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NEWS
The Mining Advocate | September 2013
1
COVER IMAGE: Rocklands mine manager Andy Kehoe. Photo: Roslyn Budd
September 2013
FEATURES
3 Coalfields clash
10 Our Mining Heritage
An industrial relations battle in Collinsville is being likened to the Patrick waterfront dispute, as mining giant Glencore Xstrata ceases operations at its local mine pending new workplace agreements.
11 Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference feature
4 Naming rights
16 Industry Update - Coal and Gas News in brief across the coal and industries.
A dose of Aussie humour has gone into many mine names, not to mention reflections of hope or hardship. This edition explores some interesting and unusual titles.
17 Industry Update - Hard Rock A comprehensive wrap of exploration and operations in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
5 Hot ’Curry Copper is shining for Cloncurry, with the town experiencing a wave of investment and mining growth, including CuDeco’s new Rocklands mine - expected to be fully operational in August next year.
18 Between Shifts
20 Face time
21 Living Remotely
Meet a mine surveyor who was once a police officer plus a maintenance planner for North Queensland’s new Mt Carlton operation on our new industry profile page.
22 Building Mining Communities
20 Industry Profiles
23 Business to Business
23 Supply lines
24 Logistics
A successful Toowoomba business offers a few pointers on winning resources industry work, while Easternwell supply chain manager Brad McCotter provides his “tips from the top” for those seeking contracts with the big players.
25 New Products 27 CuDeco feature
CONTACTS p. (07) 4755 0336 f. (07) 4755 0338
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2
NEWS
September 2013 |
Date with destiny A gritty makeover involving a touch of dirt, grease and old hydraulic oil helped turn Jeff Constable into “Mr October” for the 2014 Men of Mount Isa calendar. Mr Constable reckons the pinup treatment and the subsequent ribbing he has received from mates is well worth it to assist the region’s helicopter rescue service. “I think it’s important, especially in smaller communities like Mount Isa, to help out where you can,” he said. “A lot of people come to town like this searching for the big money and taking with both fists, but never give anything in return. If everyone was able to donate something; be it time, money or just getting wiped down in filth with your shirt off underground on a Thursday afternoon, to some cause locally - you can only imagine what an even better place we would have to live.” All proceeds from sales of the calendar, being officially launched in September, go towards RACQ NQ Rescue. Its pages feature local men including State Member for Mount Isa Robbie Katter, city mayor Tony McGrady and Broncos league star Scott Prince. Mr Constable said he went to the same gym as NQ Rescue chief
executive officer Alex Dorr and got roped into the calendar gig after chatting to him one night about the rescue service. The Mount Isa Mines IT department field support officer said he had copped some flak
from friends as a result. “It kind of turned around on them when their girlfriends started asking them to come to the gym though… I’ve noticed a few less Cokes and a few more protein shakes around the place too,” he said.
Mount Isa Mines worker Jeff Constable’s calendar shot.
The Mining Advocate
QCoal proposals boost work hopes A raft of QCoal projects in the pipeline for the Collinsville area is a light on the horizon for the local community amid industry uncertainty, according to local businesswoman Samantha Whelan. Mrs Whelan and husband Michael own SAW Hire, a Collinsville-based business that provides relief operators and labour for the district’s mines. “SAW Hire has been going since May 2011,” Mrs Whelan said. “We thought there was an opportunity for someone local to provide relief operators, and there are a lot of young people in town who needed to be taught some skills and nobody was willing to give them a go. ” The firm has provided labour for the Xstrata Collinsville mine and QCoal’s Sonoma mine as well as being involved in the construction of the nearby Jax bulk sample project. It also runs a concrete batching plant in Collinsville that frequently supplies services to the mines. QCoal is in the approvals phase for the Drake and Jax coal projects outside Collinsville and the proposed $1.5 billion Byerwen coal project, about 100km south of Collinsville and 20km west of Glenden. “We are making significant progress on our two major projects, Drake and Byerwen,” QCoal chief financial officer James Black said. “We are hoping to receive government approvals on these projects within the next two years, which will mark the start of numerous workforce and mine supply opportunities.” Mrs Whelan said the projects offered hope at a time when morale was a little down in the region. “I think a lot of people are looking towards QCoal to start these other mines to bring new families in the town to create a better community and keep our local business and schools alive, ” she said. Mrs Whelan said she hoped Glencore’s recent actions at the Collinsville mine delivered improved productivity and safety to ensure the operation’s long-term viability, but that the company would also have consideration for the families of Collinsville and keeping the community strong. QCoal’s Byerwen Mine is expected to create up to 350 construction jobs and support about 500 operational positions, with similar numbers also for Drake. Mr Black said the company encouraged workers to live locally and supported community initiatives to help make the towns near its coal projects better places to live.
NEWS
The Mining Advocate | September 2013
3
Employment battleground An IR showdown is brewing in a coal community known for solidarity, writes Dominique Kimber. A stand-off between Glencore Xstrata and its Collinsville workforce echoes the highly charged 1998 Patrick stevedores waterfront dispute and the Gordonstone mine dispute, an employment relations expert says. Griffith Business School Professor David Peetz said the action taken by Glencore Xstrata to cease operations in Collinsville could provoke a strong community and union reaction, similar to those cases. “The two disputes that this most closely resembles are those involving Patrick stevedores and
Gordonstone mine in the 1990s, in that in both cases the company tried to sack its workforce and reengage a potentially new one,” he said. “At Patrick’s the workforce was eventually reinstated. In Gordonstone it wasn’t, but the company (ARCO) eventually had to sell the mine to someone else.” Glencore Xstrata suspended operations at its Collinsville mine at the end of August pending an agreement over employee contracts. CFMEU mining division Queensland president Stephen Smyth labelled Glencore Xstrata as un-Australian for its actions
The locked gate on the road to the Collinsville mine.
in his home town. “Glencore has maintained that they won’t be opening the mine any time soon. They have no desire to accept, employ or even give interviews to the existing Collinsville mine employees,” Mr Smyth said. “It is personal to me having grown up in the town and worked there. It’s personal because my brother lost his job and I know plenty of people who have worked there over the last 30–35 years who have lost their jobs. I can’t believe that in 2013 a company can just throw people on the scrap heap.” Mr Smyth said the CFMEU was considering the best way to respond to the mine closure. It was considering legal options and action including community protest lines. Glencore Xstrata says the Collinsville mine has been losing money over the past 18 months and that decisions have been made according to poor market conditions and increasing production costs. “We believe there can be a profitable future for mining at Collinsville, but only if we make certain changes. A critical part of the long-term plan for Collinsville will be increasing labour and equipment productivity, whilst maintaining a safe workplace at
the mine,” a Glencore Xstrata Collinsville, Scottsville, Bowen and Glenden,” the company spokesperson said. “A number spokesperson said. of specific measures have been “Employing locally will allow outlined, including the need for us to continue to support the flexible workplace agreements ongoing sustainability of the local without restrictive work practices, communities and standard of living either collective or individual.” with our proposed agreement Prof Peetz says Glencore Xstrata offering higher annual salaries can expect significant retaliation and higher superannuation than from the local community. the existing Thiess agreement in “Collinsville is a town with a Collinsville.” lot of community solidarity and a • Community fights workers’ long radical tradition - perhaps the camp - Page 10 most radical of any coal mining communities,” he said. “It endured some very long disputes including a staydown strike in the 1950s, and these are all part of the local folklore. “The town will very likely unite against the company if it tries to bring in alternative labour and be much more effective in • Safety Audits and doing so than was the case Compliance Reviews at Gordonstone.” Glencore Xstrata says • Safety Management that despite community Systems Development concern, the company plans to employ locally. Professional and practical solutions at “We believe we will www.csmsafety.com.au be able to employ people committed to our future sales@csmsafety.com.au vision for the mine from Ph: 07 4723 7652 the local communities of
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4
NEWS
September 2013 |
The Mining Advocate
Miners make game of the name
Pioneer had bags of ideas
through a bloke’s mind when he was naming a mine, but tying a yarn to the mine it’s true, it’s the Aussie way of leaving a story behind.” In his book Angor to Zillmanton, stories of North Queensland’s deserted towns and mining camps, Mr Hooper tells the tale of stockman John Munro who named a town after a well-known brand of jam. In 1901 Mr Munro discovered a copper deposit in a small area near Mount Garnet in Queensland. Mr Munro also happened to find an empty tin of O.K. jam lying around. From this he named the town O.K and the mine became the O.K. Mine. Mines such as Hidden Treasure, Victory, Lucky Star, and Hope were given names hoped to bring good fortune. Other names including Last Chance, Poverty and Titanic
Mount Isa open-cut zinc mine Black Star is part of the Glencore Xstrata empire now but it originated from more humble beginnings. Mining author and Glencore Xstrata employee Barry Merrick says the naming of the Black Star mine in 1923 is an interesting tale. “In those days they transported ore in bags, and bags could get mixed up so they had to be marked and labelled as to which mine they were from,” he said. “In the early days they didn’t have service stations every block like we do today, and they actually had to carry their fuel around with them. What these guys had was a Texaco petrol can, so they cut the red star out of the Texaco tin and flattened the tin as a stencil. Then they mixed up a slurry of charcoal and water from the ash from the fire and they rubbed it into the stencil to
Shrimp Battery in the Ewan area, between Charters Towers and Greenvale.
Many historical sites bear the mark of Aussie humour or hope, writes Dominique Kimber. Near the town of Ewan in North Queensland there is a cluster of old mines named after fish.
Sardine, Groper, Tinfish Trevally, Barramundi and Mackerel are just a few examples. The
Sardine Mine ore hopper.
make a black star mark on the bag. (William) Simpson was so happy with this mark that he christened one of his leases the Black Star.” The naming of Black Star set a trend for the naming of other
ironic thing about this is that Oakey Creek (the river that runs through the centre of this cluster) is not known for its good fishing - in fact it runs dry for most of the year. Mechanical engineer and Townsville-based historian Col Hooper says that old mine names are a reflection of the “Aussie way” of having a sense of humour, telling a story, or working towards a dream. “Sense of humour, that’s the Australian way of doing things I feel. There is a lot of tongue in cheek involved,”he said. Mr Hooper said almost all mine names had a story, a joke, or a dream behind them. “It’s hard to know what went
speak of the hard work and toil of the time. Mr Hooper said the naming of mines had now lost much of its imagination and freedom and suggested this was due to the presence of much bigger companies and organisations making the decisions. “I think because the bigger mines run things now the names don’t really reflect the individual and can be a bit boring,” he said. “Back then you had men coming over from Pommy land and they were in charge of their own destiny. Australian life and mining was a freedom, life was hard sometimes and people made it by the sweat of their brow and their own toil. The naming of mines, the telling of stories and the real mateship of the time were part of that freedom. It’s something that I feel has been lost today.”
mines in the area. “Once there was one star, the Three Star West, the Silver Star, The Roo Star, Roo Star North, Star of Bethlehem, Dark Star and many other stars followed in the area,” Mr Merrick said.
Ore bag markings sparked the Black Star mine name, author Barry Merrick says.
Wiring Harnesses need replacing?
Kym has a fitting solution A Middlemount mine employee with a head for figures and a passion for fashion has launched a female workwear range, including hi-vis maternity gear. Kym Clark is the brains behind the She’s Empowered range, a concept she has been working on since January 2012. “I was working on site at the time and my manager was pregnant and couldn’t do up her work shirt,” she said. “I thought what day and age are we in that a woman can’t go to work in a uniform that fits?” Ms Clark tinkered about with her initial designs for some time before having samples made in August last year. The clothing is now manufactured at an Australian factory and offshore. She said she had received an overwhelming response after recently starting to promote the line through news media and online. While other workwear brands produced specific lines for women, Ms Clark said she was focusing on good fit – with a range of designs planned to suit different body types. “And we are the industry first for a maternity range – no one has brought that out before,” she said.
Ms Clark, a trained accountant from Bowen, has held a number of positions with Anglo American – working in Brisbane and the Middlemount-based Capcoal operations.
