32 minute read
STRIVING FOR THE ELUSIVE WATERMARK
WATER, DECENTRALISATION AND THE ECONOMY IN THE 21ST CENTURY
As Australia enters election mode this month, Warwick Lorenz outlines his vision of the nation we should be in the next 50 years – one that invests in water infrastructure to develop its primary industries, and to decentralise and grow its population to make its inland regions more liveable.
We Australians can change our prime minister in five minutes, we can build the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and the biggest iron ore mines in the world, but we have trouble thinking ahead of the game.
We have 7.5 million square kilometres of territory inhabited by 25 million people. We are the most arid continent on Earth and the most underpopulated!
We are the wealthiest country in the world per capita, with the best lifestyle, yet we fail every time to think more than three years ahead when it comes to politics, the budget or the development of the country.
BOUNDLESS OPPORTUNITIES Sixty per cent of Australia’s population lives in four cities. Eighty per cent of the population lives within 40 kilometres of the coast. How’s that for decentralisation? The rest of the country is empty.
Our wealth, to a large extent, is based on $220 billion of mineral and resource exports per year to the booming nations of southeast Asia. We also rely on $60 billion of agricultural production, of which we export $40 billion!
We are in the iron ore, coal and food and fibre business. We are satisfied with 25 million people in a world that has more than doubled its population in the past 60 years. How about the future? Fifty years from now we should be a population of 50 to 60 or even 70 million people, spread across the country, with a revived manufacturing sector providing growth and exciting employment opportunities, and a market of 11 billion people across the planet wanting to buy our resources, our manufactured and valueadded products, and our services.
The reality is we have to populate the country before we lose control of our ability to maintain our borders. World population increase is unstoppable. It has been achieved by continued improvements in medical science, solving the world’s food
It’s hard to imagine a national government today undertaking ambitious projects like the Hoover Dam ...
production issues with modern farming and eliminating massive world wars.
MOVING TO DECENTRALISATION Overpriced real estate in the big capital cities is a fact of life that we all seem to love. We love feeling richer, but the real answer is to make the country liveable. Take a trip through the Midwest of the USA and you find great, rich cities such as Des Moines or Ames or Omaha out there on the Great Plains – some of it the most productive land in the world. The difference is, they have water and we don’t!
Water is the answer and water security should be the major priority for every politician in the country at any level. Water security will enable us to spread and grow.
Imagine inland cities down the east coast with populations between half a million and one million people. The water would bring increased agricultural stability and security. Protection from drought means investment not just in growing produce but in its processing. That means loads of jobs with opportunities for people to build great lives in country areas. Companies such as Teys, the third- or fourth-generation butchers who own some of the biggest abattoirs in the country, should be inspirational. Teys will put abattoirs wherever there is product to be processed and employ hundreds of people doing it. Their abattoirs run like hospitals and are a classic example of how an industry can be generated by entrepreneurs with an appetite for risk, intelligence and courage.
With 50 million people, Australia could be building tractors again in regional areas. Wow, could we actually start up our steel mills again and go back into production? We have more iron ore and coal than anybody in the world, yet we shut our major steelworks down.
Imagine living in a green country city with satellite villages. Sounds idyllic, and you can still take holidays on the coast!
DAMS OF THE NORTH The CSIRO has recommended the concept of building six dams in northern Australia. 1 It’s been 70 years in the
A centre-pivot irrigation, which is critical to agricultural production. Australia is an exporter of $40 billion of agricultural products, including food.
… or China’s Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric system. It comprises 28 million cubic metres of concrete.
making and finally the CSIRO has woken up! Politicians such as Barnaby Joyce have been pushing for the creation of these dams across the north for years.
The Fitzroy River in Rockhampton is a classic opportunity to add $1 billion of agricultural production and create jobs for 2500 Australians. An additional bonus of damming the Fitzroy is the flood protection it would afford the Great Barrier Reef.
During the massive floods in April 2017 we saw the Fitzroy deliver double the volume of Sydney Harbour every day for six days in a row from the river’s watershed. That landed on the Barrier Reef! If a mining company or a farmer had done that, the Greens would have been hysterical. As it happens, nobody said a word. The CSIRO’s new plan is to build three dams in the Carpentaria region. By coincidence, the Carpentaria is part of the Great Artesian Basin, which has one huge problem - that of replenishment! The Carpentaria region is the only part of the basin that is regularly replenished because of monsoonal rainfall in that part of the country.
