Supporting mining and industry in Queensland and the NT •PALLET RACKING •CANTILEVER RACKING CALL FOR A •LONGSPAN QU OTE SHELVING •WORK BENCHES
Solutions for LIFE
ERT Technical Specialists • Compressors • Breathing Apparatus • Gas Detection • Personal Protection Phone: 07 4779 1119
Approved MSA Service Agent
07 4779 2693 237 Ingham Rd, Garbutt Qld 4814
www.dingorack.com.au sales@dingorack.com.au
www.ibssolutions.com.au
July/August 2014
$4.95 inc GST
WHERE SOLD
QN steps up for bright future
THIS EDITION • Industry innovators strut their stuff • Suppliers urged to tap into R&D benefits • Northern hub takes shape for QCoal
FREE CQ mining and energy map inside
• Spotlight on Mackay Regional Council
v
22 - 24 July 2014 BETTER PRODUCTIVITY BETTER EFFICIENCY BETTER OPTIMISATION
Mackay Showground
YOUR BUSINESS CASE FOR VISITING.... BETTER CONNECTIONS Network with over 600 suppliers and 10,000 peers BETTER EXPERIENCE Source the latest mining technology and innovation for your operation BETTER IDEAS Gain insights into improving efficiency and boosting productivity
EXPLORE THE INNOVATION
REGISTER NOW qldminingexpo.com
QME APP
TECHLAB | TECHTRAILS | TECHTALKS
NEW and FREE, iOS & ANDROID, EVENT UPDATES, EXHIBITOR PROFILES
CASE STUDY
#2
CASTROL OPTIVAL
DELIVERING OPTIMUM VALUE TO THE MINING INDUSTRY
PATENTED PROCESS DELIVERS OVER $100 MILLION OF CUSTOMER RECOGNISED VALUE
Castrol Mining has 40 fulltime staff solely focused on mining lubricants, including 13 technical staff with around 240 years’ experience in the hydrocarbon and mining industry. By applying our unique ISO Certified and patented OPTIVAL process to the challenges faced by in the mining industry, our experienced team aims to Identify, Agree and Deliver greater efficiencies and establish value through strategic partnerships with customers.
IDENTIFY
AGREE
DELIVER
The team uses the unique OPTIVAL process to risk assess, plan, manage and deliver customer recognised value.
Opportunities are scoped and prioritised with the customer. Milestones are developed and the desired outcome is agreed so opportunities can be replicated at different sites.
To date over 800 Value Business Cases have been lodged as a result of the OPTIVAL process, with a customer recognised value exceeding $100 million.
Conclusion Castrol OPTIVAL is a clear point of difference delivered by a highly experienced team, offering true value beyond the supply of quality lubricants to mining industry customers.
Customer Service - 1300 554 890 Technical Helpline - 1300 557 998 www.castrol.com.au
NEWS
The Mining Advocate | July 2014
1
COVER IMAGE: Peter Cream and Melissa Need at QN’s Yabulu refinery Photographer: Allison Bessell
July 2014
FEATURES
3 QCoal’s 2020 vision
8 Innovation
This Brisbane-based producer aims to be churning out 20 million tonnes of coal per annum from its Bowen Basin sites by the end of the decade. The company outlines its strategy for a northern hub, including site works within weeks at its new Drake mine, as well as the major Byerwen coal project.
5 Name game
11 Our Mining Heritage 12 Promoting Indigenous Employment
STRONGFORM INDUSTRIAL TANKS
Who can call themselves an engineer? A Townsville-based Engineers Australia head argues there is a need for a national registration system to ensure safety standards and community confidence in the profession.
Custom Welded Fittings Industrial Grade Polyethylene No confined space issues
8 Bright sparks A look at some of the innovations mining contractors and services are bringing to Queensland’s mining industry, as well as details of a tax incentive program to support R&D.
13 Building Mining Communities 14 Between Shifts
www.strongformindustrial.com.au Call Trevor 0457 824 792 sales@strongformindustrial.com.au
11 Annie’s obsession
SAFE STRONG STABLE.
A woman who wandered Australia’s goldfields, dressed in sacks and carting cats, in search of a lost love is among the everyday people featured in a historical series on North Queensland mining towns.
16 Regional Capacity NQ 19 Logistics and Materials Handling 20 Industry Update
21 Magnificent Mackay
21 Communities Supporting Mining
Mackay Regional Council is investing heavily in revitalising the inner city as its puts its weight behind a major new push to see the local economy diversify and grow.
29 Queensland Nickel Feature
CONTACTS p. (07) 4755 0336 f. (07) 4755 0338 Email: ............................................................... info@miningadvocate.com.au Address: ........................................13 Carlton Street, Kirwan, Q, 4817 Postal: ...................................................... PO Box 945, Townsville, Q, 4810
Managing editor:
......................... Robert
Client Services: .................... Marion Lago m. 0414 225 621
Sales: ................................................p. (07) 4755 0336 m. 0417 623 156
Advertising booking deadline September 2014 edition: August 20
Dark m. 0417 623 156
Journalists: ............................ Bruce Macdonald m. 0418 154 016 ...................... Dominique
All material is copyright and cannot be reproduced in part or in full by any means without written permission of the managing editor. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher.
Kimber m. 0414 371 966
THE EPOXY FLOOR COATING SPECIALISTS Talk directly to Richard, the owner on 0438 814 014 for a quote
www.dcs.net.au
OUR PHYSICAL OFFER
OUR SERVICE OFFER
•
Kevlar reinforced, chemical resistant engineered protective floor coatings
• •
•
Floor demarcation and linemarking to the Australian Standard
•
Completely mine compliant
•
Creates superior working conditions
OUR GEOGRAPHIC OFFER
•
Applied to any size project
•
•
All surface preparation, cleaning and diamond grinding
• •
Quick response Green credentials – Australian-made solvent free applications QBSA Licensed Mining applications are our speciality
Remote area capability - able to project our service into hardrock and coal mining and energy areas of Queensland, NSW and the NT
Advertisement Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning
MAJOR PROJECTS CONFERENCE QUEENSLAND 18 September 2014 Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
Register today at www.mpc.qld.gov.au
Authorised by the Queensland Government, George Street, Brisbane
NEWS
The Mining Advocate | July 2014
3
QCoal launches northern hub Project pipeline to deliver security for Collinsville and Glenden mining districts QCoal Group is rolling out a new strategy for its raft of Collinsville district projects as it prepares to start site work in August on the new Drake coal mine. The independent Brisbanebased producer has rethought its project pipeline and will focus on creating a northern hub of sites centred on its existing Sonoma mine facilities. QCoal Group general manager of mining operations Danny McCarthy said the company now planned to bring the Drake deposit online quickly, with minimal initial infrastructure requirements as it will utilise Sonoma’s processing and loadout capacity for the first few years of operation. “We’re targeting August 1 for site early works – clearing, top soil removal, setup of minimal site infrastructure and roads, some drainage and water management structures,” he said. The work will kick off upon approval of the company’s plan of operations for the first year of mining at Drake, 17km south of Collinsville. Drake is expected to produce up to 6 million tonnes of coal per annum across a 30-year mining life. QCoal is still determining whether the Drake operation will involve contract or owneroperator mining. QCoal presently employs about 390 people directly and indirectly across its Sonoma and Cows operations, 6km south of Collinsville, with Leighton Contractors and SAB Mining
Sonoma mine facilities south of Collinsville.
Danny McCarthy QCoal Group general manager of mining operations
Services engaged as the mining contractors and Sedgman undertaking coal processing and train loading work. The company is also forging ahead with its Byerwen coal project – a 10mtpa operation of predominately hard coking coal that QCoal is developing with JFE Steel 20km west of Glenden. Queensland’s Co-ordinator General recently announced the first of several approvals required to progress the project - expected to employ a construction workforce of up to 350 people and up to 500 people during operations, with an expected mine life of 50 years. Mr McCarthy said QCoal’s aim of reaching an overall coal production rate of 20mtpa by 2020 was well within its sights
– and that vision was proving energising for the organisation. “It also underpins the communities of Collinsville and Glenden,” he said. “When QCoal gets the northern hub and the Byerwen project up and running you’re talking 20mtpa out of that
Collinsville and Glenden area - which will really breathe life back into those communities.” Mr McCarthy also said that changes in anticipated approval timings, along with coal market conditions, meant it made sense for the company to look at its sites in the Collinsville region as
a single northern hub rather than a trio of stand-alone operations. “By looking at the region as a whole we have been able to make sure that our operations are as sustainable as possible,” he said. Mr McCarthy said QCoal’s projects were attracting strong interest and support in the Collinsville and Glenden communities, where established coal operations had been reducing their workforces. Isaac Regional Council Mayor Anne Baker said she commended the Byerwen proponents for looking to local communities for their workforce. She welcomed the investment in the region and knew that local workers and their families would certainly welcome the jobs the project generated, she said. “A joint venture between QCoal and JFE Steel, Byerwen mine is planned to have a life of 50 years, delivering a significant long-term boost to our local economy, businesses and communities,” Cr Baker said.
Byerwen procurement opportunities QCoal’s $1.7 billion Byerwen coal project will present major work opportunities during the construction phase including: • Design packages for rail loop, site earthworks, coal handling and processing plant concept, water management, mine industrial area; • Contracts for site earthworks, rail loop, substations, CHPP engineering and construction, mine industrial area; • Contract for supply of major mining equipment;
• Contracts for mining & CHPP operations; • Mining contractor to supply auxiliary mining equipment. The company is engaging the Industry Capability Network (ICN) to identify potential local manufacturers as well as making use of its own local supplier data base and plans presentations to industry groups regarding supply opportunities as the construction startdate nears.
Millions invested in QN refinery infrastructure Work has begun on a $10 million project at Queensland Nickel’s refinery 25km north of Townsville to flood-proof its Cell Three tailings dam against a one-in100-year storm event. Two teams of more than 50 QN short-term employees are working two shifts a day to lift the retaining walls by 5m, with a target of completing the project by November 1, well ahead of the next wet season in North Queensland. The infrastructure work comes against a backdrop of bumper production figures for the refinery during 2013/14. Refinery director of operations Peter Cream said a record 25,380 tonnes of nickel compacts were produced through the refinery`s Line 1 production facility during the year. Total production of all nickel
products reached 33,287 tonnes in the financial year, a few hundred tonnes shy of the total nickel site record, he said. The refinery, owned by Federal MP Clive Palmer, is also investing millions in converting its bank of 12 10-storey roasters to coal seam gas (CSG) from fuel oil. A pilot project converting one roaster to gas has been completed for about $11 million. The refinery’s three tailings dams have been subject to often misleading publicity in recent years, according to QN’s director of operations at the refinery, Ian Ferguson. Mr Ferguson said an expert in the construction of dams, with more than 30 years’ experience, Mukesh Mehta, had been appointed as construction manager, with James Cook University civil engineering graduate and QN employee
Work on the tailings dam construction.
Andrew Mee working closely with him. “Hopefully the work being undertaken on Cell Three will serve as a clear indication to the Townsville community that QN takes its environmental responsibilities very seriously,” Mr Ferguson said.
Photo: Allison Bessell
QN’s procurement manager, Martin Brewster, who also holds a civil engineering degree and has extensive logistics experience from his time working for the RAAF, has played a key role in the project. Mr Brewster has sourced 10 Caterpillar 740 articulated
dump trucks (ADTs), three 740 articulated water trucks, a Cat 825C compactor, four Cat excavators, one Cat bulldozer and one Cat grader, to undertake the project. Bought at a cost of $4.5 million, the ADTs will be assimilated into QN’s fleet of seven Cat 740 ADTs which haul ore to the refinery. Tailings within Cell Three will be used to raise the retaining walls 5m and rock armour will also be sourced from the site. “We have a huge supply of tailings, only 1000 tonnes of nickel is extracted from over 50,000 tonnes of ore supplied to the refinery,” he said. Mr Brewster said it was planned to also raise Cell One next year. • More QN stories - Pages 29-32
4
NEWS
July 2014 |
The Mining Advocate
Rescue mission Mount Morgan is the first mine to be given a new lease on life by Carbine Resources An Australian resources company plans to use innovative metallurgical expertise and technology to turn abandoned mines into viable projects. The first mine on Carbine Resource’s list is Mount Morgan, a mine that comes with a history of environmental issues, but also a wealth of tailings containing gold and copper. There’s about one million ounces of gold and 60 thousand tonnes of copper remaining in the tailings, making it an appetising investment for the company. Carbine Resources executive director Patrick Walta said Mount Morgan was a complex ore from a metallurgical perspective. “The key to unlocking the remaining value of Mount Morgan lies in the reduction of cyanide usage during gold extraction,� he said. “For gold extraction via a traditional carbon-in-pulp
flowsheet, every unit of cyanide used is partly wasted on the leaching of unrecovered copper, so operating costs are quite high. Previous owners of Mount Morgan have viewed copper as a liability and looked at ways to reduce the liberation of copper to reduce these operating costs.� Carbine’s metallurgical expertise has allowed the adoption of an alternative strategy, seeking to maximise the extraction of copper and gold. The company plans to use innovative resin-in-pulp technology to selectively recover copper prior to extraction of gold via a traditional carbon-in-pulp flowsheet. The process proposed by Carbine is anticipated to reduce cyanide consumption, with the additional benefits of a secondary revenue stream from copper production. The restarting of operations at the Mount Morgan mine
Hector buried in children’s book The Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal (DBCT) mascot has been killed off in a children’s story starring Hector the lump of coal. The squidgy, vision-impaired mascot was laid to rest forever in a tale written by Mackay Conservation Group member Christine Carlisle for a picture book competition. Despite his hard work educating kids on everything from sun safety to energy saving, it seems poor old Hector has been placed at the centre of an argument between environmentalists and the coal industry. In a statement to the Daily Mercury, DBCT said Hector was “a likeable mascot that represents DBCT in the community in a positive way�. The book that buried Hector was just the latest attack against the loveable lump as the save-the-reef versus coal mining debate continues. The online world has been abuzz with opinions from both sides. “We know the scaremongering from the well-funded activists will continue, as we know it’s really about shutting down our coal and gas industries and it’s not about protecting the reef,� Queensland Resources Council (QRC) chief executive Michael Roche said. One Facebook user commented on Bowen’s pro Abbot Point Expansion Group page about the issue. “If they (environmentalists) were so passionate about saving the world, then maybe they should practice what they preach! Stop driving cars, stop using electricity, stop buying produce, stop writing and printing in paper, stop using mobile phones and internet and the list goes on.....� Even Hollywood celebrities have voiced their opinions on the issue. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio spoke at the Our Ocean conference in Washington last month and used Australia’s Great Barrier Reef as an example of “environmental devastation�.
Innovative technology will be applied to the challenges of Mount Morgan mine.
will also allow the company to rehabilitate the area. Mr Walta said the mine had more than 100 years of mining history without environmental regulation, meaning tailings and waste rock had been dumped without environmental consideration. “The historical tailings were unfortunately never placed into a contained facility. Now when water and oxygen gets into the tailings, they react to make
sulphuric acid, which in turn leaches other metals into the groundwater that end up in the Dee and Fitzroy rivers,� he said. Mr Walta said the company’s process would allow the removal of acid-forming minerals from the remaining tailings and the transportation of the reprocessed tailings and waste to a proper hydraulically isolated tailings facility. “It’s a huge earth moving exercise which sounds simple
but the reality is that it would cost hundreds of millions of dollars for the Government to undertake. Recovery of copper and gold resources during this process represents an economically viable mechanism to complete environmental rehabilitation,� he said. In the meantime, Carbine is keeping its eyes open for projects that hold similar opportunities to Mount Morgan.
