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The scale and seriousness of AustraliaÆs social and environmental problems are no longer in doubt. We are consuming the opportunities of future Australian generations by our lifestyle choices. And at the global level, human activities are altering the very systems on which our species depends. Doing nothing about such problems as climate change is not an option. It is possible to move to a sustainable future but it will require fundamental changes to our values and national social institutions. We must recognise that we share a common future with the entire human family and the other species with which we share the planet. It is not just our humanitarian duty to improve the lot of the poorest people of the world. It is also enlightened self-interest because a world of increasing inequality will be a world of increasingly destructive tension.

Jan 1, 2004

By Tomlinson R. C

The paper will briefly describe planning in the National Coal Board (NCB) and the contribution that operational research makes to it. It will then give details of some of the models in use and will finally consider critically the problems of looking ahead to the next century.

Jan 1, 1977

The bureaucracy in Victoria has worked against exploration and mining development. There is no doubt that the new Mineral Resources development Act has simplified matters on the mining side of the system. However, WMC's Bendigo and Deep Lead experiences demonstrate that other parts of the bureaucracy can cause serious delays. The mining industry continues to view the approval process causal of excessive costs and delays compared with other States (and countries) and prohibitive to investment in Victoria.

Jan 1, 1992

To carry out its responsibilities the SECV needs to manage the visual environment effectively. Every land oriented decision effects what we see and the value in pursuing visual excellence is supported by informed opinion, widespread community interest and evidence of cost- effectiveness.By knowing how we perceive the landscape and then changing or conserving it we can assist in fostering a positive mental image of a countyside which is welcomed by the local and regional community.It is useful to examine key design elements and the value we place on visual impressions in relation to three significant SECV rehabilitation projects, at Loy Yang, Newport and Morwell Open Cut.

Jan 1, 1992

Australians have always been great travellers but, traditionally Australian companies have been very conservative in contrast to more daring individual Australians. During the 1960s, '1970s and 1980s, the Australian companies spent much of their time exploring in Australia. It was only some of the major companies like CRA and BHP that had explored in places like Bougainville and Chile. However, during the mid-1980s some of the smaller companies started looking beyond their shore towards other opportunities in other countries. Why did they do this? Were they pushed or did they jump? And where did they go?

Jan 1, 1996

Renison Goldfields is one of Australia's largest mining companies with annual sales revenue over $600 million. It has ten operating mines and processing plants, with operations in most States of Australia and in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the United States. The exploration division is active in,other parts of the world, including Europe and South America. RGC produces gold, copper, tin, coal and mineral sands. RGC is typical of companies in the mining industry in that by contrast to the typical pattern in other industries, it is necessary to have systems to handle a variety of different types of operations, a range of size of operations, and operations in remote locations.

Jan 1, 1995

DR. WARK, said: I have not come to Broken Hill to tell you how to conduct flotation operations; indeed, during my short stay here I have already learned much concerning the process, of the many difficulties which have been overcome, and of those still awaiting solution. My purpose to-night is rather different. All who have been concerned with the operation...

Jan 1, 1933

This paper discusses basic practices of operation applied to raise drilling. It draws attention to critical areas that tend to be neglected. A brief history covers development of raise drills. The elements of the equipment, derrick assembly, drill string and reamers are ex- amined. Particular emphasis is on the drill string. It is concluded that manufacturer and operator can benefit each other by closer interchange of ideas.

Jan 1, 1977

The Research Centres Program initiated by the Federal Government and supported by the mining industry has had a major impact on geoscience research and education during the past five years. Eight major university based-Geoscience Research Centres are currently supported by the Government, including four Key Centres of Teaching and Research and a further four Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs). The Research Centres Program has led to a concentration of high quality research and teaching in areas of demand and strategic importance creating strong university - industry linkages and a source of well trained and motivated graduates. Over the last decade Australia's reputation as a leader in mineral exploration and ore deposit research has grown substantially, in part because of the development of the Research Centres Program, and to increased collaboration and interaction between research groups and exploration geoscientists across the industry. During a period when ore deposit research activity has been decreasing in other countries (eg USA, Canada, Japan and most European countries), equivalent research activities in Australia have been increasing, within a well co-ordinated national framework. The future challenge for universities and the mining industry will be to maintain the momentum of the successful research centres in order for the centres to become self-funding over a six- to nine-year period.

