Industry News

The Tasmanian Government has granted a mining lease for the long awaited Livingstone project near Tullah, in the state’s north-west.

State Minister for Energy and Resources, Bryan Green, said the proposed mine would create 30 construction jobs and a similar number when it was operational 

"Venture Minerals is proceeding with development plans and hopes to receive final approvals to allow work to start on the mine before the end of the year," Mr Green said.

The project is a forerunner to Venture Minerals proposed large scale tin and tungsten mine planned at nearby Mount Lindsay, which is expected to generate 1,000 direct jobs during construction and 200 full time jobs when the mine is operational.

“These projects are a great vote of confidence in the Tasmanian mining industry which comes on the back of record investment in mineral exploration,” Mr Green said.

"This will provide a major economic boost to the North-West and West Coasts and the broader Tasmanian economy.

Mr Green said this was highlighted by a Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics report released last week that showed hundreds of millions of dollars of mining investment in the pipeline for Tasmania.

ClubsNSW has launched a new campaign that will see high school bullies blacklisted by employers in the State’s Murray region.

The BULLYcheck, which initiative is expected to be rolled out state-wide next year, has received the support of local high schools and would see students guilty of “bullying, stalking cyber stalking or threatening” blacklisted.

ClubsNSW has deemed the following offences worthy of blacklisting a student:  

• those which were committed with the intention of causing mental or physical harm to a student or teacher
• those which cause a student/ teacher to self-harm
• those involving pre-meditated and repeated cyber bullying
• those involving threatening a student or teacher
• those where police charges have been laid

ClubsNSW CEO Anthony Ball said he expects the program to be adopted by clubs across the state next year once the 12 month trial is completed.

“The message for high school students is simple. If you bully or threaten other students then you are risking your own career prospects,” Mr Ball said.

Former South Australian Premier, Mike Rann, has been appointed as Chair of the Board of Lower Carbon Australia.

Mr Rann is a member of the International Leadership Council, The Climate Group (UK) and the International Advisory Board, Ecological Sequestration Trust (UK). He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Low Carbon Australia, complementing current Board members.

Mr Rann will formally be elected as Chair of the Board at its June 2012 meeting.

Low Carbon Australia was established by the Federal Government to assist businesses, public sector organisations and consumers improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions and identify carbon neutral goods and services.

Mr Rann joins Board members Martijn Wilder, Linda Nicholls, Tanya Cox, Don Matthews and Anthony Coleman.

The Queensland Government has given conditional approval for the $6.4 billion Alpha Coal Project in Queensland’s Galilee Basin, the first mine in the region.

Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jeff Seeney welcomed the decision and said the project would produce significant economic benefits for the state and nation. 

“There’ll be an estimated $11 billion boost to the economy during the mine’s three year construction phase. 80 per cent of that will be retained in Queensland,” Mr Seeney said. 

The mine is expected to see some $80 billion in exports over its lifetime, equating to en economic boost of $1 billion per year.

Mr Seeney said the Coordinator-General had approved the mine with strict conditions and the move was a major step towards opening up the Galilee Basin’s coal deposits. 

“The proposal is for a 30 million tonnes per year open-cut coal mine and a 495km railway line from the mine to the Port of Abbot Point near Bowen,” he said.

The project is expected to generate up to 3600 construction jobs and 990 operational jobs. 

The mine site is 130 kilometres south-west of Clermont in the state’s north-east. The expected life of the mine is 30 years, with sufficient resources to potentially extend the project life beyond that time. 

The project is currently pending environmental approval from the Federal Government.

The awards have previously been administered by the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (SRCC). This changed with the introduction of the new work health and safety (WHS) laws in January this year, as Comcare is now the sole regulator of WHS in the scheme.

The new awards (categories six and eight) will recognise Health and Safety Representative of the Year and Claims Manager of the Year.

The 2012 awards categories are:

Category one: Best Workplace Health and Wellbeing Program

Category two: Leadership Award for Injury or Disease Prevention and Management

Category three: Best Workplace Health and Safety Management System

Category four: Best Solution to an Identified Workplace Health and Safety Issue

Category five: Best Individual Contribution to Health and Safety

a) A worker

b) A worker with responsibility for WHS as part of their duties

Category six: Health and Safety Representative of the Year

Category seven: Rehabilitation and Return to Work Award

a) An organisation

b) An individual

Category eight: Claims Manager of the Year

Comcare CEO Paul O’Connor said the expansion of the awards in 2012 acknowledges the importance of health and safety in the workplace.

“I encourage as many nominations as possible for these awards which recognise excellence in workplace health and safety, rehabilitation and return to work achieved by individuals and organisations covered by the Comcare scheme.