The many hats of Dr Goh Restaurateur, lecturer, president, board member, doctor and engineer are just some of the titles that current congress representative for Queensland Engineers Australia Dr Steven Goh has held. Since his graduation from a mechanical engineering degree at the University of Queensland in 1996, Dr Goh has worked on some significant projects within the engineering industry. Dr Goh said one of his proudest career achievements was the development and design of wheel products for Toowoomba Metal Technologies. “I headed the research and development department in producing our own proprietary range of wheel products for trucks and trailers,� he said. “A lot of the wheel products, including the brake drums and disc rotors, roughly around 50 per cent of what you see in the market over the last 15 years, I designed most of them.� Following his early success in the engineering industry Dr Goh took a detour down a different career path and opened his own
w W s Co www.gracelaw.com.au Ph 07 4775 4997 Suite 2, 511 Flinders Street West Townsville QLD 4810
Lecturer/Professor Steven Goh with students attending the Engineering and Surveying Residential School at the USQ Toowoomba Campus. Photo: David Martinelli
cafĂŠ –restaurant, Kingfisher in Toowoomba. “I think I had an early mid-life crisis. Maybe I watched a little too much My Kitchen Rules,â€? he said. The business was a success, winning awards for best cafĂŠ restaurant of the year, best alfresco dining restaurant of the year and the southern Queensland business excellence award. “My chef once commented on how good my recipe book was and I said it’s not a recipe book it’s a technical specification,â€? Dr Goh said. “Essentially we were producing a product and I made sure there was quality assurance.â€? Dr Goh’s focus is now well and truly back on engineering as a Senior Lecturer in Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering at University Southern Queensland, Mechanical College Board member of Engineers Australia, Executive Board member for the Australasian association for Engineering Education and a member of the technical society of Engineers Australia. Within his leadership roles Dr
Goh said he aimed to highlight some of the key issues facing industry including what he calls a rapidly contracting engineering job market. Dr Goh said that between 2011 and 2014 the number of advertised engineering job vacancies dropped from 13,000 to just 3000 nationwide and that currently roughly only twothirds of engineering graduates would enter the workforce. He said that with government announcements of $11.6 billion of funding for road infrastructure, Queensland could soon experience a shortage of skilled and experienced workers. “The question we need to ask ourselves is, is there going to be enough engineers with the right experience?� he said. “The graduates need the training, up-skilling, mentoring and experience so that we have the experienced workers who can deliver the $11.6 billion of projects and the projects moving forward. Who’s going to deliver these projects? It needs to be asked.�
NEWS
The Mining Advocate | July 2014
5
Engineering title protection Townsville group chairman calls for a uniform approach to the issue of registration Wide “misuse” of the word engineer is one of the biggest issues facing industry members according to Engineers Australia Townsville Regional Group chairman Greg Elkins. Queensland is currently the only state where professional engineers must be registered to practice, through the Board of Professional Engineers Queensland. Professionals such as doctors, nurses and lawyers are all subject to registration systems that require high professional standards. Mr Elkins said the engineering industry should be protected in the same way. “In Australia anyone can call themselves an engineer and in most of Australia there’s no requirement that engineering be done by a qualified person,” he said. “There might be a fabrication company, for example, that implements the engineering aspect but isn’t actually able to provide the technical engineering input required.”
There are at least 14 different pieces of legislation across the country that try to regulate engineering services in some way, many of which are part of building regulations. Mr Elkins said that the national registration of engineers was the only way to ensure engineering standards were kept to a high level. “There needs to be quite a significant shift in thinking at a political level and it would mean more paperwork but it would also ensure that the community would have a confidence in the quality of engineering that they’re going to receive,” he said. In 1994, the National Engineering Registration Board was established by Engineers Australia, the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers, Australia and Consult Australia to manage self-regulatory registration systems across Australia. A spokeswoman for Engineers Australia said over
meeting with the government
Engineers Australia Townsville Regional Group chairman Greg Elkins.
and opposition in all states and territories to discuss practical steps to engineering registration,” she said. “Some states have had or
Photo: Allison Bessell
will have industry forums to canvass the views of the profession on registration. “Some states are a bit behind
recent months there had been some movement on the issue, with a number of states looking
other states but are positively
to investigate and pursue it further. “Our registrar has been
discussing their approach to registration of engineers.”
Films can put resources in focus Budding filmmakers will have the chance to showcase their skills in a resources-focused short film competition run by professional services firm PwC. The company is asking businesses, community members and students to create a short threeminute film response to the question “What does the resources industry mean to you?” PwC resources industry partner Ben Lannan said the competition aimed to start a statewide dialogue on the resources sector. “What we’re trying to do is engage with the business and broader community in a more socially relevant way,” he said.
The competition has three categories; student, community and business and is open for entries until July 31. Finalists will be announced on August 11 and all entries must have a Queensland focus and feature a hi-vis vest. Mr Lannan said judges would be interested in all genres including comedy, adventure and documentary. “We’re looking for something that conveys a point of view, in whatever way that floats your boat,” he said. For more information visit http://www.pwc.com. au/events/hi-vis-fest
Quality Training Delivered Weekly Preferred Training Provider 'JOE PVU NPSF
www.worksafeconnect.com
URGENT DIRECT DRIVE SPECIALISTS
“We’re delivering training in Townsville and Brisbane”
Long DISTANCE Couriers’ fleet of vehicles service:
• Mining • Earth Moving • Oil & Gas • Construction • Medical
book@longdistancecouriers.com.au | www.longdistancecouriers.com.au
Preferred Training Provider to the Mining Industry
6
NEWS
July 2014 |
The Mining Advocate
Job wasn’t always plain sailing Brad Fish faced numerous challenges in his time as North Queensland Bulk Ports boss Retired North Queensland Bulk Ports chief executive officer Brad Fish has navigated some stormy seas in his 56 years, both figuratively and literally. A keen sailor of many years standing, it may well have been a contributing factor to his long and successful career with first the Queensland Government’s Harbours and Marine Department, Port Authority and most recently NQBP. “I recall when I was interviewed for the Harbours and Marine job that a number of the interviewing panel were also keen sailors,” he said. Mr Fish has presided over some significant infrastructure projects over the years in his role as chief executive officer of the Port Authority, which later became the NQBP. The upgrade of the Dalrymple Bay coal terminal at Hay Point in the 1990s was a major project, not just in the realm of infrastructure work but also in setting up commercial agreements. During the 1990s he also took a lead role in the creation of the Century zinc mine loading facility
at Karumba. “That project posed a number of challenges because of its environmental sensitivity and the fact that the area was so shallow,” Mr Fish said. His attention then turned to the Abbot Point coal loading facility after the completion of the Dalrymple Bay project and its subsequent sale to the stock exchange-listed Prime Infrastructure Group. Little did he know when the Abbot Point expansion project began in 2005 what lay ahead. He would find himself confronting the full force of the conservation movement, which
Brad Fish Retired chief executive officer North Queensland Bulk Ports
had the coal industry in its sights. Coal output was lifted from 14mtpa to 21mtpa without incident and then followed a
Lewis takes reins at NQBP Former head of the Port of Dampier, Steve Lewis, has been appointed as the replacement for outgoing NQBP chief executive officer Brad Fish. He took up the new post on July 7 after a stellar career at Dampier, where revenues rose $3.5 million to $68 million during his watch.
NQBP chairman Peter Milton said Mr Lewis would continue to develop the body’s ports sustainably and further the economy of Queensland. “Under his direction the Port of Dampier has achieved many records including throughput, profitability and customer growth,” he said.
second upgrade to 25mtpa. As coal production in the Bowen Basin grew, so did Abbot Point, with a doubling of output completed in 2010. The sale of Terminal One to Indian multi-national Adani for $1.8 billion was the crowning achievement of Mr Fish’s career, but a proposal to develop three additional berths saw organisations like Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund take issue with the dredging of three million cubic metres of seabed to facilitate the expansion. Mr Fish grew increasingly frustrated with the dissemination of inaccurate scientific information and claims made by conservation groups associated with the anti-coal alliance.
After delays by Labor and LNP federal governments, the project finally got the green light earlier this year. Mr Fish said while the Abbot Point saga was frustrating, he felt it was the right time to move on. “First I’m going skiing for eight or nine days in New Zealand then attending my son Cameron’s wedding on the Sunshine Coast in September,” he said. “After that (wife) Jenny and myself are going to have a holiday in China and elsewhere in Asia.” Mr Fish said he would then look at other challenges in his working life. “At 56 I believe I still have plenty to offer with the experience I have had over the years,” he said.
Aquila takeover advances Baosteel and Aurizon are set to take over Aquila Resources after Chris Ellison’s Mineral Resources and Aquila executive chairman Tony Poli sold their shares. Baosteel and Aurizon now have a share hold of more than 50 per cent, giving them effective control of Aquila. The deal has also seen a board restructuring, with the appointment of three Baosteel nominees and one Aurizon nominee to the Aquila board. Aquila urged shareholders to accept the $3.40 per share offer which could see the full acquisition of Aquila wrapped up by the end of July. Aquila has projects in WA and Queensland including the Eagle Downs hard coking coal project south of Moranbah in the Bowen Basin.
LIVING REMOTELY
The Mining Advocate | July 2014
7
Blurred lines on camp conduct Mine camp accommodation is a fact of life for many Queensland workers but health and safety regulations implemented on camps can walk a fine line between managing work activities and invasion of privacy. McCullough Robertson partner Cameron Dean will be discussing the issue at this year’s Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference in Townsville. “In a broad sense, for the mining industry, FIFO arrangements have become commonplace and there are various aspects on how they impact on various people,” he said. “What I’m looking at examining is mine camp accommodations and some of the legal issues that arise. So, difficulties leaving camps, restrictions on drinking alcohol, curfews and, in a broader sense, lifestyle issues.” Mr Dean said that on the whole, mine camp operators managed health and safety obligations well but that the issue required continuous monitoring. “Mine camp accommodation is something that we’re still coming to grips with. There are blurred lines between invasion of private versus ensuring you discharge your obligations by law to ensure everyone working at the mine is safe,” he said. “It’s not a set and forget exercise, it’s about being aware of what the impacts are and ensuring that where problems arise there are the systems in place to deal with them effectively.”
Cameron Dean McCullough Robertson partner
The issue of mine camp accommodation hit the media earlier this year when Labor MP Joanne Miller compared restrictions on camps to that of concentration camps. Ms Miller made the controversial statements in State Parliament. “To say that mining companies are engaging in fly in-fly out postcode apartheid is no understatement,” Ms Miller said. “Workers are being kept in what only can be described as mining concentration camps.” Last year the University of Queensland released a report into the issues surrounding mine camp accommodation and found that while the majority (75 per cent) of camp workers reported good levels of mental health, 20 per cent reported moderate to severe sleep disturbance, 60 per cent said work arrangements interfered with their home and family life, 40 per cent reported feeling lonely or socially isolated, and 5 per cent
reported moderate to severe stress levels. Mr Dean said the Factors linked to the wellbeing of fly infly out (FIFO) workers research report highlighted some of the challenges faced by workers and managers. “If you look at the study, most people actually seem to be happy with accommodation at the mine camps but that’s not to say that there aren’t issues that need to be managed and dealt with,” he said. “It’s a tough one. It sits around not being so prescriptive that you don’t impact on people’s lives to an unreasonable extent, while ensuring high safety standards.” The Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference will be held at the Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre from August 17-20.
The Ausco Mobile Duck Creek facility.
Mega mobile home Modular building company Ausco Modular has wrapped up construction on one of the industry’s largest mobile accommodation camps. The camp will house 300 workers who are constructing the northern end of Santos GLNG’s Comet Ridge to Wallumbilla Pipeline Loop in the Surat Basin. Ausco Modular director for strategy and business development Ben Knight said the project, affectionately known as Duck Creek Road Camp, was about three times larger than other similar camps. “A typical mobile camp consists of around 50-100 rooms, but the Duck Creek Camp will have 300 rooms at its peak occupancy and represents the larger end of a camp of this nature,” he said. Mr Knight said Ausco Modular finalised construction of the camp within a number of weeks and 200 workers were currently at home there. “Once the project concludes the camp will be completely removed, leaving the surrounding environment in its original state, ” he said.
Flash flusher It is water efficient, relatively easy to shift and may be coming to a bathroom near you. The JETS Vacuum Toilet System offers mining camps and sites a more efficient, productive and cost-effective human waste management solution, according to distributors Vacuum Toilets Australia. Recently awarded the 2013 Smart WaterMark Commercial Product of the Year Award, the JETS Vacuum Toilet System uses only 0.8 litres per flush, with a daily water usage of 4800 litres per 1000 people compared to 27,000 litres required by conventional gravity toilet systems. This portable option involves no below-
ground installation requirements and units can be added or removed at discretion with no earthwork required. Vacuum Toilets Australia plans to offer interactive demonstrations of this toilet solution at the Queensland Mining & Engineering (QME) Exhibition in Mackay, July 22-24. Representatives from the Norwegian manufacturer, JETS, will also be available on stand L139 to assist with enquiries about Vacuum Toilet Systems.
REST ASSURED DISCOVERY PARKS HAS THE SOLUTION!
“Accommodating, flexible and delivering on what they say they will do. Discovery Parks live up to their promise”
Discovery Parks is an Australian owned and operated business specialising in accommodation solutions for the mining and resource industry. With parks located in Western Australia, Queensland, Northern Territory and South Australia, we understand the specific needs in providing affordable and sustainable workforce housing. A good night’s sleep is invaluable and our extensive network of properties offers comfortable and secure accommodation with modern facilities and amenities to create a safe and relaxing environment for you and your employees. Whatever your project, Discovery Parks can provide you with a complete accommodation solution.
Emerald
Blackwater
For bookings or to discuss your workforce accommodation needs, please contact us on 1800 134 033 or www.discoveryparks.com.au
8
INNOVATION
July 2014 |
The Mining Advocate
Contractors light the way Innovation is a stand-out feature among the 16 contractors and suppliers shortlisted in the first Queensland Mining Contractor
The shortlisted businesses
Awards, organised by the Bowen Basin Mining Club. A panel of judges has shortlisted entrants in six categories: cost saving; time saving; project innovation; community or staff engagement; equal opportunities and best product launch. Entries were related to projects completed in Queensland between June 2012 and December 2013. Bowen Basin Mining Club director Jodie Currie said each finalist had demonstrated technical excellence, innovation and initiative. “We challenged contractors and suppliers to show how they were boosting the efficiency of mining operations through brilliant engineering, smart thinking and new ways of solving problems, and the response has been exceptional,” she said. The winners will be announced at a gala dinner on July 23 during
Greyhound Resources Cost Saving Initiative: Ausenco, Ausenco Rylson, SMW Group Autocorner Time Saving Initiative: AECOM, BMD Constructions, Poly Protective Coatings JCB Construction Equipment Australia Project Innovation: Plant Miner, SMW Group, TEAM Engineering, Thiess CMC Community or Staff Engagement Initiative: G&S Engineering, Thiess, Cater Care The Generic Induction Safety Program Equal Opportunity Initiative: CMC, Minniecon & Burke, Thiess QME Best Product Launch: Ampcontrol, Swivelpole, Linked Group Services
the Queensland Mining and Engineering Exhibition in Mackay.
SMW moves 797 trays to its workshop and refurbishes them in-house.
A dragline cable arch with folding stabiliser arms fitted.
Big ideas pay off for SMW
Cable arch with an edge
A Rockhampton-based servicing, maintenance and welding (SMW ) company is using innovative thinking to reduce costs and improve its services. SMW Group introduced a number of cost-saving initiatives as part of a recent project involving the refurbishment of a fleet of 797 trays. Business support and development manager Keith Heritage said there were certain things about the job that the industry assumed were non-negotiable, and SMW Group decided to challenge them.
Mackay-based design, fabrication and project management company TEAM Engineering Services has been sent through to the finals of the Queensland Mining Contractor Awards for its latest cable arch design. In open-cut mining operations electric shovels and draglines are often used for mineral extraction and overburden removal, with the power for these machines provided by heavy-duty electric cables. Cable arches are structures used to lift electric cables and other services high enough off the ground so that vehicles can travel underneath without damaging those cables or services. “When used with electric shovels they also allow for a second access point to the shovel, enabling double-sided loading of trucks, which increases productivity
Equipment Hire North West Qld Specialists U U U U U U U U U
Crane Hire Boomlifts and Scissor Lifts Truck Hire Tilt Trays, Drop Deck and Extendables Vehicle / Accident Recovery Prime Mover and Low Loader Forklift Hire Telehandlers Riggers
Ph: 07 4743 3366 Fax: 07 4743 8511 Mobile: 0412 634 760 Email: enquiries@barklyhire.com.au
9 Enterprise Road, Mount Isa QLD
“For example, 797 tray refurbishments have traditionally been done on site, but we worked out a way to get the trays to our workshop and refurbish them in-house, which was faster, safer, innovative and more efficient,” he said. The project team also developed a hydraulic lift system that eliminated the need for heavy crane lifts when loading and unloading trays, and when moving trays from the blasting and painting facility to the workshop. “This allowed us to complete the jobs quicker and without the need for major capital works,” Mr Heritage said. Mr Heritage said the project incorporated a “production-line philosophy” that eliminated lost hours in the workshop. SMW Group has been shortlisted as a finalist in the innovation category of the Queensland Mining Contractor Awards for its innovative approach to business.
substantially,” TEAM Engineering Services sales manager Tom Chamber said. “However as the shovel moves along the working face, the arch must be frequently relocated. “The critical problem to be overcome was that the forces involved in towing (dragging) the arch would result in deformation of the structure, particularly whilst traversing uneven terrain or cornering. “The solution was the clever use of folding stabiliser arms which prevent the skids of the arch from trying to close together whilst towing.” The new design is stronger and lighter and can be safely moved around the mine site by towing, which saves time and improves efficiency.
Online plant hire marketplace thrives In 2013 plantminer.com.au went live, with 300 plant and equipment companies listing 30,000 pieces of equipment for hire. Fast forward to the present day and the site has 2500 companies listing more than 165,000 pieces of equipment. Plantminer.com.au is an online portal with a database of equipment hire companies nationwide. The company is recognised as Australia’s largest plant and equipment hire marketplace and has been
shortlisted as a finalist in the innovation category of the new Queensland Mining Contractor Awards. General manager – national client manager Dan Wilson said the site acted as a time and money-saving mechanism for project managers and other people in need of equipment hire. “Sometimes chasing five competitive quotes for say 40 pieces of equipment can take days or weeks to find and now it’s
become a process that can be completed in about 10 minutes,” he said. “We didn’t want to take all the personality out of it because the hire industry is one based on relationships. So the hire company receives the quote request and they contact the searcher directly. “It’s like wotif.com but instead of searching for hotel rooms you’re searching for equipment for hire.”