Federal Resources Minister Matt Canavan told the ABC there was a $700 million direct benefit and a $1.5 billion economy-wide benefit, plus 7000 jobs to be pulled out of the new program in the north.
That’s just the beginning. “In terms of being able to boost our farm production as a nation, boost our food production, take the potential of growing Asian economies, it’s a big deal for the country”, Canavan said.
The bargain price for construction of the Mitchell Dam in Far North Queensland is estimated to be only $755 million, half as much as we just gave in handouts to desperate farmers in drought-stricken New South Wales and Queensland.
The CSIRO predicts the Darwin catchment would bring 2500 jobs and $2.3 billion could be created from in-stream surface water storages at Mt Bennett on the Finniss River in the Northern Territory.
These are big projects that will bring life back to the land, but we have to ask the question: why is there no similar plan to bring water into New England in NSW, and to do more with the Ord River in Western Australia’s Kimberley region?
CONSTRUCTION, EARTHWORKS You can’t grow the inland economy or population without providing reliable water supply.
You could say much the same thing about power. We wonder why our state and federal governments seem emasculated on the subject of long-term planning and strategic objectives.
It’s hard to imagine a political party of either persuasion today building the Hoover Dam or China’s Three Gorges Dam, or even considering starting the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Considering Australia is heading for 40 million people by 2050, you have to ask: Will we tolerate the paralysis resulting from increased population living in four major capital cities? That’s a frightening future that needs to be rectified now.
Why is this of interest to the quarry industry? The answer is obvious. There’s a huge amount of earthworks to be done in the development of infrastructure for Australia. Gear gets bigger and better all the time. The gear and resources are there, the money apparently is available, and all it takes is the will to harness what we know in terms of skills, finance and imagination to make it all work.
Let’s think of the future and use the past, including the devastating drought in New South Wales and southern Queensland, as stepping stones for a bigger and better Australia. •
Warwick Lorenz is the managing director of Australian Pump Industries. Apart from being fanatical about drought-proofing Australia, his position is always that we should be taking a 20-, 30- or even 50-year projection of where Australia and Australians are going. Email: wlorenz@aussiepumps.com.au
REFERENCE & FURTHER READING: 1 Vukovic D. Giant dams proposed for northern Australia could support year-round irrigation. ABC News, 30 August 2018. abc.net.au/news/2018-08-30/ giant-dams-report-northern-australia/10181682
IS THIS THE END OF THE ROAD FOR ROADS AS WE KNOW THEM?
Road infrastructure has been vital to the way we live – and to the quarrying industry in particular. Now, as the Industrial Internet of Things ushers in a wave of innovative technologies, Anton Hartman explains that roads themselves will be transformed …
Sprawled across a bike path in Nuenen, Netherlands, 50,000 solar-powered stones are embedded in the pavement to glow in the dark and resemble Vincent van Gogh’s famous Starry Night. It was a commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the painter’s death – a “techno-poetry” that Dutch artist and urban architect Daan Roosegaarde described as “technical combined with experience”, a fusion of art and purpose.
But more than honouring a famous artist and his painting, Roosegaarde’s ingenious, unconventional and sustainable idea for lighting up our pavements is a statement on the transformation of roads for the future, or the lack thereof.
“Why do we put so much focus on vehicles, innovation and mobility but neglect the surfaces they drive on?” he asks. “Infrastructure defines our cities and landscapes way more than the cars.” It seems that on our journey to the autonomous future, we have forgotten our roads, literally.
But it’s inevitable, as the Fourth Industrial Revolution ushers in new technologies, that the way we conceptualise and build our roadways will be utterly reconfigured. What’s the use of having smart cars if our roads are dumb? And with opportunities for innovative reinvention like never before, have we possibly come to the end of roads as we know them?
WHAT OUR ROADS WILL BE MADE OF … Realities like globalisation and urban overpopulation demand we replace traditional materials and techniques with sustainable solutions, as well as the fossil fuel guzzlers that wear out the pavement.
