Skills back on the agenda
August 4 - 10, 2010
SKILLS shortages were back on the edge of the spotlight again this week, at Diggers & Dealers of all places, and yes they were right on the fringe. But the issue needs to take centre stage very soon, the global mining and metals leader of major accounting firm Ernst & Young, Mike Elliott, said.
The long haul for junior rail access
June 30 - July 6, 2010
THE apparent breakdown in negotiations between Rio Tinto and Iron Ore Holdings is not a good sign for other iron ore juniors hoping that third party railway access might some day, one day, enable them to run successful iron ore mining businesses. There are other signs on the horizon which are more promising, but most companies expect it will be a long haul.
Industry looks to raise aviation safety BAR
June 23 - 29, 2010
THE crash of the Sundance Resources flight in Cameroon at the weekend has devastated the mining industry and the families of the six mining executives killed in the accident. It has also raised questions about aviation safety and standards for the resources industry, especially in places such as Africa. However, aviation experts contacted by HighGrade in the wake of the accident at the weekend believe the industry is, for the most part, managing the risks of flying, and with the introduction of a new safety standard for the mining sector should make aviation even safer.
What you think of That Tax
May 19 - 25, 2010
IT ALMOST goes without saying that the proposed resources super profit tax is something from the worst nightmare of every mining executive. As one managing director of an emerging mining company told HighGrade, the general opinion of the industry is that treasurer Wayne Swan and prime minister Kevin Rudd are “f**ing morons”. But what would a fair tax regime for the Australian mining industry actually look like?
Theory means nothing, dear Henry
May 19 - 25, 2010
WITH the Federal Government and the mining industry taking up their positions as immoveable object and unstoppable force over the resources super profits tax, the folks at Goldman Sachs JBWere have pointed out that it doesn’t matter how elegant the economic theory behind the tax is: if the mining industry thinks it is damaging, then it will pursue opportunities elsewhere.
Miners must improve their star rating
May 5 - 11, 2010
THE recent success of James Cameron’s Avatar has once again placed the social practices of the mining industry squarely in the global spotlight. Whilst Avatar revolutionised the film industry, the underlying plot relies on the classic storyline of good versus evil.
Paying the price
April 28 - May 4, 2010
CORRUPTION is endemic in developing world economies, but it is an open question as to how much the mining industry is involved. However, the Stern Hu affair and BHP Billiton’s alleged Cambodian indiscretions suggest it is a genuine potential pitfall for companies operating in parts of Africa and Asia in particular.
State of panic
March 16 - 22, 2010
THINGS are rotten in the state of Western Australia, if you believe the rumours circulating about an incipient move to raise mining royalties.
Quelling uranium fears
March 2 - 8, 2010
AS WESTERN Australia’s fledging uranium industry moves toward production, swinging public opinion towards the industry has never been more important as uranium hopefuls attempt to move into production. A cohort of Australian’s uranium players is touring a radiation safety expert around Australia with a view to challenging the orthodoxy of anti-uranium public opinion.
Shadows over new Indonesia mining laws
August 17 - 23, 2009
UPDATED mining legislation introduced in Indonesia early this year to keep up with the nation’s fresh zest for internal regional autonomy, and foreign investment, is proving a disappointment. As the deadline for implementation approaches a significant gap remains between the old and the new systems and there is genuine doubt over whether the changes will do anything to attract dollars from abroad.
Power chief browned off at carbon scheme
August 17 - 23, 2009
LOY YANG Power chief executive Ian Nethercote took a different tack to Victorian resources minister Peter Batchelor – and most of his more timid northern state coal industry executive peers – in attacking the Australian Government’s delayed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) at this week’s Paydirt 2009 Resources Victoria Conference.
Heads in the Gawler sand
July 27 - August 2, 2009
WE USUALLY ignore the friendly banter between the mining industry and organisations such as the Australian Conservation Foundation, but sometimes the boys and girls at the ACF just go that little bit too far.
Consul appointed for make benefit glorious nation of Kazakhstan
July 20 - 26, 2009
JASON Stirbinskis, managing director of Central Asia Resources, was playing a straight bat to questions about his appointment as the first honorary consul of Kazakhstan in Western Australia. On reflection, we agree there’s nothing funny about retired movie characters anyway.
Metal accounting best-practice: ‘tis written
July 13 - 19, 2009
ROB Morrison says his hair didn’t go grey editing the first metal accounting code “how to” book, which sets out the means of implementing what is expected to be the global mining industry’s compendium to JORC and NI 43-101 resource reporting standards.
Leaning towards behavioural change
July 13 - 19, 2009
WHILE David Noort is not a sceptic, he does think the heat in a key debate about mining’s future has been turned up too high.
Sir Arvi urges industry to find new voice
May 18 - 24, 2009
ONE of Australia’s great industry leaders, now 10 years into retirement, does not get bogged down in modern spin when describing what he sees as the monumental challenges still facing the industry in the communications arena.
Two approaches to performance improvement
February 23 - March 1, 2009
TIMES change and many businesses are now at a point where running faster isn’t the best strategy any more. They need to improve in some other way, whether that improvement means slimming down, changing direction, or just thinking differently.
Survey points to more volatile world
February 2 - 8, 2009
MINING executives delving into their frequent flyer points to save on overseas travel costs could just give Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Russia, Bolivia and the DRC a miss (many will anyway; some won’t), according to leading US-based mining consultancy Behre Dolbear, which has put out its 11th annual guide to global investment risk for exploration and mining companies. The investment climate in Argentina is also increasingly uninviting, it says, while somewhat surprisingly America’s “economic system” retains a big tick.
Steel counting on a revival
February 2 - 8, 2009
THE steel industry late last year was plagued with production cuts and questionable demand. Stimulus packages – past and on the horizon – were to have an unknown effect and the World Steel Organisation canned October’s six-monthly outlook because of “the uncertainty of the economic situation and rapid changes [in] the third quarter of 2008”. Now, six weeks into the New Year, things have changed (dare it be said, improved) and the steel industry is taking on direction once more.
Nine thoughts to start 09
January 19 - 25, 2009
THE top nine issues of 2009 for the mining sector as assessed by a major multinational investment bank raise more negatives than positives and highlight further risks for the sector.