Industry news

Fenner Dunlop Australia rebrands

CBH harvest smashes records

FENNER DUNLOP AUSTRALIA HAS

announced its co-branding with Michelin, and will now be known as Fenner Conveyors, A Michelin Group Company.

The transition has been in development since Michelin acquired Fenner Dunlop in 2018.

While Michelin is known for its tyre manufacturing, they are also recognised for sustainable mobility solutions and technological leadership.

Michelin’s growth has been fuelled by technical innovation, an ethos shared by Fenner, which has dedicated time and resources to fi nding more sustainable and effi cient ways to serve its people and customers.

“Over the years we have strived to develop our off ering for complete conveyor systems, through the purchase of several successful businesses including Belle Banne Conveyors in Victoria, Statewide Belting in Tasmania, and ACE in Queensland and New South Wales,” Fenner Executive Director, David Landgren said.

“Our cobranding with Michelin will allow our group of companies to cohesively expand and enhance our capabilities in tyres and conveyors for the mining industry.”

“2022 presents an opportunity to unify the best of both brands and work together to realise our growth aspirations within the Australian market. Embarking on this journey to Fenner Conveyors, we will continue to deliver industry leading service operations and Australian-made products, while fi nding a better way forward for everyone.”

The cobranding allows the group to expand its capabilities in tyres and conveyors for the mining industry.

THE CBH GROUP HAS MARKED THE

end of the 2021–22 harvest in Western Australia, breaking more than 90 production records across the network.

Growers delivered 50 per cent more than the fi ve-year harvest average, with the total tonnes delivered reaching 21.3 million tonnes. This surpasses the previous record in 2016–17 of 16.65 million tonnes, and the fi ve-year average of 14.2 million tonnes.

Of the 130 sites that received grain, 40 set new records for tonnes delivered in one day and 54 exceeded their previous record for total tonnes delivered to the site in one harvest.

Acting Chief Operations Offi cer Mick Daw said the harvest had exceeded all expectations.

“Most growers experienced yields well above average for all crop types, and the rate at which it was harvested and delivered is unprecedented,” Daw said.

“Early in the growing season, we could see that harvest was going to be a big one, and as each month passed, the estimates that were being generated were truly staggering.

“Preparing our supply chain and network to safely receive and store this bumper crop was our key focus throughout 2021.

CBH opened 130 sites this year, including the two new sites of Meenaar and North Kojonup.

Daw said the organisation also added a record 2.4 million tonnes of emergency storage across 33 of these sites.

“Our recruitment campaign for our harvest employees was also part of this preparation and was successful in ensuring we could attract the 2000 harvest causals to regional WA to help us with the job,” he said.

“In the end, growers delivered enough grain to fi ll the Optus Stadium 17 times over – a truly astounding eff ort.”

At the peak of harvest, a new record was set with CBH receiving almost 585,000 tonnes in one day. Altogether, there were 11 days where more than 500,000 tonnes were delivered on each day, something that has only happened fi ve times in CBH’s 88-year history.

“Growers across WA need to be congratulated for their innovation and

40 sites set new harvest records for tonnes delivered in one day.

resilience in not only growing this magnifi cent crop but their ability to strip it at a record pace with their signifi cant investment in modern technology and machinery,” Daw said.

“Although this put signifi cant pressure on our sites, the preparation and eff orts of our employees allowed CBH to keep up with the pace at which the growers were harvesting.

“The next challenge is moving the signifi cant amount of grain received through the network and shipping it to our global customers. The Western Australian grain rail and road network will be at peak capacity through the whole year as we move grain to port.”

Tasmania invests in timber and forestry

THE TASMANIAN GOVERNMENT

will invest in seven timber and forestry projects to help the sector turn existing wood supplies, as well as wood residues, into higher-value products.

The projects will share in a $6 million Forestry On-Island Processing Program, which is planned to create a $23 million investment in modern processing and production processes in facilities located around the State.

