs up This year is shaping up as a special one for the resources industry in Mount Isa district and the 2008 mining expo will be the icing on the cake, writes State MP Betty Kiernan. There is little doubt that the booming North West Minerals Province is the economic engine room of the State, and indeed the country. In the past 12 months the mining explosion has continued with the commencement of CopperCo’s Lady Annie mine and Xstrata’s Handlebar Hill mine. With the State Government’s commitment and the injection of exploration dollars, exploration is at an all-time high and the region is demonstrating an unprecedented level of investment, activity and energy not witnessed for decades. We can celebrate these boom times, but it’s the prospects for future growth that are most exciting. This year in particular, the North West Minerals Province will present opportunities to the mining industry that will be

Betty Kiernan State Member for Mount Isa

realised over many years to come. I congratulate events such as the mining expo that display these opportunities and, most importantly, show what we in

the North West have on oﬀer. In November, the newly elected Premier, Anna Bligh, held her ﬁrst Community Cabinet in the CloncurryMount Isa area. Four weeks prior she had travelled to Mount Isa to sign a substantial indigenous land use agreement (ILUA) on behalf of the State Government with the Kalkadoon People, which opened up three substantial areas of land for industrial development. She also witnessed the signing of an ILUA between Mount Isa City Council and the Kalkadoon people for a large area earmarked for residential development. Both the Premier and I agree that the booming North West Minerals Province is fast becoming the economic engine room of the State, and the country. It is a wonderful time to be the State Member representing a diverse and exciting electorate. I again congratulate the organisers of the 2008 mining expo and know that we will once again experience great pride in the event and opportunity it brings to our region.

Copper cathode being prepared for export at CopperCo’s processing plant near Mount Isa.

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ENGINEERING CAREERS

The Mining Advocate | March 2008

Taking the road less travelled An engineering degree is a passport to a huge range of job options. In Clayton Adam’s case it took him in an unexpected direction. A practical bent and interest in design drew Clayton Adam to mechanical engineering. He never imagined that engineering, in turn, would draw him into the realm of surgeons and scalpels through groundbreaking work dedicated to helping children battling debilitating spinal deformities. And his experience has prompted him to urge others studying engineering to be open to opportunities out of left ﬁeld. Associate Professor Adam runs the Paediatric Spine Research Group, a Queensland University of Technology (QUT) collaboration with Brisbane’s Mater Children’s Hospital. “We do research into

paediatric spinal deformities – the main one is scoliosis – and I work very closely with two spinal surgeons here at the hospital,” Professor Adam said. “We study the outcomes of surgical procedures they’re performing and try to come up with improved ways of treating scoliosis.” Professor Adam said his colleagues used a keyhole technique to implant a metal rod in cases requiring surgical correction – an approach resulting in shorter recovery times than traditional methods. “It is a relatively new procedure - our surgeons are the only ones in Australia doing that,” he said. “So we carefully document

how well these deformities get corrected and, if there are complications, what causes them to occur.” So how does engineering come into this? “The spine is a structure. Its role is to carry forces and withstand loads,” Professor Adam said. “We build computer models of the spine before surgery, simulate the stresses and strains on the structure during the surgery and determine what will be a good correction. “Hopefully, with this modelling, we should be able to predict the risk of complications or whether the spine after surgery will act as a stable structure to withstand the forces that daily activities place on it.” The former Cairns schoolboy completed his degree at James Cook University in 1993 and a PhD project in 1998 before working in the sugar industry and then as a lecturer at QUT. “It was through that work I met Mark Pearcy, a professor of medical engineering, and got interested in that ﬁeld – he mentored me and guided me,” Professor Adam said. This was deﬁnitely not where he imagined he’d end up when he took his engineering degree, he said. “I considered medicine at one point but I’m too squeamish...,” Professor Adam said. “I didn’t know this sort of job

Associate Professor Clayton Adam with a biomodel of a spine.

existed. It has been a learning curve for me.” He said he was glad he had completed an engineering degree as the skills involved were

valuable across many industries. “I have no idea where it will lead me from here – it’s an ongoing adventure,” Professor Adam said.

