Latest news with #JohnChapman
ABC News
23-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Lucapa Diamond Company, owner of NT's Merlin mine, goes into administration
Australia's diamond industry faces an unlikely future as the company behind one of the few remaining projects in the country announces it has gone into voluntary administration. The company that owns the Merlin diamond mine in the Northern Territory on Friday said administrators were now in control of operations. In 2021, the ASX-listed Lucapa Diamond Company took over the Merlin project, 720 kilometres south-east of Darwin, but was yet to resume production. While the Merlin site is famous for producing Australia's largest rough diamond, operators have not produced commercial quantities for more than 20 years. There are no operating commercial diamond mines in Australia, veteran diamond specialist John Chapman says. Rio Tinto's Argyle mine, which produced most of the world's pink diamonds, closed in 2020. While there are several diamond projects in the exploratory stage, Mr Chapman said the Merlin site was the most advanced. "It had been mined at some stage — in fact, it has the honour of producing Australia's largest rough diamond at 104 carats," he said. "It does have the production, but clearly, it's just not economic, probably because of the depth of it. When Perth-based Lucapa bought the Merlin diamond mine for $8.5 million, the company was optimistic about taking over the historic, large-stone producer. "There are some 4 million carats in a resource that we have analysed and believe that we can extract economically for many, many years to come," managing director Stephen Wetherall said in 2021. But since hitting a peak in 2022, the market for the gems has plummeted. Lab-grown diamonds can be produced for a fraction of the asking price of their mined counterparts. And while diamonds have uses beyond jewellery, the post-COVID global economic downturn has hit markets for luxury items. "And that's not good news for any explorers trying to make a commercial venture out of any findings." Richard Tucker from administrators KordaMentha said Lucapa's assets in the Merlin diamond project and a shareholding in an alluvial mine in Angola had "significant upside potential". "Lucapa's management have developed a suitable pathway to development at Merlin … further upside exists through an exciting base metals opportunity on the Merlin tenements," he said in a statement. But with such strong competition from synthetic gem producers, does Australia's diamond industry have a future? "Probably the short answer would be no," said Mr Chapman, who has been in the diamond business for 35 years. "It would be a long shot to say the diamond industry has a future in Australia – but you never know. "Explorers are out there, you never know what they might stumble across, just like they did with Argyle 30 to 40 years ago."
Scoop
23-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Silence On Mental Health Initiatives In Budget 2025 Is Concerning
Press Release – MATES in Construction The government places a strong emphasis on welcoming overseas investors to fund its infrastructure pipeline, but we urge them to remain steadfast on the wellbeing of our workers who will put these projects into motion, says MATES in Construction Chief … With total capital expenditure in infrastructure reaching $6.8 billion, Budget 2025 seems to have missed a crucial opportunity to better support those frontline construction workers tasked with bringing the government's ambitious projects online. 'The government places a strong emphasis on welcoming overseas investors to fund its infrastructure pipeline, but we urge them to remain steadfast on the wellbeing of our workers who will put these projects into motion,' says MATES in Construction (MATES) Chief Executive John Chapman. Statistics suggest that we lose one construction worker to suicide every five days — which in 2023 accounted for almost 14% of suicides in Aotearoa New Zealand. The latest statistics also suggest that construction industry workers are nine times more likely to die from suicide than from a critical incident on site. 'Suicide in the construction industry can be easily overlooked by decision-makers, however the crisis cannot be ignored by those who have lost whānau, friends, and colleagues.' Although there is little in the way of additional direct support, MATES welcomes the announcement of funding to transition the approach for mental distress calls to 111 from a Police-led response to a multi-agency one. 'Increasing the capacity and availability of mental health telehealth services is an important step towards ensuring everyone can access support. Our 24/7 MATES helpline is an example of this approach working in practice, and we are ready for the government's call to support their efforts.' MATES has been working with boots on the ground since 2019, including facilitating on-site mental health training programmes designed to equip workers to help each other, providing case management support to workers struggling to navigate the mental health support system, and operating the 24/7 MATES helpline. 'The more we can do to prevent suicide, the more we reduce the impact on families, friends, and colleagues. As our name says, these are our mates, our friends, who are suffering and we need to do everything possible to make sure we don't lose even one more to suicide.' Where to get help: MATES in Construction – 0800 111 315 (available 24/7) Lifeline: Call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7) Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7) Youthline: Call 0800 376 633 or text 234 What's Up: Call 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) or webchat (11am to 10.30pm) 0800 Anxiety Helpline: 0800 269 4389 (0800 ANXIETY). This service is confidential and free of charge. Open 24/7. Depression Helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7) National Helpline: Need to talk? Call or text 1737 Aoake te Rā (Bereaved by Suicide Service): Call 0800 000 053 If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111. Notes: MATES in Construction (MATES) was launched in 2019 in response to the high rate of suicide among construction workers. It operates nationally across all district health board regions, aiming to ignite hope, promote well-being, and reduce ill-being among construction workers. The MATES programme covers promotion and prevention via suicide awareness and suicide first-aid training, crisis intervention via a 24/7 support line, and postvention support for workers and their families following a suspected suicide or other critical incident. Central to MATES' mission is its commitment to research, which not only validates the effectiveness of its programmes but also informs ongoing improvements and industry-wide initiatives. It is a non-profit organisation that receives the majority of its funding from industry with a smaller percentage coming from public sector contracts and Construction and Health Safety New Zealand (CHASNZ).