Jan 1, 1996

By Burgess J, Brownrigg A

The world steel industry underwent rapid growth from 1950 to 1970. Since that time, production growth has been relatively slow, with declining production in the developed countries and increasing production in some newly developing countries. Since 1970, Western World crude steel production has been static at around 450 million tonnes, with cycles around this level in a 100 million tonnes band.

Jan 1, 1992

This paper examines the operational characteristics and requirements of crushers and screens. Several possible control loops are considered and it is shown how these can be used to satisfy particular requirements.

Jan 1, 1978

My message to you today is simple. The mining industry in Australia has a proud record of successful research and innovation. If it is to continue to provide this country with its major exports that records must continue. I will endeavour to show that

Jan 1, 1994

Successful restoration of Ballarat region alluvial gold workings to Box-Ironbark forest requires realistic evaluation of techniques. A stocking level threshold of 68 percent is used to rate the success of 'broadcast' seeding of E. microcarpa, E. Melliodora and E. Leucoxylon.Failure necessitates follow-up enrichment planting with tubestock, which is considered undesirable, interalia, due to pathogen, spacing and economic problems.

Jan 1, 1992

By Higuchi K

In this paper, the history of Japanese coal and gas outbursts is presented and circumstances and countermeasures at the time cf outbursts are summarized statistically. Then the present meth- ods for prevention used practically in Japan are introduced. From statistics, it was reconfirmed that Japanese coal and gas outbursts have occur- ed frequently in the district of geological disturbance, symptoms immediately before out- burst occurrence were the phenomena in connec- tion with failure of a coal seam and outbursts have occurred many times when the number of boreholes had not been sufficient to degas. One of the principal protective method adopted in Japan is the large diameter gas drainage boring which also posesses a stress relief effects. There is a tendency to make diameter of borehole larger to increase both stress relief and degassing effects.

Jan 1, 1986

By H Bibby

Initial analysis of Long Offset Time Domain Electromagnetic (LOTEM) data has traditionally been made in terms of early and late time apparent resistivities. By using more than one grounded bipole as a source, a tensor analysis technique analogous to the method used to analyse DC resistivity multiple-source bipole-dipole surveying may be formulated. We define the æinstantaneous apparent resistivity tensorÆ as the tensor that relates the total electric field vectors at each instant to the steady state (DC) uniform half space current density vectors due to each source. Instantaneous apparent resistivity tensors calculated for a 3D resistivity model suggest that profiles of LOTEM measurements across simple 3D structures can be used to create an image that reproduces the main features of the subsurface resistivity. Where measurements are distributed over an area, maps of the tensor invariants or the tensor ellipses at different times can be made into a sequence of images which provide a way of ætime slicingÆ down through the target structure.

Jan 1, 1996

By Stuart M. S, Allen P. B

The Childe Harold deposit was mined by the Granny Smith Joint Venture (GSJV) from late-March through to early-December 1993. This was a fast-tracked mining project whose history began with an offer to purchase agreement being signed at the end of October 1992. A feasibility study was completed by the end of December 1992 after completion of a reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling program. Subsequent additional definition drilling culminated in a remodelling of the reserve by March 1993, by which time all necessary governmental and company approvals had been granted. The crucial aspect of mining Childe Harold quickly was to maintain oxide ore supply to the Granny Smith mill at the maximum possible rate for blending with existing fresh ore stocks. As a result, high production rates had to be balanced with

Jan 1, 1994

By Shoobridge PH

Operating difficulties during 1977 with the Imperial Smelting Furnace operated by Sulphide Corporation Pty. Limited at their Cockle Creek zinc-lead smelter were found to be caused by premature softening of sinter in the upper shaft of the furnace. This soft- ening was shown to be a consequence of raw materials and operating policies which led to unusually high levels of both lead and silica in a sinter of low basicity. A programme of softening tests and micro-examination of a range of sinters established that premature softening occurred when lead and silica increased to the point where a lead-calcium silicate with a low lime content became the major continuous phase in the sinter. This information was used to define a range of compositions which kept the softening temperature acceptably high for furnace operations.