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ENGINEERING CAREERS

March 2008 |

The Mining Advocate

Helping hand for young professionals Maunsell Australia offers a structured program to support engineers and technical officers in the early years of their career. Janice Ballard is well placed to help other rising engineers within Maunsell Australia in her role as the company’s Young Professional Development Program coordinator for Townsville. The 26-year-old water engineer is nearing the end of her own time in the program as she prepares to take her ﬁnal interview with Engineers Australia to gain chartered status. This means she is well aware of the advantages Maunsell’s program oﬀers engineering graduates in steering a steady course through the early years of their career. “I found that the program had a really good structure –

you get a manual at the start and guidance on writing reports and other things you should be looking at in terms of achieving your CPEng (Chartered Professional Engineer status),” she said. Miss Ballard said the Young Professional Development Program linked recent graduates to mentors, provided skills development activities such as technical sessions and encouraged social networking between young engineers within the company. “Our new graduates also attend Maunsell’s graduate induction program, which is a two-day introduction to Maunsell,” she said. “Here the graduates get to

Maunsell’s Young Professional Development Program co-ordinator for Townsville, Janice Ballard, chats with program participants Aloysius Chang, Greg Chesterfield and Terrence Jeppeson. Photo: Stewart McLean

meet Maunsell’s managers, learn about the business and begin networking with their colleagues.” The program has two branches, one taking in young professional engineers and the other for cadet technical oﬃcers. Miss Ballard said it included 17 young professional engineers and 11 cadets in Maunsell’s Townsville, Cairns, Mackay and Rockhampton operations.

There was a strong focus on supporting young professionals in meeting the criteria required to obtain chartered status – a process that generally took three to ﬁve years, she said. As well as gaining guidance from Engineers Australia and more senior engineers within Maunsell, Miss Ballard said those involved in the Young Professional Development Program beneﬁted from being

able bounce ideas oﬀ one another. Miss Ballard said her role as Townsville co-ordinator for the program included arranging activities and liaising between young professionals and mentors. She was supported by one of the ﬁrm’s principal engineers, David Derrick, as the local program manager, she said.

Top tips for graduates navigating the job market Engineering graduates entering a skills-hungry job market have been warned against adopting an arrogant approach with potential employers. A recruitment executive said companies were rejecting some qualified applicants because their demands seemed greedy and their brash attitude caused fears they would clash with other workers as well as shutting out advice and learning opportunities. The executive, WorkPac national business development manager Brett Lee, said the inflated expectations of some Australian graduates in the face of the well-known demand for engineering talent was one factor driving more firms overseas in the quest for suitable candidates. “I think the best advice I would give any graduate is still be humble when going for that job - recognise you can gain a quite generous remuneration, but still be humble and thankful as you negotiate rather than being bullish, arrogant and seen to be greedy,” Mr Lee said. WorkPac operates 27 offices nationwide and specialises in recruitment for the mining,

challenges to help you grow as an engineer. Mr Lee said this was usually preferable to taking a job that was very specific, unless somebody wanted to develop a specialist skill. “If the job is too specific in a narrow field and will repeat itself over and over, then you’ll find that when you reach three years post-graduation you will have fallen behind your peers in terms of competitiveness,” he said.

Brett Lee WorkPac national business development manager

construction, engineering, manufacturing and industrial sectors. Mr Lee offered the following advice for graduate engineers weighing up potential job offers: • Determine if the role on offer will apply your skills in a range of settings and present

• Establish the potential to transfer to other locations, including international postings if working overseas is your goal. “I would do some research on the internet and have some knowledge of the company and its sites around the globe,” Mr Lee said. “Make it clear you are committed to the position on oﬀer, but explain that you are keen to join a company that gives you opportunities after that.” • Make inquiries about who your mentor will be and any other senior engineers you will be working alongside.

“Find out about their backgrounds and how much opportunity you will have to learn from them,” Mr Lee said. He said employees should be open to the idea that the most valid and useful sources of information could be the people

“The best advice I would give any graduate is still be humble when going for that job - recognise you can gain a quite generous remuneration, but still be humble and thankful”

they were working with. • Ask about the company’s support for professional development initiatives. This may include part reimbursement upon successful completion of post-graduate courses, for example.

• Do some research regarding the pay range that someone in the job on offer could expect as a graduate. “You must know the acceptable range so that you can recognise if it’s a fair and good offer,” Mr Lee said. He said recruitment agencies such as WorkPac provided job candidates with detailed information on such issues. Those going it alone may find it useful to speak to fellow graduates to determine the rates being offered, Mr Lee said. Mr Lee also urged graduates to take job interviews as an opportunity to observe differences in company structures, managers and team dynamics. “Just as no two graduates are alike, the same applies to companies,” he said. “This philosophy will help to ensure your values are aligned to your organisation and will undoubtedly make you happier in your role, more so than any money could offer.”

