Archived News for Industry Professionals
The Western Australian Government has released the preferred planned rail line to Perth airport, with State Transport Minister Troy Buswell saying it will significantly improve access to and from the city.
Port Access Road completion inches closer
The Federal Government has announced that the $190 million Townsville Port Access Road is progressing on time and will be completed and open to traffic by Christmas.
Rail safety regulator bill passes Parliament
The Federal Government has passed legislation through Parliament that will establish the country’s first rail safety investigator.
Report to help build in a changing climate
The Federal Government has released a suite of new reports aimed at helping stakeholders make informed decisions about how to build in a changing climate.
SA releases formwork guide
The South Australian Government’s Construction Industry OHS Committee (SA CIOC) has released the new Industry Guide for Formwork.
AiGroup pushes to trades national licensing
The Australian Industry Group has been pushing the case for national licensing for certain trade occupations, arguing that a consistent national system would improve productivity and deliver the greater labour mobility.
Industry slams Queensland coal tax hike
The mining industry has reacted angrily to the Queensland Government's decision to increase state taxes on coal from 10% to 12.5% for every tonne of coal sold between $100 and $150. Coal traded over that price will be taxed 15%. The Government hopes to raise $1.6 billion over the next four years from the increased taxes to help address the state deficit of nearly $11 billion.
Queensland Resources Cabinet Comittee to examine regulation impacts
Queensland Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney will chair a special cabinet committee to examine the impacts of government regulation on the mining industry.
The Resources Cabinet Committee, announced in this week’s budget, will comprise:
CSIRO and Chile sign mining and minerals MoU
CSIRO and Chile’s Ministry of Mining have signed an agreement to improve education, safety and technology development in the mining and minerals sector.
NSW Strategic Regional Land Use Policy released
The NSW Government has unveiled its Strategic Regional Land Use Policy, outlining 27 new measures designed to control competing land uses, with a focus on the impacts of coal seam gas mining on land and water resources.
Research targets methane emissions from coal mine shafts
University of Newcastle researchers led by Associate Professor Michael Stockenhuber are exploring more efficient and safer methods of ventilation air methane (VAM) oxidization – a technique used to destroy methane in the exhaust air released from underground coal mine shafts.
BHP announces closure of Gregory open cut mine
BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) has announced it would cease production at its Gregory open-cut mine, which is part of the Gregory Crinum complex near Emerald, from 10 October 2012.
New CEO of Airservices Australia
One of the most senior officers in the Australian Defence Force, Air Vice-Marshal Margaret Staib, has been appointed as the new CEO of Airservices Australia.
As Commander Joint Logistics, Air Vice-Marshal Staib planned, coordinated and delivered logistics support for Australian Defence Force operations and exercises overseas and in Australia. She also played a key role in developing and implementing the $2.4 billion logistics reform program, an initiative of the 2009 Defence White Paper.
A posting to the United States Air Force at the Pentagon furthered her experience in logistics and procurement. For her work on logistics transformation, Air Vice-Marshal Staib was awarded the United States Meritorious Service Medal.
In January 2009, Air Vice-Marshal Staib was appointed as a Member in the Military Division of the Order of Australia.
Air Vice-Marshal Staib will take up her position on 15 October.
Airservices Australia is a wholly government-owned statutory authority which manages around 11 per cent of the world’s airspace through which more than three million flights carrying 75 million passengers travel each year.
As well as providing air-traffic control services, the organisation also delivers rescue and fire fighting services at the nation's major passenger airports.
More information about Airservices Australia and its current Board Members is available at: www.airservicesaustralia.com.
UQ and Vale sign geomicrobiology alliance
The University of Queensland (UQ) has signed a five-year, $1.25 million industry partnership alliance with global miner Vale to build a hub of geomicrobiological knowledge.
Xstrata to slash 600 positions
Xstrata Coal has announced it will be cutting around 600 positions from its operations, including both contractors and permanent positions. There would also be reduction of some roles at the Sydney corporate headquarters and consolidation of office-based operations in Queensland.
Insecure work makes for unsafe workplaces: ACTU
The ACTU has claimed that the rise of insecure work in Australia over the past few decades has made employees less able to speak up for their rights and workplaces less safe.
NCVER report shows drop in new tradies, but apprenticeship completions up
The National Centre for Vocational Education Research has released the Australian apprentice and trainee statistics for the March quarter 2012.
NTC calls for collaboration to improve workplace road safety
The National Transport Commission has released its National Road Safety Partnership Program draft strategy for public consultation, responding to a key action in the National Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020 agreed by ministers in 2011. The strategy recognises the major role that industry can play in improving road safety in Australia.
Albanese releases National Land Freight Strategy
The Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese, has released the National Land Freight Strategy, a long-term plan for an integrated and multimodal transport system to move goods into and out of major ports and around the country quickly, reliably and at the lowest cost.