Archived News for Industry Professionals - August, 2012

The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) has lashed out at the Business Tax Working Group’s proposal to remove the statutory effective life caps on trucks and trailers, saying that it would incentivise trucking companies to keep older trucks on the road for longer.

The Federal Government has urged companies keen to install electronic freeway management technology along the West Gate Freeway to register their interest with VicRoads before the 22^nd of August.

The Federal Government has proposed a streamlined, nationally consistent licensing scheme for plumbing and gas fitting, property refrigeration and air-conditioning occupational licensing with an aim to boost labour mobility, productivity and save an estimated $86 million.

Coal miner NSL Consolidated has received official approval of the first of four thermal coal exploration tenements for its Eromanga Basin operations in southwest Queensland.

Chevron Australia has congratulated transformer producer Wilson Transformer Company on becoming the first Australian firm to become a qualified global supplier for Chevron.

Logistics specialist DHL has published its 2012 DHL Export Barometer, showing a recovering business outlook for exporters, despite the strong Australian dollar.

The Federal Government has announced the process of appointing a board for the Government Business Enterprise to oversee the private sector delivery of the new freight handling facility at Sydney’s Moorebank has begun and is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

The Federal Government has announced the appointment of three industry executives as the new Resources Sector Supplier Advocates.

The Victorian Government has officially opened the new $17.5 million Wimmera Intermodal Freight Terminal.

The Foreign Minister Bob Carr has announced $4.9 million in aid funding for the Extractive Industries Technical Advisory Facility to help developing countries share the benefits from mining.

Monash University will launch its first mining engineering degree in 2013.

The Monash University Bachelor of Mining Engineering (Honours) will be the only Group of Eight mining engineering degree to be offered in Victoria or Tasmania.

Monash University's Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Professor Tam Sridhar said the introduction of the new mining degree reflected the University’s continuing commitment to providing industry-relevant courses.

“The creation of this degree is a positive response to industry requests to produce quality mining graduates to fill the significant deficit, which has existed in Australia for many years, particularly in the area of engineering,” Professor Sridhar said.

“Currently only about half of the mining engineering positions in Australia are being filled by Australian mining graduates each year. The mining industry is continuing to expand, and will do so for quite some time and it is important that Monash take the lead to develop new courses to address the needs of an industry, which is very important to Australia.

“We have already had considerable interest from students and the new degree will enable Victorian students to undertake a degree in mining engineering in their home state for the first time. Scholarships will be offered to encourage qualified students to pursue this course.”

The four-year course, a combination of theory and practice, has been developed with substantial industry support and will provide graduates with a diverse range of potential career paths. 

Alongside subjects covering the technical requirements of resource developments, the course will also cover units in sustainability, community engagement and the environment.

Professor Gary Codner from the Department of Civil Engineering said the course had been designed to provide the industry with the type of multi-skilled engineer required in the mines of the future.

“The course incorporates automation, environment, sustainability, people and community, safety, project management, economics, communication skills, innovation and leadership: all aspects of the mines of the future,” Professor Codner said.

“We have integrated all these areas into the degree so our graduates will be ready to make a positive impact in communities here and overseas. They will be ready to work in exploration, planning, extraction and processing of minerals.”

Full details of the Bachelor of Mining Engineering (Honours) can be found in Course Finder.

The Western Australian Government has announced the appointment of Simon Ridge, the State's Mining Engineer, as the new executive director of Resources Safety, the body charged with enforcing safe work practices across the state's mining and resources sector. Mr Ridge was promoted to the role following the retirement of Malcolm Russell.

Temporary migrant workers play an essential role in Australia’s resource industry by filling highly-skilled positions that cannot be met by local supply, the preliminarily findings of a pilot study by Edith Cowan University (ECU) have shown.

A new suite of continental-scale mineral maps has been developed that will enable mining companies to increase the efficiency and viability of their exploration efforts.

The proposed development will also employ about 400 workers during construction as well as ongoing employment.

Online job postings of oil and gas positions have recorded an unprecedented 11.98 per cent booming in the last year and a half according to an index published by recruitment specialist Hays.

A new $90 million partnership between the Federal and Victorian Governments will aim to ensure a ‘bright future’ for the state’s Latrobe Valley coal industries in a future low emissions economy, according to Federal Minister for Resources and Energy Martin Ferguson.

The Queensland Government has introduced legislation before State Parliament that will aim to significantly cut red tape and streamline regulatory approval in the resources sector.

The Queensland Government has proposed new rules to govern the management of water and brine produced by the coal seam gas industry.

The Queensland Government has announced the appointment of mining industry veteran Barry Golding as a facilitator to test coal companies’ appetite to proceed with the new coal handing facilities at the Port of Abbot Point.