“Many organisations and employees make a vital contribution to health and safety in the workplace.

“The awards highlight these contributions and how important they are in keeping employees safe, both physically and mentally at work,” Mr O’Connor said.

The awards will be presented at a dinner in Sydney on 20 September 2012 as part of the Comcare National Conference.

Further details on the awards can be found at www.comcare.gov.au/events.

Professor Aidan Byrne has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Research Council (ARC).

Professor Byrne is currently the Dean of Science at the ANU and the Director of the ANU College of Physical and Mathematical Science.

He will commence as CEO on Monday, 23 July. ARC Executive General Manager Ms Leanne Harvey will continue to act as CEO until this time.

Former CEO Professor Margaret Sheil left the ARC last month after almost five years.

International management specialist BlockRock has announced the appointment of Justin Arter as the company’s new Country Head of its Australian operations.

Mr Arter will be responsible for the future development and growth of BlackRock Australia and will report to the company’s Asia Pacific Chairman, Mark McCombe.

Mr Arter will join BlackRock after leaving Victorian Funds Management Corporation (VFMC), where he served as Chief Executive Officer. Prior to his time at VFMC, Mr Arter had an 18 year career at Goldman Sachs JB Were.

Mr McCombe said Mr Arter’s appointment was indicative of the company’s newfound focus on the Australian market.

“The size and sophistication of the Australian market makes it a key area of focus for BlackRock Asia Pacific. A leader of Justin’s calibre, with his outstanding track record in financial services, will be integral to BlackRock Australia’s growth plans. His appointment reflects the importance we place on building our business in this compelling investment environment,” Mr McCombe said.

Mr Arter will commence his work in September. 

The Western Australian Government has announced $3 million in spending to implement cat legislation aimed at reducing the thousands of stray cats being euthanised each year.

State Local Government Minister John Castrilli said the funding would also be used to help promote responsible cat ownership as the legislation is rolled out over the next 18 months.

The aptly named Cat Act will see owners require the identification, registration and sterilisation of their feline companions, while local governments will be given the power to enforce the legislation.

The legislation will also attempt to mitigate the negative effects of the state’s feline population by funding cat pound facilities and for other capital costs, including microchip readers, cat traps and ranger training.

The State Government will conduct a consultative process to deliver the best cat management strategy.

“The Department of Local Government will be working with veterinarians and other stakeholders over the next six months on the best way to provide this assistance,” Mr Castrilli said.

“Efficient and cost effective means of providing these facilities are being explored in conjunction with cat welfare organisations and local governments.”

According to the State Government, there is overwhelming support for these initiatives from both cat people and non-cat people, as shown in the 590 submissions received in response to a consultation paper released in 2010.  

We’re not sure if anybody’s told the cats about the forced steralisation initiative though. 

Two of Hastie Group’s non-executive directors have stepped down from their positions after the group spirals into liquidation.

Lindsay Phillips and Harry Boon have both left the company as a $20 million accountancy irregularity has seen the company appoint voluntary administrators.

The engineering services company’s spectacular collapse has seen 3,000 jobs lost, while its $540 million debt to its banking fanciers will most likely have to be written down.

Fair Work Australia (FWA) has found that cabin crew recruited in Thailand are underpaid by as much as half of their minimum entitlements.

Fair Work Ombudsman said the pay rate is unacceptable and has requested the Federal Court to ban the practice. The Ombudsman has found Jetstar’s Thai employees should be paid double the amount they currently receive.

FWA commenced litigation last Friday involving eight foreign workers but, subject to the findings of the Court, the Ombudsman expects that number to grow to up to 300.

Facing Court is Singapore company Valuair Limited and Thai company Tour East (T.E.T.) Limited - companies which recruit cabin crew to work exclusively for Jetstar on both international and domestic flights.

Valuair and Tour East are part-owned by Qantas.

The Fair Work Ombudsman is seeking to have Valuair and Tour East reimburse the eight more than $7500 it alleges they are owed in back-pay. It is also seeking penalties against Jetstar Airways Pty Ltd.

The Fair Work Ombudsman alleges Jetstar Airways was knowingly a party to underpayment contraventions. It alleges Jetstar rosters the foreign cabin crews onto its Australian domestic flights and is aware of the rates they are being paid.

The Queensland Government has approved a major 44 kilometre sector of pipeline within the Callide Infrastructure Corridor State Development Area (CICSDA), a major section of the 435 kilometre gas transmission pipeline for the Gladstone project.

The Coordinator-General’s approval of the Santos project will allow the project to progress through to the next stage.