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5
NEWS
The Mining Advocate | September 2013
Boom times for Cloncurry The outback Queensland township of Cloncurry is enjoying a boom as local copper ventures blossom. CuDeco’s Rocklands mine
about 20km north-west of the town is expected to be fully operational by the final quarter of 2014. It will result in about 160 permanent jobs at the mine site plus many others involved in supply chain services. Meanwhile Cloncurry-based CopperChem, which is mining three open pits in the area, plans to extend mining to its Mt Colin lease 60km • Confined Space Entry west of town in January next year. Systems and Support The CopperChem • Locum Safety Advisors process plant may also take ore from the • Safety Training and Barbara copper-gold Education project, which a sister Professional and practical solutions at operation also owned www.csmsafety.com.au by Washington H Soul Pattison proposes to sales@csmsafety.com.au develop with Syndicated Ph: 07 4723 7652 Metals under a recently
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signed memorandum of understanding. “We are expanding fairly rapidly,” CopperChem chief executive officer Brendan James said. “We will bring more deposits online in the next five years and will increase employment accordingly.” Cloncurry Shire mayor Andrew Daniels is bullish about his home town’s future and the facts and figures he cites to underscore his confidence are hard to dispute. He points to 18 per cent growth in the shire over the past two years and a jump in housing stocks from 1000 to 1400 during the same period. Ratepayers haven’t faced an increase in council rates for five years and a $3.5 million waste water treatment plant is being commissioned and should be online in October. Cr Daniels said the plant would meet the town’s needs for at least another five years. Building approvals for the past
Cloncurry is seeing a surge of investment.
two financial years total more than $17 million, a substantial sum for a township which has an “official” population of 3700 but according to Cr Daniels is probably nearer 5000. Included among the approvals is a $6.5 million upgrade to national accommodation provider Discovery Holiday Parks’ facility offering 148 units, a dining hall and laundry. The Woolworths supermarket completed a $2 million refurbishment in 2011/12 and according to Cr Daniels has returned a growth figure of 8.5 per cent, among the highest in Australia. Asked what was the key driver behind the town’s revival, Cr Daniels said it was quite simple. “We are a proactive council, if
Photo: Roslyn Budd
(businesses) want support, they need to support us,” he said. The CuDeco operation supports a “work and live in Cloncurry” policy with17 per cent of its mine site staff of indigenous descent - the vast majority from the local district. Cr Daniel said the geographical location of Cloncurry was another positive with significant mineral deposits and large cattle holdings in the district. “The mines around here have 10 to 20-year forecasts (for production) so it’s a great opportunity for the locals to forge ahead,” he said. “There are no dull days. It’s hard trying to keep up with what’s going on.” • CuDeco feature – Pages 27-32
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6
REGIONAL ROUND-UP
September 2013 |
The Mining Advocate
Bowen
Townsville
Labor Environment Minister Mark Butler’s pre-election decision to “stop the clock” for three months on his department’s assessment of the dredging proposal for the Abbot Point coal terminal drew a mixed response. Bowen Collinsville Enterprise chairman Stephen Darwen told the Bowen Independent that while the delay was not good for town morale at the time, it had a positive side with the election looming. ``Whoever will sit in the Environment Minister’s chair after September will be the person responsible for permits to see a future for Abbot Point and therefore will have no one to blame for any previous decisions,’’ he said. While sitting Member for Dawson George Christensen labelled the delay ``a kick in the guts for the people of Bowen”, Abbot Point Action Group spokeswoman Maria Macdonald told the paper she welcomed the decision ``as it allows more time for a thorough and detailed decision in light of new information”. The Queensland Resources Council has described environmentalists’ campaign against the work as deceitful and says it is part of a broader push to shut down the coal industry.
Historian Geoffrey Blainey challenged the major parties to give North Queensland statehood to advance northern development Prof Blainey, in Townsville for the Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference, told the Townsville Bulletin it was a great anomaly Australia had six states and all of them were based in the temperate or sub-tropical zone. He was speaking after pre-election commitments to northern development from both major parties – with Tony Abbott promising to release a White Paper on northern development within 12 months of gaining office, while Kevin Rudd announced a Labor government would consider introducing a discounted company tax rate of 20 per cent in the Northern Territory. Regional development group MITEZ (Mount Isa to Townsville Economic Zone) was delighted with the attention northern Australia received in the lead-up to the federal election, according to The North West Star. “Finally after years of working to send our message to Canberra, we now see the spotlight on Northern Australia and hopefully our region will benefit,” MITEZ president David Glasson told the paper.
Tieri Wheat farmer Paul Murphy is taking BMA to court, alleging it is attempting to devalue his property, The Morning Bulletin reports. The paper said Mr Murphy lodged an appeal in the Planning and Environment Court after discovering the coal giant had made an application arguing that part of his freehold land near Tieri should not be classified as strategic cropping land. He said he saw gaping holes in the Strategic Cropping Land Act, which he thought was supposed to protect farmers like him from mining companies. A BMA spokesman told the paper the company respected Mr Murphy’s right to lodge an appeal and that, because the matter was before the courts, it was inappropriate to make any further comment. CQ News said Mr Murphy’s property bordered BMA’s underground Crinum operation and produced organic crops. “Up until now they’ve been pretty good neighbours,” the farmer told CQ News. “Now they’re those neighbours that you just don’t want.”
Chinchilla The underground coal gasification (UCG) sector is disappointed it will not yet be allowed to develop the technology commercially in Queensland, ABC News reports. The Newman Government recently released the final recommendations of an independent scientific panel examining the future of the state’s UCG industry. While the government will permit Carbon Energy and Linc Energy to continue their trials in the Chinchilla district, it was recommended that no commercial facility commence until successful decommissioning was demonstrated. Carbon Energy said the State’s “no-risk” approach was a standard not applied to other resource projects, ABC News reported. Linc Energy chief executive officer Peter Bond said the continuation of the trials ended uncertainty over the industry’s future, but he would have liked to see some limited form of commercial avenue allowed to go forward.
Toowoomba The family behind the successful Wagners civil construction group is building a $100 million jet airport in the Toowoomba area. The Australian newspaper reported that critics of the Wellcamp airport complained the Toowoomba Regional Council had approved it by ``sleight of hand’’ to assist the Wagner family to circumvent regulations. Wagners chairman John Wagner denied his company had been given special treatment, telling The Australian the project had met 130 conditions set by the council. The project, which is under construction, includes a 2.9km runway capable of taking Boeing 747s and heavy-lift Russian-built Antonovs as well as a major industrial park and shopping precinct. “From the inquiries we’ve had, it’s clear this will generate a whole range of industries we have never considered possible in this region ... especially in horticulture, agriculture and manufacturing,” Mr Wagner told The Chronicle newspaper.
Mackay-Nebo Two major billboards demanding an end to the use of 100 per cent fly in-fly out workforces on Bowen Basin coal mines have been installed on major highways as part of a Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) campaign. The billboards have been installed on the Bruce Highway at Farleigh, outside Mackay, and the Peak Downs Highway at Nebo. The prominent signs read: “100% FIFO for a job in our town? That’s not fair. I want to work where I live” and “We want to work where we live. Not 100% FIFO to our own town. BHP must create jobs for locals”. CFMEU Mining Division Queensland president Stephen Smyth says the campaign is about educating people about fairness of opportunity. “We’re not against people undertaking FIFO job positions but it should be about opportunity and choice,” he said. “What we’re seeing particularly in the coal industry is a reliance on FIFO in areas where communities already exist at an expense of the local community and jobs. “It raises questions of why not keep the jobs in the community where they already have the skills and housing. So that’s really a highlight of the campaign and has been a talking point of it.”
Gladstone Bechtel says a case of suspected sabotage has not delayed its work on the three major LNG plants being built in Gladstone. Workplace Health and Safety Queensland is investigating how several nuts went missing from a number of lifting devices at the QGC construction site on Curtis Island, according to ABC News. Bechtel’s Gladstone general manager Kevin Berg said if the equipment was intentionally damaged, the matter would be passed on to the police. “It does take some time obviously to go through and do those kinds of inspections and to verify the safety of the equipment that’s in place and to validate that it is safe,” he told the ABC. “That does take some time and effort and a number of people to perform the inspections but it doesn’t have a significant impact on the overall work activity.” The Observer reported that the suspected sabotage had been discovered during routine equipment inspections. Mr Berg told the paper it was “extremely distressing” that someone might have deliberately put workmates at risk.
North Stradbroke Island Queensland Natural Resources and Mines Minister Andrew Cripps says there is nothing untoward about plans to extend sand mining on North Stradbroke Island. Mr Cripps said it should come as no surprise the Liberal National Party government would allow mining past 2025 given that Premier Campbell Newman flagged the issue during the 2012 election campaign, according to NineMSN. Labor, which had legislated in 2011 to wind up mining on the island and create more national parks, said that miners had Mr Cripps’s ear and were hatching a “filthy dirty rotten deal”, the news service reported. Member for Cleveland Mark Robinson told the Bayside Bulletin that negotiations were under way between the State, sand miner Sibelco and the indigenous community to revert mining leases to “previously understood” timeframes. Mr Cripps told a Budget Estimates hearing the Government had asked Sibelco to draw up a strategy to exit mining on the island but had not done a “dirty deal” with the company, the paper reported. It said Sibelco’s proposal was to extend mining at Enterprise until 2035, shut operations at Yarraman by 2015 and relinquish other leases “ahead of the schedule”.
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8
NEWS
September 2013 |
The Mining Advocate
Geologist has fun on the fly A Townsville angler shares his Kiritimati adventure with Bruce Macdonald. Fly fishing enthusiast and Queensland Department of Mines geologist Warren Cooper has recently returned from fishing heaven in the Republic of Kiribati, a string of coral atolls strewn across the equator in the Pacific Ocean. The island of Kiritimati pronounced “Christmas” in the local Gilbertese - is a renowned fly fishing destination for anglers from all around the world. Mr Cooper’s two-week odyssey saw him stalk one of the ultimate piscatorial species on any sports angler’s list, the bone fish. Best described as a big whiting on steroids, the bone fish was the top priority for a 20-strong contingent of Australian Saltwater Fly Fishing Forum anglers who made the trip. Mr Cooper came up trumps with a host of exciting captures, the best around seven and a half pounds (3.4kg). And he has the requisite “one that got away” story of a ninepounder which stripped 100m of line on its way to freedom. Mr Cooper is based in Townsville in his day job, a fine fishing location in its own right. He is a minerals case manager assisting prospective miners through the various steps along the way to establishing a mining operation.
Like most anglers, Mr Cooper started off as a bait fisher, moving to lures until he discovered fly fishing about five years ago. “Fly fishing is something of an evolution for me, it’s a technical challenge,” he said. A confirmed catch and release enthusiast, Mr Cooper uses barbless hooks to free his captures to fight another day. He fashions his own flies and crafted a selection for the trip, which worked to great effect. What makes his passion for saltwater fly fishing so exciting is the fact it is based on stalking the target species, sighting them and presenting a fly close to the fish. Remarkably, he was fishing in ankle deep water in Kiritimati. “Bone fish will generally come in on the rising tide to feed on the flats and in the shallow water. Their backs are often out of the water as they swim about looking for their food,” he said. “Local guides take you by outrigger canoe to the various locations and help you sight the fish. It’s an exciting way to fish.” Apart from the bone fish, two sail fish were landed on fly by other members of the party along with a potential worldrecord claim for a trigger fish on any class of fly tackle.
Above - Queensland Department of Mines geologist Warren Cooper with an “above-average” bonefish.
Right - Morning ritual - a group of fishermen walks to an outrigger to travel to the flats in pursuit of bone fish.
Indigenous training boost QGC and Dalby-based construction company Ostwald Brothers have joined forces to promote indigenous training and employment. Skilled applicants now have the opportunity to complete a three-week intensive course in operating heavy machinery using safe, state-of-the-art simulators. The simulators recreate realistic scenarios in operating
a grader, scraper and excavator, with the trainee seated at controls behind a digital display to experience all aspects of plant equipment operation in readiness for joining a team on site. Ostwald Bros chief executive officer Brendan Ostwald said the course provided remote and regional communities with the opportunity to access training they may not have otherwise.
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“This is an excellent opportunity to develop industrylevel skills through personalised learning with experienced trainers and will significantly boost the employment prospects of the successful participants,” he said. “Innovative training is a business priority for Ostwald Bros because it enables us to stay agile in a very competitive market.” QGC vice-president of sustainability Brett Smith said the gas company was proud to be supporting a program that increased employment opportunities for indigenous people. “We’ve seen 12 people complete the training with outstanding results, and more than half of them are being offered work immediately after the course,’’ Mr Smith said. “Industry benefits when we have a pool of candidates trained with the right skills.”
Battle of the Mines to feature Origin clash This year’s Battle of the Mines coalfields tournament, to be held in Emerald on October 19, is shaping up to be a big event, according to Queensland Rugby League development and education officer Andrew Lawrence. “We’re still waiting on final nominations but Lake Lindsay, Callide Dawson, Grasstree and Kestrel are among those involved so far,” he said. The Stellar Recruitment Battle of the Mines tournament will end with a Queensland versus NSW State of Origin game with ex-Origin players. “Chris Walker, PJ Marsh, Adrian Vowles are just a few of the names of guys who have already expressed interest,” Mr Lawrence said. All money raised in the 2013 tournament will go to the Men of League – a charity organisation that aims to assist people involved with rugby league during their times of need. Mr Lawrence said there was a strong emphasis on keeping the money raised within the local community. “Recently in the Central Highlands, Men of League helped out a bloke who had his face badly damaged in a game last year,” he said. “It helped him with medical bills while he was off work. We work really hard to keep the money local.” The hard rock Battle of the Mines is set down for October 19, with 2013 marking the 17th consecutive year mining’s north western hardmen contest the Australian Workers Union shield in Cloncurry. The highly rated Century Chariots make a return in 2013 after taking a leave of absence last year to play in an All Blacks carnival in Cairns.
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The Mining Advocate | September 2013
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The North Goonyella team prepares to go underground.