INNOVATION
The Mining Advocate | July 2014
9
Firms urged to tap into tax break More companies working in the mining industry should benefit from a government incentive aimed at encouraging innovation, according to accountants KPMG. The R&D Tax Incentive program is open to businesses of all sizes in all industries undertaking eligible research and development activities. KPMG partner, R&D Tax incentives, Kristina Kipper said that there were still those missing out on the incentive. “A common misconception among smaller companies is that the R&D Tax Incentive only applies to research done in laboratories by people in white coats, but this is not the case,” she said. “The incentive extends to activities undertaken in a commercial setting for the purpose of developing new products, processes and technologies.” Examples of R&D activities in the mining sector include the development of new techniques to locate and recover mineral deposits, to improve the safety or minimise the environmental impact of mining operations, or to develop new refining techniques and processes. “In our experience, significant innovation can also be found in the mining services sector,” Ms Kipper said. “The development of new specialised equipment and technological processes, or the
use of current technologies in innovative ways to provide solutions for challenging operating environments, can give rise to qualifying R&D projects.” An AusIndustry spokesman said that the R&D Tax Incentive had proven to be highly successful so far and had seen an increase in registrations from smaller companies looking to undertake research and development. “To capitalise on opportunities, Australian firms will need to become more globally
competitive,” he said. “This means finding smarter, faster and better ways of doing business or, in other words, innovating.” Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows that Australian businesses that innovate are 78 per cent more likely to report increases in productivity over the previous year; 42 per cent more likely to report an increase in profitability; three times more likely to export and more than twice as likely to increase employment.
StemSafe takes research lead A North Queensland stemming company is among those taking advantage of the R&D Tax incentive. StemSafe develops solutions to improve the safety and efficiency of the practice of stemming - confining explosives and accurately placing aggregate to lessen environmental hazards, gain blasting efficiency and reduce coal and ore loss. StemSafe project manager Mike Robin said R&D was a core aspect of what the company had to offer. “Our innovations, including a dual-purpose truck to carry water and stemming material and patented dust suppression systems, have been helped by the R&D Tax Incentive,” Mr Robin said. “The R&D Tax Incentive is extremely easy to access. As a growing company with minimal free cash flow, it allowed us to develop our products and services and build a competitive advantage.” Moving beyond stemming safety, StemSafe is continuing to tackle more complex issues for its clients to reduce costs and increase productivity. “Recent test results for our patented dust suppression system far exceeded our expectations,” Mr Robin said. “All-terrain stemming is a new project we currently have under development and there are many more on the go.”
Loretta Reid from Safe Option Solutions receives the PACE Mining and Minerals Processing Award from sponsor Karl Wigginton, managing director of Emerson Process Management.
Loretta’s smart solution for pre-start checks Townsville-based Safe Option Solutions (SOS) principal Loretta Reid is well known in industry circles for her knowledge in the area of safety but she has added another aspect to her curriculum vitae, innovator. Ms Reid won a national award at the annual PACE (Process and Control Engineering) Zenith Awards in Melbourne in June. She took out the Mining and Minerals Processing Award for an electronic equipment pre-start system which replaces hard copy log books used to record checks on components and the use of machinery. The award is the culmination of two-and-a-half years of research and development by Ms Reid and partners Chuck Sharp, an electrician and crane technician based in Melbourne, and Henk Rossouw, a Canberrabased software technician. A spin-off company from SOS, Machinery Safety Systems, was formed and received $185,000 funding from Commercialisation Australia, a Federal body tasked with promoting ? industry innovation. “ CALL JAMESTECH “ The funding allowed
NEED ELECTRICAL LABOUR
MSS to run a series of proof of concept trials with Glencore and sugar industry companies Wilmar and Queensland Sugar. Ms Reid is confident that the MiOCS devices will become essential tools for industry to improve pre-start checks and better manage the use of machinery.
6M 20FT CONTAINER SHELTER
8M 40FT CONTAINER SHELTER
10M 40FT CONTAINER SHELTER
$2,800
$6,800
$11,550
(also available 6m 40ft – $4,550)
(also available 8m 20ft - $4,250)
* Electrical Trades and Technical Labour Hire *
“Supplying the right man for the job” James Technologies Pty Ltd ACN. 079 932 513
* Electrical Construction and Engineering *
“Job satisfaction from start to finish” James Technologies (Projects) Pty Ltd ACN. 135 411 728 Electrical Contractors License QLD 66397, NSW 128976C, NT C2197
* Electrical Safety & Risk Awareness Courses *
“Learning to stay safe” James Technologies (Training) Pty Ltd ACN. 116 604 230 Registered Training Organisation - National Training Provider (RTO) No. 31908
Ph. 1300 732 881 (inside Australia) Ph. +61-7-5549 3471 (Brisbane direct) Ph. +61-7-4725 7706 (Townsville direct)
www.jamestech.com.au
12M 40FT CONTAINER SHELTER $15,500
Freight charges may apply • Available Nationwide • *Prices current as at 30/9/11
More models available – go to www.shelterstation.com
Free Call 1800 199 060 Nationwide
“Suppliers of Container Shelters and freestanding shelters, Nationwide”
Our Home Loans offer YOU more! Whether you are buying your first home or an investment property, looking to upgrade or refinance we have a home loan that is right for you. CHOICE
KNOWLEDGE
We have a full range of home loan options to suit your needs. Owner occupier, investment, fixed, bridging, home equity and a fantastic All in One Rewards PACKAGE Home Loan.
TRUST At your Credit Union we understand that any financial decision you make is a big one. As a customer owned banking institution we always put our members first.
Our lending specialists are fully accredited and have had many years experience helping out members just like you. We can talk you through the process of buying a home, answering your questions and giving you all the information you need.
FLEXIBILITY Whether it’s online, face to face, in the branch or over the phone it is our priority to make sure the entire home finance process is hasslefree, so you can actually enjoy buying or building your new home.
Talk to our Queensland State Business Development Officer
Diane Tralaggan 4951 0868
0400 928 819
Moranbah (07) 4941 9633 Brisbane (07) 3899 4755 Mackay/Dalby/Gladstone/Toowoomba (07) 4951 0868 / 0400 928 819
Maritime, Mining & Power Credit Union Ltd ABN 11 087 650 315 AFSL/Australian Credit Licence 240399.
x
CFMEU WHEREVER WORK TAKES YOU WE’RE LOOKING OUT FOR YOU
The CFMEU Mining and Energy Division represents workers in the mining, oil, gas, port and power industries. We are the principal union in the black and brown coal mining industries, representing the vast majority of workers employed.
Why join?
Because union members get better pay and conditions than non members. They win that through using their collective bargaining power to get a better deal. A union’s greatest strength is always its members and there is no better benefit for members than the mutual support offered by fellow members. Through pooling the resources of members, both financially and industrially, the CFMEU is able to provide a wide range of services to members, including superannuation, financial, insurance and solicitors, as well as a broad range of items through Union Shopper from household goods to overseas holidays.
JOIN US TODAY Call: 07 3839 8588 or visit www.cfmeu.com.au
JOIN NOW! Queensland District Branch
OUR MINING HERITAGE
The Mining Advocate | July 2014
11
Big bang gave rise to ‘The World’ It was a flash of lightning on Christmas Eve 1871 that led to an Aboriginal boy named Jupiter discovering gold in Charters Towers. Jupiter was prospecting for gold with a group of men when a thunderstorm scared off the group’s horses. While searching for the startled animals Jupiter spotted a specimen of quartz studded with gold. The find was then reported to the mining warden of the time, William Ewbank Skelton Melbourne Charters, and the town found its name. This event was the start of a gold rush in Queensland’s north and what followed was a peak mass migration of about 30,000 miners, investors and entrepreneurs looking to cash in on the action. Over the years of the gold boom, Charters Towers became affectionately known as “The World” meaning that anything in the world you could want was available in the town. Author Colin Hooper wrote in his latest book, North Queensland Deserted Towns, Charter Towers – Ravenswood – Cape River, about how the rush also brought about a change in the way that mines were run. In 1895 the Labor leader of the time Tom Glassey lobbied for state ownership of the mines. This led to locals becoming employees of the mines and the days of local ownership began to disappear. Mr Hooper said this move by
Annie ‘Bags’ Ferdinand. Photo: courtesy of State Library of Queensland’s Picture Queensland collection
Goldfields wanderer Author Colin Hooper holding books from his historical series including North Queensland Deserted Towns, Charters Towers
– Ravenswood – Cape River.
Mr Glassey marked the end of a generation of freedom. “In 1896 in other fields, a miner could both own and work his own mine,” he said. “Here was someone trying to take this freedom away in the name of the state rather than a capitalist or overlord.” Despite the changes, Charters Towers continued to grow and
prosper until 1909 when the town’s mines temporarily closed down. The history of the Charters Towers area has hit the spotlight with the 10th International Mining History Congress and 20th Australasian Mining History Association Conference being held in the city in July.
A German-born woman turned into a “crazy cat lady” when she followed her lover from England to the Aussie outback only to find that he had fallen in love with someone else. In the 1880s, Annie “Bags” Ferdinand scrimped and saved so that she could travel to Australia in search of her lost love who had moved to the country to seek gold. Without money or transportation, Annie walked through NSW and Queensland looking for her red-headed love. Townsville-based author Colin Hooper tells the tale in his latest volume of North Queensland Deserted Towns, Charter Towers – Ravenswood – Cape River. “She wandered the mining fields dressed in sacks and carried a bag over her shoulder which most often contained a cat or two and she always had a pack of skinny dogs with her,” Mr Hooper said. “She had clean bag dresses and nice long hair and one story tells how she wheeled a pram containing a cat with six kittens from Croydon to Georgetown.” By the time Annie found her man, he had already married another woman. This led to the further deterioration of her mental state and in 1910 Annie died of “chronic mania and pthisis”. She was buried in Townsville’s West End Cemetry. Mr Hooper said he attempted to honor the “old timers” like Annie Bags in his books. “You can always find a lot of information about people who had status but the everyday people weren’t always well documented. They weren’t considered important people,” he said. “It’s taken a long period of around 30 years to collect stories about the various towns and people and put it all together.”
You could claim through your super slatergordon.com.au
Call 1800 555 777
12
PROMOTING INDIGENOUS EMPLOYMENT
July 2014 |
The Mining Advocate
Rio’s Ray excels as role model Ray Ahmat, the first Aboriginal superintendent at Rio Tinto Alcan’s bauxite mine in Weipa, plans to use his position to increase diversity and build opportunities in his community. The Yupungathi traditional owner recently received recognition at the Queensland Resources Council’s Indigenous Awards, where he took out the Overall Indigenous Award for his contribution as a role model in the Queensland resources industry. “One of my drivers at work that is important to me is to continue mentoring young workers and seeing the impact the employment has on their lives,” Mr Ahmat said. “To see them changing their lifestyles for the better and improving their quality of life is one of the key opportunities my role with the business presents.” Since he started with the
Ray Ahmat with wife Sindy and daughter Takara at the awards ceremony.
company 15 years ago Mr Ahmat has gained experience in crew leading, scheduling, planning and business improvement
work, which led to his current role as mine development superintendent in 2012. Mr Ahmat now leads an
Engineering business links Global engineering, architecture and environmental consulting company GHD is helping indigenous groups to diversify and establish commercial relationships across Australia through its business partnerships. One of the indigenous businesses that partners with GHD is Northern Project Contracting (NPC), owned by the Waanyi Nation in Queensland’s Gulf Country. NPC managing director Brad Jackson said partnerships with companies like GHD helped to create career opportunities across all levels of business for indigenous people. GHD indigenous services consultant Peter Dunn said growing indigenous businesses helped to replace poverty with wealth creation and welfare with enterprise. “Our experience shows that aligning the private sector with indigenous communities is economically viable and transferrable,” he said. “Many of our clients are increasingly seeking
to better engage the indigenous people, not only as employees, but also as suppliers of goods and services. By advising and developing capacity, GHD connects indigenous-owned businesses to our clients across the asset value chain.” GHD is also a member of Supply Nation, an industry organisation connecting public and private sector organisations with indigenous suppliers. In 2013, GHD helped Supply Nation-certified indigenous business LBF Consultants diversify by joining a joint venture with Cogent Business Solutions in Canberra. “Both LBF chief executive officer Lani BlancoFrancis and the Cogent board leapt at the opportunity, with the result that indigenous-owned Murumal was born,” Mr Dunn said. “Murumal is seeking to offer a new range of services leveraging off the Cogent capability.” Another GHD partner is PSGH, a Sydney-based Supply Nation member offering quality construction, cleaning, recruitment and security services.
operational team of more than 170 people, managing pre-mining and post-mining activities. Mr Ahmat said winning the award was a humbling experience. “I am very proud to be representing not only the business, but the Yupungathi Traditional Owner Group. My family and I have strong connections with the land on which the business operates, and I feel a responsibility to build upon the foundation my parents and elders created many years ago,” he said. Over the past 15 years, Mr Ahmat has been involved with several committees under the Western Cape Communities Co-existence Agreement (WCCCA), which is one of the three Aboriginal agreements Rio Tinto Alcan Weipa operates under.
Mr Ahmat said that there were times throughout his career when he had to wear a number of different hats as traditional owner, Rio Tinto Alcan employee and Weipa community member. It was no easy feat, but he has had the support of his family throughout it all. “My wife Sindy has been with me every step of the way and has always been there for me. We have been together since I was 18 years old, and we have three wonderful kids—two boys and a girl (Marley 16, Leeroy 14 and Takara 9),” he said. “I am hoping this exposure will make us all appreciate what we have; living up here in the Western Cape Region where life is simple and opportunities plentiful but you have to work hard and you can achieve what you want.”
QRC Indigenous Award Winners 2014: QGC Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Training and Business Development Strategy – winner of the Indigenous Initiative Award, for companies who have put in place strategies that enhance the attraction and retention of indigenous employees within the resources sector. The Myuma Group managing director Colin Saltmere - the Indigenous Champion Award, for indigenous or nonindigenous individuals who have demonstrated outstanding effort to encourage, promote and advocate for the attraction, selection, promotion and retention of indigenous employees within the resources sector. Raymond Ahmat - the Indigenous Overall Award, recognising exceptional achievement by an indigenous person working in the Queensland resources sector, in any occupation or profession.
Building Mining Communities 13
The Mining Advocate | July 2014
SUPPORTED BY BHP BILLITON CANNINGTON
The piping which sits under the precinct’s water play park offers a sneak peak of what is to come. Photo: Murray Ware
Players Ryan Mahoney, Gavin Cooper and Dallas Johnson with YWAM Townsville Youth Co-ordinator Fiona Saxby and students from Ignatius Park College, Townsville. Photo: John De Rooy
Try Time! kicks off again BHP Billiton’s innovative Try Time! program is once again being rolled out across North and north-west Queensland. The program, funded by BHP Billiton Cannington, allows former and current North Queensland Cowboys players plus youth workers from Youth With A Mission (YWAM) to visit students from years 8 and 9. Try Time! is aimed at ensuring young people make the right
life choices and was created in collaboration with Education Queensland and Catholic Education. Cowboys community relationships co-ordinator Bruce Muller said 2500 students had already been booked to complete specific modules aimed at making the right life choices. Modules that can be booked include: Substances (drugs); Substances (alcohol); Social
Media (the internet); Social Media (communications); Active Lifestyles (engaging in life); Active Lifestyles (body image and self-esteem); Healthy Eating (food and obesity) and Creating Goals. Retired players Dallas Johnson and Aaron Payne will participate in delivering the modules along with specifically trained current Cowboys players.
QGC chips in for Toowoomba roadworks QGC is contributing $1 million towards work to upgrade O’Mara Rd, which will link Toowoomba’s Charlton Wellcamp industrial estate with the Warrego Highway.
QGC vice-president of sustainability Brett Smith said the corridor would be important for industry and local residents. “The natural gas industry is growing in Queensland and we
recognise the need to mitigate our impact on state and local roads,’’ he said. “To date QGC has committed more than $122 million to upgrading, maintaining and repairing public roads.”
Clancy joins the overflow of local largesse Clancy Corporation has pledged $12,000 over 12 months to the Mount Isa-based RACQ NQ Rescue Helicopter Service. RACQ NQ Rescue Helicopter Service chief executive officer Alex Dorr said local businesses
pulled more than their fair share of the weight to keep the rescue chopper in operation. The service raises more than $1.5 million per year to keep their life-saving operation in the air, with no funding received from State Government.
