Prospect Awards exhibit mining’s best

Prospect Awards finalists exhibit mining’s best

FINALISTS FOR THE 2021 AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS ARE NOW LOCKED IN WITH THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST IN SAFETY, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OVERALL BRILLIANCE ALL ON SHOW.

The Prospect Awards is a mustsee event that showcases the best innovations and projects developed by mining and METS (mining equipment, technology and services) companies, ensuring outstanding individual and team performances are recognised.

Despite the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 awards show will go ahead, albeit on March 17, 2022, at The Greek Club in Brisbane.

Prospect Awards events manager Lauren Winterbottom thanks each of the talented individuals and organisations that submitted an application.

COAL MINE OF THE YEAR – PROUDLY SPONSORED BY SEW-EURODRIVE A QUESTIONING ATTITUDE

This award recognises a coal mine that is performing well or has carried out an innovative project or program like last year’s winners, the Moolarben operation in New South Wales.

The nominations are the Kestrel coal mine, owned by Kestrel Coal Resources, and Yancoal’s Yarrabee coal mine, both in Queensland.

Kestrel has been recognised for making the operation one of Australia’s highest producing underground longwall coal mines.

The mine produced 3.45 million tonnes of coal for the first half of 2021 before it completed a longwall move in less than 23 days from July to August.

Yancoal has been recognised for its new cultural framework.

During 2020-2021, Yarrabee broke all previous monthly and quarterly records for drilling and explosives loaded.

It also became the first mine in Australia to implement the new Hitachi 800 tonne excavator, the EX8000-7.

CONTRACT MINER OF THE YEAR – PROUDLY SPONSORED BY EPIROC

This award recognises excellence in contract mining, engineering, projects, and services. For the second year in a row, Mader Group has been nominated, alongside newcomer MEC Mining. Mader Group provides specialist maintenance support for heavy mobile equipment and fixed infrastructure in mining and civil industries. Its value on the ASX increased by more than 20 per cent in the 2021 financial year. MEC Mining’s Productive Solutions offer holistic consultation to clients whose challenges have been compounded by the pandemic and increasing scrutiny of environmental and safety practices. In early 2020, MEC was approached by an ASX-listed mining multi-national publicly committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

HARD ROCK MINE OF THE YEAR – PROUDLY SPONSORED BY EPIROC

This award turns the focus on hard rock mining and the businesses performing well or undertaking innovation projects to better themselves and the industry. New Century Resources has been nominated for two awards this year, the first of which sees its Century zine mine up for Hard Rock Mine of the Year. Century saw teams take on initiatives in water saving through hydraulic mining, and concentrate loading in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The Roy Hill iron ore mine delivered a record equivalent annual run rate of 60 million tonnes in the June quarter of 2021.

The awards night will be held in Brisbane.

This was despite a range of restrictions, including inclement weather, COVID-19 restrictions and a skills shortage. New programs at Roy Hill included a new autonomous haulage system, a new crusher and overland conveyor system.

INDIGENOUS ENGAGEMENT AWARD

The Indigenous Engagement Award, for which nominees are selected based on significant collaboration with Aboriginalowned businesses, continues to increase in recognition. Finalists in 2021 include Atlas Iron, iCutter Industries and Sandvik. Atlas Iron attracted attention for its record-breaking contract to Indigenous business East-West Pilbara (EWP) for load and haul, and drill and blast services for the Miralga Creek mine in Western Australia. The Hancock Prospecting subsidiary saw EWP as the best choice as it is directly connected to Traditional Owners of the land on which Miralga Creek will operate, the Nyamal people. iCutter is an Australian owned and operated indigenous business in the drill and blast sector, based in Mackay, Queensland. Through BHP’s Local Buying Program, iCutter has worked with the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) and takes discarded drilling tools for refurbishment. If refurbishment is not possible, iCutter repurposes or recycles the tools. Sandvik launched its Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), which contains almost 100 key actions across pillars of Respect, Relationships, Opportunities and Governance in working with Australia’s Indigenous communities. One action was to investigate opportunities to involve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders into the Sandvik supply chain and this welcome partnerships with Yakeen Safety, Geared Up Culcha and Mirri Mirri Productions.

MINE MANAGER OF THE YEAR – PROUDLY SPONSORED BY CRC

This award takes a closer look at the individuals driving the success of Australia’s leading mining operations. Nominees hail from mining giants Glencore and Yancoal. Glencore mine services superintendent at the McArthur River coal mine, Carrie Heaven, has risen through the ranks since she entered the industry as a geotechnical engineer in 2011. Heaven has improved the operation’s female bathroom facilities, established a mining engineer cadetship program, and an Indigenous employment program. Yancoal’s Cris Shadbolt joined the company three years ago as the mining manager and quickly earned his way to becoming the operations manager at Yarrabee coal mine. Shadbolt has helped to implement a program at the mine called the Yarrabee Way, which looks to improve people, safety and proficiency.

MINERALS PROCESSING OF THE YEAR

This award recognises a mine, company, or project that has developed or carried out an innovative or unique minerals processing program. Lynas Rare Earths has been nominated for its work optimising the milling and flotation circuit at its Mt Weld site. The project differs from others due to the flotation of phosphate minerals compared with sulphide minerals in gold and base metals processing plants. New Century Resources received its second nomination in minerals processing for the commissioning of its Jameson cell at the Century mine. The company worked with Mineralis Consultants to implement the Jameson cell circuit upgrade to achieve recovery grades of 50 to 54 per cent. Metso Outotec is recognised for its work increasing gold recovery at AngloGold Ashanti’s Sunrise Dam gold mine.