Jan 1, 1978

By G R. Hancock, M J. Saynor, J B. C Lowry, T J. Coulthard

Landform evolution models (LEMs) can assess the effectiveness of landform designs applied to a rehabilitated landform by predicting where erosion may occur. Here, we compare erosion predictions produced by the CAESAR-Lisflood LEM with field observations from the rehabilitated Pit 1 landform of the Ranger uranium mine, based in the Northern Territory, Australia (Figure 1). The ability to predict long-term erosion at a catchment scale is important, as the final rehabilitated Ranger landform is required to physically isolate buried tailings material for at least 10 000 years. CAESAR-Lisflood has been extensively tested and calibrated using data collected from erosion plots (0.09 ha) on the Ranger trial landform (TLF) for multiple years (Lowry et al, 2020; Saynor, Lowry and Boyden, 2019). However, until recently, it was impossible to compare model predictions with field observations for areas larger than the TLF erosion plots. We can now compare model predictions of Life of Mine Conference 2023 | Brisbane, Australia | 2–4 August 2023 116 gully development with field observations from the newly rehabilitated, 40 ha surface of Pit 1 over two contiguous one-year periods: 2020–2021 and 2021–2022. The aim of this study was to assess whether the CAESAR-Lisflood model can successfully predict gully erosion at a larger spatial scale.

Aug 2, 2023

Mine planning includes equipment selection as a subprocess because aging equipment must be replaced to maintain or improve productivity levels. The criteria used for decision-making in mine planning and equipment selection are often inextricably linked and inherently contradictory. For example, financial wisdom demands that development, which is an expense and locks up capital, be deferred as far into the future as possible yet on the contrary technical knowledge suggests that developing well ahead of stoping is practically desirable because it generates additional geological information required to improve planning of the unmined portion of the orebody and create better operating flexibility. Consequently, mine planning professionals have to delicately balance all decision criteria when executing mine planning in order to achieve optimal mineral extraction or when selecting equipment, so that capital is optimally deployed. These two processes can therefore be characterised as belonging to the multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) type of problems. MCDA problems are alternatively referred to as multiple attribute decision-making (MADM) problems and belong to a broader group of problems called multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM). There is now a gradual recognition and application of MCDA techniques in the minerals industry. This paper explores the theory, current and potential application of these techniques in decision-making in the minerals industry.

Dec 6, 2010

The geochemistry of waste rock from mining operations is critical to the development of acidity-related environmental problems during mining operations, and following mine closure. Failure to recognise the potential for waste rock to produce acidic oxidation products may cause mobilisation of heavy metals into ground and surface waters, and create heavy metal levels in soils which are toxic to plants, causing the failure of revegetation programs. Although more usually associated with wet tropical environments, the potential exists for these problems to occur even in and regions such as the Eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia unless appropriate pre-planning is undertaken.Acidity-related mine waste problems can be extremely expensive to rectify, but can be avoided by waste rock characterisation, and pre-planning of waste rock deposition based on this information. Integration of knowledge of waste rock geochemistry with geotechnical engineering, and application to likely problems, is essential for the successful planning and implementation of cost-effective strategies to avoid problems occurring. Pre-planning to avoid problems is likely to be significantly less expensive in most cases than remedial actions to rectify problems after they have occurred, and in fact may involve no additional cost if it requires only rescheduling or redesign of existing or planned Activities.

Jan 1, 1993