Scoop
23-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Silence On Mental Health Initiatives In Budget 2025 Is Concerning
With total capital expenditure in infrastructure reaching $6.8 billion, Budget 2025 seems to have missed a crucial opportunity to better support those frontline construction workers tasked with bringing the government's ambitious projects online. 'The government places a strong emphasis on welcoming overseas investors to fund its infrastructure pipeline, but we urge them to remain steadfast on the wellbeing of our workers who will put these projects into motion,' says MATES in Construction (MATES) Chief Executive John Chapman. Statistics suggest that we lose one construction worker to suicide every five days — which in 2023 accounted for almost 14% of suicides in Aotearoa New Zealand. The latest statistics also suggest that construction industry workers are nine times more likely to die from suicide than from a critical incident on site. 'Suicide in the construction industry can be easily overlooked by decision-makers, however the crisis cannot be ignored by those who have lost whānau, friends, and colleagues.' Although there is little in the way of additional direct support, MATES welcomes the announcement of funding to transition the approach for mental distress calls to 111 from a Police-led response to a multi-agency one. 'Increasing the capacity and availability of mental health telehealth services is an important step towards ensuring everyone can access support. Our 24/7 MATES helpline is an example of this approach working in practice, and we are ready for the government's call to support their efforts." MATES has been working with boots on the ground since 2019, including facilitating on-site mental health training programmes designed to equip workers to help each other, providing case management support to workers struggling to navigate the mental health support system, and operating the 24/7 MATES helpline. 'The more we can do to prevent suicide, the more we reduce the impact on families, friends, and colleagues. As our name says, these are our mates, our friends, who are suffering and we need to do everything possible to make sure we don't lose even one more to suicide.' Where to get help: MATES in Construction – 0800 111 315 (available 24/7) Lifeline: Call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7) Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7) Youthline: Call 0800 376 633 or text 234 What's Up: Call 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) or webchat (11am to 10.30pm) 0800 Anxiety Helpline: 0800 269 4389 (0800 ANXIETY). This service is confidential and free of charge. Open 24/7. Depression Helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7) National Helpline: Need to talk? Call or text 1737 Aoake te Rā (Bereaved by Suicide Service): Call 0800 000 053 If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111. Notes: MATES in Construction (MATES) was launched in 2019 in response to the high rate of suicide among construction workers. It operates nationally across all district health board regions, aiming to ignite hope, promote well-being, and reduce ill-being among construction workers. The MATES programme covers promotion and prevention via suicide awareness and suicide first-aid training, crisis intervention via a 24/7 support line, and postvention support for workers and their families following a suspected suicide or other critical incident. Central to MATES' mission is its commitment to research, which not only validates the effectiveness of its programmes but also informs ongoing improvements and industry-wide initiatives. It is a non-profit organisation that receives the majority of its funding from industry with a smaller percentage coming from public sector contracts and Construction and Health Safety New Zealand (CHASNZ).