SAFETY ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR

As regulations hone in on weaknesses in health and safety, this award looms as an important one to win. Boom Logistics, Fenner Dunlop, Mitchell Services, and Lyons Air Conditioning Services have been recognised for their contribution to worker health and safety. Boom Logistics is Australia’s largest national crane and lifting company and has a significant responsibility to maintain safety across the business. Thanks to its “Safe Act Observations” principle, the company more than doubled its annual safety observations from 2019 to 2021. Fenner Dunlop has implemented a list of safety initiatives in its pursuit of total safety for its employees, thanks to general manager of safety, training and technical, Vicki Wust. These included a mechanical advanced course, a collaboration with SafetyCircle, centralised training records, and a relaunch of its Trust Yet Verify program. Lyons partnered with a US-based company which set the standard on cabin filtration. Mitchell Services has implemented its frontline-driven fatal risk management initiative. By engaging with on-site operators, it has improved the operators’ understanding of critical risks on the job. In the 12 months since commencing implementation, there has been more than 1000 inspections incorporating more than 22,000 verifications of individual critical controls.

Thank you to Prospect Award sponsors National Group, Liebherr, SEW-Eurodrive, Epiroc, Austmine, Flexco, CRC and Vocus for supporting the program. Tickets for the evening are now available online at www.prospectawards.com.au

CONFERENCES, SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS

EVENT SUBMISSIONS CAN BE EMAILED TO EDITOR@SAFETOWORK.COM.AU

THE AUSTRALIAN GOLD CONFERENCE SYDNEY | FEBRUARY 10-11

The Australian Gold Conference will take place across two days in 2022 at Crown Sydney, kicking off with an ‘Introduction to Gold’ pre-event hosted by The Perth Mint on February 9. From there, a two-day symposium will be held – bringing together every aspect of the precious metals investment industry. Keynote speakers will present their investment views and look at how we can grow and protect our wealth going forward. Bullion dealers will also be on hand to help you understand how. • goldindustrygroup.com.au/events/industryevent-2021-australian-gold-conference

AUSTMINE MINING INNOVATION ROADSHOW NEWCASTLE | FEBRUARY 24

This full-day conference will focus on concepts discussed at Austmine’s biennial conference and exhibition from May 2021. Conversations surrounding sustainability and innovation will be driven by keynote speakers Mick Buffier, Glencore; Stuart Sneyd, Metso Outotec; Cam Halfpenny, Bengalla Mining Company; and Belinda Grealy, Orica. New topics will also be discussed which relate to the local mining and METS industry, including safer and more productive coal mining, opportunities for diversification into metals mining and other industries, the role of innovation in driving sustainable processes. Roundtable interactions will present an opportunity to network with senior industry leaders, researchers and delegates. • innovationroadshow.austmine.com.au

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY BRISBANE, SYDNEY, MELBOURNE, ADELAIDE AND PERTH | MARCH 4-11

Returning to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth in March 2022, AusIMM will present another forward-thinking event as they continue to raise the profile of women in the resources sector. As part of their 2021 International Women’s Day event series, AusIMM welcomed 1600 people from across Australia to applaud the achievements of women in the resources sector and hear from inspiring keynotes about their own journeys on challenging bias and inequality. The series welcomed respected industry speakers such as human rights lawyer and hostage survivor Rabia Siddique, Australia’s chief scientist Dr Cathy Foley AO, South Australia’s chief scientist Prof Caroline McMillen AO, success coach Yemi Penn, and company director, author and leadership expert Dr Kirstin Ferguson across the five locations in 2021. • ausimm.com/conferences-and-events/ international-womens-day

AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS BRISBANE | MARCH 17

The Australian Mining Prospect Awards return in March of 2022. Mining has always been a part of Australia’s landscape, playing a major part in the development of this nation from its early days. The sector remains vibrant and innovative, and for more than a decade the Australian Mining Prospect Awards have been the only national awards program reward those who are excelling and going above and beyond, recognising and rewarding innovation. The Australian Mining Prospect Awards were established in 2004 to recognise excellence and innovation in the Australian mining industry. • prospectawards.com.au

QUEENSLAND MINING INDUSTRY HEALTH AND SAFETY CONFERENCE GOLD COAST | AUGUST 21-24

Representing an initiative to promote health and safety in the Queensland mining industry, the conference provides attendees with the opportunity to exchange information, network and foster proactive health and safety management techniques. This year, the event returns with the theme “Together we collaborate, innovate and educate”. The conference will retain presentations planned for 2020. It follows a bumper year for conference attendance, with almost 1000 people joining the event when it featured seven keynote presentations, 50 concurrent presentations and 60 trade displays in 2019. Held at The Star Gold Coast this year, the Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference will conclude with the Safety Innovation Health Awards and gala dinner. • qmihsconference.org.au

BULK 2022: AUSTRALIAN BULK HANDLING EXPO MELBOURNE | AUGUST 24-26

The Australian Bulk Handling Expo, conference and awards will take place in 2022 to bring together the bulk handling industry into a standalone exhibition that shares the same location as MEGATRANS, which integrates intrinsically with the logistics and multimodal freight sector. It is supported by the Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling (ASBSH), which will host an industry conference, while the trade expo will showcase the latest in bulk materials handling equipment and technologies. Exhibitors include VEGA, SEW-Eurodrive, Mideco, Bonfiglioli, Minprovise and ESS Engineering. BULK2022 will take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre over a period of three days. BULK2020 and BULK2021 ticketholders will be able to use their tickets to join the rescheduled expo. • bulkhandlingexpo.com.au