The projects aim to add value to the current timber harvest, better utilise wood residue, help insulate the industry from international commodity markets, reduce the need for imported wood products and support the construction industry locally.

It will also help secure scores of jobs across Tasmania and lead to at least 30 new direct and indirect positions.

The projects receiving funding include upgrades to processing facilities that convert low-grade plantation timber into high value boards and construction of wall and roof trusses to be sold across Australia.

The program also aims to improve timber recovery processes that will see more local wood replacing imported timber, increased output of treated pine products and an expansion of the amount of sawn timber and by-products generated from lower grade logs.

The projects are: • Timberlink Australia Pty Ltd – $1,063,304 to create a fi nger-jointing and priming line to convert low-grade and short length plantation pine into high value boards, fascia and posts. • CMTP Pty Ltd – $2,500,000 to upgrade their Branxholm Sawmill facility to a world class standard, signifi cantly increasing processing volumes of sawn log at increased lengths, with an improvement in timber recovery. The additional sawn timber volumes will replace imported timber. • McKay Investments Pty Ltd – $1,049,235 to upgrade truss plant facilities for the manufacture of wall and roof trusses and install an upgraded fi nger jointing and laminating plant. • Britton Brothers Pty Ltd – $689,000 towards a specialised timber recovery line that will join short lengths of timber into useable long sections • GL & VN Barber Pty Ltd – $250,000 to upgrade the existing kiln drying facility and install timber moulding capability to produce sawn timber and by-products from lower grade logs • Koppers Wood Products – $250,000 to upgrade their Longford pine processing facility to reduce waste and signifi cantly increase the effi ciency and output of treated pine postproduction processing • Bakes Sawmill Pty Ltd – $147,668 for the purchase, installation, and commissioning of wood treatment equipment to produce treated timber for a range of products – adding value to what is currently chipped residue wood.

Urea fertiliser project named major project

STRIKE ENERGY HAS BEEN

granted Major Project Status for Project Haber, its $3 billion urea manufacturing facility in the Narngulu Industrial Area, Western Australia.

The project aims to produce up to 1.4 million tonnes per annum of urea from clean hydrogen and natural gas.

Urea is the most used solid nitrogen fertiliser, and Australia is almost completely dependent on imports of urea to support the nation’s agricultural sector.

Strike Energy is developing Project Haber to provide lower cost, lower carbon emissions fertiliser to Australian farmers.

Projects awarded Major Project Status have access to extra support

The seven timber and forestry projects aim to help turn existing wood supplies, as well as wood residues, into higher-value products.

Project Haber aims to produce up to 1.4 million tonnes per annum of urea from clean hydrogen and natural gas.

from the Major Projects Facilitation Agency, including being provided with a single entry point for Australian Government approvals, project support and coordination.

Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor said the project was estimated to support 1135 full-time jobs each year during the three-year construction phase and 300 full-time jobs per year over its 30year life.

“Strike Energy’s project has enormous potential for job creation and emissions reduction through embracing new technologies and onshore manufacturing,” Taylor said.

“The facility has the potential to deliver signifi cant emissions reduction to Australia’s urea manufacturing sector through the use of advanced ammonia and gas processing technology, as well as dedicated clean hydrogen.

“It also aims to reduce the reliance of Australian farmers on international supply chains to enhance our food security, given more than 90 per cent of urea is currently imported.”

Resources and Water Minister Keith Pitt said Strike Energy intended to also establish a regional skills centre for downstream manufacturing to train locals in operations and maintenance.

“This is a great step forward in skilling up people for jobs in regional areas,” Pitt said.

“I look forward to watching this development energise this region throughout the supply chain, as well as in the local manufacturing and farming sectors.”

Member for Durack Melissa Price said the project would create hundreds jobs in the Mid-West region for up to 30 years.

“This investment is about backing local jobs and creating career opportunities to support this part of regional WA for decades to come,” Price said.