New construction materials offer alternatives with in-built renewability capabilities. Dr Rajagopalan Vasudevan, dean and professor of chemistry at India’s Thiagarajar College of Engineering, found that molten plastic mixed with a stone and bitumen mix is an excellent binder, creating a stronger and longer-lasting road. An estimated 100,000km of roads in India are made up of plastic, inspiring companies such as MacRebur Plastic Roads Company to use it as well to build roads in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Similarly, the use of fly ash and slags from mineral refineries in concrete construction has been beneficial in reducing carbon emissions and for the disposal and neutralisation of waste. Innovations like self-healing concrete are extending the lifespan of old concrete, with self-activating limestone-producing bacteria that congeal in pavement cracks as they form. Modern pavement engineers are pushing the boundaries of form and function, seeking effective ways to close the loop on conventional construction outputs. In 2018, architects Carlo Ratti Associati (CRA) and Sidewalk Labs (owned by Google’s Alphabet) launched a prototype of Dynamic Street, a series of “hexagonal modular pavers which can be picked up and replaced within hours or even minutes” and enable us to change the function of the road with much less disruptions to the street.
According to CRA, Dynamic Street “explores the different patterns that can be created on the hexagonal grid, as well as the integration of lights into individual pavers. Each paver can also potentially host a plug and play element – that is, vertical structures such as
poles, bollards or even basketball hoops”. Just imagine how that would transform the construction and function of our roads.
PRIZED JEWEL Solar roads may be the solar industry’s prized jewel, thanks to their large exposed surfacing that can harness solar energy to illuminate road markings and generate electricity. As Roosegaarde puts it: “Energy is everywhere. We just need to know how to harvest it.” While there have been criticisms on its efficiency and cost-effectiveness compared with rooftop solar panels, several projects around the world continue to work on developing the technology and explore how roads can play a greater role in generating energy.
In the Netherlands, the N329 – Road of the Future – has replaced streetlamps with glow in the dark lines on the pavement made of photoluminescent paint, designed for recharging by sunlight before glowing at night for up to 10 hours. North Holland’s Dutch SolaRoad pilot project created a 100-metre cycleway that generated enough electricity to power one household for a year.
Most notable is China’s latest 1000m smart road. Paved with solar panels, mapping sensors and electric-battery rechargers, the pilot project aims to be the first stage of “intelligent highway” design that weaves the
autonomous vehicle (AV) revolution into one digital and unique experience.
‘SMARTENING’ OUR ROADS Coupled with the wave of innovation to design for sustainability, there is an equal imperative to make new and old infrastructure “smarter”. As AVs dominate streets and highways, roads need to act as an intuitive and technologically integrated system that can host these transport innovations. In the future, roads will not be seen simply as empty conduits to move vehicles from one place to another, but environmentally regenerative, digitally responsive networks.
Magnetisable concrete is the latest invention that could revolutionise the electric vehicle (EV) industry. By embedding a highly controllable, resident-coiled technology into a designated lane, EVs can charge up on the go. The result is a streamlined highway, void of charging stations and an unbeatable value-for-money EV industry.
Naturally, the reconstruction and retrofitting of roadways will demand a new eye for urban planning, and a new perspective about public/ private partnerships. While all developments to “smarten” our roads are still in the works, all sectors have to collectively start thinking outside the box now before it’s too late.
In fact, Singapore’s Smart Mobility 2030 is consolidating perspectives and inputs from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the industry on how to develop a comprehensive and sustainable Intelligent Transport System (ITS) ecosystem in the country. It is conducting research and development of AV technology in preparation for its deployment in Singapore. It makes sense. The AV revolution will require third party involvement in planning, technology consulting, design and other nontraditional services that accompany smart road development to make this utopian idea a reality.
“Mobility is a fundamental right. It underpins all aspects of societal development allowing everyone, from individuals up to whole nations, to develop and prosper,” says Olga
Landolfi, Telematica Trasporti e Sicurezza Italia Secretary General in the International Road Federation Vienna Manifesto on ITS. “ITS has already demonstrated [that it is] an essential tool for improving mobility and quality of life. The challenge now is to start using it to its full potential, to maximise the benefits that ITS can bring to society.”
Despite all they promise in road safety, ecological efficiency and connectivity, smart roads have a long way to go in the public and private eye. Greater education, research and investment models are needed to expedite their rollout and pave the way for AV innovation.
It’s not a question of which comes first: the road or cars? If we want to make the dream of autonomous vehicles a reality, we must remember the path we are travelling on. •
Anton Hartman is a pavement and materials engineer at Aurecon, Johannesburg, South Africa.