Healthy addition to Rolleston community Rolleston residents have access to a new health clinic, featuring cardio and specialist equipment, thanks to a $45,000 contribution from Santos GLNG. The gas project has funded a
defibrillator, a dermoscope to perform skin checks, a machine to measure lung function, an audiometry machine and booth to perform hearing tests, as well as an emergency trolley and supplies.
Santos GLNG social performance manager John Phalen said the Rolleston Health Clinic was providing services for people who previously had to travel significant distances for medical assistance.
CQ teenagers given a taste of life as a tradie Students from Monto, Moura, Biloela, Rockhampton and Mount Morgan State High schools had their interest in pursuing a trade further ignited when they participated in the recent Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy Toolkit 4 School Kids workshop in Biloela.
Sponsored by Anglo American and facilitated by the QMEA, the one-day workshop allowed 20 Year 10 students to gain valuable insight into the life of a tradesperson and exposure to the types of training and activities they would complete through an apprenticeship at a mine.
Gladstone maritime precinct takes shape Development of the new $42 million East Shores Gladstone Coal Exporters Maritime Precinct has passed the half-way mark. The legacy project, which will provide a world-class recreational precinct for Gladstone residents and visitors to enjoy, is being delivered by Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal (WICET) and Gladstone Ports Corporation (GPC). WICET - established by coal exporters to fund and develop
the Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal at Gladstone - is contributing $35 million toward the waterfront project while GPC has contributed the site and a further $7 million. Installation of key facilities including the water play park, shade structures and public amenities is well under way. The waterfront boardwalk and viewing platform are also taking shape. GPC is the project developer/ manager and will operate the precinct once completed.
Casual encounter sparks long-term relationship As a contractor for QCoal Group, SAB Mining director Scott Browne spends most of his time in the Collinsville area at the Sonoma and Cows mines. Two years ago, Mr Browne was heading out of the local IGA when he walked past a fold-out table which had been set up for a local group who were fundraising – Bowen Flexicare. He remembers how overwhelmed he was by the people in the photos on display as he stopped to pull some change from his pockets. “The photos were of the North Queensland SportsAbility Games and the effort and smiles on the competitor’s faces touched me. They were giving it everything they had, and more importantly, they were enjoying themselves,”he said. “Seeing those photos also made me really appreciate how fortunate we are, and that we sometimes take things for granted.” SAB Mining has since become a principal sponsor of Bowen FlexiCare, which provides support for people with a disability, and assists them in maintaining their independence in the community. Bowen FlexiCare co-ordinator Dee-Anne Fraser said the support offered by SAB Mining went beyond financial assistance. “In 2013 SAB Mining sponsored the North Queensland SportsAbility Games that were held in Bowen, but beyond the financial contribution that SAB Mining made, Scott and members of his team actually came to training and were involved with our clients,” she said. “They came to the games to support the team and added incentives throughout the day - even contributing more money.” SAB’s support had allowed Bowen FlexiCare to develop their program and engage a personal trainer, Ms Fraser said.
Proudly supporting
mining communities Cannington
14
BETWEEN SHIFTS
July 2014 |
The Mining Advocate
Bowen Basin Mining Club luncheon
PHOTOS: Damien Carty
Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre
Adani manager project infrastructure Ian Sedgman with Bowen Basin Mining Club director Jodie Currie.
Jeff Pattel (Thiess), Rhoit Dewangan (Adani) and Sam Waldron (Thiess).
Chris Fung (Morris Corp), Samantha Martin (REED Mining Events) and John Tehan (Morris Corp).
John Glanville (Autocorner) with Barry Erkson (Puma Energy).
Greg Kukla, Colin Mulligan and Heather Parry (all Thiess).
David Aleman, Brant Jansen and Melissa Hargraves (all Flexihire).
GEA Inspiring Women in Industry Vintage Vogue High Tea
PHOTOS: Marina Hobbs
Harvey Road Tavern, Gladstone
Joe Austin (Prime Rentals) and Lisa Baker (LJS Express Test & Tag).
Kim Roberts and Carli Hobbs (both from Gladstone Engineering Alliance).
Nicole Coutney and Emma Brenton (both Wide Bay Australia).
Maxine Brushe (Gladstone Regional Council) and Marlene McKendry (BBS Communications).
Tamara and Kim Purcell (Purcell’s Engineering).
Kim Williams and Leigh West (both GAPDL).
BETWEEN SHIFTS
The Mining Advocate | July 2014
15
Lend Lease - Camp Quality charity golf day Rowes Bay Golf Club, Townsville
Jeff Byrnes (Lend lease), April McFaul (Lend Lease) and Michael McFaul (6 Aviation Regiment).
Diane Carini and Tony Fletcher (Shamrock Civil) with Allanna Allen (MGM Photography).
Keith Poulter, Steve Tully and Phil Woodmansey (Golder Associates).
Luke Graham, Lino Caprioli and Dave Anderson (Flexihire).
Jerry Revay, Jerry Kovarik, Jacub Kovarik and David Hromek (Jerry and the Tilemakers).
Kristy and Adam Duggin with sons Tobi and Rhys (Camp Quality).
Surat Basin Energy and Mining Expo Toowoomba Showgrounds
Jeff Evans (Wagners) with Dean Burgess (Lankhorst).
Frank Pendelbury and Graeme Moyle (Long Distance Couriers).
Will Lancaster, David Nichols and Andrew Wallace (all from iPipe Services).
16
REGIONAL CAPACITY NQ
July 2014 |
The Mining Advocate
Major Projects Conference Businesses can register now for Queensland’s leading infrastructure and resource industry event, the 13th annual Major Projects Conference. Department of State Development Infrastructure and Planning Director-General David Edwards said the oneday program gave delegates the opportunity to learn about significant and emerging projects, industry trends and network with industry leaders. “The Major Projects Conference has a proud history of delivering the latest major
project information to businesses and the community,� Mr Edwards said. “The conference is delivered by the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning and highlights how the Queensland economy is growing and what projects and industries are emerging. “This is powered by our government’s work to grow a four-pillar economy based on tourism, agriculture, resources and construction and reduce bureaucratic red tape. “The Major Projects
Conference 2013 was a tremendous success with delegates enjoying the engaging program at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. “While speakers to this year’s event are still being finalised, the conference always attracts highcalibre keynote speakers. “In the past, IBISWorld chairman Phil Ruthvan has presented, along with Queensland Airports Limited managing director Dennis Chant in 2012. “I encourage anyone who
wants to share in a stronger Queensland to register early to receive a discounted rate for the conference.� The Major Projects Conference 2014 will be held on September 18 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Financial journalist James Kirby will be the master of ceremonies at this year’s event. “James is one of Australia’s most experienced financial journalists with a strong background spanning The Australian Financial Review,
Business Review Weekly and cofounding Eureka Report,� Mr Edwards said. “I am sure James’ commentary will provide valuable insights on Queensland industry trends during panel discussions.� Early bird registration costs $495 (GST included) per delegate. This provides a saving of $120 on the standard registration, which costs $615 (GST included) per delegate. To register visit www.mpc.qld. gov.au
ADVERTORIAL
Mendi mining materialises The gauntlet has been thrown down to mining companies in the North West by Townsville-based civil contractor Mendi. “Try us.� Mendi has grown over the last 20 years as civil contracting morphed into bulk transport which grew into crushing and screening contracting. This investment, initially supporting Mendi’s ongoing business, led to new opportunities which emerged as the region grew. It was the right offer at the right time. Now they are looking further afield into mining services, according to Mendi director of administration and finance Steve Goicoechea.
have an indigenous employment policy, so the community gets a social benefit as well.� The sign of a well-run operation was when the client was inclined to involve Mendi in the day-to-day decision making, managing director Jeff Doyle said. “We always establish a close relationship with the client’s people on the ground, which means they can rely on our input,� he said. “It is important from the start to have good people who are aware of their responsibilities and safety obligations, as well as having latemodel machinery and awareness of its operational parameters.
“We know the wet season and know the challenges and expectations of operating in remote areas.
“We have plenty of capacity. For the last 15 months we’ve crushed on average 22,000 tonnes of in-spec asphalt and concrete aggregates per month at quarry operations in Townsville . We had surplus machinery in place so if we had a failure or had to change wear parts, we didn’t stop production, we swapped machinery out.�
“We would look to have 50 per cent local employment on any site and
Mr Doyle said Mendi had exceeded expectations and minimised
“The company offer : ‘Good equipment run by good people under good processes’,� Mr Giocoechea said. “The business is attentive, diverse, capable and directly accountable.
Mendi managing director Jeff Doyle.
downtime, which created confidence with the client that they were getting what they paid for. “We are able to be innovative in our tendering, with our point of difference being integrated services from civil and bulk haulage to crushing and mining infrastructure works,� he said. The company’s signature developments include various
property developments to the north of Townsville, Bushland Beach, and supplying more than a million tonnes of minus-200mm general fill to the Townsville Port Access Road project. This project saw Mendi perform the entire package of crushing, loading and transporting to site an average of 8000 tonnes per day.
Delivering De ve g Q Quality ty TTrades Training g ffor NQ Q
*OOPWBUJWF BOE nFYJCMF USBJOJOH TPMVUJPOT GPS ZPVS CVTJOFTT 5BML UP BO *OEVTUSZ -JBJTPO 0GmDFS UPEBZ BCPVU IPX XF DBO XPSL XJUI ZPV
4779 2199 F JOGP!UFDOR DPN BV X UFDOR DPN BV
REGIONAL CAPACITY NQ
The Mining Advocate | July 2014
A new Townsville
Townsville hub cuts waiting time A minerals assessment hub in Townsville has received more than 250 exploration permit applications since its launch last November. This is compared to 316 applications lodged with the Department of Natural Resources and Mines (DNRM) throughout the previous year. The hub was opened in a government effort to boost mineral exploration activities in Queensland. Since its introduction, the monthly number of applications lodged has risen by almost 10 per cent. Natural Resources and Mines Minister Andrew Cripps said the new hub had significantly reduced the time taken to process applications. “Exploration permit applications are now being processed in as little as three months, compared to up to 22 months thanks to a new hub in Townsville,� he said. “We have seen the monthly average of applications lodged with the department increase from 26 to 35 since the Townsville hub began managing these applications.� Under the previous system, mineral exploration permits had to be lodged in person in the district where the exploration activity was proposed. This meant that mining company employees needed to travel to a provincial centre to lodge
Enterprise report finds that a local base load power station would have a positive effect on electricity prices
the necessary paperwork. Mr Cripps said the new system provided a quick and easy application process. “Now lodgement can be completed with the click of a mouse, with applications assessed by DNRM’s specialist team in Townsville,� he said. The Townsville hub is one of three centres that deal with mine assessments in Queensland. The coal and mineral regional assessment hubs were announced to industry in November 2013. A coal assessment hub in Rockhampton currently administers all coal mining permits including mining leases, mineral development licences, exploration permits and prospecting permits. And a petroleum assessment hub in Brisbane administers all petroleum, gas and geothermal authorities. Locations of the hubs was determined by their proximity to industry and location of existing staff. “These hubs are ensuring permits are processed faster, giving the mining industry more certainty to invest and explore, and ultimately create jobs for Queenslanders,� Mr Cripps said.
Copper mine ramps up output Glencore’s $589 million investment in Ernest Henry Mining near Cloncurry to shift from open-pit to underground operations recently celebrated a milestone; commencing operations from a new kilometredeep hoisting shaft. The operation will now begin to ramp up copper production from 3 million tonnes to 6mtpa in 2015 and similarly double annual metal production to 50,000 tonnes of copper and 70,000 ounces of gold in concentrate over an extended mine life to 2026. Glencore chief operating officer for copper assets in North Queensland, Mike Westerman, said Ernest Henry’s development strengthened the production profile and sustainability of Glencore’s regional copper
operations. “Our assets in Mount Isa and at Ernest Henry accounted for around 14 per cent of Glencore’s global copper production in 2013,� Mr Westerman said. “This investment in Ernest Henry has effectively added 14
17
years to the life of the mine to 2026. We’re pleased to have this opportunity to sustain production at a higher rate, continue to support around 500 employees plus contractors and deliver ongoing benefits to the Cloncurry community and economy.�
across the state.
Report promotes the need for coal-ďŹ red power station The $2.5 million North and North West Queensland Sustainable Resource Feasibility Studies have identified that the establishment of a major coal-fired power station will put a strong downward pressure on electricity prices and is commercially viable. Acting Prime Minister Warren Truss recently released the Dalrymple Scheme report, which also identifies that a major dam on the Upper Burdekin River is required to underpin an irrigated agriculture project. The studies were funded to address two fundamental constraints to the economic development of the region; competitively priced and sustainable energy, and water. Townsville Enterprise chief executive officer David Kippin said the report identified that a large base load power station would put downward pressure on Queensland electricity prices and reduce delivered prices for major electricity users in North Queensland. “The Dalrymple Scheme report acts as a catalyst to enable the continued expansion and development of the region’s natural resource, agricultural and renewable energy industries,â€? Mr Kippin said. Townsville Enterprise general manager economic development Tracey Lines said Infrastructure Australia had described the export supply chain between Townsville and Mount Isa as one of the most valuable regions in the country with the opportunity for significant growth.
Gas deal a golden goose for Glencore Glencore in Mount Isa is whistling all the way to the bank in the face of a steep increase in the cost of gas. A consortium of APA and AGL is expected to commission the new 242MW Diamantina Power Station before the end of the year. This follows on the heels of the commissioning of the 60MW Leichhardt power station currently under way. Gas prices had almost doubled in the last two
years, said energy and infrastructure specialist Ross Thompson from Brisbane-based Soren Consulting. “A couple of years ago the prices of gas was $4-$5 a gigajoule; last year it was around $6 a gigajoule, now it’s at $10-plus a gigajoule, � Mr Thompson said. “It is all a result of the market tightening with the majors holding gas to meet their export commitments.� The demand for gas to power the mine and
the smelter was in the order of 10 petajoules a year, Mr Thompson said. While that may come as a price shock to some, the then Xstrata operation along with Ergon contracted a fixed price for gas for the period 2013 to 2023. The Carpentaria gas pipeline from Ballera in south-west Queensland was completed in 1997 to service the Mica Creek power station, Phosphate Hill fertiliser project and Cannington Mine.
We see the Big Picture Mendi is a full-service Integrated Group delivering contract crushing and screening, civil construction, bulk haulage and associated services. Production Capabilities and Services 7 .1/&'+% aw Materials 7 avement Materials
7 .,"1!0',+ ,$ +" 0, -#!'$'! 0',+/
7 .1/&#. 1/0
7 oading out & Weighing
7 %%.#% 0#
7 tockpiling & Testing
7 #)#!0 '))
7 . +/-,.0 0, '0#
7 ,+0. !0 .1/&'+%
(07) 4774 4175
Crushing Fleet Our modern eet consists of: 7 ,+# .1/&#./
7 4cavators
7 3 .1/&#./
7 ,5#./
7 owerscreens
7 1*- rucks
7 tackers
7 1%*'))/
7 oaders
7 .# !, 0#r
info@mendi.com.au
LOGISTICS AND MATERIALS HANDLING
The Mining Advocate | July 2014
19
Council gets behind inland port The Central Highlands Regional Council has identified two parcels of land that could be transformed into industry and business estates to support a visionary plan to establish Emerald as an inland port servicing the mining and agricultural sectors. Mayor Peter Maguire said the council was doing its part to support the plan, which flowed from a forum in Emerald earlier this year facilitated by the Queensland Transport Logistics Council and the Transport and Main Roads Department. He believes the project has a high priority for the State Government, with obvious economic benefits for the region. But Cr Maguire warned that heavy investment was needed at state and federal levels on inland roads such as the Peak Downs and Capricorn highways, to make the project a reality. “Commercial investment will also be needed to build rail loops and roads into the two sites earmarked to form part of the inland port plan,” he said. One site is to the east of Emerald near Yamala, a site that has already been identified as part of the Australian Energy and Transport Corridor which includes a rail link from Melbourne to Darwin. The second site is about 15km to the west of Emerald. Cr Maguire said speakers at the forum talked about managing freight growth through the Central Queensland inland port project, as well as a sea freight action plan and a heavy vehicle action plan. He said containerisation of agricultural products for shipment through ports was an area he felt had much potential for the region. “What it (the forum) is looking at is handling a lot of bulk goods, fuel, containerised freight, and more use of rail freight across the resource, agricultural and beef sectors.” Recent heavy vehicle traffic studies showed there were 66 return B-double tanker movements of fuel a day from Mackay on the Peak Downs Highway. The figure increased to 70 for return B-double tanker movements from Gladstone along the Capricorn Highway. Cr Maguire said the advent of the Galilee Basin mega mines and their fuel needs would potentially double inland tanker highway traffic. Asked if any progress had been made in taking the next step and moving to concept plans, he said he hadn’t heard anything further. “To my knowledge I know of one person from Transport and Main Roads who is working on the project,” he said.
The German-built Wirtgen surface mining machine at New Hope Group’s New Acland mine.