To the rescue Broadmeadow has proved top of the state’s coal crews in a peak challenge. The Broadmeadow emergency response team has pulled off an EK Healy Cup win for 2013 on top of victory at this year’s Queensland Mines Rescue Service Memorial Cup competition. North Goonyella took second place on home turf at the July 25 competition, followed by teams from Crinum and Oaky North. Last year’s allconquering crew from Kestrel was relegated to fifth place, chief assessor Ray Smith said. “They made a clean sweep last year (of the
Queensland and national competitions) so there was a bit of pressure on them and expectations,” he said. “Maybe that was it – or the other teams have just lifted their efforts.” Mr Smith said the performance of the Broadmeadow team was well above the rest of the field in the underground scenarios. “They missed out on only 41 points out of a possible 600 – well advanced on the other teams. The next one behind them was 30-odd points further back,” he said.
The scenarios included a challenge where the teams faced a simulated entrapment without their captains. Mr Smith said the top four EK Healy Cup performers would now face interstate squads at the Australian Mines Rescue Underground Competition at Cook Colliery on October 24. In addition to the team performances, Luke Addis from Broadmeadow won recognition as best captain at the EK Healy event and Dallas Dorney from North Goonyella won the Chief Inspector’s Trophy for excellence in first aid for the fourth successive year.
Mount Isa teams face off Four squads from Mount Isa Mines and Ernest Henry Mining faced off in a recent north-west Queensland mines rescue challenge. Mount Isa Mines emergency and protective services superintendent Darren Bracey said the 2013 event, hosted by Mount Isa Mines, provided an opportunity for teams to test their skills in realistic scenarios with quality feedback from experienced emergency response practitioners. The challenge included scenarios testing search and rescue skills, fire and hazardous chemical response, multi-casualty accident and road accident rescue, Mr Bracey said. Mount Isa Mines B Team took out the overall competition, with squad captain Kotabi Ilpola and vice-captain Greg Bostock leading squad members Tim Double, Doug Ball, Leo Corica and Nathan Thompson to victory. The Mount Isa C Team won the first aid award for their performance throughout the day. Meanwhile organisers have been forced to cancel the Darwin-based Northern Australian Emergency Response Competition for 2013. Three of six teams who had nominated
A Mount Isa Mines team evacuates a casualty to the safe environment of an ERB (Emergency Refuge Bay) as part of the underground fire scenario. Photo: Roslyn Budd
for the September event recently pulled out. Competition manager Linda Young blamed tough industry conditions for the disappointment, saying other rescue competitions througout Australia were also experiencing a decline in team nominations.
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OUR MINING HERITAGE
September 2013 |
Descendants of Herbert Ruff Caedyn Beauchamp (great grandson), Christene Beauchamp (granddaughter), Zachary Beauchamp (great grandson).
Development planned for disaster site
Camp concern Collinsville woman Christene Beauchamp lost her grandfather Herbert Ruff in the 1954 Collinsville mining disaster. Now Ms Beauchamp is among the local residents who are fighting against the approval of a 350-man workers’ camp planned for the site of the accident. “I could swear about that, I’m not happy with what they approved at all,” Ms Beauchamp said. “Out of respect, when that land went up for sale, the State Government should have purchased that land and put a memorial on it. “My mother was only seven years of age when my grandfather died and now my mum’s gone too, so I’m just terribly upset about the plans. It is personal to me. “I have nothing against the guy that does own the land - it’s his land and he can do what he wants with it but, at the same time, give the community the opportunity to raise the funds to buy it.” The community of Collinsville has started a Facebook action group named Save Collinsville in an effort to raise awareness on the issue and to build support. Mining Communities United president Donna Bulloch said the proposed camp would destroy the significance of the site where seven men lost their lives. “There’s potentially a huge camp going on right beside where these men have all died,” she said. “We’re really worried about it. Where it’s being built is on rural land so it’s private land. The disaster site is right adjacent to it.” The Whitsunday Regional
community action group was putting plans in place to prevent the camp in case the approval went ahead. “So ideally we want to take it over as a community and that’s where we’re at at the minute we’re trying to find out where we stand in taking over that land,” she said. “We’re really only looking into it but we would be very hesitant to hand it over to the current council, so we could care for it as
Herbert Ruff Council is processing an appeal against the approval of the camp and was unable to comment at the time of publication. The company planning the workers’ camp, Alataro, has said it would allow for a memorial walk to be built to honour the disaster site - but Ms Bulloch says that it isn’t enough. “The company has proposed that they put in a memorial walk to commemorate where the men died,” she said. “But the catch there is that the actual mine site where the men died is on mining lease and the company who want to build this camp haven’t even approached the mine and we know that for a fact. “Another thing is that if it (the memorial walk) is right beside a camp there is nothing stopping that company from shutting down the area due to noisy kids or families visiting the spot. “It’s a huge kick in the guts for the community.” Ms Bulloch said the
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a community. I think it would be a very sad day to see a camp go on such a beautiful spot. ‘‘It’s so quiet down there. Nobody has ever gone near it
or touched it because of the very fact that they respect the area. It’s almost sacred ground because those seven men were killed there.”
Memory of tragedy lives on On October 13, 1954, seven mine workers lost their lives when an explosion occurred in the Collinsville State Mine causing 900 tonnes of coal and stone to be blown apart and toxic carbon dioxide to be released. A mass funeral attended by more than 2000 people took place the following day, with 600 cars and trucks used to carry the mourners. Each year the people of Collinsville gather on memorial day to remember the lives that were lost. Collinsville Mining Communities president Donna Bulloch said descendants of the men who lost their lives still attended. “We don’t just remember the seven men who were killed in 1954, we remember all 26 miners that have been killed on Collinsville land,” she said. “It’s pretty sad, there are still descendants of those who lost their lives.”
“People can view all of the mining artifacts and hear the old miners talking of days gone by. There’s also a hologram reenactment of the disaster that happened that day. “We urge people to come down and check it out and see why this town is so passionate.”
Following an October 13 service this year at the Collinsville Workers Club, the public will be invited to visit the Coalface Experience museum free of charge. “Upstairs is the Coalface museum and we open it up to the public on memorial day free of charge,” Ms Bulloch said.
The 1954 Collinsville disaster funeral.
Photo: Collinsville Historical Society
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The Mining Advocate | September 2013 2013
Boss raises question of culture The Australian “she’’ll be right” culture can be a safety pitfall, warns Arrow Energy chief executive officer Andrew Faulkner. Mr Faulkner highlighted Australian culture and behaviour as a key issue for safety at this year’s Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference in Townsville. When he took over at Arrow Energy the company put processes and systems into place to improve its safety levels, Mr Faulkner said. “We acquired a young, entrepreneurial and fast-moving company whose key performance indicator was its share price and its key focus externally was the investor community,” he said. “What we also acquired was a company that I would politely call ‘fairly loose’ on the subject of safety. There wasn’t a senior safety person, and there were limited safety standards, limited safety plans, and a limited focus on the quality of reporting. “We put in a vice-president of safety, we put in Arrow HSE standards, procedures, processes, systems, annual plan, key performance indicators, all the good things, and we reinforced the 12 life-saving rules that
represent 95 per cent of all of the fatalities that have occurred in the oil and gas industry in the last 30 years.” Arrow is 100 per cent owned by Shell and PetroChina, who formed a 50/50 joint venture partnership to acquire the company in August 2010. In 2012 Arrow Energy was added to parent company Shell’s ‘watch list’ for its high safety risks. Mr Faulkner said this spurred the company on to investigate other ways that safety could be improved besides its systems and processes. “We live in Australia and there is a certain Australian
Andrew Faulkner Arrow Energy chief executive officer
culture prevalent throughout all industries. The safety performance in Australia is
worse than most of the world as a general average and it comes down to that culture of ‘she’ll be right’, ‘I can do it’, and ‘mateship’,” he said. “When we touched this subject with our staff it was clear that the attitude to safety was not where we wanted it to be, not if we wanted to be a top-quartile safety performance company that moves with a proactive attitude toward safety rather than the reactive approach. “We introduced the Visible Safety Leadership Improvement Program. Seven key themes all focused on culture and behaviours rather than systems and processes.
“It’s not that the culture is good or bad, but it’s a recognition that there is a culture there. There are threats and there are opportunities. “Mateship, if you get it wrong it’s about ‘us’ and ‘them’ - if you get it right it’s about being part of the same team and having each other’s back. “She’ll be right, Australians are passionate about she’ll be right. The down side means that procedures may not always be followed. “The upside is that Australians are incredible at doing things, so it’s a balance of she’ll be right… but within the rules.”
Delegates mine the latest information by Dominique Kimber The 2013 Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference drew 640 delegates and included more than 70 presenters in a range of concurrent sessions, innovation presentations and as keynote speakers. Queensland commissioner for mining safety and health Stewart Bell described the Townsville conference as an important event on the mining industry calendar.
“The conference theme was that safety is the one constant that needs to be applied in the mining industry,” he said. “Six hundred and 40 people came along to the conference this year, which was about 200 people less than last year. But we’re still pretty happy with that number because the people that turned up were health and safety people. It’s an opportunity for all levels of the industry to get together, network and talk about safety issues.” Mr Bell said there was a
lot of useful information for attendees to take back with them to mine sites. “We had 10 innovations that have been developed within the Queensland mining industry - we would like to see those being taken back to the various mine sites,” he said. “We also want people to go back talking about a range of things like risk assessment, health issues, talking about all sorts of crucial things to do with safety and health that can be taken back and applied.”
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September 2013 |
The Mining Advocate
2013
Change-out champs
Expert tackles weighty issue
A tool developed at Anglo American’s Capcoal operations to assist with the change-out of the 43kg brake callipers on 830E Komatsu trucks has claimed a major innovation award. The device - “Magnitude, The Magnetic Lifter” - took out the overall award for innovation at this year’s Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference. The tool came first in a field of more than 65 Queensland resource companies, 18 submissions and 10 finalists, being recognised as a creative and practical solution in health and safety. Capcoal Opencut Maintenance Workshop shift supervisor Evan Greenaway said a team design was created to provide a practical solution to safely lift and manoeuvre the brake callipers into place, avoiding unnecessary manual handling. “The change-out of one of these 43kg brake callipers requires two people and is a challenging manual handling risk due to the limited space available with the confines of the truck,” he said. “The design we came up with is a Capcoal Opencut original - it cost
In Australia 70 per cent of men and 56 per cent of women are considered overweight or obese and three out of every four miners are included in this category. Managing director of Core Health Consulting and author of The Real Man’s Toolbox ,Tammy Farrell, spoke about the implications of obesity for miners at this year’s Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference in Townsville. Ms Farrell says obesity is an issue that is hitting Australia hard. “Australia is spending up to $58 billion a year on this problem due to the medical implications, the social issues, the hospital facilities and then for carers’ fees. It really is something we need to get on top of, ” she said. “The medical implications include high blood pressure and cholesterol, leading to potential heart attack or stroke.” Ms Farrell said that aside from direct physical implications, obesity could play a big part in the mental health of mine workers. “We also see depression as a big factor,” she said. “A lot of the guys that I work with are dealing with being quite overweight and they are just really quite sad about it and disappointed in themselves. Depression really falls down that path.” Ms Farrell said that in order to combat obesity, individuals must have a look at their routine and their life choices. “The average worker’s lifestyle is an issue. Whether it’s drive indrive out or flying in-flying out,” she said. “When they go home after being on the work site for seven days it’s the pressure of having to do things around the house or spend time with the family. There’s no time for exercise because now it’s family time and time to do all of the things you haven’t been able to do over the last seven days. “There are mines that have the gyms set up, so there’s healthy choices there but those who really need to use them aren’t making the healthy choices. “Too many people are looking in the mirror and they’re not seeing the reality. As professionals, we need to help people realise that change is possible and they’re not a lost cause.’’
Innovation award for Capcoal invention
less than $3000 and has not been modified from any other piece of equipment.” Other innovation awards announced at the conference dinner went to Incitec Pivot, which was highly commended for its acid unloading arm sensor system, while a magnetic drill steel holder developed at Peabody Energy’s North Goonyella mine received the People’s Choice Award. Mount Isa Mines also
received a highly commended award for its Manual Task Risk Characterisation (MTRC) program - a systematic process of analysing manual tasks to effectively identify and control risks. “Mining is a physically demanding industry, so it stands to reason that manual task-related injuries are well represented statistically, however, this doesn’t mean we should accept these statistics,” Mount Isa Mines sustainable development manager
The award-winning brake calliper change-out tool.