2019 IQA EVENTS2019 IQA EVENTS
ACT BRANCH 12 July Dinner meeting (Venue TBA) 15 Nov Dinner meeting (Venue TBA)
NSW CENTRAL WEST SUB-BRANCH 14 June Women in Quarrying seminar
QUEENSLAND BRANCH 17 May IQA Annual Golf Day, Oxley Golf Club 14 June Quarrying Safety & Health Conference, Brisbane 7 Aug Dinner meeting & AGM, Brisbane Sept (Date TBA) CMEMC 2019
CENTRAL QUEENSLAND SUB-BRANCH 19 July Annual Golf Day, Rockhampton
NORTH QUEENSLAND BRANCH 14 May Technical and dinner meeting, Cairns 21 May Technical and dinner meeting, Mackay 19 June Safety & Health Seminar, Townsville 26 July 13 Aug 13 Sept 8 Oct
30 Oct
15 Nov Annual Golf Day, Cairns Branch AGM, Townsville Annual Golf Day, Townsville Technical and dinner meeting, Townsville Technical and dinner meeting, Cairns Christmas Party, Townsville
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BRANCH 24 May Technical and dinner meeting (venue TBA) 12 July WIQ SA Conference, Adelaide Pavilion 30 Aug AGM/dinner, National Wine Centre 8 Nov Pullman Adelaide Hotel
VICTORIAN BRANCH 16 May Student presentation night
VICTORIAN SUB-BRANCH 30 May Dinner meeting, Wang Miliwa 25 July Dinner meeting, Bendigo 12 Sept Dinner meeting, Ballarat 21 Nov Dinner meeting, Bendigo
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN BRANCH 8 May Breakfast meeting, Beaumonde on the Point, East Perth 28 June Brikmakers clay brickworks site visit and sundowner 7 Aug Breakfast meeting, Beaumonde on the Point, East Perth 3 Sept AGM and dinner meeting, Imperial Court Restaurant 22 Nov Annual golf day, Joondalup Resort
All dates and venues for the above branches are correct at time of press. Not all branches had confirmed their activities/ dates. For further information about IQA branch activities, contact your local branch representative (see IQA branch contacts on page 48) or visit quarry.com.au
PDP WORKSHOPS & EVENTS
To register for the PDP courses outlined below and for further information, visit: quarry.com.au, click on link to ‘Education’, followed by ‘Upcoming Professional Development Programs’.
IQA 62ND ANNUAL CONFERENCE Geelong Football Club, Kardinia Park Geelong, Victoria 1-3 October (Tuesday to Thursday), 2019
“The Future of Quarrying” will be the theme of the annual conference which will be hosted at the home of the Geelong Cats AFL Football Club. The conference program will focus on numerous topics, including: the maximisation of limited natural resources through technology; the benefits of effective management of workplace diversity; new developments in emerging fixed and mobile plant technology; environmental and economic trends impacting on the industry; and much more. In a first, the conference program will be hosted on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. For more information and to register, visit conference.quarry.com.au
CONDITION MONITORING OF CONVEYORS WPDP 8 April 2019
Condition monitoring of conveyors is a practical troubleshooting guide to several issues that quarries witness regularly. Although a seemingly small part of a large process, conveyors can be capital-intensive. This webinar will provide a troubleshooting approach to preventative conveyor maintenance, touching on key elements of belt tracking, cleaning and skirting. It is suitable for quarry managers, supervisors and maintenance staff, and contractors who oversee conveyor audits.