Taking a load off at New Acland New Acland coal mine, north-west of Oakey, has started operational trials of a $7 million surface mining machine able to load directly on to haul trucks via an attached conveyor system. The four-month trial will test whether the German-built Wirtgen machine will be able to effectively mine the thin coal seams at the New Hope Group site.
“There are similar machines used in mining operations in the USA, Turkey and China, so it will be interesting to see how this machine performs here at New Acland,” mine general manager Andrew McDonald said. “This is meant to be a very efficient way to extract the coal from thin seams, and it can also load directly on to the haul trucks via an attached conveyor system.”
The Great Northern money line The State Government’s privatisation plans have brought into focus the question of the sell-off of assets including the Great Northern Railway (GNR). The question is, how profitable is the GNR? The railway is notorious for buckling and causing derailments under high temperatures, while seasonal rains regularly cut the line. The incidence is also indicative of the line’s state of repair, according to the Rail,
Tram and Bus Union. Well it seems that the GNR makes a lot of money. CuDeco logistics manager John Green estimates 8.5mt shifted over the line in 2012/13 at an estimated average of $20 per tonne. That’s around $170 million. The Australia Rail Track Corporation was invited to tender on maintenance for passenger and freight lines from Brisbane to Cairns. This was minus the electrified coal
lines now owned by Aurizon. The north-west rail corridor was also left out of the due diligence, mainly, said Mr Green, because it is worth selling. It begs the question of what do customers think of the sale, considering there will be a profit imperative, more so, than already exists. It was the source of a lot of disquiet among operators in the Isa-Carpentaria Minerals Province, Mr Green said.
Transport solutions as individual as your business, a supply chain partner you can trust! With depots across Australia, we can service all your project haulage, warehousing and international freight needs. > Whether it’s full or part trailer load, general, project, DG or specialised equipment handling and transport, Ligentia Australia is a proven specialist in the Energy, Mining & Specialised Equipment Road transport sectors. > We offer international logistics services integrated with our domestic 3PL warehousing and trucking services (fully tailored end-to-end logistics service).
A proven and loyal logistics partner you can trust, backed by outstanding customer service. > Recent and ongoing local QLD, WA, NT projects and logistics include: U
Blackwoods Onsite Services, Surat Basin
U
Brisbane to Surat Basin: daily express road transport services
U
Brisbane to Darwin and NQ: weekly express road transport services
U
Wheatstone Microtunnel services: Perth to Onslow, WA
> Critical path tracking technology to manage supply chains. > Global software platform (FMS, WMS and TMS systems).
> Trusted Partner Telephone us on 07 3267 8584 or email sales@ligentia.com.au For further info visit www.ligentia.com
National Australia Head Office Units S2 and S3, Unit 1, 919-925 Nudgee Road Banyo QLD 4014
Blackwoods is delighted with results of the Ligentia road transport and distribution service innovations, further improving delivery, especially to customers in the SW QLD Energy Sector. Delivery performance and efficiency is critical to our business, as well as those of our customers, Ligentia Australia is playing an important role.
Adrian Gower, Senior Manager – Major Projects Blackwoods Northern Region (28 August 2013)
20
INDUSTRY UPDATE COAL AND GAS
July 2014 |
Uplifting view
BOC beefs up operation Gases and engineering company BOC has completed a $3.7 million facility upgrade in Gladstone, refurbishing its Gas & Gear retail outlet in Red Rover Rd, operations centre and warehouse storage facilities to meet growing customer demand.
WICET chief project officer Bryce Jones inspects the 700-tonne lift and install of the second of two stacker bridges at the WICET coal stockyard recently. Photo: Murray Ware
The second of two stockyard stacker bridges has been successfully installed at at the Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal (WICET) in Gladstone. The 700-tonne lift and installation of the eastern stacker required a total of six cranes to complete. The two WICET stacker bridges, each 11m wide and 125m long, will comprise an integral part of the terminal’s coal in-loading infrastructure, providing the support and housing for the shuttling conveyor and telescopic chute which will deliver coal across the stockpiles. Both bridges were pre-fitted with electrical and mechanical components on site by John Holland Group, which also undertook the associated lifts.e. Stage One construction of WICET is now more than 85 per cent complete, with the project scheduled to load its first ship late this year.
Glencore takes control
Underground mine winds up
Glencore has taken over operational management of the Clermont open-cut coal mine after the successful completion of the deal to acquire Rio Tinto’s 50.1per cent shareholding in the mine. Glencore and joint venture partner Sumitomo Corporation signed a binding agreement to acquire a majority shareholding in Clermont for about $1 billion.
Glencore has announced that its Newlands Northern underground operation in the Bowen Basin will reach the end of its mine life in the fourth quarter of 2015. Development activities would cease after June 2014 following the establishment of the final longwall panel, seeing about 50 full-time jobs cut, the company said.
Oxyfuel project keeps firing
Rio Tinto described the sale as delivering good value for its shareholders and said the company remained committed to a long-term future in the Australian coal industry. A $2 billion extension of the company’s Kestrel mine in Central Queensland was completed last year and studies are under way to extend the life of its Hail Creek operation.
The groundbreaking $245 million Callide Oxyfuel Project in Central Queensland has passed the milestone of 6000 hours of operation. The project has been operating in oxyfiring mode at Callide A Power Station, outside Biloela, since December 2012, making it one of the most advanced carbon capture projects in the world.
BOC managing director for the South Pacific Colin Isaac said the upgrade had been executed to maintain security of gas and equipment supply to the LNG mega projects and to service the greater Gladstone community, which was experiencing strong economic growth through manufacturing, construction, mining and other sectors.
Tunnel triumph for GLNG Santos GLNG’s innovative under-sea tunnel, which connects its pipeline route on the mainland with Curtis Island, off Gladstone, was recognised at the Queensland Premier’s Sustainability Awards in Brisbane recently. The 4.3km tunnel constructed beneath the Gladstone Harbour won the Innovation in Sustainable Technologies Award, recognising the completion of the tunnel without disturbing the local marine environment and with minimal impact to the surrounding coastal environments.
All systems go for Ruby Jo Queensland Curtis LNG project developer QGC has begun operating a network of upstream natural gas processing facilities integral to meeting a target of producing first LNG from its Curtis Island plant in the fourth quarter of 2014. The seven facilities west of Dalby comprise six field compression stations feeding gas drawn from hundreds of wells into the larger Ruby Jo Central Processing Plant. QGC managing director Mitch Ingram said Ruby Jo Central Processing Plant, in conjunction with similar facilities near Chinchilla, would help fill the first two QCLNG trains on Curtis Island. The facilities are the first to start operating under a contract QGC
The Mining Advocate
awarded to Thiess last September for the construction of 17 field compression stations and four central processing plants at three hubs in the Surat Basin; near Dalby, Chinchilla and Wandoan.
Progress in UCG bid Carbon Energy has announced the completion of a drilling and sampling program at its Bloodwood Creek underground coal gasification (UCG) pilot site near Dalby. The company said the samples obtained would help develop a comprehensive risk-based rehabilitation plan for the site, if rehabilitation is required. Carbon Energy expects to submit its decommissioning report and rehabilitation plan to the Queensland Government for approval by the end of the third quarter of this year, marking the final step in gaining government approval to initiate a commercial-scale UCG project at Bloodwood Creek using keyseam technology.
Dudgeon Point dropped North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation (NQBP) has moved to have the Dudgeon Point Coal Terminals Project’s declaration as a co-ordinated project cancelled . The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) studies for the proposed development near Mackay were paused by the preferred developers last year as demand for the new terminals was reassessed after an industry-wide downturn in the coal market, the corporation said. “Although this particular development proposal will be withdrawn, it does not necessarily indicate that expansion to the coal export facilities will not be required at the Port of Hay Point in the future,” outgoing NQBP chief executive officer Brad Fish said. “Those interested in port development must demonstrate demand, and current and short-term forecast market demand for coal does not support an expansion to the capacity proposed in the Dudgeon Point Coal Terminals Project.”
Over 30 Years of Experience
Health and Safety - Our Number One Priority When it comes to heavy haulage and crane hire, there’s none better for service, range and safety CRANES Mini Cranes Franna Cranes Truck Mounted Hydraulic All Terrain Rough Terrain Crawler
HEAVY HA HAULAGE AUL U AGE Floats Flat Tops Super Tilts Rigid Tilts Low Loaders Extendables
Biloela 49-51 Dawson Hwy Biloela QLD 4715 Ph 07 4992 2866
Gladstone 73 Hanson Rd Gladstone QLD 4680 Ph 07 4972 3166
www.leecranehire.com.au
Fresh spark for Mackay Liveability is seen as a significant driver to attract people with diverse skill sets to settle in the Mackay region. Mackay Regional Council is playing a lead role in revitalising Mackay’s city with a short list of four companies announced in June to present tenders to do the work for an $18 million upgrade of the City Centre. This significant project has been made possible through an $8.8 million Australian Government grant from the Regional Development Australia initiative, with the council matching the funding 50-50. The council’s financial commitment to the project is derived from the sale of the former Ergon Energy building and proceeds from the Woodlands development. Project manager Jim Carless is confident work will begin in August, creating between 80 and 100 jobs in total during the 14-month construction phase. BMD Urban, FK Gardner and Sons, Shamrock Civil Engineering and Vassallo Construction are participating in a series of workshops which will cover construction issues and key requirements of council such as managing access to businesses during construction works and communication with business stakeholders. Mr Carless said he was mindful of the effects dust and noise would have on trade in the CBD and some of the work during the construction phase would occur at night to minimise the impact.
He said all four companies tendering for the project had been made aware of the fact that council wanted local businesses to play a prominent role in sub-contracts above the mandatory requirements of the Local Government Act. Economic Development portfolio councillor Greg Martin said it was the first major upgrade for 21 years and “long overdue”. “This is going to be a legacy project for this council and will certainly reactivate the City Centre,” he said. Extensive streetscaping, installation of contemporary UrbanStone footpath pavers, street furniture and more than 160 new street and footpath lights form a key part of the project. “A tree-lined boulevard will be created along Victoria St which will eventually link up with the city’s largest shopping precinct at Caneland Central six blocks away,” Cr Martin said. Mr Carless said two blocks of the boulevard would be included in the upcoming project, with the others to follow later. He said the business case demonstrated that an extra $27 million worth of employment was forecast to be generated over the next 10 years due to this project. Mr Carless said that once the project was completed, visitors to the City Centre would be one step closer to having a pedestrianfriendly, shaded boulevard between Caneland Central and the CBD - offering additional opportunities to business owners.
An artist’s impression of the redeveloped City Centre.
councilconnect receive o t y a d o t e n i box n i r Sign up onl u o y o t s wsletter e N e l i c n u o c u/enews
e
.gov.a d l .q y a k c a www.m
Stay up to date and informed with council connect’s eNewsletter. You can also subscribe to a range of eNews topics, covering: > council news > arts and culture > sport and recreation > and much more...
> community events > popular books > planning decisions Like us on Facebook
22
Communities supporting mining - Mackay ADVERTORIAL
Rock ‘N’ Road Bitumen – Results achieved by teamwork Rock N Road Bitumen Pty Ltd provides a superior service for all bitumen design and sealing, asphalt production and paving.
Rock N Road Bitumen holds AS/NZS certifications in occupational health and safety, quality assurance and environmental management.
A locally owned company, Rock N Road Bitumen has grown exponentially in the last 10 years, says general manager David Wallman. The business now provides services as far north as the Torres Strait Islands, west to Mount Isa and south to Miriam Vale.
“We are the first Queensland road paving company to have achieved this under the new regulations. We have recently been awarded NATA certification,� Mr Wallman said. “QA is backed up by technical expertise from our civil engineer, who operates a committed asphalttesting laboratory.
“We have successfully completed contract work for local councils, state and federal government departments, private contractors, mining companies and private householders,� Mr Wallman said. “As industry leaders, we believe in being flexible and innovative. We are able to draw from a human resources pool of more than 80 to complete projects safely and efficiently, by combining valuable local knowledge of climate conditions with leading techniques and equipment.� Workmanship is guaranteed and timeliness and consistency of product is the business’s commitment to all clients, despite geographical challenges. Rock N Road Bitumen also has long standing service agreements with Burdekin Shire, Mackay, Whitsunday and Central Highlands Regional councils.
“We can provide just a supply and spray or a comprehensive service where we sweep, spray, spread, roll, provide traffic control and supply all products. Our machinery fleet includes five bitumen sprayers that are capable of effectively fulfilling any spray sealing needs, whether for single or two-coat bitumen seal, emulsion seal, primer seal or prime. Our tanker fleet can supply over 100,000L per day everyday.� Rock N Road are proud of their longstanding work relationship with many companies, in particular Mackay Regional Council. “We support Mackay Regional Council in developing and maintaining the roads throughout our region to the highest standard,� Mr Wwallman said.
2VBMJUZ .BOBHFNFOU 4ZTUFNT 0) 4 Â… &OWJSPONFOU Â… 2VBMJUZ
$PSOFS (SBFNF )FHHJF 4USFFU BOE )BSCPVS 3PBE .BDLBZ 2-%
1IPOF ²" QSPVE TVQQMJFS UP .BDLBZ 3FHJPOBM $PVODJM BNPOH PUIFS MPDBM BVUIPSJUJFT JO 2VFFOTMBOE³
July 2014 |
The Mining Advocate
New manager ready to meet portfolio’s challenges Debra Howe is a little more than two months into her role as Mackay Regional Council’s new Manager Economic Development and is relishing the challenge. Ms Howe brings 18 years of economic development experience in local government to the table and has also worked for Tourism Queensland in the area of destination development. “My role is very much the culmination of my career so far, it’s very exciting,� she said. The importance of the Economic Development role in the years ahead is underscored by the council’s decision to move the Economic Development Program into the office of the Mayor and Chief Executive Officer. Latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show the region had $416.5 million in residential building activity in the 12 months to March 2014.There was
Mackay Regional Council Manager Economic Development Debra Howe chats with Mackay Region Chamber of Commerce president Tim Miles at a Diversify Mackay meeting in June.
also $260.9 million in non-residential work in the past 12 months. Economic Development portfolio councillor Greg Martin said the council was implementing a new “first point of contact� service to improve the facilitation of major projects and key development sites through a co-ordinated approach to approval processes and interactions with developers.
“One of the keys to success with major projects is to have a “whole of government, whole community� approach to realising them,� he said. The Diversify Mackay forum held earlier in the year was a community collaboration with business, industry, community organisations and government working together to create a sustainable future for the people of Mackay.
Communities supporting mining - Mackay
The Mining Advocate | July 2014
23
Inner city living key attraction Mackay Regional Council has invested heavily in revitalising the inner city, and property developers have reacted positively to the initiative. Planning and Development portfolio councillor David Perkins said the City Centre was being transformed into a modern and progressive retail, dining and entertainment precinct, with a focus on inner city living. Existing short and longterm highrise developments including Mackay Grande Suites, two serviced apartment projects by Quest and riverside accommodation at Rivage, Lanai and Fusion will be joined soon by a new highrise development managed by Oaks. “Two other highrise developments, Pacific Sands and Carlyle Apartments, are under construction within the city precinct and a commitment has been made by the owners of Mackay Airport to construct a 150-plus-room hotel at the airport,” Cr Perkins said. “There are also a number of other commercial and accommodation projects approved for the city precinct.” Cr Perkins acknowledged the excellent working relationship with the development industry, particularly the likes of the
The Bluewater Trail is a catalyst for inner city development.
Planning and Development portfolio councillor David Perkins at the Oaks building in Mackay’s CBD.
Urban Development Institute of Australia and the Master Builders Association. “We meet with groups like the UDIA plus individual developers on a monthly basis as part of our outcomesdriven approach to working with the industry,” he said. Cr Perkins said that the Bluewater Trail – a 21km cyclepedestrian link around the
Doing business with council made easier Revising how it engages with local contractors has made it significantly easier to do business with Mackay Regional Council. Peter Shuttlewood heads up council’s Plant and Procurement Program and, after attending government business forums, he was keen to develop a more engaging, interactive style of presentation. What followed was the creation of the Doing Business with Council forum, where current and would-be businesspeople can take steps to be part of council’s preferred partners’ arrangements. Mr Shuttlewood said council looked to make its forums “informative with education and a chance of conversation”. “The feedback we received last year was exceptional, a number of suppliers flew from Brisbane to be part of the forum,” Mr Shuttlewood said. He said all parties benefited from being on the council’s preferred partner list. “Through the use of the preferred supplier arrangements, council is spared tendering for every project that can’t be handled internally, which saves time and ultimately benefits the ratepayer because projects happen more quickly,” he said. In the last 12 months, Mr Shuttlewood’s department released $80 million in contracts
as diverse as supplying additional trucks for pothole repairs, traffic signs and even books for the library service. Mr Shuttlewood said the forums provided his staff with the opportunity to update business representatives with changes to local government regulations linked to entering into certain contracts with council. “We encourage our contractors to raise issues that will be of benefit to the council and them,” he said. “There have been instances where we have taken on board suggestions made by our contractors.”
city – continued to be a catalyst for much of the inner-city redevelopment. “This national award-winning trail has brought the river to life and activated many areas along the riverfront,” he said. “Various sections of the trail are favourites for families while the recent Mackay Marina Run saw over 3000 locals and visitors enjoy running alongside our pristine Pioneer River.” The $230 million redevelopment of Canelands Central had completely changed
the ambience of the city, he said. “What was once overgrown and unsightly vegetation and shopping centre loading docks backing on to the Pioneer River is now the main entrance to Canelands Central, populated with restaurants that look out towards the river. It’s now a popular destination to socialise,” Cr Perkins said. The Bluewater Trail runs straight past Caneland Central. Cr Perkins pointed to the city’s recent jump in building approvals as an encouraging indication
that the city may be moving out of a dip brought about by a marked slowdown in coal mining activities in the Bowen Basin as a result of declining global coal prices. He said monthly building approvals averaged 42 between December last year and April this year but jumped to 57 in May. “I’m not saying we’ve turned the corner, but it is an encouraging sign,” Cr Perkins said. “Our aim is to have more inner-city living so our city precinct will become selfsustainable.”
