Keith Whitchurch’s Post

Natural resources are owned by the people of Australia, but mining companies don’t like paying us for the resources they take out of the ground. And when they look like having to pay more, their response is swift and brutal. It is now beyond time for the corporations that have made so much from the natural resources Australia owns to pay a fairer share. The longer that is delayed, the more the rip-off will continue and the worse essential services will become. More in Pearls & Irritations #auspol > https://loom.ly/mPCy4xA

Local groups point to disproportionate impact on Indigenous communities in a region with a long history of extraction. This story was published in collaboration with the Island Press Urban Resilience Project. by Stewart Sinclair January 17, 2024 South Dakota’s Black Hills are no stranger to mining. The hills — sacred land to the Lakota — have long been exploited for gold and uranium deposits, the lands scarred and rivers polluted in the process. The area is a relatively small (60 by 100 mile) island of lush trees and rolling hills amid a vast expanse of grasslands, but one in every five acres has an active mining claim. Now, mining companies are eyeing the region for another resource: lithium. https://lnkd.in/ekXAimHa https://lnkd.in/ekXAimHa

Is Australia Killing Its Own Mining Industry? You know, there’s been a lot of talk lately about whether Australia is still a top spot for mining, and honestly, it’s starting to look shaky. Take the McPhillamys Gold Project in New South Wales, for example. Regis Resources Ltd bought this project back in 2012, and it’s been a long road to get all the approvals sorted. They were finally ready to kick things off, planning to pull out around 187,000 ounces of gold every year. Big deal, right? But then, the federal Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek, came in and put a stop to it. She decided that the land where the mine's tailings storage facility (TSF) was supposed to go is too culturally significant. Now, this is after the project had already jumped through all the state and federal hoops. So, it’s like, what the hell? It’s not the first time this has happened either. Plibersek also blocked a bunch of coal mines in Central Queensland last year, saying they could mess up the Great Barrier Reef. The thing is, some of those projects are 10 kilometres away from the reef. It just doesn’t add up. Now, she’s telling Regis they can still go ahead if they find a new spot for the TSF. But here’s the thing—moving it isn’t as easy as just picking another place. They picked that spot because it was the best one after looking at all the geology, environmental impacts, the whole shebang. Finding a new spot and getting it approved? That could take another 5 to 10 years. So, the question is: Is Australia really as mining-friendly as we think? When politics and red tape start messing with things that have already been approved, it’s the projects and the people working on them that get screwed over. We’ve got to find a way to protect cultural heritage without throwing a spanner in the works for projects that can bring serious benefits. If we don’t figure this out, Australia might start losing out on some big opportunities. Anthony Albanese The Hon. Peter Dutton MP

If you’re going to have a very large land holding, you can do much worse than preside over tenure in the highly prospective Gascoyne Mineral Field of Western Australia. Kingfisher Mining Limited (ASX:KFM) has just that – extensive tenement holdings amounting to nearly 1,000 square kilometres and wholly-owned projects in the bounty-rich region – and it is on the lookout for rare earths mineralisation. The Gascoyne spans a complex and diverse geological landscape, including the ancient rock formations that are prime targets for mineral exploration. It encompasses parts of the Pilbara and Mid-West regions, and is itself is part of the larger Capricorn Orogen, which is also mineral-rich. The area has been known to yield a wide variety of mineral deposits including gold, copper, lead and zinc. It also has its share of industrial minerals like garnet and ilmenite. More at #Proactive #ProactiveInvestors #KFM #ASX #REEs #RareEarths #CriticalMinerals #Mining http://ow.ly/SiMu105vNCj

Over nearly 30 years, Carlos Zorrilla and the organizations he co-founded helped stop six companies from developing open-pit copper mining operations in the Intag Valley in Ecuador. As a leader and public figure, Zorrilla is often for advice from communities facing similar struggles, so in 2009 he published a guide on how to protect one’s community from mining and other extractive operations. The 60-page guide shares wisdom and resources, including mines’ environmental and health risks, key early warning signs a company is moving in, and advice on mitigating damage if a mine does go ahead. The most important point, Zorrilla says in an interview with Mongabay, is to stop mining before it starts. https://lnkd.in/gd4y4fia

