News
As good as gold
Premier Roger Cook said trade in resources continued to underpin WA’s economic strength.
“Every Western Australian can be proud of the success of our resources sector, and the massive contribution it makes to the national economy,” he said. “As the world moves to a low-carbon future, we’re positioning WA as a renewable energy powerhouse — and our record lithium sales show we’re on the right track.”
Hancock Prospecting warns Closing Loopholes Bill could see mining move to countries with lower standards
“If increased regulatory burdens cause new mining projects to be delayed or cancelled, Australia will be unable to satisfy the rising iron ore demand created by net zero targets,” Hancock Prospecting chief executive of group operations Gerhard Veldsman said. Gina Rinehart has warned controversial industrial relations reforms could push mining away from Australia to countries with lower environmental standards.
RED TAPE GROWING FASTER THAN ECONOMY
Australia is struggling under the burden of red tape that is growing at nearly twice the rate of the national economy, leading to urgent calls for parliament to act to cut out-of-date regulations and ban new rules from being imposed without old ones being repealed.
IR bill could smash economy
Until recently, debate over the Anthony Albanese’s Closing Loopholes legislation has largely ignored a factor that could smash the economy. Unless this is clarified, resources and energy operations could shut. Thousands of workers could be out of a job. Frankly, it is ludicrous to think the FWC, with only one of its 50 members ever having run a substantial business, could be allowed to make assessments about future work plans that experienced business managers and board directors haven’t yet contemplated.
BHP says proposed labour laws threaten $3.2b Australian investment
The world’s largest mining group, BHP, says the government’s proposed same job, same pay policy could jeopardise $US2 billion ($3.2 billion) worth of investment it has planned for its local copper business. BHP chief executive Mike Henry told shareholders at its annual meeting in Adelaide on Wednesday morning that the bill would also damage the Australian economy. “BHP strongly opposed the Same Job Same Pay Bill not only because of the damage it threatens to do to our business, but also for the hit it will have on Australia’s economy, to Australian jobs and to Australia’s productivity and international competitiveness,” Henry said
IR bill is still a piece of work
Major employer groups have ramped up their calls for the Federal Government to dump or delay its controversial industrial relations changes, saying recent concessions do not go far enough. But the broader business groups believe the changes are not properly detailed and do not allay other fears about the laws.
Australian mining red tape hurts its global investment case-Hancock
Australia’s slow pace of mining approvals is diminishing its attraction as a global investment destination, Hancock Prospecting, owned by Australia’s richest person Gina Rinehart, said on Tuesday. “The current policy environment, duplication of processes, overreach from all departments and delays to approvals is negatively impacting new investment into the mining industry and is reducing Australia’s competitiveness in the international resource sector,” said Hancock.
Wabtec and Roy Hill unveil the first FLXdrive battery locomotive
Wabtec Corporation and Hancock Prospecting subsidiary Roy Hill have celebrated the debut of the FLXdrive battery locomotive at a ceremony held at Wabtec’s design and development centre in Pennsylvania, US. The FLXdrive battery locomotive is the world’s first 100 per cent battery-powered, heavy-haul locomotive for a mainline service. It has a pink design to symbolise Roy Hill’s commitment to assisting in breast cancer research and those suffering from the illness. “This FLXdrive locomotive represents a major step in the journey to a low-to-zero-emission future in the rail industry,” Wabtec president and chief executive officer (CEO) Rafael Santana said.
BHP’S LABOUR LAW IRE
“Viewed on its own — and in conjunction with the last year’s industrial relations changes — the same job, same pay reforms could, depending on decisions left to Fair Work, significantly increase costs with no corresponding increase to productivity,” Qantas’ acting industrial relations executive Nathan Safe said. “That could, in turn, compromise the viability of services, undermine job security and create market distortions by way of an unlevel playing field in circumstances where competitors will not be captured by the proposed reforms.”
Employer groups hit out at Burke’s IR truce plan
“This legislation is completely irredeemable,” Ms Constable said on Tuesday. “You cannot fix it with Tipp-Ex and Post-it notes. It needs a complete rewrite. The Government needs to head back to the drawing board and start again instead of scrambling to add poorly worded amendments.”
Wabtec and Roy Hill Unveil the First FLXdrive Battery Locomotive
Wabtec and its launch customer,
a leading iron ore miner majority owned by Australia’s most successful private company, Hancock Prospecting, celebrated the debut of the FLXdrive battery locomotive, the world’s first 100% battery-powered, heavy-haul locomotive for mainline service. The ceremony unveiled the unique, striking pink-colored locomotive at Wabtec’s design and development center in Pennsylvania in front of employees, customer executives, and government and community officials.
IR minister’s ‘disregard’ for State’s mines sector
The Minerals Council has accused Workplace Relations Tony Burke of showing “complete disregard” for WA’s resources sector after he claimed some companies were over-egging the impact of his contentious shake-up of labourhire laws.