Mayor heads drive to diversify local economy Innovation, passion and the desire to seek new opportunities are key drivers in the Mayor’s Diversify Mackay initiative. Cr Deirdre Comerford is looking to form a consortium of business and industry leaders to unite and deliver a fresh approach, focused on diversification and growing the local economy. “The forum we held in February clearly identified the need to take control of the adjustment we are facing in our economy,” she said. Positioning the Mackay
Focus on roads, drainage Mackay Regional Council recently handed down a $361.4 million budget for 2014-2015, which includes a $145 million capital works program. Roads and Infrastructure portfolio councillor Kevin Casey said investing in key infrastructure was fundamental to helping the city prosper. “This year’s program delivers significant funding to upgrading and renewing essential facilities and infrastructure to shape our future,” he said. Cr Casey said roads and drainage work would again be a major focus, with more than 250 different projects earmarked for the next 12 months. “We have allocated over $41 million to roads and drainage work this financial year, including road reseals, bridge replacements, footpaths and road safety initiatives,” he said.
Deirdre Comerford Mackay Mayor
region as a food bowl for Asia was among 10 key priorities discussed at this year’s forum. “It’s an idea that has merit and will be explored by a soon to be created leadership alliance. Being innovative and willing to try something new can put us ahead of the pack and make us masters of our own destiny,” Cr Comerford said. CSIRO future team leader Dr Stefan Hajkowicz, who was a guest speaker at the forum, described the event as “full of microcosmic thinking and entrepreneurial spirit”.
“Mackay is leading the way, ideally this is what we should be doing at cities across the nation and at a national level,” he said. Dr Hajkowicz said great opportunities existed for Mackay region businesses to become a food bowl and tap into the Chinese market. “China is buying more food than it is producing; there’s high demand for wine and proteinbased produce, such as fish and meat,” he said. A few months on from the initial day-long Diversify Mackay forum and the wheels are starting to gain traction. The Mayor has been tirelessly working to galvanise business and industry leaders. “I want us to be visionary and we need to be proactive,” Cr Comerford said. There are a number of exciting new ventures on the radar and Cr Comerford said economic development was about to adopt a new direction in the city. “We have just handed down the lowest rates rise in the history of the organisation and the City Centre Revitalisation Project coupled with a significant capital works program provides the foundation for a positive 12 months,” she said.
24
Communities supporting mining - Mackay
July 2014 |
The Mining Advocate
Paget precinct powers ahead Within a decade, Paget’s industrial precinct has been transformed from a sprinkling of workshops surrounded by cane farms and the nearby Mackay Airport into the epicentre of the mining services sector. Mackay Mayor Deirdre Comerford said Paget was integral to the growth of the resources sector and continued to provide a place for innovation and design. “It is the hub for industrial and commercial business and has a reputation for best practice when establishing strong industrial centres,” she said. “We have seen the growth of many businesses and attracted some big players who now call Paget their Australian base.” Former Brisbane-based real estate agent and property developer Clinton Arentz is among a number of investors with a strong belief in the city’s future. He first took an interest in Mackay in the early 2000s and by 2007 made the move with wife Rhondda to the Central Queensland city. “There was a massive coal mining boom (in the Bowen Basin) and Mackay had a good transport hub and a port,” he said. Mr Arentz rolled the dice and invested $30 million in the Terminus Business Park, a development he described as being “ahead of its time in Mackay”. Such was his faith in the potential of the city that he built without even one tenant signed up. Stages one and two of Terminus Business Park are now fully occupied. Mackay Regional Council has invested more than $70 million in roads and drainage infrastructure in Paget. The
Clinton Arentz Property developer
centrepiece was redeveloping Connors Rd into four lanes to ease congestion and improve access for all vehicles. “It was the largest single road construction project ever undertaken by council and has enhanced connectivity and accessibility within the industrial estate,” Cr Comerford said. There are more than 520 commercial rateable properties in the Paget industrial estate and the number is growing every year. Mr Arentz’s positive approach is infectious and he remains convinced Mackay will emerge from the “classic cyclical pattern” when coal prices rise again. “Capital is abundant for good projects and interest rates are at an historical low,” he said. Not content with his first venture into the Paget business park, the Winston Group director has formed an alliance with a group of prominent local businessmen to open the $15 million Evo Business Centre at Paget. He also has a second parcel of 10ha behind the business centre
The proposed Evolution Industrial Estate site at Paget.
which will also be developed as Evolution Industrial Estate when market conditions dictate.
“Investment in Stage Two will be as much, if not more than the business centre,” he said.
Mr Arentz and his alliance members have placed their collective faith in the resilience of the Mackay business community. He applauded the council for having the vision and faith to sow the seeds for business development in the Paget business park. “I commend the council for the work they do to promote business opportunities,” he said. The entrepreneur with a passion for motorsport knows only one way to go and that’s full throttle. He took third place outright and won his class in Australia’s most celebrated tarmac rally, the Targa Tasmania, this year driving his Mitsubishi Evo 10.
ADVERTORIAL
Turning negatives into positives by Clint Arentz The Winston Group I don’t do “downturn”. It is one of the most counterproductive words in business. The mining sector has moved from a capital expenditure phase to one of extraction and export. It’s a predictable and positive part of the mining industry cycle. All indications are that future demand for coal remains strong and long lived. The signs are good and the Mackay region is in a position to strengthen itself now, to make the most of this coming period of recovery and growth. The markets which rely on our coal, such as China and India, are all still growing at a phenomenal rate. This month, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang confirmed a
minimum expected growth rate for China this year of 7.5 per cent. The Chinese minister for housing estimates that 300 million more Chinese will move from rural living to new and existing cities before 2025. The steel and energy required to sustain this growth is beyond comprehension, setting our mineral industry in high demand for the foreseeable future. The reality is that business cycles are a fact of life. Since 1945, at least 12 major cycles have occurred. These cycles are influenced by interest rates and currency cycles, production and demand cycles, and most importantly, confidence cycles. Business cycles always bounce back. Some take longer than others, and the adjustment we are currently
6M 20FT CONTAINER SHELTER
8M 40FT CONTAINER SHELTER
10M 40FT CONTAINER SHELTER
$2,800
$6,800
$11,550
(also available 6m 40ft – $4,550)
(also available 8m 20ft - $4,250)
experiencing locally is part of a normal business cycle. Winston Group developed the $30 million Terminus Business Park, because I saw the potential in both Paget and Mackay for future growth and diversity. When construction commenced during the GFC, we did not have one tenant. Yet today, Terminus is a vibrant business hub. Our investment in the next generation Evo Business Centre as well as plans to develop an additional 10ha of adjacent industrial land is a reflection of the confidence our business has in the ongoing growth of Mackay. It’s time to think positively and realise that the Mackay region’s best years are ahead of it. It’s what you do today, that will set you up for future success.
12M 40FT CONTAINER SHELTER $15,500
Freight charges may apply • Available Nationwide • *Prices current as at 30/9/11
More models available – go to www.shelterstation.com
Free Call 1800 199 060 Nationwide
“Suppliers of Container Shelters and freestanding shelters, Nationwide”
Communities supporting mining - Mackay
The Mining Advocate | July 2014
25
Sky-high potential One point three billion and two thousand five hundred. That’s the dollar contribution of Mackay Airport to the region and the direct and indirect number of jobs the facility supports. Passenger numbers ebb and flow during the year, with the dry attracting the bulk of travellers and the low period spanning either side of Christmas. Mackay Airport’s plans to lift and flatten traffic flow are part of a wider Diversify Mackay Leadership Alliance strategic effort to broaden the region’s economic drivers. The development of the airport is one of 10 priorities the alliance has identified in the face of an adjustment in infrastructure investment by the mining sector. North Queensland Airports, which is jointly owned by JP Morgan, Auckland Airport, Perth-based Perron Investments and The Infrastructure Fund, managed by Hastings, has committed $900 million to the
development of the Mackay precinct over the next 20 years. The first sign is a 152-bed motel emerging behind the airport car park. The $30 million project is expected to be finished mid-2015. It was a focus of attention, said airport general manager Rob Porter. “Mackay Airport is ready to invest in the future of the region as we develop the airport into Central Queensland’s multimodal integrated transport hub,” Mr Porter said. “The alliance recognises the airport’s role in helping ‘future proof ’ the economy and more people recognise the airport as a key economic driver. “The hotel will be the first of several major construction projects planned for Mackay Airport as part of our 20-year vision.” Despite the mining adjustment, there were still opportunities to build the region’s population, Mr Porter said. “If you look at the
An artist’s impression of the $30 million, 152-bed motel to be built at Mackay Airport by 2015.
CSIRO Strategic Opportunities for Australia (report), Mackay has the potential to be a hub for professional services outside the capital cities,” he said. “We need to first, look at
opportunities and second, have a strategic goal. (For example), we have never had more coal come out of the ground. That calls for transport, logistics and materials handling specialties.
“Mackay Airport is already well placed as a FIFO and DIDO hub for the Galilee and Bowen basins and it supports the city as a key resources supply and service centre.”
Airport adds Gold Coast to daily offerings Mackay Airport has welcomed the start of daily Mackay – Gold Coast services by Jetstar. General manager Rob Porter said the public had expressed a strong interest, through airport surveys, in a direct link with the Gold Coast and it was pleasing to see that Jetstar had made it a reality. “This daily connection means it’s even easier for people in Mackay to get to this popular
holiday destination and it provides a convenient option for FIFO passengers travelling from the Gold Coast to Mackay for work,” he said. “Gold Coast people will be able to use the service whenever they want to come to Mackay – to catch up with family and friends, experience the serenity or adventure off the beaten track or attend unique events such as the Mackay Airport Beach Horse Racing Festival.”
Shamrock Civil is one of Queensland’s leading mid-tier civil construction companies, providing smart solutions in constructing valuable infrastructure
CONSTRUCTIONS PTY LTD
Servicing the Mackay Region roadworks landscaping residential developments
ph: (07) 4968 0068
earthworks concrete works environmental remediation
SHAMROCK CIVIL +pipeworks surveying
email: admin@vassallo.com.au web: www.vassallo.com.au
Safe • Sustainable • Smart • Solutions
26
Communities supporting mining - Mackay
July 2014 |
The Mining Advocate
ADVERTORIAL
Walk the line ... in the wet
RUD Terra Plus X22 traction chains fitted to a Komatsu 830-E 200t haul truck.
Ever had the back-end of your car flick out negotiating a roundabout just after rain? That sick feeling when you realise it could have been an accident. Now imagine that feeling driving a 200-tonne truck. That very hazard presented itself in wet season conditions at the 177 million-tonne Clermont open-cut mine, where tyre tread design and displacement where not enough to keep traction. It threatened to stop production. With contract deadlines to meet, then operator Rio Tinto was keen to find a solution and, having used RUD tyre protection chains (TPC) to reduce abrasion and prevent sidewall piercing on loaders and trucks at other mines, turned to RUD Australia for a solution. After detailed consultation, RUD recommended their Garant Terra Plus X22 - a traction chain which has proved successful in many world-class mines, and trial pairs of Terra Plus X22 were fitted to the rear 40.00R57 tyres of several of the 830-Es. “With Terra Plus X22 fitted, Clermont was able to continue operating and exporting while the weather had shut down most of the Bowen Basin. The mine gained over 1500 hours of production time and produced some 100,000 extra tonnes of coal,” said David Sturton, product manager TPC. “The trial was so successful that Rio has now fitted additional Terra Plus X22s to their track fleet, thus ensuring safer performance and a substantial gain in plant availability and productivity during the wet season.” RUD Australia will showcase its latest innovations at QME 2014, Stand L122.
New products deliver an edge in worksite safety Safepad, the leading name in impact hazard protection, is delivering a range of new edge protection products to the industry. “Safepad Edges” are designed to cover protruding or hazardous edges, offering reassuring protection to managers whose employees may previously have been exposed to hazards such as flanges, air conditioning units, braces, stairways and beams. Supplied in convenient 50cm lengths, the flexible yet durable Safepad Edges are made from high-quality EVA foam; are hazard-stripe black and yellow; and are designed to suit a variety of applications. These products are supplied in three different profiles, all with a 40mm radius, including: a semicircle; a threequarter circle; and a slotted full circle. The semicircle and three-quarter circle are supplied with pre-attached adhesive strips, allowing easy application to most surface types. The slotted full circle is designed to fit neatly over a narrow edge.
Workplace injuries account for a significant amount of downtime on the nation’s construction and resource projects and Safepad is contributing on a daily basis to reducing injuries incurred around hazardous work environments. Safepad is a 100 per cent Australian-owned and operated company, providing a variety of products designed to reduce the risk of injury from impact hazards. An impact hazard is any protruding object which has the potential to strike or cause collision harm to any individual. All Safepad products have been designed to stringent health, safety and environmental requirements within Australian and International industries. Other Safepad products include high quality, reusable and environmentally friendly foam pads, designed for the many different impact hazards found in the construction, scaffolding, mining and resource industries. For a free sample pack, contact sales@safepad.com.au
EDGES
NEW
Safepad has introduced a new range of edge protection products. Safepad Edges are designed to cover protruding or hazardous edges with a soft yet durable EVA foam strip. Each Safepad edge product is highly visible, and is supplied in various profiles applicable to most edges, including cornices, flanges, ducting, braces, stairways and beams. Contact Safepad for cost effective solutions to worksite impact hazards.
www.safepad.com.au sales@safepad.com.au (+61) 8 9474 6886
QME to confirm Mackay’s position as ‘Mining Central’ Queensland Mining and Engineering (QME) Exhibition organiser Reed Mining Events says the biennial show is worth more than $36 million to the Mackay region. Lawrence Consulting, commissioned to independently conduct an economic impact study, came to their conclusions based on activity generated by the organisers and more than 600 exhibiting companies and 12,500 attendees in 2012. This outlay on QME resulted in an estimated increase to Mackay’s Gross Regional Product of $17.1 million and $31.3 million for Queensland. The report also described QME 2012 as generating more than $220 million in direct sales for exhibitors and $584.7 million in total sales, within Queensland. The results of the QME 2012 study vindicated holding a regional mining exhibition, Reed Mining Events director Paul Baker said. “...These results confirmed the longheld anecdotal evidence from attendees and exhibitors, that QME is pivotal to the continued growth of the Queensland mining sector,” he said. “QME has been a fixture on the Mackay calendar for over 21 years. “This report confirms long-held opinions that QME is more than just a regional-based mining exhibition. “QME is an economic shot in the arm for the Mackay region and the state of Queensland.” Mackay Regional Council Mayor Deirdre Comerford said the report was encouraging and clearly displayed the
GET A GRIP ON PRODUCTION. TRACTION. PROTECTION.
QME generates crowds and cash when it is held in Mackay every two years.
significant boost the event injected into the Mackay region. “We appreciate the huge positive economic impact QME delivers for our community, enabling us to showcase our region as a business and tourist destination,” Cr Comerford said. “Council is a proud supporter of QME’s endeavour to provide a unique opportunity to conduct business face to face with key buyers and decision makers in the mining community – right here, in the heart of our state’s vital coal mining region. “With the drop in the price of coal since 2012, the flow-on effects have presented new challenges for our community – QME provides the perfect platform to showcase our region and Queensland’s experience and capability in resources and also raises our international profile.” QME 2014 will be held at Mackay Showground from July 22-24. It is set to be the largest mining event organised in the country this year.