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The Mining Advocate | September 2013 2013
Safety breaches are no joke Social media and internet crazes such as planking and the Harlem Shake have raised a host of new issues for employers regarding safety breaches, a lawyer warns. Cooper Grace Ward Lawyers partner Belinda Winter spoke at the Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference in Townsville on balancing the competing interests of exercising fair and reasonable treatment with ensuring high standards of safety compliance. Ms Winter said employers in mining must be careful when considering issues of safety breaches. “What often happens when an employer makes a dismissal decision for a serious safety breach is that they focus on the fact that there is a valid reason for terminating that person’s employment, but in the context of defending an unfair dismissal application, an employer needs to look at more than that,” she said. “They need to look at whether they have given the employee procedural fairness and they also need to consider whether the decision operates harshly on the employee. Often these last two steps are missed and employers
Belinda Winter Cooper Grace Ward Lawyers partner
then do not successfully maintain a dismissal decision.” The past year has seen a new craze emerge called the Harlem Shake, which involves a group of people recording themselves while dancing, some masked or in fancy dress. The recording is then uploaded and shared online via social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube. Last year a group of Barminco
employees was dismissed after a YouTube clip was posted of the Harlem Shake being performed in an underground mine. And in 2011 two resource workers in South Australia were dismissed after planking – a practice involving adopting a flat, rigid pose in an unusual situation. They had posed on top of a plant’s smokestacks, 60m off the ground, and published images of the stunt on social media. Ms Winter said such stunts could be highly damaging to the reputation of employers. “Practical jokes in the workplace isn’t new, what’s new is the impact of social media,” she said. “The fact that people are uploading these images on to Facebook, YouTube and the like has resulted in practical joking incidents, and their consequences, becoming hotly debated online, whether they’re right or wrong, and the employers can suffer from significant reputational damage as you can imagine with these sorts of images loaded online.” Ms Winter said there were a number of steps that needed to be taken by employers when
Underground miners featured on YouTube performing the Harlem Shake.
handling joke-related safety breaches. “If an employer is going to rely on a safety breach for a dismissal decision, it must be explicit about this when seeking a response from an employee. If an employer is asserting that an employee has acted unsafely and there is no written policy or practice in place stipulating the safe method, then that employer needs to give the employee an opportunity to prove that their actions were not unsafe. Employers’ documentation can let them down,” she said. “Train your employees in
your safety policies, undertake refresher training regularly so that you can prove that your employees are aware of policies, they’ve been trained in them, and that they understand them and understand consequences of breaching them. “Employers need to incorporate these into work practices and incorporate the requirement for employees to comply with safety policies in employment contracts so that there is no debate that they understand that their employment may be terminated if they engage in a safety breach.’’
THE AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION: PUTTING MINERS SAFETY FIRST ARE YOU WORRIED THAT YOUR ENTITLEMENTS AND WORKPLACE PROTECTIONS MAY BE UNDER THREAT? ONLY THE AWU - QUEENSLAND STRONGEST UNION - IS COMMITTED TO PROTECTING MINERS’ JOBS AND ENTITLEMENTS. THE AWU HAVE WORKED HARD OVER THE PAST 127 YEARS IN ENSURING THAT THROUGH THE GOOD TIMES AND THE BAD, WORKERS REMAIN STRONGER TOGETHER NOT AN AWU MEMBER YET? THEN JOIN THE AWU TODAY TO FIND OUT HOW TO PROTECT YOUR ENTITLEMENTS NORTH QUEENSLAND AWU MINING OFFICIALS: TOWNSVILLE-COWBOY STOCKHAM 0419 737990 MT ISA-HAG HARRISON 0428192985 FOR FURTHER QUERIES PLEASE CONTACT AWU BRANCH OFFICE TOLL FREE ON 1800 671 449 OR www.qld.awu.net.au BY STANDING TOGETHER AS A TEAM AWU MEMBERS CAN ENSURE THAT THEIR INTERESTS ARE PROTECTED Authorised by Ben Swan, The Australian Workers’ Union, Queensland
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September 2013 |
The Mining Advocate
2013
Police weed out synthetic drugs While researchers work to develop synthetic cannabis for medicinal purposes, illegal drug producers are benefiting from their findings and are promoting them as a way of beating drugtesting procedures in industries such as mining. The high potency of synthetic cannabinoids or fake weed which can be more than 100 times stronger than traditional marijuana, its instant effects, and the misleading label of it being a legal high are all factors drawing in users. Contrary to popular belief this synthetic substance is not legal and police are now cracking down on users and suppliers. State Drug Squad officer Detective Sergeant Clay Butler presented a seminar on the issue to members of the mining industry in Townsville. Sgt Butler says that the synthetic drug is popular because of what he describes as clever marketing by producers.
“When it first came out users thought that the synthetic stuff was natural but it’s not, it’s a psychoactive chemical that’s been added to green leaf material. It’s added to green leaf material for marketing, so it looks like it’s grown in the ground and people think it’s harmless. “It’s scary when you think about how cannabis affects
Not so good for you New and emerging drugs can have serious side effects for users, according to a Queensland support group. Lives Lived Well is a non-government organisation concerned with helping people suffering with drug, alcohol and other related addictions. Chief executive officer Mitchell Giles said there was mounting evidence that synthetic cannabis was more harmful than its natural counterpart as it could increase psychotic symptoms and seizures. Mr Giles said the scientific studies were yet to be done on the effects and with so much unknown about them, they should be avoided. Reported side effects of synthetic cannabinoids include: • paranoia • anxiety • racing thoughts • irritability • hallucinations • tremors • seizures • drowsiness • slurred speech • increased blood pressure • vomiting • chest pain
people and now we have something that’s 100 times stronger. “It’s not related to cannabis in any way other than what producers are making it look like and the effects it has on the user. “Why is it so popular? It beats drug tests, it’s available and it’s stronger.’’ There are commerciallyavailable synthetic cannabis tests for urine and saliva, however the detection is limited to specific known variants. Sgt Butler said the drug was hard to test for because it was still a relatively unknown substance. “This is why these drugs are used by mine workers and other industries that use drug testing,” he said. “It’s only new and we don’t actually know how it gets out of your body, so how do we identify it in testing? There are tests being developed for synthetic cannabis and most sites know about them.’’ Earlier this year, police conducted Operation Lima Steward, targeting the sale of synthetic cannabis in the Mount Isa district. In September and November 2011, synthetic drug compounds were added to the Drugs Misuse Regulation (1987), with further compounds covered under the extended definition of a dangerous drug as part of the Drugs Misuse Act (1986). One of the obstacles facing police is the rate at which new compounds of synthetic cannabis are created, but Sgt Butler says that recent changes in legislation
Synthetic cannabinoids are not legal and police are cracking down on users and suppliers. Photos: courtesy QPS
have made it a little easier. “There are thousands of compounds and there are thousands in the wings. They just keep on making them,” he said. “They just tweak the chemical structure and it becomes a whole new compound. “We have a thing in the Drug Misuse Act where it defines what a dangerous drug is, called an extended definition of a dangerous drug. ‘‘So basically we prove that they’re substantially similar in chemical structure
or substantially similar in pharmacological effect. We can prove the first part that the compound is the same but there are no human tests, so how can we prove that it has a substantially similar pharmacological effect. “As of the end of April this year we only need to prove one of the two factors. “Is our fight against drugs working? … It could be better. “I can’t give solutions, I’m giving the information so that everyone’s on the same page.’’
Senior Inspector of Mines Ian Ellison, speaking at the Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference in Townsville.
Radiation risks on the radar The re-introduction of uranium mining in Queensland has triggered a move from the Department of Natural Resources and Mines to develop health and safety regulations for Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM). Senior Inspector of Mines Dr Ian Ellison, speaking at the Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference in Townsville, said a lot of planning was involved when
it came to managing radioactive materials. “We are going to develop three guidelines - one for exploration, one for mining and one for processing of NORM,” he said. “We have called them Queensland Guideline One, Two and Three. “At this stage the exploration guideline is in draft form and it will form the template of how the other two will look.”
Dr Ellison said a radiation management plan was really only a “glorified risk assessment”. “Really the issue is how are current and future operations going to manage NORM,” he said. “Radiation is just another occupational hygiene issue that you should manage proactively in just the same way as noise and vibration.”
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The Mining Advocate | September 2013 2013
Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre
Leon Sheed (Redpath Australia), Mark Graveson (Redpath Australia) and Jason O’Brien (Skilled Group).
Eddie Gustavsson, Rohan Geyser and Anil Raidoo (all Incitec Pivot).
Bob Cox and Katrin Henn (both from Sick Pty Ltd).
Women in Mining and Resources Queensland (WIMARQ) networking function Jupiters, Townsville
Lauren Spencer (Kinetic Health), Jazmin Kesteven (JCU engineering student), Angie List (Onsite Health Solutions) and Caitlin Braddick (Corporate Bodies International).
Helen Scott (Corporate Bodies International), Claire Di Corletto (Kestrel) and Sarah Coffey (Kinetic Health).
Judy Bertram (QRC) with Felicity Hathaway, Sarah Purdue and Rhiannon Wilson (all Hays).
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INDUSTRY UPDATE COAL AND GAS
Adani powers up Adani Group’s Galilee Transmission (GTC) has announced a proposal for a 250km transmission line to power the development of the $5.9 billion Carmichael coal mine near Clermont in central Queensland. The line would link Powerlink Queensland’s Strathmore substation near Collinsville to a new Galilee substation to be located on Adani’s Moray Downs site, 10km east of the proposed Carmichael mine. Queensland Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney welcomed the proposal as a positive commitment by Adani to get the thermal coal project up and running. “The proposed development of this transmission line will remove a major barrier to the opening of other resource and commercial activities in the central Galilee Basin,” Mr Seeney said. “What GTC is proposing is the construction of a $300 million openaccess power line without adding any debt to the State’s balance sheet.” He said Adani had indicated it wanted to begin coal production at the Carmichael mine by 2016-17.
Milestone year ahead The next 12 months are shaping up as a milestone year for Bandanna Energy, says managing director Michael Gray. He was commenting as the company released its financial statements and annual report for 2012-13, with highlights including completion of the definitive feasibility study for its Springsure Creek coal mine project, 40km south of Emerald in central Queensland. Bandanna Energy was well placed to obtain the necessary project approvals over coming months, Mr Gray said. Mr Gray also noted that there had been a significant JORC-compliant resource upgrade for the project that occurred after June 30, increasing the maiden measured resource announced during the financial year by 35 per cent to 74 million tonnes.
September 2013 |
The Mining Advocate
Kestrel shifts gear
Healthy export trend The volume of Queensland coal passing through the major ports has returned to pre-GFC and pre-flood production, according to Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson. Mr Emerson said 16.257 million tonnes of coal moved through Queensland ports in July - the highest July total ever recorded. “Last year we saw the second highest movement of coking and thermal coal in Queensland’s history – 180.165 million tonnes in 2012-13 compared to 183.11 million tonnes in 2009-10,” he said.
Liberty on a roll
The new shearer and longwall at the Kestrel Mine Extension project.
Liberty Resources says recent drilling has confirmed excellent results at its Bowen Basin Coal Permit EPC 1949, 40km outside Moranbah. Within two weeks of the drill rig being mobilised, the discovery was being assessed for its economic potential to support a shallow open-cut coal mine, Liberty Resources managing director Andrew Haythorpe said. “Whilst share market conditions remain depressed, the company is now experiencing the best conditions for low-cost and rapid technical support and project advancement in eight years. Rigs, assay laboratories and technical personnel are all readily available,” he said.
China First forges ahead Waratah Coal’s proposed $6.4 billion China First coal mine and infrastructure development has received an approval for its environmental impact (EIS) statement from Queensland Coordinator-General Barry Broe. Brisbane-based Waratah Coal, owned by Clive Palmer, plans to build a 40mtpa thermal coal mine in the Galilee Basin near Alpha as part of its China First project. It plans to link the mine to a new coal terminal at Abbot Point near Bowen with a new 453km railway line. Mr Broe said the project was also being assessed in a parallel EIS under Commonwealth legislation.
Photo: Troy Serek
Kestrel mine near Emerald is undergoing a transition as the old mining area winds down and production ramps up from a newly completed $US2billion extension project. Coal production kicked off recently from the Kestrel Mine Extension, which will add 20 years to the life of the Rio Tinto-managed operation. “After four years of construction, seeing the longwall cutting coal is an exciting milestone and marks the start of a long future for Kestrel mine,” mine general manager operations John Coughlan said. The existing operation – Kestrel North – would wind down over the coming year and a half while Kestrel South operations ramped up, he said. “Kestrel South is expected reach full capacity by the end of 2014 and produce an average of 5.7 million tonnes per annum over the next 20 years,” Mr Coughlan said.
Energy skills boost Energy Skills Queensland has welcomed the announcement of a new $21 million energy industry training centre to be located at the Gladstone TAFE campus. ESQ chief executive officer Glenn Porter said the announcement would give confidence to the CSG to LNG industry, and help ensure continued investment in Queensland. He said ESQ’s research had shown there would be about 15,000 longterm jobs created in the operations and maintenance phases of the Queensland CSG to LNG projects.
New chief inspector Queensland has a new Chief Inspector of Coal Mines, with Andrew Clough succeeding Gavin Taylor in the role.
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Mr Clough’s previous positions have included District Inspector of Mines, based in Mackay, and general manager at the Broadmeadow and North Goonyella coal mines in central Queensland. Natural Resources and Mines Minister Andrew Cripps said the chief inspector performed a critical role in administering the standards with which coal operations must comply in Queensland and providing expert technical advice to industry, government and the community. Queensland Commissioner for Mine Safety and Health Stewart Bell paid tribute to the leadership and expertise of Mr Taylor - a fifth-generation miner who served as Queensland’s Chief Inspector of Coal Mines for five and a half years.
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INDUSTRY UPDATE HARD ROCK
The Mining Advocate | September 2013
Groundbreaking NT exports
from tailings retreatment production to hard rock mining, with the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection issuing the Environmental Authority for the relevant lease at its Mount Carbine project. Carbine managing director Jim Morgan said the company had a memorandum of understanding in place with Mitsubishi RtMJ outlining the intention to provide $15 million in development funding.
Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles examines the sample ore with Roper region traditional owner David Daniels.