BAUMA 2019 8-14 April 2019, Munich, Germany
Bauma attracts visitors from more than 200 countries to Munich every three years. It is the perfect platform to see the most important new developments from around the world. Bauma 2016 covered 605,000m² of exhibition space, comprising 3425 exhibitors from 58 countries. The event welcomed 583,736 visitors from 219 countries. Numerous suppliers to the Australian extractive industry will be amongst the exhibitors, eg allmineral, Astec, Bonfiglioli, Caterpillar, CDE, Doosan, Dressta, Haver & Boecker, Hitachi, Hyundai, Isringhausen, Kleemann, Komatsu, Liebherr, Montabert, McCloskey, McLanahan, Metso, the Terex Group, Topcon, Trimble, Volvo, Wirtgen, and many more. For more information, contact the bauma visitor hotline, tel +49 899 491 1348, email info@bauma.de or visit bauma.de
PRINCIPLES OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANNING AND RESPONSE WPDP 12 April 2019
resourced, tested and updated plan to respond to emergency situations. This webinar will outline principles and methodologies of quarry emergency planning and response, including definitions, interpretations and legislative requirements and all aspects of emergency management and response. It is suitable for quarry managers, supervisors, leading hands and other employees with responsibilities for the planning and management of emergencies. For more information, visit quarry.com. au/Public/Education/InfoSheets/wPDP/ Principles_Emergency_Management_ Planning_Response.aspx
CCAA INDUSTRY INSIGHTS BREAKFAST MEETING 12 April 2019, Brisbane The CCAA’s next Industry Insights breakfast meeting will explore key political and economic insights for Queensland that will impact on the construction materials industry’s outlook for 2019. For more information and to register, contact Vanessa Finnerty, CCAA, tel 07 3227 5200 or email vanessa.finnerty@ccaa.com.au
The Institute of Quarrying Australia
CCAA CONCRETE PRACTICE COURSES & WORKSHOPS 21-22 May, Sydney 5-6 June, Melbourne 19-20 June, Brisbane 2-3 July, Adelaide 24-25 September, Perth
This course will provide participants with a detailed understanding of concrete material and behaviour in relation to physical properties, production, placing and associated on-site operations such as reinforcement and potential causes of failure. It comprises of two parts: (i) 14 eLearning modules that have been developed to enhance the industry’s knowledge of concrete and featuring embedded activities and assessments in a sequential, easy to follow, and easy to navigate format; and (ii) workshops held around the country that will feature presentations from industry experts, Q&A panel sessions with industry experts, group work and case studies, and a final assessment. Participants will be required to complete all modules prior to attending the workshop, allowing five to six weeks to complete the modules. Registrations will close five weeks prior to each workshop and attendance at the two-day workshop is vital to complete the course. A personalised certificate will be issued upon successful completion of parts 1 and 2 of the course. The cost of admission is $1800 (inc GST) for CCAA members and $2200 (inc GST) for non-CCAA members. To register, contact the CCAA’s learning and development manager Ceridwen Jones, tel 02 9667 8319, email ccaaeducation@ccaa.com.au
This day-long event, co-hosted by the CCAA, the IQA and the Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy (DNRME), will feature thought-provoking keynote speakers, a DNRME update and other presentations on practical issues impacting the quarrying industry. For more information and to register, contact the IQA’s Queensland branch secretariat, tel 0419 782 688 or email qld.admin@quarry.com.au
CENTRAL HIGHLAND REGIONAL COUNCIL SHEPTON QUARRYING BUSINESS FOR SALE Expressions of Interest closing 4pm Thursday 18th April 2019. For an IM please contact InSitu Advisory Pty Ltd at info@insituadvisory.com OR CALL 02 8998 5260 www.lgtenderbox.com.au/login
IQA NEWS
The Institute of Quarrying Australia
NSW Central West sub-branch members visited Shadforth Quarry on 15 February.
NSW CENTRAL WEST SUB-BRANCH NEWS Thirty members gathered in Orange on 15 February to look at the latest innovations in fixed plant optimisation. With plant modifications a substantial capital investment, ensuring that any new or modified gear is “fit for purpose” is clearly a critical decision.
Heiner Gonzel of Sandvik provided an overview of the company’s Optiagg software which allows quarry operators to model different crusher chamber configurations and construction materials to produce optimal particle size distribution, increased product to waste ratios and improved efficiencies. Heiner ran through a recent optimisation exercise at Boral’s Peppertree Quarry that resulted in an increased product rate for the site of about 200 to 750 tonnes per hour. He also discussed another project where the plant was producing material with poor size distribution, resulting in excess scalps and crushed dust and difficulty meeting specifications.
The Optiagg software identified that the primary cause was the single core crusher with sub-optimal feed stock. By modelling installation of a second cone crusher with a wider range of particle sizes in the feed stock, Sandvik was able to demonstrate proof on concept. Use of a mobile crusher confirmed the results of the modelling and the operator then had the information required to make commercial decisions about fixed plant upgrades.
As has become a tradition at these meetings, the group enjoyed an extended lunch and opportunity to network and reconnect, before heading to Boral’s Shadforth Quarry for a site inspection and further discussion.