Adani committed to first coal in late 2017 Many in the 400-strong crowd at a recent Bowen Basin Mining Club meeting in Mackay left with a spring in their step after a senior Adani representative declared that first coal from the Carmichael mine in the Galilee Basin would be shipped in late 2017. Adani general manager project infrastructure Ian Sedgman told the audience that 80 per cent of the approval process for the coal mine and rail project had been ticked off and the Indian multi-national would soon award major contracts. Mr Sedgman urged supply chain business owners to be prepared for announcements and work directly with the major companies who win contracts. The Carmichael coal deposit was thought to be the largest known coal deposit in the world and the seam was extremely favourable for both open-cut and underground mining, with no blasting required, Mr Sedgman said. The mine has a projected output of up to 60 million tonnes per annum and Adani has been working on its environmental impact study for its T0 coal loading facility at Abbot Point near Bowen. To be built in two stages, it will be capable of shipping 70mtpa. Adani’s T1 terminal at Abbot Point currently exports 50mtpa. Mr Sedgman said Australia was the front end of the supply chain and that Australian confidence levels in the coal market had no impact on the project as India still needed power to millions of homes. Adani would deliver this, owning the entire process, he said. With a project life expected to extend 90 years, there was set to be significant employment wealth alongside the purchase of goods and services, mining royalty and tax payments, spilling back into the state’s economy, Mr Sedgman said. “The project underpins economic prosperity for all Queenslanders.” Located on the edge of the Galilee Basin, about 160km north-west of Clermont, Carmichael coal mine is planned to include a 500-person camp and an airstrip to support a fly in-fly out and drive in-drive out workforce. Mr Sedgman said the successful contractors would be responsible for supplying the bulk of the workforce. He envisaged the employment opportunities would spread from local works to the corners of Queensland, but said this was at the discretion of the successful contractors’ workforce practices, rather than Adani Mining.
(GCVWTGU Greater Traction Quick and Easy to Fit Enhanced Machine Stability Minimal %apital 1utlay
$GPGʐVU Maintain Productivity Minimised Downtime Improved Safety Levels MaZimum %ost $eneʐt
28
Communities supporting mining - Mackay
July 2014 |
The Mining Advocate
Industry inspires education merger The July merger between CQUniversity and CQ TAFE will see the number of university students jump from 20,000 to 35,000 as the education institute aims to become a one-stop shop for industry. The merge will introduce an additional 14 diplomas and certificates for students, including a diploma in engineering, a diploma in construction, and options in health and agriculture. CQUniversity deputy vicechancellor (industry and VET) Nik Babovic said the merge was in response to industry feedback. “It was through our engagement committees with industry at the university four years ago that industry said if you truly want to engage with us we need you to deliver on all levels from Certificate I right through to PhD. As we went along we found the best opportunity was to merge with TAFE,” he said. The project has almost $74 million in federal government funding for new infrastructure, jobs and education pathways across the existing
university pooled together to offer a range of opportunities for industry.” The developments will also see a new engineering facility built on the university’s Ooralea, Mackay campus. Mr Babovic said the new engineering building would enable students to complete a full four-year engineering degree within Mackay. “It will also focus on new areas such a mechatronics and, having met with industry regularly, I know they’re really excited to have the facility,” he said. Mackay Area Industry Network (MAIN) general manager Julie Boyd said the merger and new engineering building would provide industryspecific training. “I think it provides a tremendous opportunity because people who want to start out at say certificate level can go right through to full degree into the future if they wish,” she said. “CQUni are very interested in ensuring that industry is well supported in this region.”
Nik Babovic CQUniversity deputy vice-chancellor
CQUniversity and CQ TAFE sites at Rockhampton, Mackay, Gladstone and Emerald. It’s also supported by the Queensland Government, which has contributed $120 million in assets to the partnership. “Having one organisation in the industry in the region to work with all of the resources is a real benefit,” Mr Babovic said. “There’s $130 million worth of assets coming from TAFE and the $250 million from the
Project officer Richard Kirk at Kestrel mine, north-east of Emerald.
Touch of class pays off A CQUniversity student is using the skills he picked up in class to improve operations and reduce costs at Rio Tinto’s Kestrel mine. Richard Kirk is enrolled in an MBA with CQUni and works as a project officer with Rio. He was recently selected by his employer to prepare a four-minute video presentation for Rio Tinto’s Transformation Program which will be presented at the highest level of the organisation and distributed for general viewing within the wider Rio Tinto group. Mr Kirk said his fresh view on sustainable project management was largely thanks to two years of study within CQUniversity’s project management program. “I’ve been involved with project management in a range of roles over the past 20 years and have always been systems-orientated, but the CQUni graduate certificate in project management has really helped me to fill the gaps and comprehend how to create a framework and how to tailor it using the right tools and techniques to come up with the deliverables that stakeholders want,” he said. “I’m really appreciating that project management requires a focus on sustainability as it is paramount to maintain asset performance while enabling safe and reliable operation.” Mr Kirk said it could take some time to fully integrate best practice into his company processes, but it would be worthwhile in the longer term.
POSITION YOUR BUSINESS FOR A STRONGER FUTURE Evo Business Centre, Paget, Mackay for lease or purchase TO MACKAY CBD PEAK DOWNS HIGHWAY (TO WEST)
g
NEW 24HR SERVICE STATION
From 500 to 900 m2 Office/showroom & warehouse
h
g ARCHIBOLD STREET h
The best in Mackay, these highly flexible and efficient units offer real value.
RAILWAY STATION
NEW BUNNINGS SOUTHSIDE
NEW WOOLWORTHS SHOPPING CENTRE
ET
TRE
ES
ADIS PAR
EVOLUTION Winston Group
INDUSTRIAL ESTATE (FUTURE DEVELOPMENT)
gC ON NO RS RO AD h
IG
HW AY h
NEW 7 LANE INTERSECTION
CT
BR
U OD PR N
IO
PROPOSED SCIFLEET FACILITIES
PHONE Clinton Arentz
E
IV
DR h
h VE DRI LO GIO AG gM
g
g PRODUCTION DRIVE h
g
UC
EH
NEW M GROUP TYRE CENTRE
POWER ON AT
T 1300 799 759 M 0411 709 886 E ca@winston.com.au www.winston.com.au
EVO BUSINESS CENTRE NEARING COMPLETION (A WINSTON GROUP PROJECT)
NEW KOMATSU FACILITY
READY TO MOVE INTO NOW
A Winston Group Project
Winston Group Winston Group www.winston.com.au
A Winston Group Project
QN steps up for bright future The Queensland Nickel refinery at Yabulu, 25km north of Townsville, has been operating for 40 years and its owner, mining entrepreneur and Federal MP Clive Palmer, has a big party planned for December to mark the occasion. The mine was originally expected to operate for about 20 years and was on the brink of closure in 1993 when its ore supply from Greenvale dried up. But the then management had the foresight to import nickel ore, a practice that continues to this day through the Port of Townsville. QN now has its own bulk unloading facility at Berth Two and accounts for 80 per cent of the port’s imports. Mr Palmer took over QN when it was again on the cusp of closure, with BHP
Billton looking at mothballing the refinery or selling it. Nickel prices were at a low point of the commodity cycle and more than 800 jobs looked all but certain to go. Mr Palmer entered into negotiations with the thenPremier Anna Bligh and BHP Billiton and a deal was struck in July, 2009. QN chief financial officer Daren Wolf, who has been with the refinery for 25 years, watched firsthand as Mr Palmer’s management style transformed the business from an operation that often took months to make a decision into one that could move forward on a key project in days. Mr Wolf has on his whiteboard in his office a string of words which reflect how the business now operates from the top down: “being flexible,
getting things done, on time”. “I added ‘on time’ more recently,” Mr Wolf said. “What Mr Palmer has done is keep the very best of BHP Billiton’s safety practices, which they are good at, while adding his entrepreneurial style of management.” Mr Palmer has done what many people at the time thought impossible, turn QN into a money-making concern by embarking on a wideranging cost cutting campaign that touched all facets of the operation. The result culminated in the Christmas Party to end all Christmas parties on November 19, 2010 for 1500 employees and their partners at a cost of $2 million. Earlier he presented 50 Mercedes-Benz B130 hatchbacks to selected staff
Wulguru Group employees Barry Weir (26 years’ service), Jeff Dellit (16 years) and Kevin Cox (32 years).
Wulguru Steel - experienced people with the right skill sets A Townsville-based business specialising in steel fabrication and supplying equipment and services to the mining and mineral processing sectors continues to prosper in the market as many competitors have been forced to downsize as commodity prices contract. The Wulguru Group boasts 150 employees and company director Wayne Landrigan reckons he knows why
the business continues to do well. “It’s our people - we don’t have much turnover, within the last few years having several employees reaching milestones of 15, 20 as well as 30 years with us,” he said. “We have experienced people with the right skill sets who are known by our clients through repeat business, that’s where we shine.”
Clients include the BHP Billiton Cannington Mine in the North West, Phosphate Hill, Queensland Nickel, Glencore and the Port of Townsville.
the changing market conditions, but one common thread has run through the business since its inception – acquiring the very best staff with a shared view of excellence and a capacity to present engineering solutions across a range of engineering, welding and fabrication applications.
Formed in 1977, the company has evolved and diversified with
For more details visit: www.wulgurusteel. com
Wulguru Group staff are skilled in a variety of engineering applications including steel, plate work, tanks and pressure pipe work.
plus 700 holidays to others. Mr Palmer may well have benefited from an upward shift of the nickel price to post $100 million profit from a business that 16 months earlier had been losing $10 million a month, but his focus of trimming running costs was also crucial, a practice that continues to this day. He turned to his staff to identify areas where efficiencies could be gained and those who contributed were rewarded accordingly at the Christmas Party. That initial round of cost-saving initiatives yielded $16 million in savings. QN managing director of refinery and port operations Ian Ferguson is a long-time business associate and friend of Mr Palmer. “Clive worked with me when I
was in real estate development. He branched out into his own real estate business and later mining resources,” Mr Ferguson said. “But Clive and myself have remained friends ever since.” Mr Ferguson is proud that there hasn’t been a redundancy, only natural attrition, at the refinery in 18 months since he joined the business. “Nickel prices are again on the rise and big projects are afoot in the months ahead to improve efficiency even further,” he said. A celebration of the 40th anniversary will see all staff receive $100 restaurant vouchers, a presentation boxed commemorative coin and a company polo shirt.
30
Queensland Nickel feature Tunnel construction, 1973
July 2014 |
1966 1972 1974 1986 Yabulu nickel plant construction, 1973
1988 1989 1992 1993
Double 2200 DEL nickel ore train through the tunnel, 1974
1994 1995 1995 1996
One million tonnes nickel packed, 2014
1997 2000 2001 2005 2006 2007 2009 2010 2012 2013 2014
Geologists commenced exploration of the Greenvale deposit, an area originally mapped by officers of the Bureau of Mineral Resources in 1957 Construction of town and mine at Greenvale and Greenvale-Yabulu railway commenced Greenvale town, mine and railway completed Yabulu Refinery completed and commissioned First nickel ore import arrived aboard the River Torrens Test shipments of imported ore arrived at Yabulu from Indonesia and New Caledonia First regular shipments of Indonesian ore arrived First regular shipments of New Caledonian ore arrived The internationally patented ammoniacal solvent extraction technology was introduced to the refining process to significantly improve the separation of nickel and cobalt QNI Limited incorporated on April 30,1992 QNI Limited listed on the Australian Stock Exchange on September 24, 1992 Mining at Greenvale ceased Last ore railment from Greenvale to Yabulu Mining at Brolga commenced Mount Isa Mines (MIM) transferred unloading operations at the port to Queensland Nickel QNI Limited acquired 100 per cent ownership of the assets of the QNI Group Mining at Brolga ceased All ore feed for the Yabulu Refinery imported Cobalt plant built at the Yabulu Refinery Imported ore handling system built at Port of Townsville Additional roasting capacity completed (construction of roasters 11 and 12) Yabulu Refinery purchased by South African-owned Billiton Water Recycling Facility commissioned Solar drying commenced using Brazilian method BHP and Billiton merge. Yabulu wholly owned by BHP Billiton Dryer 2 converted to operate on coal seam gas Final Nickel Plant Calciner and Gas Plant Reformers converted to operate on gas Boiler 3 converted to operate on coal seam gas Yabulu Extension Project (YEP) completed; first compacts produced. Ravensthorpe shutdown; last RNO intermediate feed tipped Yabulu Refinery purchased by Clive Palmer NHC intermediate feed from Goro (Vale) New Caledonia commenced Resumed mining at Brolga Queensland Nickel imported 4.1 million tonnes of ore in one year Coal trial commenced in Roaster 12 One million tonnes nickel packed on May 29, 2014
Yabulu veteran has seen it all over 40 years Not only does day team leader of operations Greg Saunders wear the mantle as longest serving employee at the Yabulu nickel refinery, with 40 years to his credit, he also holds the distinction of playing a role in building the place. “When I first came here (the refinery site) in 1972 I was a backhoe operator working for the construction company that had the contract to build the refinery,” he said. “It was just scrub out here. I applied for a job at the refinery after it was built and was working in Weipa when I received a telegram saying I had the job.” Like many others, he started as a utility man and found his niche working in the roaster area of the refinery. He climbed the ladder, becoming a control room operator and in 1984 was appointed foreman of the roaster area. In 1995 he moved to the gas recovery area as a crew leader, then joined the team tasked with a major expansion project when BHP owned the refinery and were shipping nickel ore from the Ravensthorpe mine in Western Australia. His early years at the refinery were marked by a string of strikes as unions battled the management over conditions at various work sites. “It wasn’t until 1977 that things started to settle down,” he said. The refinery was supplied by the Greenvale mine west of Townsville but in 1993, with the supply exhausted, his future looked uncertain. “We thought we were out of a job but the management had
The Mining Advocate
Shipments to/from North Queensland?
North Queensland Customs Services
North Queensland Customs Services (NQCS) is a Townsville-based international freight forwarder and customs clearing house with a network of agents Queensland Nickel’s longest serving employee, Greg Saunders, 61, has lost count of the number of times he has checked in and out of the refinery during his 40 years on the job.
been working behind the scenes to start importing ore,” he said. Uncertainty returned in 2005 when the refinery was again on the brink of closure. But against all odds it continued to operate and Mr Saunders continues to enjoy his work. So, at 61, what does the veteran have planned for the future? “Well that’s up to (wife) Anne,” he said. “She works for Qantas and enjoys her job.” But Mr Saunders said he had purchased a caravan and now enjoyed annual fishing trips with his Townsville school mates, something he wants to do more of.
located throughout Australia and internationally.
Customs Brokers International Freight Forwarders Container Transportation 296 Boundary Street, Townsville Qld 4810
Phone: (07) 4772 2400
Fax: (07) 4772 3121
www.nqcs.com.au
Queensland Nickel feature
The Mining Advocate | July 2014
31
Search on for more feed stock Queensland Nickel is casting its net ever wider to secure additional sources of feed stock for the refinery as production continues to improve. Director of operations at the refinery, Peter Cream, said in 2013/14 a record 25,380 tonnes of nickel compacts were produced through the refinery`s Line 1 production facility. Total production of all nickel products at the refinery reached 33,287 tonnes - a few hundred tonne shy of the total nickel site record and a substantial effort considering production interruptions due to cyclones in
the first half of this year. “The QN team have continued to work towards achieving a fantastic production result in challenging circumstances through FY14,” Mr Cream said. “It was the highest total of nickel compacts to be processed on one line at the plant, so it’s important we have flexibility in our future feed stock sources.” Mr Cream is overseeing a trial shipment of intermediate mixed hydroxide product (MHP) - a partially refined nickel concentrate from the Ramu mine near Madang in Papua New Guinea.
QN receives the bulk of its ore supply through its bulk loading Berth Two facility at the Port of Townsville, but this shipment is arriving in one-tonne bags and will be unloaded at the port in mid-July. “We have had the material tested and the recovery figures look promising,” Mr Cream said. “We will further evaluate the labour component of getting the bags off the vessel and into the refinery.” The trial shipment of 18,000 tonnes is scheduled to be run through the refinery in the first quarter of the new financial year
QN’s voice of experience Doug Warrington can lay claim to being the Yabulu nickel refinery’s “I’ve Been Everywhere Man” - a line made famous by Australian singer Lucky Starr. A veteran of 34 years with Queensland Nickel, 54-year-old Mr Warrington was a butcher by trade when he started work at the refinery. He began his career as a utility man and has since worked in most areas associated with the refining of nickel, which has culminated in his latest position as a training officer. The keen greyhound racing enthusiast, who has a team of 25 racers in Townsville and “good one” racing in Brisbane, stopped work at the refinery only hours after he started. “I arrived on job and spent a couple of hours doing my induction before heading out to work only to be told by the workers that we were on strike 30 minutes later,” he said. But that was a minor glitch in his association with the refinery. “I have enjoyed every day
and Mr Cream said he would have a better idea of the viability of the trial after that. QN’s Brolga mine near Rockhampton, which shipped ore via rail in 2012, is back in operation and stockpiling feed stock. Mr Cream said the mine was located close to the Bruce Highway with rail, road and shipping being studied as transport options. Trials have been conducted on the recovery rate of the ore body along with laboratory analysis to understand what the nickel recovery through the refinery will be. “So far the trials have been in line with our expectations,” Mr Cream said. It is envisaged that about 60,000 tonnes of nickel will be transported to the refinery each month if the trials prove successful.