Sherwin Iron has sent its first bulk sample from Roper River to China through East Arm Wharf in Darwin. “This bulk sample export is a major milestone for a project that will employ up to 300 people when it is fully operational,” Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles said. The Roper River mine, 500km south-east of Darwin, is scheduled to move into full production early next year. The iron ore shipment came as Australian Ilmenite Resources prepared to export its first shipment of 8000 tonnes of ilmenite sand from its multi-billion dollar SILL80 Project, about 100km east of Mataranka. The ilmenite mine, owned by Territory entrepreneur Jerry Ren, was producing the highest grade material available in the world, Mr Giles said.
It aimed to bring the world-class tungsten project at Mount Carbine in far north Queensland back into full and profitable production, providing long-term sustainable benefits to its shareholders, partners and the local community, he said. “While we continue to optimise output from the tailings retreatment plant, the hard rock project approval provides Carbine with the opportunity to significantly increase its current production profile. With tungsten prices continuing to increase in a supply constrained environment, this is the company’s primary focus,” Mr Morgan said.
Red tape reforms Consultants online
Takeover bid for Inova
The AusIMM has launched a new online register to help industry connect with experienced minerals consultants for its project needs.
Shanxi Donghui Coal Coking & Chemicals Group is making a takeover bid for Inova Resources, formerly known as Ivanhoe Australia.
AusIMM Consultants’ Society chair Peter McCarthy said the new Register of Mineral Consultants aimed to fill a critical sector need for access to experienced and qualified consultants required for a range of business projects.
The Chinese firm launched a conditional takeover offer in August for all the shares in the company at a price of 22 cents per share.
It contains a searchable database of AusIMM consultants’ profiles including details of their experience and capabilities, as well as qualifications, specialities, contact details and in some instances full downloadable CVs. The website is located at www. mineralconsultants.com.au
Tough times in gold Gold producer Evolution Mining has reported a $307.4 million net loss for the past financial year after writedowns of more than $350 million after tax. The company, which started production at Mt Carlton in North Queensland this year, reported a 40 per cent increase in production across its gold operations to 392,920 ounces and a 29 per cent increase in revenue from gold and silver sales to more than $605 million. “This is a solid result considering the dramatic shift in the gold price during the second half of the year and industry-wide cost pressures that prevailed over much of the year,” Evolution executive chairman Jake Klein said. Evolution is forecasting production of 400,000 – 450,000 ounces gold equivalent this financial year. The company operates five Australian mines – Cracow, Mt Carlton, Mt Rawdon and Pajingo in Queensland and Edna May in Western Australia.
Inova owns the Osborne coppergold operation south of Cloncurry in north-west Queensland and a range of other projects in the region including the Mount Elliot/SWAN copper-gold project and the Merlin molybdenum and rhenium project.
Magnetite mothballed Glencore Xstrata has suspended magnetite production from its Ernest Henry Mining copper-gold operation outside Cloncurry. The company said the business case which made magnetite production a positive contribution to Ernest Henry’s operations two years ago was not supported in the current market. Falling revenue, increasing production costs and ongoing high logistics costs in getting the product from mine to market were blamed for eroding the margins in the business. Global iron ore prices have dropped more than 30 per cent over the past two years. Ernest Henry Mining has placed parts of the magnetite circuit into care and maintenance, while the regrind circuit will be reconfigured into the copper circuit to improve copper concentrate production.
Mount Carbine milestone Carbine Tungsten says it has achieved a significant milestone in its transition
The Queensland Government says small-scale gold miners will benefit from easier tenure applications, quicker assessments and lower costs under proposed reforms. Natural Resources and Mines Minister Andrew Cripps recently released a discussion paper titled Reducing Red Tape for Small Scale Alluvial Mining which outlines the proposals. Mr Cripps said the reforms honoured a commitment included in the Newman Government’s Six-Month Action Plan and complemented earlier moves to modernise legislation that applied to the resources sector. “Research has shown that in view of Queensland’s geological diversity, there’s potential for the discovery of new gold deposits, so it’s important to upgrade and streamline our services,” he said. “While this particular program has been developed with a focus on small-scale alluvial mining, the benefits will flow to the broader mining sector. “Small-scale gold miners will now be able to use mapping and satellite imagery to mark out the area of their proposed operations rather than using the traditional practice of physically pegging out their claims. “We’re also proposing to increase the size of leases that can be applied for during the two-month moratorium on land released from an exploration permit.”
Metallica conserving cash Metallica Minerals is tightening its purse strings for the rest of 2013, including deferring the definitive feasibility study for its SCONI (scandium-cobalt-nickel) project northwest of Townsville. Weakness in the market and difficulty in attracting sufficient project funding or strategic investor partnerships prompted
17
the board decision to reduce nonessential project expenditure. The company stressed that the majority of the field work required for the feasibility work into the development of the SCONI project and its Weipa heavy mineral sands project had already been completed. In a statement to the market Metallica said it had also completed a significant amount of necessary testwork and engineering on both projects, and had a high level of confidence in their technical viability. “The company will continue actively progressing permitting of its key mining lease applications towards their grant,” it said.
Rum Jungle funds pledge The Australian Government has allocated a further $14.5 million to accelerate work on the rehabilitation of the former Rum Jungle mine in the Northern Territory, building on $8.3 million previously committed. Rum Jungle closed in 1971. During its operation, the mine produced about 3500 tonnes of uranium oxide, 20,000 tonnes of copper concentrate and smaller quantities of nickel and lead. NT Mines and Energy Minister Willem Westra van Holthe said the first stage of the rehabilitation project, which developed the conceptual plan, had been extremely successful. “It is now time to move into Stage 2, which will provide detailed engineering design that would provide for Stage 3 – full rehabilitation of this legacy site,” he said.
Manbarrum project sold TNG has reached an agreement to sell its Manbarrum zinc-lead-silver project in the Northern Territory to Legacy Iron Ore for $5 million. TNG said the sale was consistent with its focus on its flagship Mount Peake vanadium-irontitanium project, also in the NT, where it is progressing the feasibility study.
JORC Code checks Coffey is offering a free online tool to help mining and energy companies understand their reporting requirements under revised JORC Code guidelines. The JORC Code 2012 Edition and new ASX listing rules relating to the disclosure of reserves and resources by exploration and production companies take effect from December 2013. “We’ve developed a quick and easy online tool to provide a way for most companies to immediately understand their exposure under JORC Code 2012,’’ Coffey general manager of mining in Western Australia John Hearne said. The JORC Code Health Check Tool would help board members, and others, to better understand compliance with the revised code, he said “It’ll assist decision-making for both technical and non-technical stakeholders,” Mr Hearne said.
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BETWEEN SHIFTS
September 2013 |
Bowen Basin Mining Club luncheon
The Mining Advocate
PHOTOS: Damien Carty
Souths Leagues Club, Mackay
Anthony Husband, Phil Tighe and Jeff Botting (all SKM).
George Martin (Dowdens), David Brierley (Fugro) and Emily Jackson (Kenter Logistics).
Scott Standfast (Wagners Investments), Anne Thompson (OAQ 4x4) and Jay Pyne (Heritage Finance).
Tim Harvey (Kelly Services) with Eugene Lakous and Nick Cubitt (both from Pipe & Bouy Australia).
Wayne Carrington (Blutip Power Technologies) with Howard Kuipers and David Aleman (both Flexihire).
David Galley and Dee Savage (both Davidson Recruitment), Teresa Vella (Bowen Basin Mining Club) and Erica Frederickson (Westfund).
MAIN Bowen Basin Safety Conference
PHOTOS: Damien Carty
Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre
Narelle Pearce (MAIN), Shane Webcke (guest speaker) and Michael Crowe (G&S Engineering).
Julie Nielsen and Simon Blackwood (Dept Justice and AttorneyGeneral) with Rachelle Lobodia (Generate PR).
Lenny Allardice (McElligotts), Tony Hutchinson (Jet Engineering) and Gerard Williams (McElligotts).
Kevin Notting and Greg Jones (both Sharp Training) with Nick Bennet (Minds Aligned).
Bradley Spark (Mackay Regional Council) with Roger Cameron and Carl Howe (both Zemek Engineering).
Richard Jones and Naomi Armitage (both Gryphon Psychology) with Ian Corr (Techserve).
Whilst some pay the ultimate sacrifice, others return requiring assistance RSL (Queensland Branch) supports over 45,000 current and ex-service personnel. Your support of the RSL will help provide vital services to these men and women. Your direct donation, bequest or sponsorship will make a real difference and enable the RSL to continue with this vital support and assistance. Make a donation at www.rslqld.org or call (07) 3634 9444
The Returned & Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch)
REMEMBERING the past • Supporting the future
BETWEEN SHIFTS
The Mining Advocate | September 2013
19
Queensland ABB Mining Golf Challenge Townsville Golf Club
Team MMG - Brett Keogh, Eddie Connor, Peter Mackaway and Gene Murray.
Team Total Fab Engineering - Clint Firth, Jesse Howie, Ryan Tattersall and Kelvin Canty.
Team Cannington - Colin Edwards, Mark Harris, Mark Gunn and Russell Shirdon.
Team Cannington - Christian Percival, Stephen Kasuba, Peter Stephens and Ian Jones.
Team Cannington - Jo Kent and Simone Sheey.
Team Global Welding - Glenn Betts, Damien Fraser, Cameron Gilchrist and Trevor Land.
Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise social impact panel Q&A Toowoomba Golf Club
Terry Smoothy (Verifact) with Marcus Barnard (ANZ).
Troy Martin (Puma Energy) with Michael Matthewson (Wiley).
Stewart Mulligan (Waminda Services) with Sharni Adams and Kathryn Sainsbury (both from Calibre Accounting).
Brian Hodges (Ray White Commercial) and John McCormack (McCormack Industries).
Dan McManus (Westec Civil), Scott Standfast (Wagners), Kellee Dunn (Westec Civil) and Matthew Erskine (Decmil).
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20
INDUSTRY PROFILES
September 2013 |
The Mining Advocate
Work and family the focus for Ken Ken Barlow Maintenance planner for Mount Carlton
Maintenance planner for Mount Carlton mine Ken Barlow is a Brisbane boy, a Broncos fan and a selfconfessed social media “dinosaur” with a passion for his job and for his family. Mr Barlow has worked in the role as a contractor for Evolution Mining for the past year, but he recently took up a full-time position with the company.
“Maintenance planning covers a vast range of activities, but is essentially about ensuring that the plant is examined on a regular basis with the view to ensuring we catch things before they break,” he said. “I kind of fell into it. I did my trade as a young bloke, and went to uni and did my associate diploma. From there I
went to work for BHP for a few years. Then for a whole bunch of family reasons I ended up moving to Queensland and from there an opportunity arose. I had been contracting around Queensland at a few different places and this position arose just out of Townsville and I was fortunate enough to secure a position there.”
Mr Barlow said that while a job in mining had many advantages, it could also create significant issues for families. “Most of the hurdles in mining are revolving around getting out there by either relocating your family or flying in and flying out. Whichever it might be, it presents challenges for you and your family,” he said. “From my family’s point of view it’s been extraordinarily difficult to the point where we sometimes wonder whether it’s worthwhile. Your children miss you, your wife’s basically living as a single parent up to 50 per cent of the time. But you don’t really get much choice in the matter.” Mr Barlow said time spent away from home was made easier by the people he worked with.
“The job itself I find enjoyable and challenging. In the last three or four jobs I’ve been in I’ve also had the chance to meet some terrific and very smart people,” he said. “The time that you do spend away is with people you have respect for and you can then work well with. Everyone is in the same boat you know. But it’s not always easy, that’s for sure. “To a large degree you do consider the people you work with as a type of family and as your social network. It’s an important part of working away, I think.” Mr Barlow said his most enjoyable pastime outside of work was spending time with his three children Thomas, 16, James, 13, and 11-year-old Sophy. “I’m a dad and that
occupies most of my time,” he said. “I enjoy watching Friday night footy with my boys and we all like getting together and watching a movie.’’ Mr Barlow said he’d started to get a hand on the internet and social media as a way of keeping in touch with his kids while he was away for work. “My kids are on email and things like that, which means there’s more ways to communicate with them,” he said. “I’m a bit of a dinosaur, I’m on Facebook to make sure that the kids are behaving themselves more than anything.” Mr Barlow said his hopes for the future were simply to progress in his leadership role, study more and watch his kids grow old with his wife of 22 years, Tanya.
Job suits surveyor down to the ground Martin Leggat Mine surveyor with an RTK GPS unit.
Martin Leggat swapped a police fingerprint kit for a theodolite when a job opportunity came up at New Acland coal mine on the Darling Downs five years ago.
Mr Leggat was in the Queensland Police Service for 19 years, the last nine as a forensic officer gathering evidence at crime scenes, before switching to his current
profession as a surveyor. “I was sick of the police force … and I’m pretty sure they were sick of me,” he said. “It was time to get out. I wasn’t enjoying it any
more so I moved on. “I started my surveying degree because, as part of forensics, we had to produce scale plans for court. “I thought I would get on the front foot and took a surveying degree parttime over six years.” The New Hope Group mine surveyor said he did not have mining in mind when he started that University of Southern Queensland course while still in the force. “I basically fell over the job. I was looking to get out and a vacation job came up out at New Acland for a surveyor. I
applied and got it – the rest is history,” Mr Leggat said. He said he was not regretting the change. “Before I was working shift work and was on call some nights, not seeing my kids play sport at the weekend … now I have a Monday to Friday job, which suits me just nicely,” Mr Leggat said. He is seeing the tools of his trade change rapidly with technological advances – with the total station (an electronic theodolite and distance meter) giving way to GPS equipment, laser scanners and drone aircraft.