Strike Energy Managing Director Stuart Nicholls welcomed the Australian Government’s support for Project Haber.

“Australia has one of the world’s greatest endowments of natural resources, whether that is gas, wind, solar or geothermal energy. At Strike we believe we should maximise the benefi t of those resources for the nation by adding value to them here,” Nicholls said.

“By re-domesticating urea manufacturing in WA’s Mid West, Strike’s Project Haber will create regional jobs, incubate WA’s hydrogen economy whilst making our agriculture sector more competitive and carbon effi cient.”

Queensland sugar growers call for farm investment

QUEENSLAND’S SUGARCANE

industry body is urging the Federal Government to invest some of the $1 billion for the Great Barrier Reef into cooperative landholder programs.

Canegrowers CEO Dan Galligan said programs such as Smartcane BMP works with growers on their farms to identify practical changes they can make, tailored to their business, to achieve accreditation.

“By encouraging and validating industry best practice, including fertiliser and chemical use, Smartcane BMP has allowed farmers to demonstrate a positive impact on catchment water quality while also balancing the need for a profi table farming business,” Galligan said.

“This voluntary program is well ahead of the targets set for it when the State Government contributed to its rollout, but that funding is running down with the Queensland investment ending mid 2022.”

More than 80 per cent of the sugarcane land in Queensland is enrolled in the program. Already 35 per cent of the area is accredited as being managed to industry best practice standards, helping secure international markets for sustainable sugar.

As project manager on behalf of the whole sugarcane industry, Canegrowers is calling for ongoing commitments from government and industry for it to continue.

“Cooperative partnerships with landholders will always achieve more than a big stick such as regulation and the sugarcane industry is proving this with programs such as Smartcane BMP and other grower-led initiatives,” Galligan said.

More than 80 per cent of the sugarcane land in Queensland is enrolled in the Smartcane BMP program.

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RKM IN CONJUNCTION WITH WAGNER’S THE LEADING AUSTRALIAN COMPOSITE FIBRE TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY HAVE DEVELOPED A HEAVY-DUTY LIGHTWEIGHT COMPOSITE TUBE SUITABLE FOR HANDLING HEAVY LOADS.

By using a unique pull-winding process, high grade glass reinforcement and resin to bind the fibers together, it provides superior flexural strength and stiffness comparable to Steel. This combination has been used in• Power Pole Cross arms • Boardwalks • Foot Bridges • Road Bridges • Pontoons • Jetties • Various Mine Structures • Piping, Casing & Tubing • Reinforcing (Rebar)

KEY FEATURES: • Up to 50 % lighter than Steel • Advanced wear properties • Superior Stiffness and Flexural Strength, comparable to Steel • Low Noise • High Performance Sealing package • HD Bearing Housing The RKM Heavy Duty Light Weight Composite Roller provides low weight and less noise in comparison to the normal plain steel rollers. The specially formulated composite shell is as strong as steel but 50% lighter. We have designed into the housing our proven RS seal package along with a primary heavy-duty nylon protective outer dual labyrinth shield, which will eliminate any rock jamming & provides additional protection against the ingress of contaminants. Computerized dynamic balancing machines enable us to produce a dynamically balanced roller which meets AS3709 G16 and achieves the best possible TIR and MIS, reducing any noise generated from the belt running across the surface of the roller. As a solution driven Idler manufacture, RKM continues to innovate products suitable for today’s heavy mining applications.

Women in Industry Awards return to Melbourne

To ensure the 2021 Women in Industry Awards can be held in person, the event has moved to April 2022. ABHR names the nominees in the running for the awards.

