Union Mining

The New South Wales Government yesterday announced amended special conditions for BHP Billiton’s Caroona Coal Project to ensure the prime agricultural land is protected from longwall and open cut mining.

After the company reviewed its exploration and development plans, the Government amended the conditions to protect the floodplain and deep alluvial irrigation aquifers in the surrounding Liverpool Plains area.

These amendments will prevent BHP from applying for a mining lease that includes longwall mining underneath the aquifers and the floodplain or open cut mining on the floodplain.

According to the company’s president of energy coal Jimmy Wilson, “BHP and the NSW Government are committed to protecting of key agricultural land and the region’s water supply.”

“The company has made this public commitment previously and now it is written in stone.

“This strikes a balance between protecting the valuable agricultural land and the potential of thousands of jobs that mining could bring to the region.”

BHP also announced it would provide a share of the funding for the Government’s Independent Water Study and incorporate the findings as part of any future environmental assessments.

“We know we will be judged by what we do, not by what we say and we are committed to fulfilling our obligations to protect the environment,” Wilson said.
Article source:

Conquest Mining yesterday received an indicative term sheet and detailed debt financing proposal from a senior bank to fund construction of a mine at its Silver Hill gold, silver and copper project in northern Queensland.

The company also received a detailed proposal from a Chinese smelter for the off-take of 30,000 tpa of high grade gold, silver and copper concentrate.

According to Conquest managing director John Terpu, the strong interest in the project supports the view that Silver Hill is one of the highest value new gold projects in Australia.
Read the full story

The Minister for Mines and Petroleum Norman Moore has announced new safety regulations for the mining industry after the death toll on mines rose to six this year.

An Alcoa contractor died early this morning after falling down a shaft at the company’s Wagerup alumina refinery, 110km south-east of Perth.

The contractor was a 50 year-old man from the Mandurah suburb of Erskine.

Safety investigators from the Department of Mines and Petroleum are still preparing a report into the circumstances leading up to the death for the State Coroner.

Mr Moore said the number of mine-related deaths had spiked significantly this year, up from two the previous years and he feared the sector had become "complacent".

"Even one death, is one too many," he said.

The government now intends to make mining companies follow a safety model used by petroleum sector, where companies are more self-regulated at a fracture of the cost to tax-payers.
Read the full article