The Mining Advocate | March 2008

SHARP FOCUS ON INDUSTRY NEEDS As Queensland settles comfortably into the current resources boom, it becomes more and more evident that well-trained engineers are in demand, not just in the present but well into the future.

power engineering award, with the creation of this program directly due to the growth in the power generation ﬁeld and the need for highly trained staff,” said Mr White.

are particularly proud of,” Mr White comments. “This major is unique because it focuses on the sustainable management of Australia’s vital soil and water resources.

Training those engineers is the domain of the University of Southern Queensland (USQ). As the leading provider of engineering by distance education, USQ is also leading the way in industry partnerships.

The program – the only one of its kind in Queensland - covers not only generation and distribution but systems and engineering project management. Students also complete a ﬁnal year project in power engineering, which gives them a functional background into the ﬁeld.

“The Australian Centre for Sustainable Catchment is also located at the university, so our students have a unique opportunity to work alongside the leading research body.”

“It was clear to us that having well-trained staff on the ground from the word go was important in the industry,” says Trevor White, faculty manager. “Our on-campus programs are grounded in theory and include best industry practice to ensure that our graduates are industry ready. To help companies that have training and education requirements for their staff, we have speciﬁcally designed programs so employees can get the training they want, whilst still continuing with their career.” With long-established ties with Ergon Energy and in-demand cadetship places, USQ has taken another step toward meeting industry demands. “We have just introduced a

As environmental engineers are being employed across a wide range of companies, there is an opportunity for many different ﬁrms to be associated with the university.

And just how do students work and study at the same time? “USQ has been teaching engineering awards via distance education for over 20 years. It is our speciality, I suppose,” points out Mr White. With the flexibility to meet industry needs and with the support systems already in place, USQ looks as though it is well placed to continue on this path. Mr White believes the key is in the lack of distinction between on-campus study and distance education. “Wherever you are, the syllabus materials, assignments and exams are all the same.”

WHERE EDUCATION AND INDUSTRY WORK TOGETHER

Sometimes the distance students have the edge, Mr White notes. “When students are out there putting theory into practice they are well placed to have a really good handle on the content.” But traditional engineering is not the only ﬁeld that USQ is proving itself in. Mechatronic and environmental engineering are also covered. “Our environmental engineering programs are something we

”We recognise that it is not only the more traditional ﬁelds that employ environmental engineers, but real estate developers, town councils, tourism operators to name just a few. We think that all types of companies would beneﬁt from aligning themselves with us.” That is certainly true for Russell Mineral Equipment (RME). For more than 17 years USQ has been closely aligned with RME. A previous winner of Queensland exporter of the year, RME exports mining equipment throughout the world, and to ensure the high

quality of their products, they have utilised the expertise of Professor Than Tran Cong. “I have been consulting for RME since about 1989, primarily working on computer modelling for new machinery design,” Professor Tran-Cong said. “My job is to help RME to stay at the forefront of new technology and reduce the trial-and-error phase of new machinery design. Using computer modelling and simulation, we try to eliminate or reduce the cost of building prototypes to see if the machine works the way we want it to. “When a machine is built we like to have the conﬁdence that it is going to work and last.” Mr White said the university was always looking for industry leaders to form partnerships with. “It is important to us that we stay ahead of industry needs. Here at USQ we have realised that the way for us to do this is to work with industry, in research and education, so our graduates are what the evolving industry wants and needs.”, For more information contact Trevor White at USQ on (07) 4631 2525.

USQ is a recognised leader in Resources technology, sustainable environmental practices and computational mechanics. We continue to earn awards for teaching and research excellence, and to lead the pack in distance education. Our Faculty of Engineering and Surveying invites you to take advantage of our knowledge base and extensive industry partnerships. Whatever your enterprise’s size and wherever you are located, our range of services will open up a myriad of industry possibilities—from short term objectives to long-term partnerships. So whether you want to educate existing staff, recruit graduates or simply form an allegiance with one of the industry’s leading education providers, talk to us...

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ENGINEERING CAREERS

March 2008 |

The Mining Advocate

Peak bodies back action plan engineering. That will be enough well-educated engineers to meet demand and some left over.”