THE FINALISTS ARE: Business Development Success of the Year

• Katherine Walton, Cyclone Specialist –

Weir Minerals • Kylie Hollonds, Managing Director –

GF Oats Australia • Lacey Webb, Founder & Director –

Resource Hub • Louise Johnson, Scientifi c Specialist – BOC • Puneeta Chellaramani, Director –

KPMG Australia Excellence in Engineering - sponsored by BAE Systems

• Amelinda Ilardi, Project Manager –

ANCA • Ashleigh Fulcher, Mechanical Engineer – Viva Energy Australia • Brownyn Evans, CEO – Engineers

Australia • Narelle Dobson, Director Special

Projects – Department of Transport and Main Roads, QLD • Rachel Barrett, Senior Verifi cation and

Validation Engineer – Bosch Australia Excellence in Manufacturing

• Cori Stewart, CEO – ARM Hub • Heidi Bergman , Director,

Manufacturing Sciences &

Technology – Seqirus • Julie Jones, General Counsel and

Company Secretary – Matrix

Composites and Engineering Ltd • Noelle Parlier, Chief Engineer –

PACCAR Australia • Sabrina Sequeria, Project Engineer –

Lighting Protection International • Shay Chalmers Director – Strategic

Engineering Australia Pty Ltd Excellence in Mining - sponsored by Weir Minerals

• Carly O’Loughlan, Director – Ore

Contracting WA Pty Ltd • Carrie Heaven, Superintendent Mine

Services – Glencore • Christine Morris, Director Strategy &

Performance – Komatsu Mining Excellence in Transport

• Catherine Baxter, Chief Operating

Offi cer – Metro Trains • Heather Jones, Director – Pilbara

Heavy Haulage Girls • Kirstyn Glass, Rail Operations

Consultant – Trapeze Group Asia

Pacifi c • Merry Manton, Board Member –

Transport Women Australia Limited • Penny Ford, Executive Director –

Department of Transport and Main

Roads, QLD Industry Advocacy Award

• Gina Rinehart, Executive Chairman –

Hancock Prospecting • Hermione Parsons, Director, Centre for Supply Chain and Logistics –

Deakin University • Jo Sainsbury, Director – Kickass

Women • Kylie Ward, Asia Pacifi c HR Director –

Stantec • Megan McCracken, Chair – NAWO Mentor of the Year

• Angela Wiggins, Chief Counsel – BAE

Systems Australia • Christine Morris, Director Strategy &

Performance – Komatsu Mining • Kylie Fraser, President of Consumer &

Healthcare Group – Linfox • Larissa Rose, Director Consultant –

Glowing Green Australia • Lidia Trehane, Software Engineering

Manager – Bosch Australia Rising Star of the Year - sponsored by Atlas Copco

• Deanne Heier, Product Performance

Specialist – Norske Skog • Isabella Freeman, Project Manager –

RoadTek / Department of Transport and Main Roads, QLD • Kirstie Looke, Crude Scheduler – Viva

Energy Australia • Louisa Jansen, Site Engineer – Fulton

Hogan • Monique Yap, Graduate Engineer –

Weir Minerals

The Women in Industry awards will take place in person on 7 April 2022.

Safety Advocacy Award - sponsored by BOC

• Ainsley Fish, Project Systems

Representative – RoadTek /

Department of Transport and Main

Roads, QLD • Grace Kube, Graduate Process

Engineer – Norske Skog • Merry Manton Board Member –

Transport Women Australia Limited • Sabrina Sequeria, Project Engineer –

Lighting Protection International • Stephanie O’Dwyer, Manager Health,

Wellbeing and Innovation – BlueScope

Steel Social Leader of the Year - sponsored by Komatsu

• Anne Williams, Plant Operations

Manager - Rail – John Holland • Jane Tiller, Ethical, Legal & Social

Advisor – Monash University • Jo Withford, Senior Project Engineer –

Transport for NSW • Penelope Twemlow, Director – KPMG • Pranjal Pawar, Project Manager –

Development Victoria

Tickets are on sales for the awards night, which will take place on Thursday, 7 April 2022, from 6:30PM till late at the Arts Centre in Melbourne. To purchase tickets, visit womeninindust��.com.au/awa�ds.