Archived News for Industry Professionals - February, 2014
Fires in Victorian open-cut coal mines have created a major health risk, with hazardous smoke destroying air quality.
Honour wall marks dark toll for gold
A memorial to honour over 1,400 people who have died in mining accidents should be unveiled soon, and authorities say they hope it remind current workers to think about safety.
Industry fears massive cost if RET is reached
Reports this week claim the Australian electricity market is at “breaking point”, and that half of all generators are losing money.
Pink batts probe to cast public eye on private government papers
If the call is made for confidential cabinet documents to be presented to the royal commission into the ‘pink batts’ scheme, Attorney-General George Brandis says the commissioner may keep their contents a secret.
Rumour mill goes wild ahead of Qantas' cuts confirmation
Qantas is being hounded by rumours that it will announce massive job cuts this week, but the airline says it will keep cuts down to a thousand workers at most.
Shell sells to get into gas, Vitol buys for same reason
Shell will sell an Australian refinery and 870 domestic service stations to Vitol in a deal worth around $2.9 billion.
Lost funds sought to get regions moving again
The WA Local Government Association says it will be looking for the reinstatement of grants for regional infrastructure projects.
Carbon tax scenario shows cost of delay
The seemingly imminent repeal of the carbon tax is being prevented while Labor and the Greens hold the balance of power in the federal Senate, and new research has investigated how the efforts to end the carbon price may be hurting energy investments.
Minister storms toward new northern farms
Queensland’s Minister for Natural Resources says he will not slow down in his push to release more water to the state’s north.
Air safety reformer to step aside
One of the chief figures in Australian aviation is stepping down, with CASA saying it will begin the search for a new director.
Claims of industrial muscling in NSW health
A partly union-owned health provider has been accused of forcing other medical services out of town, but says the claims are over-blown.
Cootes chooses to pull over in Victoria
Cootes Transport has made a voluntary decision to take its entire Victorian fleet off the road, as safety concerns continue.
Forest of protestors take toll from Santos, costs consumers
One major gas supplier says ongoing protests mean they will charge more when the gas is flowing.
Google's big green spend to save later
Google has dropped over a billion dollars into a range of renewable energy projects, possibly so that it can trim the power bills from its other big buys.
Heavy mass truck maps chart the path to improvement
New maps should help truck drivers move faster and more safely through New South Wales.
New closure takes more jobs from city in strife
One major Australian city has heard another of its key employers will shut up shop.
Queensland moves to buffer union rights on-site
The Queensland Attorney-General wants to impose new restrictions on workers’ union safety inspectors, requiring 24 hours notice before they enter a site.
Queenslanders bag big African iron expansion
A Queensland-based firm has won the right to expand the Tonkolili iron ore mine.
Target review could find opposite result to last time
The Federal Government is moving its review of the Renewable Energy Target into full-swing, releasing the terms of reference and announcing who will lead the inquiry.
Big money won't sway territory bent on power/water split
The Northern Territory Government says it will move ahead with a split of Power and Water, the corporation in charge of both utilities in the territory.
Council says mining uniformity could spare workers
Authorities say lives are at risk from the lack of uniform OHS laws on mine sites.