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Museum exhibit controversy reignites airman's Medal of Honor dispute
A first-of-its-kind museum honoring recipients of the nation's highest combat award is set to open later this month in Arlington, Texas — but the project is already dogged by controversy and outrage amid an apparent snub to one medal recipient. A petition on behalf of the late Air Force Master Sgt. John Chapman, a combat controller whose fight to the death in thigh-deep snow during the March 4-5, 2002 Battle of Takur Ghar, Afghanistan, is among the first Medal of Honor actions caught on video, has so far gained nearly 25,000 verified signers and tens of thousands of dollars in donations to promote the cause. The petition, which is hosted on calls for the museum, a private enterprise, to create a dedicated exhibit honoring the airman. Chapman's sister and other advocates for his family say he was initially promised such an exhibit — and the family was even brought in to discuss it — but that plans were changed amid what appears to be a revival of a dark and long-standing interservice dispute. 'The omission of this crucial element from the exhibits is an ill-conceived misstep and a disservice to Chapman's memory, to his bravery and to the sacrifice he made for the nation,' the petition states. 'Please revisit this decision and consider paying fitting tribute to John Chapman in one of the 200 exhibits.' Dave Parke, a veteran of the Marines, Navy and Army who launched the petition after learning about the situation via Chapman's sister, Lori Chapman Longfritz, said he's been astounded by the still-growing response. 'There are a lot of people who are new to this topic and new to John in general, which I think is amazing,' said Parke, who has long been interested in Chapman's remarkable story. 'I think he should be a household name, so just getting people who had never heard of him before see this petition, and then, you know, start to do their own research and watch the video — that's the secondary benefit that I couldn't have imagined.' Museum officials maintain that Chapman's story will be 'included from day one,' and emphasized that stories of the 3,526 medal recipients to date will be told in rotation and in forms ranging from a photograph to a full traditional exhibit. Chapman's presence in the museum, they said, will include the drone footage that captured his last fight, and that the video will be part of the museum's permanent collection. 'We have been involved in an ongoing, iterative process of planning exhibits and building a collection of artifacts to support and enrich the museum storytelling experience,' museum CEO Chris Cassidy said in a lengthy statement provided to Military Times. Longfritz said what is set to appear in the museum honoring her brother is a far cry from what she was initially promised. She said she and Chapman's mother, Terri, were hosted at the museum site in early 2024 and told a much more elaborate permanent exhibit, including artifacts from the family, was being planned. It wasn't until last November, she said, that queries to the museum revealed the reality would be different. 'We left with high expectations, and so excited,' Longfritz told Military Times. 'And then when I was told, 'Yeah, you were misled,' I'm like, I can't, in good conscience, just let people go, spend money to go expecting to see John, and then there's nothing. So, I had to tell people.' An email exchange reviewed by Military Times includes a Jan. 6 email from a museum staffer appearing to confirm that Chapman would not be one of the 200 medal recipients featured in a full exhibit at opening, but noting his photo and the footage would be on display. Chapman's story, uniquely, is closely intertwined with that of another Medal of Honor recipient: Master Chief Special Warfare Operator Britt Slabinski. Both men were on the same mountain, later dubbed Roberts Ridge, and both would initially receive service crosses, the second-highest combat award for valor, for heroism in the close-quarters firefight that would unfold. Chapman, who was attached to the Navy SEAL team, and Slabinski were both inserted on the snowy ridge after another SEAL, Petty Officer First Class Neil Roberts, fell from the back of a team helicopter. Together, according to medal citations, they advanced up the mountain and entered an enemy bunker, killing all the occupants. Roberts was dead on the mountain; and Chapman decided to charge a second bunker from which a machine gunner was firing on the SEALs. During this assault, he was shot and fell, seriously wounded. What followed has been the source of great infighting and dispute. Slabinski, believing Chapman to be dead, led his team to a position of safety further down the mountain, 'carrying a seriously wounded teammate through deep snow … while calling in fire on the enemy,' according to his medal citation. But footage retrieved from a Predator drone and later analyzed showed that Chapman was not dead, and in fact became active again sometime later, mounting a fresh one-man offensive against the enemy, continuing to 'fight relentlessly' despite mortal wounds, according to his medal citation, until all his ammunition was expended and he could fight no more. Some believe Chapman's actions after the SEAL team departed qualify him for a second Medal of Honor. Yet in 2018, the White House announced that Slabinski would be the first to receive an upgrade to the Medal of Honor, despite allegations he'd left a living teammate behind on the mountain. Chapman's Medal of Honor would be awarded posthumously several months later, the first presented to an airman since the Vietnam War. Within the special operations community, the sequence of events spurred outrage and bitter infighting, with some even alleging that the close-knit and image-conscious SEAL community had advocated against Chapman's upgrade to prop up Slabinski. Slabinski now serves on the board of the National Medal of Honor Museum. And while Cassidy's statement for the museum said no preference was given to board members, and they explicitly asked for no special treatment, the episode aggravates old wounds among advocates for Chapman. Efforts to reach Slabinski for comment through the museum and the C4 Foundation, where he is also a board member, were unsuccessful. Matt Cubbler, a former Army intelligence specialist who has championed Chapman's case and investigated other instances of what he believes to be malfeasance within the SEAL community, has taken to podcasts and YouTube to make the case for a permanent exhibit for Chapman. 'It's not a matter of John getting an exhibit,' Cubbler said. 'It's a matter of the fact they continue to steal John's opportunities to be recognized for his actions by putting forward somebody who left him to die, you know? … And my goal since Lori called me about this is to get as many people angry as I possibly can.' Museum staff have not directly responded to anyone associated with the petition, Parke, Cubbler and Longfritz said. A spokeswoman, Amber MacDowell, said anyone who reaches out to the museum about the Chapman exhibit receives the same statement from Cassidy. For her part, Longfritz said she doesn't know what the museum could do at this point to make the situation right in her eyes. 'I feel really, really sad that all of this is going to overshadow those people who really, really deserve their exhibits, and they deserve to have a beautiful day of celebration,' she said. 'But this is going to be a cloud hanging over the museum, and it's of their own doing.'