A team of geologists is assaying other areas on the site plus looking at another tenement, Marlborough, on the other side of the Bruce Highway as a future feed stock operation for the refinery. QN port crews unload up to 82 ships annually at Berth Two, working around the clock every day to load three 40-wagon trains which run a shuttle service to and from the refinery. Intermediate nickel hydroxide cake (NHC), shipped from Vale in New Caledonia is also being introduced as feedstock to the refinery. Mr Cream said the grade of nickel within ore delivered to the refinery was about 1.5 per cent whereas intermediate feedstocks contained 10-20 per cent nickel - making them an attractive proposition.
Fuel conversion project to save millions of dollars
Training officer Doug Warrington looks over a training manual in his office at the Queensland Nickel refinery north of Townsville.
working at the refinery, I look forward to each day,” he said, even though he admitted to being a little daunted when he took on his latest position. “I had some problems with the computer but I had good people who helped me out,” Mr Warrington said. He is now quite at home with power-point presentations and spreadsheets. “I suppose I was asked to
do the training job because I had worked in so many areas of production,” the former team leader and relieving shift supervisor said. He sees his job as much more than simply quoting from training manuals. “I try to get the culture of how we work in the areas of safety and I try to impart some of the skills I have acquired over the years,” Mr Warrington said.
Queensland Nickel will embark on a massive fuel conversion project in 2015 switching much of the plant’s operation to coal seam gas (CSG) and coal instead of fuel oil. The refinery’s director of operations manager, Peter Cream, said the project had the potential to nearly halve the annual fuel bill of $110 million when complete. Capital expenditure for 2014/15 includes $15 million to convert the refinery’s paddle mixer to metallurgical coal. Chief financial officer Daren Wolf said the challenge facing the team tasked with the project was coming up with the most effective method of delivering the coal to the top of the refinery’s 10-storey roasters. The conversion actually began 12 months ago with conversion of one of the refinery’s 12 roasters to CSG. A total of $11 million has been spent on installing new burners and the associated control system. Mr Cream said converting the remaining roasters to CSG would take about two and a half years to complete. He said fuel oil was the single biggest ongoing energy cost for the refinery. “The plan is to run the gas-fired roaster for a month or two to see what the recovery rate is like,” Mr Cream said. The refinery already has a gas pipeline running into the plant.
Creative solutions come up trumps in cost cutting The simple way to cut costs is reduce the head count of a business, and with a $90 million wages bill every year at the Queensland Nickel refinery and port operations that would seem a logical place for the number crunchers to focus. This was never an option for owner Clive Palmer and managing director operations Ian Ferguson, who looked elsewhere to more creative solutions that not only save money but create ongoing efficiencies. The refinery’s Cell Three (tailings dam) wall is being raised by 5m to withstand a onein-100-year storm event and is costing about $10 million. Instead of outsourcing much of the work to contractors, senior management has opted to in-source the project and also purchase equipment needed to undertake the job.
QN procurement manager Martin Brewster was tasked with overseeing the implementation of the project - which will yield long-term cost savings well after it is completed in November. The 10 Caterpillar 740 articulated dump trucks (ADTs) and three Cat 740 articulated
water trucks being used at the dam site will be assimilated into the plant’s fleet of seven Cat 740 ADTs. “The refinery fleet is seven years old. They run seven days a week, 24 hours a day,” Mr Brewster said. “By having newer vehicles of the same model in reserve there
Equipment purchased to raise the tailings dam walls.
won’t be any disruption of ore feed to the refinery.” Cell One’s retaining wall will be raised in 2015 and Mr Brewster is confident that project will come in at well below the $10 million being spent on the current project, which also included $4.3 million for the equipment. Mr Brewster also pointed to a change in methodology used to despatch items from the warehouse, which yielded a windfall of $10.5 million recently. With more than 300,000 spare parts and material in the warehouse, it can be easy to lose track of items, according to Mr Brewster. He said there was often no way of knowing if the items ordered had been used. “First we ordered a businesswide recall of unused spare parts and materials, which turned out to be worth $10.5 million,”
he said. “Then we introduced a requirement that if the item was not used within two weeks it had to be returned.” With $52 million worth of inventory and a $5 million annual budget, the refinery and port operations are hungry beasts. The procurement team consists of 25 people - seven in the warehouse, four in purchasing, two dealing with contracts, three dealing with heavy fuel oil and chemicals and three based in Beijing tasked with overseeing the fabrication of bespoke equipment and other inventory. Mr Brewster looked to China for certain products that could be delivered much cheaper than those sourced locally and within Australia. “The local prices have become more competitive recently and it is QN’s policy to support local businesses where possible,” he said.
32
Queensland Nickel feature
July 2014 |
The Mining Advocate
Palmer proud of saving plant Clive Palmer says the performance of the Palmer Nickel and Cobalt Refinery since he acquired the Yabulu plant, outside Townsville, five years ago has been one of the most satisfying of his business career. Mr Palmer bought Queensland Nickel from BHP Billiton in July, 2009, when the plant was facing closure. “BHP Billiton was going to shut the plant down which would have been devastating for the 800-strong workforce at the plant and their families,” he said. “It would also have had catastrophic impact on the city of Townsville and the entire regional economy and we believed the plant had to be saved and we did so with the support of then Queensland Premier Anna Bligh. “In the first two years after we bought the refinery it went from strength to strength thanks to the dedication of all our staff and management. “And five years later, the plant is still going strong and supporting thousands of people in the Townsville region, including hundreds of local service
industries. Most importantly, Queensland Nickel creates billions of dollars in exports for the state and national economy.” There have been a number of historic events at Queensland Nickel during Mr Palmer’s time as owner. In what was believed to be the greatest giveaway by an Australian employer in the nation’s history, Mr Palmer famously played Santa Claus and rewarded hard-working staff with a Christmas bonanza in 2010. Mr Palmer provided 50 Mercedes Benz sedans, 700 international holidays and 50 weekend getaways to Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas to his workforce in an amazing festive season gesture. Staff and their families were also treated to a massive $2 million Christmas party at Reid Park in Townsville. “The prizes were so big because the workforce at Queensland Nickel simply deserved it,” Mr Palmer said. The refinery has gone on to complete further milestones as it celebrates 40 years of operations
Clive Palmer is proud of what he has achieved since taking over Queensland Nickel in 2009.
in 2014. Queensland Nickel managing director Clive Mensink said the refinery this year reached one million tonnes of nickel production since 1974 as well as achieving an annual record
of more than 36,000 tonnes of nickel and cobalt production. “These are great milestones, not just for Queensland Nickel but for all of the Townsville region and the entire state of
Queensland,” Mr Mensink said. “The milestone reinforces a commitment that we have to this country, to this state, and to this region to ensure the sound operations of the refinery. “The trading milestone reflects the importance of the Palmer Nickel and Cobalt Refinery to the North Queensland economy, with the imported ore being the largest product by both volume and value processed through the Port of Townsville. “This milestone is a tribute to a tremendous legacy of hardworking men and women, since the refinery was commissioned in 1974. “As circumstances have changed over the years, these men and women demonstrated the ability to adapt for the success of the refinery. This commitment and dedication has been passed on to the current generation of men and women and puts Queensland Nickel in good stead not just for the present but, importantly, for the future.”
Lab team crucial to business success Like any manufacturing business, quality control is everything. Get it wrong and you are out of business. Queensland Nickel is no different, with a team of 24 chemists and technicians manning the quality assurance laboratory 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Their collective role is focused on three key pillars - quality, quantity and cost. Chemist and development leader John Fittock said quality assurance team members tested various ore bodies for
potential returns, tweaked the precipitation kettle (vessel) during the refining process and prepared data for other experts on the staff to use for making business decisions. Mr Fittock has worked for QN for 32 years and is also involved in a major project associated with switching the refinery’s roasters to coal seam gas (CSG) from fuel oil. “There has been a pilot project going on for the past 12 months on one of the roasters,” he said. “During that period laboratory tests have been undertaken to
check the effectiveness of the CSG process.” QN is also a significant producer of cobalt powder used widely in the manufacture of lithium ion batteries which power many portable electronic devices, including mobile phones. Cheryl Lucas is also a chemist by profession and is the manager of technical marketing. Ms Lucas works closely with the refinery’s marketing staff and clients to ensure products like cobalt meet very specific parameters.
“Refined cobalt is in a powder form and clients using the product often want the powder grains at a particular size,” she said. “Refined cobalt powder grains are typically under 50 microns.” Cobalt powder is sold in 500kg bags and fetches about $US29,000 per tonne. Ms Lucas said about 85 per cent of what was produced at
the refinery went into electronic products but it also had applications in ceramics and paint. “The electronics market direction at the moment is highvoltage cathode material and my role is to work with clients to produce a product that satisfies their requirements,” she said. “The analytical process is very important.”
Panel ensures best practice Queensland Nickel has moved to silence criticism in the media suggesting that the refinery at Yabulu is an accident waiting to happen with the potential to endanger the Great Barrier Reef. Managing director of operations at the refinery and port, Ian Ferguson, in conjunction with Professor George Lukacs, has assembled an Independent Science Panel (ISP) of eminent scientists from across the country to meet regularly to ensure best practice is in place at the refinery site at Yabulu, 25km north of Townsville. Former James Cook University scientist and the immediate past president of the World Wide Society of Wetlands Scientists, Professor Lukacs was appointed as director of environment and sustainability. He was engaged to review QN’s Water Management
Plan. Working with him is a five-strong team of three environmental scientists plus two assistants who number among their regular assignments running checks on a range of monitoring equipment and the collection of water samples and overseeing the tailings dam water balance. The ISP of 12 scientists from as far away as South Australia has met about 10 times since the group was established last year. Mr Ferguson said no major issues had been identified in that time “as we have been fully compliant”. “I was disappointed with the media coverage in the wake of Cyclone Ita in April. Reports that sludge had escaped from a tailings dam was just lies,” he said. “About 10mm of water did go over the spillway of Cell
Three (tailings dam) but it was captured within our on-site management plan and no noncompliant water escaped to the sea.” Mr Ferguson said a representative of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the State Government’s Department of Environment sat as ex-officio members of the ISP. He said QN had acted on a number of recommendations from the ISP. These included broadening the initial ISP membership to include additional expertise (such as water treatment technology, aquatic toxicology and wetland hydrology), enhancing the site water balance capabilities and creating a Queensland Nickel site water management plan.
John Fittock and Cheryl Lucas in the QN laboratory.
Photro: Allison Bessell
REGIONAL ROUND-UP
July 2014 |
The Mining Advocate
Mackay
Cairns
The Mackay Whitsunday Regional Economic Development Corporation has shut up shop as the Mackay Regional Council prepares to take a more proactive role on the city’s economic future, the Daily Mercury reported. REDC board chairman Jeff Stewart-Harris told the newspaper the board decision was made because the new financial year would bring a renewed focus on economic development opportunities for Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday as a result of the significant economic shift in the past 18 months. Mr Stewart-Harris said the new model of economic development from July 1 would include stronger collaboration between the regional economic development network and locally based industry groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, Mackay Area Industry Network (MAIN) and the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, and focus on new opportunities that came from the Diversify Mackay forum.
The developers of the proposed $8.15 billion Aquis resort at Yorkeys Knob predict that the two casinos and other facilities it brings will inject more than $52 billion into the region’s economy over 15 years. The Cairns Post reported the projected economic benefits as an Environmental Impact Statement was released for public comment recently. The Aquis development proposal includes 7500 hotel rooms, a convention and exhibition centre and entertainment facilities including waterways, a golf course and sports centre. The resort would be developed on a 343ha site about 13km north of Cairns, most of which is currently used for growing sugar cane. The Queensland Co-ordinator-General is conducting a single assessment on behalf of the State and Federal governments, with consultation running until August 5.
Townsville A future fund to pay for infrastructure crucial to the development of northern Australia was among the ideas floated at the recent Northern Development Summit in Townsville. Former Northern Territory chief minister Paul Henderson said there needed to be an independent authority set up to pursue the northern development agenda without being held back by political cycles, the Townsville Bulletin reported. “We need an independent monetary authority, some entity with real teeth … and it will take courage for governments to commit to this,” he said. World Bank senior economist Douglas Zeng told the summit – hosted by independent think tank ADC Forum - that a special economic zone in northern Australia could be set up to overcome disadvantages like high labour costs and a rigid regulatory environment. Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill described the summit as the biggest forum of its type to come to the city and said it had attracted interest from around Australia and internationally.
Mount Isa A bold vision for north-west Queensland could mean thousands of new jobs created and thousands more people moving to the region, Premier Campbell Newman said. Mr Newman recently launched the North West Queensland Strategic Development Study, which identified key local industry development opportunities and infrastructure priorities to further unlock the region’s economic potential. The study, led by Mount Isa to Townsville Economic Development Zone (MITEZ), identified four key strategic development priorities including new mine exploration and development; irrigated and intensified agriculture; energy generation, security and export; and supply chain productivity, efficiency, and reliability. The North West Star said the study named a deep water access channel at Karumba as one step towards an optimum north-south transport link to Asian regions. There was also a recommendation to make Mount Isa an international airport. Cloncurry Mayor Andrew Daniels told the newspaper the “Asian Century” may have to wait till next century, because it would take that long for the North West to have water security and affordable energy.
Sunshine Coast
Monto Canadian company Melior Resources plans to reopen the Goondicum ilmenite mine, creating about 50 jobs, after buying out owner Belridge Enterprises. ABC News reported that the purchase included an agreement to spend $15 million to restart the mine in exchange for shares. The Goondicum mine closed last year, with the loss of 35 jobs, due to falling prices for ilmenite - a mineral used in products including paint and plastics as well as industrial applications such as blast furnace lining. North Burnett Mayor Don Waugh told the Central Telegraph that news of the Melior Resources plans was a boost for the town of Monto. Cr Waugh also hoped the company would go ahead with the construction of a new road that would reduce the drive to Gladstone port by more than half. Newly appointed chief executive officer of Melior Resources - Mark McCauley, who was the ilmenite mine’s managing director under Belridge, said the board would have to ensure the operation would be financially viable before making a final decision on reopening.
A long-running battle over a planned quarry at Yandina Creek Rd has culminated with a court ruling in favour of quarry operator Parklands Blue Metals on appeal, Quarry magazine reported. The Planning and Environment Court of Queensland decision came five years after the development application was put to the local council and refused, the magazine said. The local community had raised $200,000 to back Sunshine Coast Council’s decision to refuse the quarry development and members were left devastated when the planning court ruled in favour of the developer, the Sunshine Coast Daily reported. During a two-year period, residents had rallied to the Yandina Creek Progress Association’s No Blasted Quarry campaign, the newspaper said. Quarry magazine said the Yandina Creek Rd quarry would have an output of 350,000 tonnes per annum, with a maximum permitted output of 500,000 tonnes per annum in times of peak demand, and was expected to have a life of about 40 years.
Dalby Former billionaire Nathan Tinkler has hit the coal comeback trail with the $150 million purchase of Wilkie Creek mine. The Courier Mail reported that Mr Tinkler said he would like to re-employ the 200 people who lost their jobs when Peabody closed the mine in December. Mr Tinkler - dubbed the bogainaire businessman - has been recently forced to sell off investments in coal companies and his horseracing property Patinack Farm to pay debts. The Australian Financial Review quoted a coal industry executive, who had investigated buying Wilkie Creek, as saying that if Peabody had been unable to make the mine work financially two years ago when thermal coal was selling at $US100 a tonne, it would be even more difficult for Mr Tinkler with prices around $US70. But Mr Tinkler told the Financial Times that now - with thermal coal prices having halved in three years – was the time to invest the commodity. Morningstar analyst Matthew Hodge told The Courier-Mail the former pit electrician was merely doing what he had always done – taking a punt.
Toowoomba Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE) research shows 6500-10,000 jobs will be created during the first three years of the completion of the Wellcamp Airport, Toowoomba Second Range Crossing and QIC shopping centre redevelopment. A report commissioned by TSBE showed the Second Range Crossing would create an annual increase of 2356-6862 fulltime jobs, while the Wellcamp Airport would create more than 3100 fulltime jobs within the region and the QIC redevelopment would bring 1000 retails jobs once completed. TSBE chief executive officer Shane Charles said with such large infrastructure came great opportunity, with even further growth expected if other major projects, such as the Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail Project and New Acland Coal Mine Stage 3, got off the ground. “Toowoomba is finally coming of age and we are going to see some major growth within the next few years,” Mr Charles said. However, The Chronicle highlighted concerns that local housing stocks would be stretched by the region’s expected jobs boom.
Drive up productivity with Tait Voice and Data Be heard, stay safe, remain connected, improve productivity. Reliable radio communications are critical for the safety and productivity required for continuous mining operations. Tait DMR Tier 3 offers incredible value, capable of transmitting both voice and data in a cost-effective and highly reliable way, including personal location services and workforce management. Together with our Tait Solution Partners and Resellers across the globe, we are experienced and focussed on best practice, local support, open standards multivendor compatibility, and minimum impact migration plans. We have a range of radio communications systems to fit any situation, including P25 and analogue systems. Learn more at www.taitradio.com/mining