The branch committee is grateful to Sandvik and Boral for facilitating the day and looks forward to the next meeting on 14 June which will be partnering with the NSW Women in Quarrying network. We look forward to discussing how we as operators can facilitate the engagement of women in the industry locally. It should be a great event.
By Mitchell Bland
QUEENSLAND BRANCH NEWS
Technical meeting kick-starts 2019 Greg Glennon, the eastern region operations manager for Otraco International, was the guest speaker at the Queensland branch’s first technical meeting for the year. Greg reported on the guidance note supplied by the Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy (DNRME), designed to assist in identifying hazards associated with tyres, wheels and rims, and effective controls to minimise the risk of injury and death from uncontrolled movements and pressure release events. These controls should then be incorporated into the site’s health and safety management system.
Brendan Ford from the April Ford Agency enlightened attendees with an interesting presentation on social media, and how to connect quarries with local communities,
Queensland branch chairman Rob Sloman (centre) with recently inducted and elevated members.
Guest speaker Greg Glennon discussed effective controls to minimise injury risks.
The Quarrying Safety & Health Conference attracts more than 200 delegates each year to the one-day program and accompanying trade exhibition.
customers and stakeholders. Brendan explained how to align social media strategy with marketing strategy. Branch chairman Rob Sloman presented new membership certificates to: • Bill Taylor (Ausrocks) – upgraded to a Fellow of the Institute. • Luke Blanchard (Fulton Hogan). • Jai Hunt (Fulton Hogan). • Andrew Weller (Sibelco).
This year’s conference program is shaping up to include the biggest range of speakers
Registrations are now open for the 2019 IQA conference in Geelong.
The theme - “The Future of Quarrying” – is particularly relevant. With new or emerging technology, resource constraints, changes in health and safety, community and regulatory requirements and changing markets, planning for the future is critical.
A key part of the future is our workforce, particularly the need for a competent and flexible workforce. A competent workforce is vital to all aspects of business.
Whether it is relates to improving priority areas such as health and safety, and environment and output, or planning for succession or expansion, attracting and retaining the right people is vital.
Developing our workforces with the right competencies can ensure we not only meet regulatory responsibilities but also develop skills to meet changes in the industry and the work environment. The IQA is continuing to deliver professional development through conferences, technical presentations and formal training.
A review has commenced to look at the Institute’s training products and how they are delivered to ensure they will meet future needs. Part of this review will involve identifying ways the IQA can better support organisational development and improve competency across industry.
If you require any training or development for yourself or your team, please contact the IQA, tel 02 9484 0577, email admin@quarry. com.au or visit quarry.com.au
For expressions of interest or registration at the 2019 national conference, visit conference.quarry.com.au
KYLIE FAHEY Chief Executive Officer Institute of Quarrying Australia
THE ONE AND ONLY
SUPPLIERS DIRECTORY 2019 A COMPREHENSIVE DIRECTORY OF AUSTRALIAN QUARRY SUPPLIERS
ON SALE NOW!
At 320 pages, with over 130 categories, the Quarry Suppliers Directory is where operators and purchasing officers find products and services for their quarry. If it ain’t in the Suppliers Directory, it ain’t worth knowing !
Expressions of Interest Hard Rock Quarries Maryborough, QLD
• Freehold • 2 x Extraction Permits • TMR Certification • WHITE PIT 16.1Ha - Produces roadbase, surge rock and marine rock - one of only 2 quarries that can supply marine armor rock on the Fraser Coast. • BLACK PIT 33Ha - Produces roadbase, sealing asphalt aggregates, rail ballast and surge rock • Contract in place with Queensland Rail to supply rail ballast. • Location approximately 25km west of Maryborough, QLD. • Largest freehold resource in the Fraser Coast • Mobile plant and equipment on site available for purchase - subject to negotiation.
IQA NEWS
and industry topics yet, ranging from reports on crystalline silica to collision management, risk evaluation for mobile equipment, drone technology, case studies and the inspectorate update. IQA CEO Kylie Fahey will provide an update on the IQA and the Australian Academy of Quarrying.
The accompanying trade exhibition is already a sellout with the following organisations participating: Komatsu (gold sponsor), Astec Australia (gold sponsor), Groundwork Plus, Cotral Australia, the MinRes Training Institute, Coolfog (Access Environmental Systems), Breathe Safe, Kinder Australia, Global Road Technology, Hammersley Australia, Clean Space Technology and OHMS Hygiene.