A new report funded by the Carrick Institute provides a blueprint for Australia to enhance the supply and quality of future engineers. The leaders of key professional and academic bodies have committed to a new action plan to tackle Australia’s shortfall in engineering graduates. A draft report identifying six main areas requiring attention was completed last month following an 11-month study conducted on behalf of the Australian Council of Engineering Deans (ACED) with Carrick Institute funding. The study’s project manager, Professor Robin King, said organisations had been nominated to take responsibility for specific recommendations within the report to ensure they moved forward. They included Engineers Australia, the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, the Australasian Association for Engineering Education and ACED, he said. “They will be seeking further support from the Carrick Institute, industry partners, peak bodies and governments to progress some of the proposed actions,” Professor King said. While the report - addressing the supply and quality of future engineers - was still to be finalised, Professor King outlined its major points at a Business/ Higher Education Round Table (BHERT) symposium in Melbourne last month. The recommendations include: • Raising the visibility of engineering This would include highlighting engineering’s contributions to society through the media and increasing the profile of engineering in schools. • Reviewing qualifications and roles of engineering technologists and officers and promoting those streams Professor King described

• Increasing and sharing resources Professor King said the education system needed more staﬀ and equipment, and it must share them better to get maximum value.

this as a critical issue and believes many tertiary students dropping out of the four-year course required to become a professional engineer would be well suited for these alternative engineering paths.

• Engaging with industry This would include the coordination of industry advisory groups as a lobbying force. The report notes the need for students to have improved knowledge of industry practice through more authentic learning experiences. It also advocates the development of specialist engineering postgraduate programs in areas of demand such as power, defence, water, roads, rail, aviation, microelectronics and logistics.

• Developing best-practice engineering education The report identiﬁes 16 areas of teaching and curriculum requiring continued attention to increase the eﬀectiveness and value of an engineering education.

“We also see great opportunities for increasing the number of pathways into engineering from mature entrants with the appropriate aptitudes and motivation, irrespective of previous qualifications” Professor King told the BHERT forum more active learning was the key and highlighted the CDIO concept (conceive-design-implementoperate) being used explicitly in some Australian engineering schools. The report also highlights the need to position engineering as a “generic” degree. Professor King said the curriculum’s focus on “generic” elements such as problem solving, project management, communications skills and teamwork should be further developed and made more widely known to prospective students. “Many would say that we

Professor Robin King at the BHERT forum in Melbourne, where he released details of his study into engineering education in Australia. Photo: Belinda Humphries

will know that we have got the engineering curriculum right for its generic values that blend science and business, problem solving, teamwork, etc. when it becomes taken as a generic

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degree like business and law are,” he told the BHERT symposium. “Then maybe you will ﬁnd maybe eight or 10 of the ﬁrst 100 students you bump into on campus will be doing

• Increasing pathways into engineering A range of measures are proposed to attract and retain more women in engineering as well as supporting people attempting to re-enter the field, including migrant engineers seeking to enter the Australian industry. “...We also see great opportunities for increasing the number of pathways into engineering from mature entrants with the appropriate aptitudes and motivation, irrespective of previous qualifications,” Professor King said. Professor King - former Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of South Australia’s Division of Information, Technology, Engineering and the Environment - was recently appointed as ACED’s executive officer.

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TOTALFAB

The Mining Advocate | March 2008

Mining boom fuels expansion Townsville-based fabrication firm Totalfab is increasing workshop capacity as it continues on its upward path, writes Michael Stevens. Totalfab has grown immensely since its inception, but managing director Marcel McLeod is not resting on his laurels. The North Queensland company employs 13 full-time staﬀ and for the last six years has provided sheet metal and steel fabrication solutions to the mining, construction and minerals processing industries. Its customers include BHP Billiton Cannington Mine, Zinifex Century Mine, Barrick Osborne Mine, and Xstrata’s Mount Isa, McArthur River and Ernest Henry mines. Not bad for a company that started as a one-man operation in 2001. Mr McLeod said Totalfab was now poised to take further advantage of the mining boom. “We’ve just expanded our workshop in the last 12 months, which has increased our capacity,” he said. “We’re now in the process of building another workshop, so we’re continually growing.” He said Totalfab was able to

meet any customer demand for steel products and frequently manufactured items including pipe work, replacement chutes, tanks and platforms. “We’re also starting to develop a product range; we’re getting a lot of calls for skip bins and larger tool cabinets, and we’re making four or ﬁve diﬀerent types at the moment,” Mr McLeod said. Mr McLeod spent 15 years in the mining industry before starting his own business and he said this experience helped him tailor Totalfab to that sector’s needs. “My last position was operations team leader at Zinifex Century Mine - I’ve got a background in the maintenance and operational side of the industry, so I’ve got a pretty good understanding of its requirements,” he said. “I’ve also got an understanding of timelines, which is important because when a mine is shutting down for planned maintenance it needs to have gear and people