The father of two boys and a daughter lives in Meringandan, just outside Toowoomba. “All of my spare time is used coaching rugby sides,” he said. “I’m one of the first-15 coaches at Downlands College Toowoomba and involved in Junior Gold, which is run by Australian Rugby Union.” The 45-year-old said he had also played A Grade rugby in Toowoomba and Proserpine as well as Colts-level rugby in Brisbane “a long time ago”.
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The Mining Advocate | September 2013
21
Safety concerns driven home by Bruce Macdonald The incidence of night-shift coal mine workers in the Bowen Basin placing themselves at risk commuting by car has risen steeply according to studies completed by a Central Queensland University researcher. Professor Lee Di Milia of CQU’s School of Business and Law has published his findings of the survey “Sleepiness, Long Distance Commuting and Night Work as Predictors of Driving Performance”. His work showed the proportion of drive in- drive out miners in the Bowen Basin workforce had more than doubled from 11 per cent in 2003 to 23 per cent in 2010. Of concern is that driving after night shift was associated with a 2.1 times increase in the likelihood of lane drifting. On average shift workers were
Professor Lee Di Milia Central Queensland University
driving 230km after working night shift. Prof Di Milia and his team conducted interviews on three major eastbound highways out of the Bowen Basin: the Peak
Downs Highway to Mackay; the Capricornia Highway to Rockhampton; and the Dawson Highway to Gladstone. The team worked with police at random breath testing stations and 1066 mine workers participated. Of the sample group, 649 went on to complete telephone interviews. Prof Di Milia said he was not disputing that the mining companies were proactive in communicating the message about the dangers of driving long distances after completing a 12hour night shift, but the desire to get home remained so strong that many drivers believed in their ability to drive safely. “Mine workers receive a good deal of safety information but when it comes to driving, many people believe ‘it doesn’t apply to us’ and as a result they were ignored,” he said. Short naps before setting off for home is one way of reducing
ADVERTORIAL
DIDO tips The Mackay-based Road Accident Action Group has these tips to help drive in-drive out workers avoid fatigue during trips to and from work: • Dehydration is a fatigue multiplier and air-conditioning in the car dries you out. Drink water regularly on long trips • Drive out to site in good time the day before starting a shift roster - feel better, be safer first day of shift • Power naps for 15 minutes can be a life saver - set the alarm on your phone • Plan phone and fatigue breaks to stay legal and safe
the pressure to sleep and the possibility of accidents. However, the ideal nap duration has not been determined. Asked if stimulants would be a strategy to combat sleepiness, Prof Di Milia said there was no science around the question of what is enough to do the job for a long-distance commute. Simulated driving studies do suggest caffeine is beneficial. In a separate study, Prof Di Milia’s research concluded that
one-third of night workers had symptoms consistent with shift work disorder (SWD) and 9 per cent of that group reported severe SWD. SWD is a state of fatigue or languidness associated with lack of sleep, particularly among night shift workers. Prof Di Milia said the best intervention strategy was reducing night shift exposure. “It’s a problem nobody really wants to address,” he said.
Young workers encouraged to prepare a will The last thing on the minds of many young Queenslanders is a will, but the sad reality is that the life of a young person can be cut short at any moment. Without a will, their families could be left to deal with debts and assets during a time when they are mourning the loss of a loved one. Research undertaken by Slater & Gordon Lawyers revealed 90 per cent of people aged between 18 and 24 did not have a will. “Young people might think they don’t have any significant assets so they don’t need a will, but most of them would have superannuation, life insurance or belongings like iPads or cars – all of which will need to be dealt with if they die,” Slater & Gordon lawyer John Pitman said. “Among other things, a will can help prevent any family disputes, minimise taxes and keep
down legal and administrative costs involved in administering the estate. “If someone dies without a will, the law sets out who controls your estate. Your assets are distributed according to a statutory formula, legal costs tend to rise, there are delays in distributing your assets to your family and your estate will be more exposed to people wanting to make a claim.” Mr Pitman said nearly 50 per cent of Australians did not have a will and many more had wills that were out of date. “About half of all Australians either do not have a will at all, or do not have an up-to-date will, which means more than $2.5 trillion worth of personally owned assets are up in the air,” he said.
Plan phone and fatigue breaks to stay legal and safe. Photo: shutterstock.com/zhu difeng
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22 Building Mining Communities
September 2013 |
The Mining Advocate
SUPPORTED BY BHP BILLITON CANNINGTON
AIMS principal research scientist Julian Caley, Queensland Museum Network chief executive officer Suzanne Miller, Member for Thuringowa Sam Cox, Cannington asset president Laura Tyler and Queensland Museum Network board chairman David Hammil at the book launch. Photo: Gary Cranitch
Read about the reef The Queensland Museum Network has released a new book chronicling the natural and cultural history of the Great Barrier Reef with support from BHP Billiton Cannington. Queensland Museum Network chief executive officer Suzanne Miller said the publication, The Great
Barrier Reef Discovery Guide, shared ground-breaking research conducted by network scientists. “The Great Barrier Reef Discovery Guide showcases myriad stunning images from one of the most biodiverse regions on earth across 440 full-colour pages,” she said. “This breathtaking imagery
Ball’s in their court The movers and shakers of the Queensland resources sector will flock to the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on October 25 to support the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Organisers of the Hard Hats and Tiaras Resources Sector Ball hope to achieve two milestones this year, a full house of 1000 participants and to push through the $200,000 barrier of funds raised since the inaugural ball in 2006. The Queensland Resources Council joined with the AusIMM Southern Queensland Branch for the first time last year to stage the annual ball, with the hope that their combined efforts would boost the annual donation to the RFDS. QRC manager of marketing and events Caroline Morrissey appealed to the resources sector to back the event and support the RFDS, which helps people in remote communities throughout Australia - areas where many industry members and members’ employees and their families work and live.
Gladstone golfers deliver More than 100 local professionals joined the Gladstone Engineering Alliance Charity Golf Day 2013 recently in support of Roseberry Community Service. GEA vice-president Lance McKay handed over a cheque for $6500 to Roseberry Community Services general manager Colleen Tribe, with the funds expected to be used to extend the deck at Roseberry House in Rollo St, Gladstone.
features alongside easy-to-read entries about the remarkable history of the Great Barrier Reef including its amazing lifeforms and diverse habitats.” BHP Billiton Cannington asset president Laura Tyler said the company was proud to join forces with the Queensland Museum Network on such a worthwhile initiative.
James Saliba with the tray of native gardenia and bottlebrush seedlings.
Green message takes root Mining company Carpentaria Gold and students from Ravenswood State School worked together to plant 18 seedlings to mark National Tree Day 2013. Carpentaria Gold recently donated trees and shrubs to the school in an attempt to brighten it for students and visitors. The students planted a mixture of native gardenia and red and yellow bottlebrush, adding them to the native bauhinia and weeping bottlebrush planted for National Tree Day 2012. Carpentaria Gold environmental officer Belinda Kneipp spoke to the students about the importance of trees in the ecosystem and how people, animals and insects all relied on trees for survival. “With so many trees used for different purposes and cleared for development across the world it is important we try and make up for some of the damage to the tree population,” she said.
Gas companies back schools program Coal seam gas companies have funded a $400,000 schools program to help boost regional Queensland students’ enthusiasm for science, maths, engineering and technology. Australia Pacific LNG, QGC, Arrow Energy and Santos GLNG have each contributed $100,000 to fund the CSG Industry Schools Program, which will be delivered this year by the Queensland Department of Education, Training and Employment. The program aims to raise the profile and interest in science, mathematics, engineering and technology in 35 state schools and six independent schools throughout the Surat Basin.
Challenge cashed up The 2013 Queensland ABB Mining Golf Challenge has raised more than $20,000, with 126 players joining the recent event in Townsville. Workers from Ernest Henry Mining, MMG Century, Inova Osborne mine, BHP Billiton Cannington and Glencore Xstrata were among those teeing off, according to organiser Marcel McLeod. He said the dates for next year’s competition had already been decided (August 5 and 12) and that major sponsors ABB and BHP Billiton had committed to support the 2014 challenge.
Layne Woods enjoys the family art day.
Art and soul into creativity A colourful “My Story” postcard exhibition and family art day in Mackay recently showcased some of the results of a program backed by the Hail Creek Mine Community Development Fund. The exhibition was part of a fund partnership with The Song Room to support local students in increasing their numeracy, literacy and retention in the class room by engaging their artistic and creative skills through the
Mackay Creative Connections Project. Tracey Woods attended the event with her two daughters, six-year-old Kayla and four-yearold Layne, as an opportunity for them to participate in the craft activities together. “Both of my girls love art and craft and enjoyed the opportunity to do something different with older kids in the community,” she said.
Proudly supporting
mining communities Cannington
BUSINESS TO BUSINESS
The Mining Advocate | September 2013
23
Hip Pocket guide to success Getting involved in the local community can help swing decisions in your favour when it comes to resources industry work, according to Toowoomba businessman Graham Strang. Mr Strang is the general manager of Hip Pocket Workwear and Safety Toowoomba, recently named Hip Pocket’s franchisee of the year for the second year running. The business specialises in corporate clothing, safety workwear, protective clothing, safety boots and equipment. Mr Strang said major resources industry players such as Origin Energy and Easternwell had a big focus on supporting local communities, so helping them achieve that goal was a tick in the box for a firm’s bid to win contracts. “Sometimes the difference might be your local involvement - that can be your point of difference,” Mr Strang said. He said Hip Pocket Workwear and Safety Toowoomba was a family business with clientele ranging from big players like Easternwell down to “Joe the plumber”. The operation had expanded considerably since his family took full control about three years ago, Mr Strang said. A good cash flow has assisted, as has trying to pre-empt the market. But Mr Strang said his main advice when it came to seeking work was: “You don’t get anywhere standing behind a counter - you have to go and find it.” “We do everything from local market displays on Sundays right through to being involved in Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise, Toowoomba Chamber of
Graham Strang with sister Nicolette Gormley at Hip Pocket Workwear and Safety Toowoomba.
Commerce, industry groups… every networking dog fight you can find,” he said. But getting out there no longer includes cold calling – a practice Mr Strang says the business has dumped. His focus is on building relationships with potential clients. Mr Strang said groups such as the chamber of commerce could also help businesses find costeffective ways to get involved with the local community and promote their brand. Hip Pocket Workwear and Safety Toowoomba was also harnessing social media to engage people and enhance brand awareness, he said. Being available when clients needed help was another key factor in the operation’s success. “We’re open seven days a week. My phone rings at 11 at night and I’m down the shop fitting guys out or getting them gear. You know, at three o’clock
in the morning when they’ve had an incident and need certain gear we answer the phone and go and do it,” Mr Strang said.
Mr Strang boiled down his advice for others pursuing mining and energy sector contracts.
“The big tip is get involved, don’t sit in the background and be available – they’re probably the really big tips,” he said.
Tips from the top
“ Brad McCotter Supply chain manager Easternwell
Easternwell supports the communities in which it operates and is proud to partner with local businesses to create mutually beneficial trading relationships. We enjoy working with suppliers that offer goods and services superior to those available in the market. We appreciate the fundamentals, quick quoting, accurate purchase orders, relevant certification delivered with goods and, most importantly, good old-fashioned service. Like many other large companies, we look for businesses that are pre-qualified and have the ability to conform to industry requirements and regulations. Easternwell’s core business is drilling and well servicing in energy and minerals, and therefore it is essential our suppliers possess a strong and proven commitment to safety.
”
24
LOGISTICS
September 2013 |
The Mining Advocate
Huge hub keeps project moving Massive projects like the $18.5 billion Santos GLNG undertaking demand a high level of logistical support. The project’s multi-million dollar logistics hub at Roma is the equivalent of about 11 Olympic swimming pools in size and is 11m tall. Santos GLNG supply chain manager Michael Batiste said there had been benefits to the Roma community, with no heavy truck movements in or around Roma due to the hub’s location 6km east of the town. Half of the hub’s staff of 10 have been employed from within the Roma community. The hub also includes rest and fatigue management facilities for truck drivers in keeping with the project’s high level of safety procedures. “Truck drivers have a rest room with showers plus access to meals,” Mr Batiste said. He said the hub was divided into two arms, drilling and completion plus operations and maintenance. It comprises 3000sq m of covered warehousing with more than 1500 pallet spaces, fully equipped offices and staff facilities. It also features about 9000sq m of all-weather lay down area for storing and transporting materials. The modern logistics facility is served by a fibre optic link, a warehouse management system and state-of-the-art video conferencing to allow easy communication with the project’s Brisbane headquarters. A labour-saving and safety innovation is the Kadex machine, which operates a carousel where small items of inventory like gaskets, valves and instruments are stored.
Inside the 11m high logistics hub. Photo: Steve Ryan
The carousel rotates and moves various compartments up and down to deliver the required parts to store staff at waist height.