At the time of print, one gold sponsorship package is still available for this year’s conference. The package represents great value, including a trade stand, delegate registrations, a 10-minute session in the conference program, signage and acknowledgement. For more information, contact the Queensland branch secretariat, tel 0419 782 688 or email qld-admin@quarry. com.au
Date claimers – 2019 17 May: Annual golf day, Oxley Golf Club 19 July: Central Queensland sub-branch annual golf day, Rockhampton 7 Aug: Technical meeting and branch AGM, Brisbane 24 Sept: Technical/breakfast meeting, Brisbane 15 Nov: Technical/lunch meeting, Brisbane By Jennifer Milward
NORTH QUEENSLAND BRANCH NEWS
Technical and dinner meeting, Townsville What a start to 2019! The first dinner meeting for the year had to be rescheduled due to the severe weather event that struck the Townsville region in February.
Despite the turmoil of the floods, 30 guests attended the rescheduled dinner meeting at the North Queensland Club. Just as he was at the Queensland branch’s 19 February meeting, Greg Glennon, the eastern region operations manager for Otraco International, was the dinner guest speaker. Greg again provided information on the guidance note supplied by the DNRME on tyre, wheel and rim management.
Cameron Howell from TransTasman Energy Group at the Cairns sub-branch meeting.
Technical and dinner meeting, Cairns The first technical/dinner meeting for the Cairns sub-branch was held in February. The TransTasman Energy Group sponsored the dinner meeting, with guest speaker Mark Desira from the DNRME. Mark reported on the QGL02 Guideline for Management of Respirable Crystalline Silica in Queensland mines and quarries.
Date claimers – 2019 14 May: Technical and dinner meeting, Cairns 21 May: Technical and dinner meeting, Mackay 19 June: Safety and health seminar, Townsville 26 July: IQA annual golf day, Cairns 13 Aug: Branch AGM, Townsville 13 Sept: IQA annual golf day, Townsville 8 Oct: Technical and dinner meeting, Townsville 30 Oct: Technical and dinner meeting, Cairns
IQA NEW MEMBERS
GRADE NAME BRANCH Associate David Henry Young WA Associate Mervyn John Hain QLD Associate Michael James Jackson QLD Associate Luke James Martyn VIC Member Benjamin Joseph Grose QLD Associate Clinton Richard Sutton QLD Associate Jordon Luke Staker NSW Member Bradley Godden VIC Associate Dean Heath Rickards VIC Associate Brendon James Mayo QLD Associate James Nicholas Johnston NSW Associate Amanda Minaro NSW Associate Michaelle Millsom NSW Associate Michelle Rowe NSW
For more information, contact the Queensland branch secretariat, tel 0419 782 688 or email qld-admin@quarry.com.au By Jennifer Milward
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN BRANCH NEWS The WA branch’s next two events will be of great interest to all members. The first is a breakfast meeting on Wednesday, 8 May with guest speaker Richard Sellers, the director-general of the Western Australian Department of Transport, speaking on WA’s transport infrastructure priorities. The breakfast will be held at Beaumonde on the Point in East Perth and is kindly sponsored by Boral.
In June there will be a site tour of the Brikmakers clay brickworks in South Guildford, followed by a sundowner. This event is proudly sponsored by Urban Resources.
Details about both events will be distributed to members and will be posted on the IQA website.