Totalfab operations manager Greg Bellinger and managing director Marcel McLeod.

on site immediately; it’s not a situation where it can wait another week for it.” Mr McLeod said the labour hire side of Totalfab had been recently separated into a new company. Additional segmentation could be a method of future expansion. “We could separate the sheet metal side so we’d have heavy and light fabrication divisions, or we could have a products-based

separation,” Mr McLeod said. “Totalfab is on a journey to become a world-class manufacturing business and all our staﬀ practise the principles of lean manufacturing elimination of waste, quality management and, most importantly, delivering what the customer ordered, on time and in full.” He said a visiting electrician recently said that the company’s

Photo by: Stewart McLean

workshop was the second tidiest he had seen in Australia. “This is something we are all proud and passionate about and when I told my team, their response was that we want to be the best, so we need to make improvements,” Mr McLeod said. Totalfab is based at 125 Allambie Lane, Townsville phone (07) 47893777.

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TOTALFAB

March 2008 |

The Mining Advocate

Top team crucial to success Totalfab fosters flexibility in its workforce, with managing director Marcel McLeod keen to see employees grow with the company. Totalfab’s energetic and ambitious employees are great contributors to the company’s success. Kelvin Canty is Totalfab’s workshop supervisor, responsible for the daily running of the workshop and supervising and quality checking jobs. He is originally from Victoria and has been employed at Totalfab for three and a half years, initially as a tradesman and then as a supervisor for the past 18 months. “I’ve been here since this was a very small business and seen it develop through to the expansions that have happened just recently,” Mr Canty said. He said Totalfab was set for another period of growth and he was excited to be part of it. “I’ll continue in my supervisor’s role and get more experience in it, and as the company grows I’ll try to grow with it and work my way further up the ladder,” he said. Tanya Battiato has been Totalfab’s administration and marketing oﬃcer for one year. Her duties include administration of the payroll and superannuation, but she said the Totalfab culture encouraged her to be ﬂexible in her role. “We all have to pitch in and help each other, and I like the variety of work I get to do,” she said.

When The Mining Advocate visited she was compiling a safety manual for a job Totalfab had recently been awarded at the Townsville prison, being constructed by Balderstone Hornibrook. Ms Battiato said she also “dabbled” in marketing and was keen to develop this side of the business in the future. “I am currently developing marketing material and working out the logistics for travelling to Mount Isa to exhibit our company at the 2008 Xstrata Mining Expo,” she said. She said she also had the opportunity to study accountancy and eventually take charge of the company books. Totalfab managing director Marcel McLeod said the company’s future lay in developing its people. “I encourage all of my employees to step up and contribute to our success, make a few mistakes and learn and develop their competence because with competence comes conﬁdence,” he said. “We have developed a great team of competent people and nothing pleases me more than to see them succeed, especially younger team members like our apprentices who could one day be managing Totalfab.”

The Totalfab workshop. Photos: Stewart McLean

Above: Totalfab workshop supervisor Kelvin Canty.

Left: Producing an integrated tool carrier-skip bin.

Attuned to industry needs Totalfab operations manager Greg Bellinger understands what the mining industry wants. Hailing from Mount Isa, he started his working life as a boilermaker’s apprentice at Mount Isa Mines in 1977. Mr Bellinger went on to work at numerous sites in the Carpentaria Minerals Province, Papua New Guinea and Fiji over the next three decades. He said his recent managerial appointment at Totalfab was a great opportunity to work in a privately owned company where everyone from the cleaner to the managing director were passionate about providing

customers with a service that would delight them. “My role is to provide planning and direction for all activities at the Townsville operations,” Mr Bellinger said. “I also ensure the achievement of strategies and objectives in relation to business development and growth, improving production throughput, on-time deliveries and safety and quality outcomes. “I have operated and managed similar operations in other companies, so I have a lot of experience in manufacturing and fabrication generally.” He said the huge contact base

he had developed in his 31 years in the mining industry helped him in his role at Totalfab. “With people in the mining industry, you have to know what they need and know what they’re talking about,” Mr Bellinger said. He said he had worked out some goals for the future with Totalfab managing director Marcel McLeod “We want to continue building the business into a world-class manufacturing ﬁrm committed to continuous improvement, personal development and customer service,” he said.