“Santos Limited has passed the final major step in meeting the Coordinator-General’s EIS conditions and can now get on with the job of delivering a project which will bring major economic benefits to Gladstone and Queensland,” Deputy Queensland Premier Jeff Seeney said.

“This pipeline section is a key component of the gas transmission pipeline network required to deliver gas from the coal seam gas fields to the liquefied natural gas facility export facility being constructed on Curtis Island.”

The Federal Government has introduced a package of bills that will aim to reform the way in which the country regulates all commercial vessels within territorial waters. The legislation will replace the seven existing Federal, state and territory bureaucracies and the fifty separate pieces of legislation they administer with a single national regulator and one set of nationwide laws.

The legislation will see the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) become the national regulator of all commercial vessels in Australian waters.

The Federal Government will also aim to lift safety standards by introducing a streamlined national system.

The legislation now before the Parliament will eliminate the artificial sea borders which have existed between the states since Federation.  From 1 January 2013, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) will become the national regulator of all commercial vessels, not just those involved in international trade.

The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) has welcomed the move by the Federal Government.

“These maritime safety laws are part of a broader transport reform package that involves establishing single national regulators for rail safety, maritime safety and heavy vehicles,” ALC Managing Director Michael Kilgariff said. 

The $10.2 million funding requirement was provided in the Federal Budget and forms part of the government’s amove to reverse the decline of Australia’s domestic shipping industry. 

The United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf has confirmed Australia’s limits of 11 million square kilometres of continental shelf, providing clarity over areas which Australia has exclusive rights.

The Federal Government has welcomed the Seas and Submerged Lands (Limits of Continental Shelf Proclamation 2012, with Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson, saying it has ramifications for the country’s energy sector.

“Australia has the exclusive right to explore and utilise the resources of the seabed within our continental shelf, including oil, gas, minerals and biological resources,” Mr Ferguson said.

“The proclamation includes large areas of continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles which are based on the 2008 recommendations of the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.”

The proclamation is the culmination of nearly twenty years of persistent scientific, legal and diplomatic work by government agencies, particularly Geoscience Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Attorney-General’s Department.

“The proclamation demonstrates the practical benefits of Australia’s international engagement in law of the sea matters and with the United Nations and its agencies,” Senator Carr said.

“Australia has also provided technical and financial assistance to help relevant states, including our Pacific Island neighbours, benefit from confirmation of their maritime jurisdiction.”

The Proclamation was made on 24 May 2012.

A copy of the map can be found at http://www.attorneygeneral.gov.au/Media-releases/PublishingImages/ECSmap.jpg

The World Wide fond for Nature (WWF) has hit out at the New Zealand Government, saying it is continuing 20 years of environmental neglect and broken promises.

Contained in its Beyond Rio report, the WWF has accused the New Zealand Government reneging on its pledges made at the Earth Summit 20 years ago.

“Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud, is now a land of polluted rivers and lakes, rising greenhouse gas emissions, pressured marine ecosystems and disappearing bird and mammal species,” WWF-New Zealand’s Executive Director Chris Howe said.

“While it is important for the government to constructively engage in the upcoming summit, we should not lose sight of the many commitments that already exist. If New Zealand’s political leaders had made good on the promises made back in 1992, then we wouldn’t be faced with such a battle to turn things around. ”

The key findings of the report include:

• Increased pollution in our lakes and rivers, including 43 per cent of monitored lakes in NZ now classed as polluted and an estimated 18,000-34,000 people annually catching waterborne diseases.
• More than 60 per cent of native freshwater fish as well as the only freshwater crayfish and mussel species are now threatened with extinction.
• Seven of New Zealand’s ten official ‘indicator species’ for measuring biodiversity status are threatened. The Kokako, for example, has suffered a 90 per cent contraction in its range since the 1970s.
• Iconic species such as Maui’s dolphins and NZ sea lions are listed as ‘nationally critical’. Only an estimated 55 Maui’s over the age of one year remain and NZ sea lion pup numbers have halved over the past 12 years at their main breeding area in the Auckland Islands.
• Almost two-thirds of New Zealand’s seabird species are listed as threatened with extinction. The main threats to seabirds are predation by introduced mammals, fishing methods and human disturbance.
• New Zealand’s gross emissions have risen by 20% since 1992, due to increased pollution from energy, transport, agriculture and industry sectors. Even with our weakened Emissions Trading Scheme, emissions are projected to continue to rise.

The report can be found here (.pdf)

Australian workers waste one third of their time at work, costing their employees an estimated loss of about $109 billion according to Ernst & Young’s Productivity Pulse survey.