Indigenous Philippine village rejects gold mine, cites flawed consultation. -Itogon-Suyoc Resources Inc. (ISRI), one of the Philippines’ oldest mining firms, is seeking permission to mine gold from the mountains of Itogon, a municipality in the mineral-rich, majority Indigenous north of the country. -Mining on Indigenous land requires a consultation process, and Itogon communities rejected the company’s application in 2022, citing concerns including water contamination and loss of access for traditional mining activities. The company applied for a new round of consultations in 2023, which resulted in an agreement to allow mining in the area. -Elders from Dalicno, the village that will be most affected if the mining proceeds, say they weren’t informed about the 2023 consultations. The agreement has yet to receive final approval due to irregularities including a lack of photographs or attendance sheets to prove that community consultations actually took place. -Proponents of the mine say those opposing it do so only out of self-interest, while ISRI says existing small-scale mining in the area is more environmentally degrading than the company’s planned operations. source: Mongabay.com read full article: https://bit.ly/3JK2UVQ #WeAreIndigenous #IndigenousPeoples #landproperty

Canada is known for its rich resources and, according to the Financial Post, it has 5 out of the top 10 most attractive mining jurisdictions in the entire world. But there is one common theme here, as good as the resources are. Permitting is getting slower and slower, and projects aren't being developed fast enough.   The Frasier Institute conducted a survey that analyzes approval times, transparency, and mining policy. Only 77% of people who responded to this survey, feel confident that their permitting will be accepted, and 38% feel like a lack of transparency when it comes to permitting, is deterring investment.   Not only is it critical for regulations and permitting policies to be transparent and consistent throughout the country, but it's just as important to ensure that your data is organized in a way that makes permitting and regulation as simple and satisfactory as possible. Read the article below -

Argent Minerals Ltd Silver Stockpile Soars 54% to 65.8M Oz at Kempfield (ASX: ARD) Managing Director, Pedro Kastellorizos, expressed enthusiasm about the upgrade: “The upgraded 2012 JORC compliant Resource over the Kempfield Silver Polymetallic Deposit has delivered a significant 54% increase of silver content compared to the previous resource, a major milestone for Argent. This exceptional new resource estimate cements the Kempfield Project as second largest undeveloped silver deposit in Australia.” “The significance of the Mineral Resource Estimate, both in size and the associated value of the metal content within the resource area is substantial. The Company believes the discovery of further mineralisation within the project area will further enhance the overall value of the future operations.” “Furthermore, our technical team believe the Kempfield deposit has substantial potential for additional resource growth along strike, down hole plunge and depth. Argent will be planning the next phase of drilling within the Kempfield NW, Sugarloaf Hill, Henry’s and Golden Wattle Zone Area with a view of increasing the tonnage and grade of the current resource estimation”. Read our article below: https://lnkd.in/gc7XDy9w #silver #mining #resources #geology #exploraiton #stocks #ard #asx #news

This is something I have been saying to some of my program participants for a while now. Many people express the desire to join the mining industry in Australia. And there is still a lot it can offer. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀. When I ask many of my program joiners (looking to build their English skills for mining industry careers in Aus) "Why Australia?", they sometimes give me answers that concern me. Like: "Because I want to be on the fore-front of world's best practises" "Because I want to learn from the industries best minds" "Because this is where I want to improve my skills and open my mind to innovative styles of work". And all of these reasons have been true in the past. But I don't believe they are true today. Australia is bogged down in "the old way of doing things". But times have changed. And the old way of doings things wont get you far in a brave, new world. In a world that is rapidly shifting and innovation is driving massive change - Australia is just NOT where it's at. The mining industry has been the bread and butter of the Australian economy and it is what has driven the country into the economic position it is in. But the politicians are like deer in the headlights right now. It is not decisive. It is not innovative. And it is not collaborative on ANY issue. If you are looking to add innovative skills to your portfolio, look somewhere else. If you are looking for a way of life and some security in a turbulent world - then Australia may be the right choice. It is a good choice for many people. But make sure you fully understand what you are "buying into". Is it a fact today? Or simply a memory of days gone by? Do your research or pay the price.

Buying mining assets is just so much easier than building them. We set the industry standard with new assets that no existing project could meet. I am ok with this, but it means the legacy owners of established mines will trade at a premium to juniors and development projects for a long time. I don't know if Regis Resources Ltd or the Australian Government is correct, but this proves why I expect Anglo American to be sold for top dollar once it has de-merged from its lower-quality assets. https://lnkd.in/eJPCjn-B