Pipe fabricated at the Totalfab workshop is installed at Zinifex Century Mine. Photo supplied

TOTALABILITY

The Mining Advocate | March 2008

Labour service comes of age A new enterprise has arisen from Totalfab’s longstanding commitment to sourcing reliable workers to meet clients’ needs. Labour and resource solutions company Totalability Workforce is providing co-ordinated solutions to the mining industry skills shortage. The company was established 18 months ago after the labour hire section of Totalfab was separated from its manufacturing and steel fabrication arm. Totalability Workforce managing director Marcel McLeod said the mining industry was calling out for consistency and balance in the provision of labour and other resources, and the company was developing the methods to meet that demand. He said a newly launched interactive website (at www. totalability.com.au) would provide a tool for clients to communicate and plan their requirements. “There might be three or four mines having shutdowns at the

same time and they’re all going to suck out of the same shared labour pool, so we’re creating a system where companies can go online and have a look at a schedule of what the market is doing,” he said. “Companies have the opportunity to move their shutdowns to dates where labour and resources are more readily available.” Mr McLeod said Totalability Workforce’s databases included several thousand skilled workers and that number was constantly growing. “We also own and operate a 14-room motel in Mount Isa, so when we send workers to Mount Isa we don’t have to ﬁght for accommodation,” he said. Mr McLeod said he had started the labour hire section of Totalfab soon after the business began, but demand meant it

could now operate as a company in its own right. “Originally the labour hire service began when we started to fabricate items for the mining industry and sites would ask us to come out and do the installation, usually during planned shutdown periods,” he said. “In doing that we had to source skilled labour and build a database of competent and reliable workers, and then we’d service another mine and the database continued to grow. “Now that Totalability Workforce has been created, it and Totalfab complement each other.” Mr McLeod said Totalability Workforce also serviced the construction industry. Totalability Workforce is based at 1258 Riverway Drive, Townsville - phone (07) 47893677.

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Totalability Workforce labour co-ordinator Anne-Marie Kehres and administration officer Marissa Adamson with Totalfab administration and marketing officer Tanya Battiato. Photo by: Stewart McLean

SAFETY AND TRAINING

March 2008 |

The Mining Advocate

‘Straight talker’ joins mine team A new manager will be striving to make safety the word on everyone’s lips at Cannington. Adam Matison believes open communication is the key to mine safety. Mr Matison is the new health, safety, environment and community (HSEC) manager at BHP Billiton Cannington Mine in North West Queensland. He describes himself as a “straight talker” and wants to use his position to strive for everimproving safety practices. “I see my role as inﬂuencing the management team and challenging the current thinking paradigms,” he said. “We need to maximise our learnings from incidents and near misses.” The best way to learn and develop ideas was for workers and management to talk honestly, he said. “I want to promote a reporting culture because we need people to feel comfortable in letting other people know they’ve made a mistake,” Mr Matison said.

Adam Matison BHP Billiton Cannington Mine HSEC manager

“We have to build the conﬁdence of guys who’ve had near misses, so that they’ll say ‘gee whiz, there might be a lesson we can learn here that we need to get out’.” Mr Matison said also managers and supervisors had a

responsibility to be proactive. “Once an issue is raised, we need to be seen doing something about it, because if people don’t see something being done, they think ‘why report it?’,” he said. Mr Matison has spent 12 years in the mining industry health and safety sector and previously worked at the Peak Downs coal mine. His new role at the head of a 22-person team will be far more wide ranging, with responsibilities including health surveillance, rescue, risk assessment, site hygiene, greenhouse gas reduction and community engagement. “It’s early days for me yet and I need to consult a number of people on site, including the asset leader (Shane Hansen),” Mr Matison said. “In time, I’ll have an idea of where we need to head for longterm improvement.” A fatality occurred at Cannington mine in January, 13 months after a Townsville miner died in an underground accident at the same site.