Mr Batiste said more than 18,000 hours of injury-free time demonstrated the safety and convenience of the hub, which will continue to operate after
Pilotage reform The Queensland Government has introduced legislative changes to improve the delivery of ship pilotage services. Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said pilotage services were currently provided by Maritime Safety Queensland based in Brisbane. “Changes as part of this Bill will mean that, from November, pilotage services will be transferred to individual government-owned port corporations,” Mr Emerson said. “Ports will then have greater flexibility to make on-thespot decisions that are safe for industry and the environment without waiting for advice to come from Brisbane.” It is compulsory for all ships over 50m to take on a pilot (an experienced ship’s master with higher local knowledge) when entering and leaving Queensland ports. Gladstone Ports Corporation, Far North Queensland Ports Corporation, Port of Townsville and North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation will take control of ship pilotage services.
LNG begins being processed in 2015. Builder of the logistics hub, Spaceframe, won this year’s Downs and Western Downs
Master Builders Housing and Construction Awards category for an industrial building, $5$10 million, and will be judged against other regional winners in October. Mr Batiste said Spaceframe demonstrated it was a leader in warehouse design when it applied innovative technologies to design the logistics hub. “Factors such as the climate in Roma and the unique topography of our site were taken into account by Spaceframe, who tailored a construction solution for this project and delivered a stateof-the-art facility that met our needs,” he said. The warehouse has slats in the walls and doors to ensure a cross flow of breezes through the covered area and a clever drainage system which directs water away during the wet season.
Logistics council push for uniform road rules The Australian Logistics Council has welcomed a proposal by the National Transport Commission to improve the consistency of road rules in Australia. The major recommendation from the NTC’s review of Australian road rules is replacing the model law approach with an applied law approach, whereby one state enacts a law which other states and territories adopt in their own jurisdictions. “I am pleased the NTC has recognised the potential safety benefits of having nationally consistent road rules through an applied law approach which
would improve efficiency and safety in the heavy vehicle industry,” ALC managing director Michael Kilgariff said. “When transport operators move freight around Australia they are often confronted with inconsistent road rules which can make cross-border driving confusing and, in effect, more dangerous. “Achieving a more consistent regulatory framework is an important step towards improving safety, not only for heavy vehicle drivers, but for all road users.”
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NEW PRODUCTS
The Mining Advocate | September 2013
25
Aussie Mine Boss pump
Loadrite X2650 weighing system
Australian Pump Industries has released a new heavy-duty, three-inch trash pump designed for the construction and mining market. The Aussie Mine Boss features a 38mm, hotdip-galvanised frame with separate sub-base and anti-vibration mounts. The frame incorporates a balanced lifting bar. The Mine Boss pumps 1200 litres per minute of solid laden liquids in its diesel configuration. It has a maximum head of 30m direct vertical lift. Suction capability is 7.6m - enabling the pump to draught water from pits, wells or leachate ponds . Aussie Pumps civil construction manager Dean Fountain said the pump was designed to self-prime quickly and easily and would pass solids in suspension with ease.
The new Loadrite X2650 onboard weighing system offers accurate and instant haul truck payload weight data. The in-motion system’s ability to deliver accurate weight information for every bucket of material loaded is what makes it stand out from other products, according to Loadrite product manager, excavator series, Gordon Hain. “Until now, most mining operations have relied on payload systems on haul trucks to measure payload weight. But on haul trucks the data is not provided until after the bucket has been dumped into the truck and accurate data is only available after the truck has left the load-out location,” he said. The X2650 system maximised productivity as it reduced under loading of trucks or the need for trucks to return to the face if they’d exceeded the load capacity.
Flexco slider beds Flexco showcased a range of new conveyor belt technology at AIMEX 2013, including its Australian-made impact and slider beds. The impact and slider beds are designed to provide containment around load zones and absorb the impact from falling material while minimising drag on the conveyor. The beds can handle 25kg to 100kg, accommodate belt widths from 600mm to 1800mm and can be set at three troughing angles (20°, 35° and 45°) for simpler servicing, according to Flexco national marketing manager Mark Colbourn.
Bullet safety glasses
Simple Green cleaning concentrate Simple Green Mine Clean has been formulated for the mining industry as an environmentally friendly replacement for most cleaning and degreasing chemicals in the workplace. Marketing manager Tanya Rademacher said the product was non-abrasive, non-corrosive, nontoxic, non-flammable, readily biodegradable and would rinse residue-free. Applications include vehicle washdown, machinery degreasing, work tool cleaning and the cleaning of draglines, crushers and conveyors, rubber screens and drilling rigs. Office, accommodation and janitorial cleaning, as well as uniform laundering could also be carried out with Mine Clean, Ms Rademacher said.
Ugly Fish’s Bullet safety glasses feature a detachable positive seal to shelter eyes from wind and dust, plus an adjustable elastic strap that can replace the arms for a more secure fit – essentially turning the glasses into a pair of goggles. Ugly Fish head of sales and marketing Mick Donohoe said the Bullet also featured TR-90 frames for maximum impact resistance combined with shatterproof, scratch-resistant polycarbonate decentred safety (PC-DS) lenses with maximum UV protection and anti-fog coating.
Typhoon jetting tank washer The new Typhoon rotating cleaning head is described as the most reliable and economic jetting tank washer in its class. Ideal for large vessels such as transport containers and chemical reactors, the Typhoon produces four high-powered jets to give complete coverage in a seven-minute wash cycle. Constructed from 48 parts, which can be easily dismantled and re-assembled in minutes, the Typhoon has been designed for easy maintenance over a long life, according to distributors Tecpro Australia. It is supplied with a basic repair kit of 10 parts.
Magaldi Ecobelt conveyor belt Magaldi Power’s Ecobelt enclosed conveyor belt is designed to handle high-temperature toxic and/or dusty materials. The Ecobelt is an extension of the Magaldi Superbelt and completely encloses the conveyor in a steel casing for safe and controlled handling, according to Magaldi Power director Domenico Antonelli. “This provides significant health and safety advantages to workers and communities and benefits to the environment,” he said. “A simple, mechanical self-cleaning device manages the dust by removing fine residuals from the bottom of the casing. The Magaldi O-chain, a chain conveyor enclosed in an independent casing that is tailored around the Ecobelt tail section, then receives the residuals and reloads them on to the Superbelt.”
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CuDeco feature
The Mining Advocate | September 2013
27
On schedule and under budget The $320 million Rocklands copper mine project about 20km north-west of Cloncurry is moving ahead on schedule and under budget for an August 2014 start-up. Junior miner CuDeco will also have the luxury of a multimillion dollar revenue stream as the workforce on site peaks in October to complete the mine’s processing plant, according to
Work on the Morris Creek diversion.
mine manager Andy Kehoe. The conveyor circuit and crushing plant capable of crushing 500 tonnes of ore an hour has been commissioned and it will process a rich grade of native copper while work on infrastructure continues. Work on a multi-load rail facility is also under way on the outskirts of Cloncurry as is work on the Port of Townsville
Photo: Roslyn Budd
storage facility, conveyor system and bulk loader. Ongoing exploratory drilling has yielded additional reserves with great potential. Two pits will be mined, Las Minerale and Rocklands South, and over time be turned into one super pit. Mr Kehoe said there was also scope to convert from open-pit mining at a depth of 200m to underground mining. The run of mine (ROM) at the Rocklands site has reached its final height and construction of the ball mill and high-pressure grinding rolls is ongoing. Major components for the processing plant, including flotation cells and a native copper cleaner drum, continue to be delivered to the site prefabricated. Mr Kehoe said a total of 1.5 million tonnes of waste was removed from Las Minerale pit to create the ROM pad.
Andy Kehoe CuDeco Rocklands copper project mine manager
Additional waste from the pit and development areas such as the Morris Creek diversion channel are being fed through a mobile crusher for use in
infrastructure and as road base. Mr Kehoe said significant savings had been found by using the rock types on site to build haulage roads rather than trucking in material. A water storage facility capable of holding 980 megalitres is also complete, ensuring continuity of water supply. A team of Chinese experts from Sinosteel is on site to oversee the EPC (engineer, procure and construct) contracts. Sinosteel, which has a financial stake in the project, has prefabricated and tested the components for the processing plant ahead of shipment, which will save time and money during the construction phase. For more details on the project visit CuDeco’s website at: www.cudeco.com.au
Early cash flow from mine site CuDeco’s Rocklands mine has the potential to yield significant bonus revenue well before the process plant is fully operational, with estimates of up to $70 million of free cash flow prior to its commissioning. The early sales would stem from a rich seam of readily accessible native copper ore, with an estimated value of more than $1 billion all up. The native copper ore has been run through a portable crushing plant to assess the viability of exporting direct shipping ore (DSO) to China. Mine manager Andy Kehoe said company representatives who visited China last year received positive feedback from potential clients. Since the preliminary testing, the mine’s crushing circuit and power plant have been commissioned and a period of test work conducted on crushing and screening the native copper. Mr Kehoe said testing revealed that the native copper metal did not contain any contaminants and was more than 98 per cent pure copper metal. The company would also receive credits for gold contained in the ore. Once the processing plant comes online next year the native copper may well be mixed with lower grade ore to provide a consistent grade. Mr Kehoe said when the mining site was up and running there would be a year’s stockpile of ore – to be boosted to two years’ supply when equipment being used to build infrastructure was free to haul ore. The company’s original plan would have seen a throughput of three million metric tonnes of high-grade ore through the crushing circuit and process plant annually over 10 years. However
A conveyor at the newly completed primary crusher.
Photo: Roslyn Budd
Safety culture reaps results for workers
Native copper from the Rocklands mine site.
CuDeco’s strategy now is to mine 30 million tonnes of ore in the first six years instead of 10, high-grading the front end of the process to maximise revenues. Revenue from mining highgrade zones at Rocklands is
expected to reach almost $4 billion. Based on drilling to date, CuDeco estimates Rocklands has a total life of 50 years, transitioning to a lowgrade high-volume operation after the initial high-grade ore bodies are depleted.
CuDeco workers employed at the Rocklands mine site are quickly developing a proactive approach to safety and have already recorded a significant milestone - 500,000 hours without time lost to injury. At an on-site function to mark the milestone, mine manager Andy Kehoe took the opportunity to underscore the importance of developing a culture where people were accountable for their safety and the safety of others. “It takes time to develop a culture based on safety first,” Mr Kehoe said. “It’s thinking about what you are doing on the job.” Mr Kehoe said communication was vital in ensuring a potential hazard was eliminated before an accident happened. “We are constantly out there logging hazard reports and I encourage people to stop work on the site if they feel something is potentially dangerous,” he said. CuDeco management has a policy of encouraging staff to live locally in Cloncurry and become part of the community. Mixing socially creates bonds outside of work which also contributes to developing positive, proactive attitudes on the job. “It’s important that work group leaders are accessible and aware of potential problems,” Mr Kehoe said. “My job is simply steering that growing culture in the right direction to get the best results.” About 120 CuDeco employees work on site and, with the arrival of contractors tasked with building the mine’s processing plant and other infrastructure, the workforce will peak at about 300 by October. There will be about 160 CuDeco staff employed on site when the mine is fully operational.
CuDeco feature
The Mining Advocate | September 2013
29
Local workers first in the queue Bobbie Hart is committed to the “employ local” policy at CuDeco’s Rocklands mine, 20km outside Cloncurry. Head of the company’s human resources department, the local resident is proud of her Aboriginal heritage and even prouder of the fact that 17 per cent of the mine’s workforce of about 120 is of indigenous descent. “We don’t see colour when we are recruiting, we see people with skills who can contribute to and carry out roles for the company,” she said. “There are no token indigenous positions in this business.” Ms Hart ran a display during NAIDOC Week celebrations earlier this year highlighting CuDeco’s inclusive employment policy. Educated at Cloncurry State School, she started her working life as a trainee radio announcer before being part of a joint venture indigenous trucking contract with Ernest
Henry Mine. She was involved in group training and found she had a flair for that type of work, moving into HR management with a local recruitment company. “I realised I needed more study and went to Brisbane, but after six years down there I was homesick,” she said. It seems that Ms Hart was fated to work with CuDeco. She resigned from her job in Brisbane on a Friday and was contacted by a recruitment agency the next Monday offering her a job. “To this day I don’t know how the recruitment agency knew that I was looking for a job in Cloncurry and they weren’t able to help with an answer,” she said. Ms Hart started work in April 2012 with a Rocklands workforce of just 30 people. That has grown since to more than 100 and in the weeks ahead will climb to 300 as the construction phase peaks. About 150 to 160 full and part-time staff will be
Bobbie Hart is head of CuDeco’s Rocklands mine human resources department.
Photo: Roslyn Budd
employed at the mine when it reaches full capacity in the second half of next year. And Ms Hart has a message for prospective employees: “If you are looking for a challenge, we are the place to be. You have the freedom to establish yourself.”
A priority for Ms Hart in the months ahead is striking a sound work/life balance for employees, particularly those who have come from elsewhere but decided to live in Cloncurry. CuDeco has already commissioned the construction of eight homes and more will follow as needed.
“We have family-friendly rosters and the weekends are free,” Ms Hart said. “It’s important to understand how people feel living in a new community.” And in typical country fashion, she stressed that her door was “always open” to help out.