For more information about these coming events or other branch activities, contact the WA branch secretariat, tel 0417 027 928 or email wa-admin@quarry.com.au By Celia Pavri
IQA BRANCH CONTACTS
ACT Peter Hewson: 0429 001 476 NSW Gemma Thursfield: 0402 431 090 Northern Gemma Thursfield: 0402 431 090 Hunter Gemma Thursfield: 0402 431 090 Illawarra Dylan Treadwell: 0418 632 057 Central West Mitchell Bland: 0428 462 987 NT Darren McKenna: 08 8988 4520 QLD Jennifer Milward: 0419 782 688 Gladstone Jennifer Milward: 0419 782 688 Townsville Jennifer Milward: 0419 782 688 Cairns Chris Wilson: 0438 134 752 SA Marie Cunningham: 08 8243 2505 Tasmania Nicholas Palmer: 0418 126 253 Victoria Eli Carbone: 03 8637 4723 Vic Sub-branch Craig Staggard: 0407 509 424 WA Celia Pavri: 0417 027 928
2 LOTS TOTALLING 40HA* AVAILABLE COMBINED OR SEPARATE Nowergup, 21 Dayrell Road & 80 Gibbs Road
*Outline indicative only
*Outline indicative only *Outline indicative only
SALE Expressions of Interest Closing Tue 30 Apr 2019 4pm (AWST) • Land area 19.3ha* & 20.75ha* • Zoned Rural Resource under City of Wanneroo DPS No 2 • Good access to major transport routes • 21 Dayrell Road is considered Industrial Investigation under the Green Growth Plan, ideal for sequential land use • 80 Gibbs Road - 57,600kL water Licence * approx
Brett Wilkins 0478 611 168 brett.wilkins@raywhite.com Russ Parham 0499 552 255 russ.parham@raywhite.com Lachlan Burrows 0499 552 296 lachlan.burrows@raywhite.com
GEOLOGY TALK
THE GREAT 1906 SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE
A devastated San Francisco, seen from the Lawrence Captive airship, after the 1906 earthquake. The quake was felt over an area of 321,000 square kilometres - spanning Los Angeles, Oregon and Nevada.
One of the United States’ most famous natural disasters, the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, is notable for furthering geologic field studies of seismic activity. Bill Langer explains why earthquakes occur and the kind of minerals they can yield.
At 5.12am Pacific time on 18 April, 1906, an earthquake with a Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale of VII to IX swept throughout the entire San Francisco Bay area. The earthquake was felt over an area of nearly 321,000 square kilometres – from southern Oregon to south of Los Angeles and inland as far as central Nevada. Survivor P Barrett recalled: It was as if the earth was slipping gently from under our feet. Then came the sickening swaying of the earth that threw us flat upon our faces. We struggled in the street. We could not get on our feet. Then it seemed as though my head were split with the roar that crashed into my ears. Big buildings were crumbling as one might crush a biscuit in one’s hand. Ahead of me a great cornice crushed a man as if he were a maggot – a labourer in overalls on his way to the Union Iron Works with a dinner pail on his arm. Fires broke out in the city almost immediately and burned for days, incinerating buildings across more than 500 blocks in the heart of the city. It is estimated more than 3000 deaths were caused directly or indirectly by the catastrophe, and in excess of 28,000 buildings were destroyed.
In ancient times, earthquakes were believed to be the work of gods, specifically Poseidon, the Olympian deity of the sea, earthquakes, storms and horses. Today we know better.
The current prevailing theory, in a nutshell, is that an earthquake is caused by a sudden slip along a geologic fault. Stresses in the earth’s crust push the sides of a fault together. Stress builds up and the rocks slip past one another. Energy is released in waves that travel through the crust and cause the shaking felt during an earthquake.
There is no doubt earthquakes can cause tremendous damage and loss of life. Ironically, earthquakes also create a major source of wealth – namely, gold.
Small cavities exist along fault zones deep within the earth’s crust. These cavities are filled with super-heated fluids rich in dissolved quartz, other minerals and metals. As rocks along a fault slip during a major earthquake, these tiny cavities expand, resulting in a rapid pressure drop.
The pressure drop is sufficiently large that super-heated liquid in the cavities instantly vaporises. The quartz, other associated
50 Quarry April 2019 The northern segment of the San Andreas Fault runs through the San Francisco Peninsula.
minerals and metals (including gold) in the now supersaturated water crystallise in a process called flash deposition.
A single earthquake can produce an instant, albeit tiny, gold vein. However, there can be hundreds of thousands of tiny earthquakes (fault movements) every year in a single fault system. Over hundreds of thousands of years there is the potential to precipitate very large quantities of gold. Theoretically, typical rates of seismicity along the San Andreas Fault zone could generate a spider’s web of gold containing almost 100 tonnes of gold in less than 100,000 years.
For the exploration geologist, it is not about where the plate boundaries are now – it’s about where they were hundreds of millions of years ago. Knowing the location of ancient plate boundary faults helps geologists predict where regional mineralisation may occur today.
No amount of gold can make up for the loss of life, pain and suffering caused by earthquakes. However, the more scientists learn about earthquakes and the more seismic-aware society becomes, the better prepared people will be to minimise the effects of an earthquake. •
Bill Langer is a consultant geologist. Email bill_langer@hotmail.com or visit researchgeologist.com
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