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human resources > training > recruitment

There IS a skills shortage and to be competitive, employers need to act as fast as possible. Recruitment processes involving multiple interviews, assessments, medicals, site tours, psychometric assessments, etc might sound theoretically fantastic – however SPEED is the key ingredient to success in many industries. Recruitment is similar to Àshing. You need to make the position and company attractive to the candidate, you need to ‘hook’ them and ensure the process to getting them ‘on-board’ your company is as fast as possible. The slower you wind them in, the more chance of losing them to other prey. It is a highly competitive market and there are not a lot of ‘Àsh in the sea’ at present. If you get a quality candidate hooked, act as fast as you can.

Safety (BATS) program facilitators. BATS is designed to instill confidence in the workforce that the sharing of experiences and opinions will result in best safety practice. Mr Allen said he was looking forward to using his experience in engineering, business and law to drive the BATS process forward and eventually make it a process that incorporated best practice in all areas. He said that although the role required administrative responsibilities, he and Mr Larssen would maintain a visible presence. “We will be out and about at every opportunity assisting staff and promoting the BATS process,” he said. Mr Larssen is experienced in Cannington’s underground operations and he recently completed his 10th year of service at the mine. Mr Allen said the coming months would see some changes made to the BATS process, including ramping up training for observers and supervisors. “The key challenges that lie ahead are varied, but the initial focus will be initiating a change in the safety culture on site,” he said. “This is vital to give all employees utmost assurance and confidence that the BATS process is driven by them and will be successful. “At the end of the day it is simply mate looking after mate, and we’re just here to help them along.”

SAFETY AND TRAINING

The Mining Advocate | March 2008

A white knight in the skills struggle A not-for-profit organisation hopes to help the mining industry by supplying top-notch electrical apprentices and trainees. Electro Group Apprentices is targeting the mining industry in an effort to address a shortage of electricians. A not-for-profit-organisation, Electro Group Apprentices was established by the electrical industry in 1998 and is dedicated solely to supplying trainees and apprentices in the electrical field. It has branches in Darwin and Brisbane and opened an office in Townsville at the end of last year. Electro Group Apprentices Townsville branch field officer John Macnamara said the North West Minerals Province presented opportunities for business development. “There is a lot of mine maintenance work going on, especially out west in the Mount Isa mining corridor, and I’d certainly like to get more involved in that,” he said. “I think there’s a good need for it, especially in fly in and fly out operations where they don’t

have the staff or the time to put on apprentices. “What we offer is an easy option for them to train people for the future, because otherwise we’re just going to run out of tradesmen; the electrical trade is a skills shortage trade.” Electro Group Apprentices supplies apprentices and trainees to host employers, but remains their legal employer. As such, the company takes care of the paperwork and usual employer requirements. It provides tools for its trainees and apprentices specific to the electrical industry. Mr Macnamara said the system of networking with host employers meant that apprentices and trainees had opportunities for wide-ranging experience. “We can rotate our apprentices to give them a good spread of training, so that when they do finish their apprenticeships and

apply for their electrical licences, they’ve done the required training,” he said. He said it was also advantageous for the company’s trainees and apprentices to be employed by a dedicated electrical trade organisation because the industry was heavily regulated and licensed compared with some other industries. Mr Macnamara took on his role at Electro Group Apprentices at the start of the year after working in the resource sector. He completed an electrical apprenticeship at Mount Isa Mines and was an apprenticeship co-ordinator for Transﬁeld Services at BHP Billiton’s Yabulu nickel reﬁnery in Townsville for two years. “I saw this opportunity with Electro Group Apprentices and thought it was a brilliant concept, not just because of the service it provides to clients but also because of the care that is taken in looking after the apprentices,” he said. Mr Macnamara can be contacted on 0400 014914.

Overhaul for NT workplace legislation The Northern Territory is now subject to revised workplace safety legislation. Occupational health and safety and compensation and rehabilitation functions, which previously existed together under the former Work Health Act, are now separated into two new Acts. These are the Workplace Health and Safety Act and

the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act. The new legislation maintains NT WorkSafe as its administrative arm, and incorporates more specific powers for NT WorkSafe workplace safety officers including new fines and penalties for regulatory breaches. The NT Government

has announced new investment in NT WorkSafe, including the appointment of an executive director reporting directly to the Minister for Employment, Education and Training and the commissioning of more oﬃcers with special knowledge in ﬁelds such as mining and exploration.

Scott Bould recently completed his electrical apprenticeship with the industry’s not-for-profit organisation, Electro Group Apprentices.