Rare gem in ‘jewellery box’ Geologist Michael Quinn is no stranger to CuDeco, working in the exploration side of the business for about two years up to 2010 before recently being asked to come back as the production geologist at the company’s Rocklands mine. He was drawn to the project by twin challenges – learning more about the supergene mineralisation that includes a unique coarse native copper zone, and fine tuning his skills as a production geologist. “To find a mine of this calibre only 20km from Cloncurry is rare,” Mr Quinn said. And then there is what he quaintly refers to as the “jewellery box” - a deposit of continuous coarse native copper ore up to 150m deep, more than 30m wide in places and up to 700m long. Such is the quality of this deposit, the native copper comes out of the ground as virtually pure copper metal and starts from as little as only 5m below the surface, according to Mr Quinn. In the immediate term, highgrade native copper ore will be processed via the mine’s recently completed crushing circuit. Coarse native copper, which represents the majority of the native copper ore, will be screened off during crushing to create a high-grade concentrate suitable for direct shipping ore (DSO), to be loaded into containers and trucked out for export. When completed, the Rocklands processing plant will include the largest gravity jig in the southern hemisphere, capable of recovering 98 per cent of 1mm-plus native copper.
Mr Quinn said the geology of the deposit was “very interesting”, with the potential to continue open-cut mining well after the currently planned 10-year mine life. Then there is the added potential to transition from open-pit mining to an
underground mine at some point in the future. “In the meantime there will be plenty to learn about this unique deposit as we deepen the pit – it’s an ongoing process of understanding about the deposit,’’ Mr Quinn said.
The Rocklands power station site.
Photo: Roslyn Budd
Stand-alone power
Geologist Michael Quinn holding native copper nuggets.
Photo: Roslyn Budd
The CuDeco management team has opted to build two dedicated power stations at the Rocklands mine site to ensure continuity of production and help avoid costly shutdowns caused by power outages. One has already been built to service the mine’s crushing plant and the second is under construction to power the ball mill and highpressure grinding rolls in the processing plant. A total of 16 Cummins generators will be on call when the mining operation is in full swing around August next year. Mine manager Andy Kehoe said the two power stations would have the capacity to generate as much as 28 megawatts with a continuous operating load of 21MW. The crushing plant power station has been commissioned and the second, larger power plant is scheduled to be “ready to start” in late December. Mr Kehoe said when both power stations were in full operation they would burn as much as 100,000 litres of fuel per day, adding up to an annual cost of about $35 million. Another 40 smaller generators are used around the mine site to provide lighting and airconditioning to the main office block, water pumps and additional lighting at various locations. Mr Kehoe said the decision to build a dedicated power plant was taken due to the current power capacity available from the electricity network. “We cut out the possibility of an unreliable power supply and put surety into when we have shutdowns of plant,” he said. Mr Kehoe said it remained possible the power supply question could change in the years ahead. The mine has the potential to remain viable beyond its current 30year lease.
30
CuDeco feature
September 2013 |
The Mining Advocate
Copper company’s hands-on director CuDeco’s director on site at the Rockland’s copper mine project, Peter Hutchison, doesn’t quite fit the mould of a conventional corporate mover and shaker. In fact the Taswegian has lived in Cloncurry for the past 10 years and is in his element with his sleeves rolled up at the mine site trouble-shooting logistical problems associated with the construction of the operation, which will come on stream in the third quarter of next year. A process chemist by profession, Mr Hutchison has spent more than 35 years in the mining sector, not just dealing with metallurgy but taking an active role in many facets of the industry. “I suppose you wouldn’t call me a traditional director,” he said. Born by the seaside, the keen diver and surfer originally came to Cloncurry to undertake two or three weeks of consultancy work for CuDeco’s managing director, Wayne McCrae, who
Our heavy duty
at that time was operating the Mt Norma copper mine near Cloncurry. His close association with Mr McCrae continues to this day and, even though he admits he is “out of his comfort zone” in Cloncurry, he is committed to see the Rocklands mine through to completion. His office is at the mine site and it is a rare day that he won’t be out and about watching the project take shape. “I was involved in the commissioning of the crushing circuit (in August), something I have done in the past,” Mr Hutchison said. “And I will also be involved with the commissioning of the processing plant which is under way.” He said it had been exciting working on the Rocklands project and he remains confident that production will exceed predictions and silence critics who have questioned the unconventional strategies
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implemented by Mr McCrae and CuDeco’s board members. “We don’t worry about doing things the conventional way, we do what is best for the shareholders,” Mr Hutchison said. This is best illustrated by the company’s reaction to the Global Financial Crisis in 2008. “We went hell for leather prospecting the Rocklands site with exploratory drilling,” Mr Hutchison said. “Hire of drill rigs was 50 per cent of pre-GFC rates so we were able to do plenty of exploratory work.” CuDeco also seized upon the opportunity to buy plant, haulers and other equipment which was on the market at bargain-basement prices, saving shareholders thousands of dollars. That equipment is now being used right across the mine site. Mr Hutchison turns 65 next year and admits he probably won’t be quite so “hands-
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CuDeco director Peter Hutchison at the Rockland’s copper project with mine manager Andy Kehoe.
on” once the mine is up and operating. “I hope I can remain involved with the company but I would like to get back to the coast again,” he said. He owns a home in Tasmania,
where he still has family, and another property on Stradbroke Island - so he is well positioned to once again hear the waves break on the shore, sparking childhood memories of a life long ago but not forgotten.
CuDeco feature
The Mining Advocate | September 2013
31
Crucial link in supply chain CuDeco has budgeted $64 million for transport and storage projects in Cloncurry and Townsville vital to the export supply chain required when the Rocklands mine is fully operational around August next year. They include a 6.6km rail loop to be built on the outskirts of Cloncurry in a joint venture with Glencore Xstrata and the Minmetals Group (MMG) to support three loading facilities. CuDeco logistics manager John Green said work would begin in October on the Rocklands load-out site, which would differ from the two other facilities on the loop. He expects the project, which will feature a 1km-long by 50m-wide storage pad, to be completed in about 12 months.
“Both the other sites will have large sheds but all our ore concentrates will travel in sealed containers,” Mr Green said. A total of 324 containers will be involved in the cycle from the pressure-sealed loading facility at the mine to the multi-load rail facility on the outskirts of Cloncurry. Each rail shipment will involve 112 containers, or 3136 tonnes of concentrate, to the Port of Townsville storage facility. Mr Green said he had not ruled out using the multi-load facility before it was completely finished. Once the mine has reached full production, towards the last quarter of 2014, it is expected two rail movements will operate each week. “The problem with the Mount
Logistics manager John Green at the site of the planned multi-load rail facility, east of Cloncurry. Photo: Roslyn Budd
Isa to Townsville line is not the volume of train movements but the ability to access loading facilities,” Mr Green said. “This new multi-loader facility will eliminate that problem.”
An artist’s impression of activity at the multi-load rail facility. Mark Carter and Lawrence Liessmann from RPS with CuDeco’s John Green, Port of Townsville Limited chief executive officer Ranee Crosby and Brian Milanovic and Peter Elliss from Robert Bird Group, viewing plans at CuDeco’s Townsville port lease site. Photo: Lori NeilsenCarr
October start for construction work Contracts are expected to be awarded for CuDeco’s storage facility, conveyor system and ship loader infrastructure at the Port of Townsville in early October after a tender period of about 10 days. CuDeco logistics manager John Green said about 60 per cent of the design work for the first stage of the project was completed inhouse by late August, with the balance to be carried out by engineers and experts from the tendering companies. “Doing it that way will ensure we get the very best ideas on top of what we have already come up with,” Mr Green said. “After the short tender period we will draw up a shortlist of about three companies, then get around the table.” Mr Green said his engineers had already come up with a smarter way to build the conveyor belt to Berth Four
and the ship loader. He stressed that the successful tender would not be awarded on price alone. “Performance and delivery will be equally important,” Mr Green said. Construction is expected to begin in October and take about 14 months to complete. All copper concentrate and native copper will be trucked to Townsville in containers and loaded directly on to ships until the port facility is operational. Rocklands mine manager Andy Kehoe said native copper had already been stockpiled and would be ready for transportation as early as September. Mr Green said trucking the native copper would add 50 per cent to costs but still be profitable.
Other projects could be part of the loop CuDeco’s Rocklands mine multi-load rail facility on the outskirts of Cloncurry has been built with an eye to third parties making use of the rail line. “Other projects (in the area) shouldn’t be held back because of lack of access to loading facilities,” CuDeco logistics manager John Green said. “It was always our view to accommodate these projects and our logistical chain provides significant savings.” Mr Green said he was already having talks with prospective partners and agreements were being drawn up. “Projects which have struggled to get off the ground in the past could become a reality with a reliable supply chain,” he said. In a period when mining companies are looking closely at production costs and jobs are being shed, Cloncurry is one of the few mining centres showing steady growth.
Competition for contract Tenders from across Australia and overseas are expected to be lodged for the lucrative contract to manage CuDeco’s rail and port loading facilities in Cloncurry and Townsville next year. The multi-million dollar contract is sure to attract a lot of interest according to logistics manager, John Green. “It’s an evergreen (open time frame) contract with key performance indicators (KPI),” he said. The Rocklands mine has a 30year lease, with the potential for underground mining after the open-pit deposits are exhausted. Under the terms of the contract, the successful tenderer will own and operate all the equipment associated with transporting the mine’s concentrates. Mr Green estimated there would be about 60 employees working at the Cloncurry rail loading facility and the Port of Townsville. “It’s going to be good news for both Cloncurry and Townsville with additional people needed to clean and maintain both facilities,” he said.
More details about the contract will be announced as construction work at both facilities nears completion next year.
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CuDeco feature
September 2013 |
The Mining Advocate
Keen eye on the environment The Rocklands mine isn’t expected to be fully operational until the third quarter of 2014 but environmental scientist Sarah Cohen is already involved in a number of large, on-site projects. Ms Cohen has worked closely with mine manager Andy Kehoe, and the configuration of a tailings dam has been changed to preserve a rock wallaby habitat corridor which would have been surrounded by water. She and an environment officer have been conducting air
and ground water monitoring trials along with land rehabilitation trials. It is expected that in the future input will be sought from the indigenous community as to which species of grass and plants will be best suited to rehabilitating the mine site after ore has been extracted. Field trials will be progressive. The Rocklands mine has a potential lifespan of more than 40 years, but Ms Cohen must have a post-mining land-use plan in place next year for State
Environmental scientist Sarah Cohen.
Government scrutiny as part of the conditions to keep the current 30-year lease.
In addition, she is tasked with producing an environmental management system for the
new Rocklands mine, a massive task for any new project starting up. The system development will take two to three years to complete and fine tune. “CuDeco’s culture is to have an environmental plan in place which is above and beyond the bare minimum,” Ms Cohen said. She said there were exciting developments afoot with a cutting edge, real-time monitoring program being looked at.
ADVERTORIAL
Brothers are keen on building relationships Carmichael Builders is a family business which prides itself on forging close relationships with its clients right across Queensland. Cloncurry has been the site of a number of projects over the past three years as the township in the North West finds itself at the epicentre of a mining boom. Brothers Tony, Glen and John Carmichael spend time in Cloncurry overseeing a number of major projects for the community and copper miner CuDeco. Carmichael Builders has completed an accommodation facility in Cloncurry for CuDeco staff and now the focus is on the $15 million infrastructure contract at the Rocklands mine site. Stage one of the project includes foundations for the mine’s ball mill and high-pressure grinding roll, featuring a large reinforced concrete pad – 7m high in some sections. Company principal Tony Carmichael said stage one had been delivered on
CuDeco accommodation facilities in Cloncurry.
The Cloncurry community precinct.
Tony Carmichael Carmichael Builders principal
time and under budget. Stage two of the project, now under way, features road works and additional foundation work
Photo: Roslyn Budd
for a variety of applications. It should be completed before Christmas. Mr Carmichael said by contract’s end a total of 10,000 cubic metres of reinforced concrete would be poured. Last year was also a busy period for Carmichael Builders in Cloncurry with the official opening of a new facility at the information centre and museum in September and a community precinct in August. Carmichael Builders recently received a commendation from Master Builders Australia for the community precinct and will compete at state level within the “Sporting & Community Services Facility over $5 million” category. Founded in the early ‘80s by Lee Carmichael, Carmichael Builders provides a multi-faceted service to clients, from cost planning through to project management and building. Mr Carmichael said the company, which specialises in working in inland Queensland, continued to forge close relationships with the communities where construction work was taking place. “In Cloncurry we sponsor the local rugby union and rugby league teams and we are in the process of talking to local contractors about taking on apprentices from within the community,” he said. “We are also one of the major sponsors of the Curry Merry Muster festivals and provide donations to the local schools where possible.” The company’s expansion throughout
the state has not diminished its family values. Today, the safety and quality standards that were put in place by Lee and wife Lyn almost 30 years ago remain the same, with the company placing a strong emphasis on partnerships with clients, staff and contractors. Lee Carmichael has handed over the reins to his three sons but still provides input. He lives in Dalby five months of the year and spends the remainder of the year managing the Punjab cattle property about four hours north of Cloncurry in the Gulf country.
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