According to the survey, which canvassed almost 2,500 employees, only fifty-eight per cent of the working day contributes any “real value” to their employer.

24 per cent of the day is spent on networking, personal development and other ‘organisational curricular activities’ that are important to both employer and employee.

However, the survey concluded that 18 per cent of the day is spent on work that wastes time and effort.

"Workers that feel insecure about their roles or are unsatisfied with their workplace have fallen further down the productivity scale as a result of the current slowdown," Ernst and Young Oceania Advisory leader Neil Plumridge said.

However, the dichotomy between the productive and the feckless goes beyond the workplace, with members of the more efficient worker group taking, on average, 43 minutes less time in getting to work.

"This means that the top group has more opportunity for their personal life and activities such as helping kids with their homework, going to the gym, or even cooking the evening meal," Mr Plumridge said.

The survey found that people management issues were the biggest single impact (54 per cent) on productivity, while organisational structure accounted for 23 per cent of the lost productivity. Innovation was identified as a factor, accounting for 15 per cent of the lost productivity. 

The Federal Government has announced it will establish a community advisory committee to assist in protecting the Ningaloo reef.

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke announced the formation of the committee while attending the one-year anniversary of the listing of the Ningaloo Coast’s World Heritage Listing.

“The Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Advisory committee will allow community members, including traditional owners, to play a role in the protection and stewardship of the Ningaloo Coast,” Mr Burke said.

“With the support of a World Heritage project officer, the advisory committee will play a pivotal role in protecting the outstanding universal value of the Ningaloo Coast that led to its inscription on the World Heritage List.”

In addition to funding for the advisory committee, a further $496,000 has been allocated towards feral animal control at Ningaloo to reduce threats posed to threatened species and habitats.

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) has released changes to its Basin Plan to ministers as part of the Authority’s process of developing the finalised plan.

The MDBA also released a report detailing the changes that have been made to the draft based on submissions received during the consultation period.

"Over the past 12 months we have been consulting communities and representative groups on the development of a Basin Plan," said MDBA Chair Craig Knowles.

"Since the release of the draft in November, we have continued to consider and test ideas and information to revise the draft plan that we are now presenting to Basin governments."

This version of the plan, titled the 'Proposed Basin Plan – A Revised Draft', now enters its ministerial and parliamentary process. It goes to all Basin water ministers for consideration for a maximum of six weeks, as stipulated by the Water Act. Following this, the Basin Plan will be given to the Federal Water Minister.

The MDBA has stood by the planned 2,750 GL/y as a long term average for its environmental flow.

The revised plan has proven expectedly unpopular with the respective Murray-Darling State Governments, with Victorian Water Minister saying the plan is a ‘death warrant’ for the agricultural sector in the state.

“"The socio-economic report outlines the industries that will be severely impacted upon: northern Victoria's dairy farmers, Sunraysia and Riverland horticulturalists, cotton growers in the Lower Ballonee and Murrumbidgee and New South Wales Murray rice growers,” Mr Walsh said.

Queensland Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Andrew Cripps echoed Mr Walsh’s concerns, saying none of Queensland’s concerns were addressed in the revision.

“The Queensland Government raised a number of significant and legitimate concerns in its submission to the original draft and unfortunately none of those appear to have been addressed in this revised Plan,” Mr Cripps said. 

South Australian Premier, Jay Weathrill, described the revised plan as ‘unacceptable’, and that it does not provide enough for environmental flows.

“The result is a revised plan which officially sanctions the over-allocation of water that has been going on for more than 40 years, damaging the Murray and threatening to destroy it,” Mr Weatherill said in a statement. 

More information can be found here

The Senate Standing Committees on Economics is to conduct an inquiry into the Clean Energy Legislation Amendment Bill 2012 and related bills.

The bills propose to amend the Clean Energy Act 2011 and the Fuel Tax Act 2006 to reflect changes in coverage arrangements for gaseous fuels. The bills also propose to make a number of minor and technical amendments relating to the Carbon Farming Initiative and the Australian National Registry of Emissions Units, and to enable information sharing between relevant agencies and the proposed Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

Submissions should be received by 5 June 2012. The reporting date is 18 June 2012.

More information is here.

The Western Australian Government has officially opened Fortescue Metals Group’s (FMG) new iron ore berth in Port Hedland.

Berth AP3 is the first of two new berths being constructed at the town’s Herb Elliot Port, which will have a combined 120 million tonne export capacity by 2013.

State Minister for Mines and Petroleum Norman Moore said iron ore accounted for record sales of $62.8billion in 2011, a 29 per cent increase on the previous year, representing 59 per cent of WA’s total resources sales in 2011.