Chilean students to visit Sunshine State Vocational education students from Chile will be trained on scholarships in Queensland next year following an agreement between the Queensland and Chilean governments. Education and Training Minister Rod Welford said Queensland had been chosen by Chile as one of three study destinations for the scholarship program. The Chilean Government had allocated 30 scholarships to Queensland in 2008, from a total of 80 globally, he said. The scholarships will involve 20 weeks of English language training and 20 weeks of technical training in areas such as mining, metallurgy, energy and tourism. A spokeswoman from Mr Welford’s oﬃce said the students would spend the ﬁrst six months of the scholarship program studying English at Brisbane and the Gold Coast. She said those students studying in the mining industry

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would then continue their scholarship programs at TAFE campuses in various locations, possibly including North Queensland. She said the list of scholarship students and the final program details would be finalised in the next couple of months. Mr Welford said Chile’s allocation of scholarship places to Queensland was a demonstration of confidence in the State’s education system. “Education and training is one of our leading export earners, and in 2006/07 returned more than $1.6 billion to the Queensland economy,” he said. In May 2007, the Government of Chile announced it would provide scholarships for 500 domestic students to study overseas as part of a threeyear program to overcome a vocational skills shortage. A further 420 scholarships will be allocated globally under the program in 2009 and 2010.

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LIFESTYLE

March 2008 |

Husqvarna heaven Clayton Cook regularly rides with motorcycle enthusiasts from Ernest Henry mine. Here he discusses his new pride and joy – a Husqvarna TE450. After riding almost 400km on two rides in the last few days, my impressions of the bike are that it’s impressive and exciting. The ﬁrst ride, through varied terrain in the mountains around Atherton, enabled me to get acquainted with a big bike. The three most impressive traits are its smooth and manageable power, its hill climbing ability and its brilliant suspension. The huge power on tap enables you to be in one of three gears at any time and still maintain impressive speed and the ability to lift the front over obstacles. A few of the other riders noticed how easily the Husky was tractoring up hills and said it looked like it was “hooking up” very nicely. There were no jetting issues with the high altitude due to the Husqvarna being one of the only bikes currently oﬀering fuel injection. After covering almost 100km in over four hours of riding I was much less fatigued than I am on other bikes, and I believe this was due to the brilliant suspension. A few days later I joined some Ernest Henry boys on a ride from Herveys Range to Hidden Valley. We found some enduro-style tracks and a quarry, and as I started to get used to the big bore in the slippery conditions, I got more and more addicted to the Husqvarna’s power and handling. The power lets you relax when you need a bit of a break whilst keeping up a good pace, and all-day riding like this is a joy.

Not only is the Husky an impressive performer, it is in my opinion the best looking bike in the market at the moment.It also boasts the highest level equipment standard including Brembo brakes, Magura hydraulic clutch, an Arrow aftermarket exhaust and competition mapping for the fuel injection. In early 2007 when I got back into motorbike riding after an absence of 10 years or so, I decided to take a client up on the opportunity to purchase his Honda CRF250x. All the people I rode with own more powerful two- and fourstroke motorbikes, so as I improved my riding skills, I found that I regularly needed to have the Honda at full throttle to keep up, so I made the change to the Husqvarna.

TP Human Capital managing director Clayton Cook with his new Husqvarna TE450

The Mining Advocate

Bloke-style bonding on the road The open road is the perfect place to get to know workmates, according to Trevor Seedwell. Mr Seedwell is a senior workshop supervisor for Hastings Deering at Xstrata’s Ernest Henry mine, 38km north-east of Cloncurry. His great escape when he’s not working is eating up the bitumen on his Yamaha WRF450 motorcycle. “I go out with the guys at work and anyone else who wants to come along,” Mr Seedwell said. “It’s good for bonding - we usually get a good cross-section across the shifts and we have anywhere between six and 14 riders per trip.” He said a roster change at Ernest Henry to one week on–one week off, as opposed to the previous two weeks on–one week off roster, meant the bike fanatics could pursue their passion more often. Besides freeing up time for riding, Mr Seedwell said the implementation of the new roster since January had transformed the workers’ mindset. “Morale has been boosted and life at home has improved because we’re not away for as long,” he said. Mr Seedwell said the first time his group of bikies went out for a big trip was in 2002, and since then it has made a few three and four-day trips to Cape York. The group also makes shorter trips, with the most recent one being to Hidden Valley, near Paluma outside Townsville.

Glenn Brown, left, and Trevor Seedwell kick back at Hidden Valley Cabins after a motorcycle ride.

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