Latest news with #KalgoorlieBoulder
ABC News
5 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Diggers and Dealers panel questions Australia's energy future and emissions target
Duelling perspectives on Australia's transition to renewables and whether it is dead in the water have played out on the floor of one of the country's major annual mining conferences. More than 2,300 delegates are in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, 600 kilometres east of Perth, for the annual Diggers and Dealers Mining Forum, bringing the industry's practical and financial arms together for the 34th time in Western Australia's gold mining capital. While this year's gathering comes amid a surging gold price, questions over housing the industry's local workforce, and shaky futures for nickel and rare earths, organisers chose to shine a spotlight on the future and feasibility of Australia's shift to renewables. While miners, particularly in remote parts of Western Australia, have followed the state's smaller communities in setting up their own independent renewable energy infrastructure, the forum's keynote panel questioned the likelihood of renewables meeting the nation's total energy needs. The panel, featuring Canadian nuclear energy advocate Chris Keefer and Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) director of energy research Aidan Morrison, urged attendees to question the assumptions being made by industry and political leaders. "There is no serious intellectual defence for the prospect we'd meet net-zero targets in 2050," Mr Morrison said. He told the forum that the transition to a fully renewable grid was only being propelled by increasingly generous state and federal subsidies. "Forcibly intubated and resuscitated by government subsidies," he said. "It shows what it looks like to have a resuscitated zombie coming to life, the dead starting to walk again." Dr Keefer said nations such as Australia and Canada were getting caught up in a geopolitical fight over energy between China and the United States that they had no part in. "The levers of emissions reduction are not really in the hands of countries like Canada and Australia anymore," he said. "In Inner Mongolia, [China is] building what they call 'energy bases' — something like 6 gigawatts of solar, similar amounts of wind and batteries. "But also coal, mine-mouth coal, 4 to 5 gigawatts." The panel, moderated by broadcaster and CIS executive director Tom Switzer, also questioned the feasibility of renewables powering Australia's enormous grids on the largest possible scale. "As if we're some singular, big bucket where if it's sunny somewhere, it's immediately shareable somewhere else on the continent," Mr Morrison said. "If you think about that from a cold, hard engineering perspective, it is absolutely bonkers." Others at the conference were more positive about renewables and pointed to smaller, localised successes. Australia's first "net-zero" gold mine was announced at the forum late on Tuesday. Bellevue Resources managing director Darren Stralow said the mine, 40km north of Leinster in the northern Goldfields, recorded net-zero carbon emissions for the first half of 2025. "It's allowed us to work with some like-minded partners, to see if there's a benefit to that in terms of revenue, and to look to sell our gold in a bit of a different way." The mine is forecast to be 80–90 per cent powered by renewable energy, the highest penetration in Australia. For Regis Resources managing director Jim Beyer, renewables were a question of economics rather than advocacy. "For a remote mine site, renewables make good economic sense," Mr Beyer said. "At Duketon [1,000km north-east of Perth] we put in a solar farm and it saved us diesel. It is a similar story with wind and solar infrastructure at the remote Tropicana Gold Mine, about 1,000km east of Perth. "Power there runs off gas," Mr Beyer said. "But when the blades are turning and the sun's out … it's cost-sensible as well as carbon reduction." Resources Minister Madeleine King pointed to heavy renewable energy investment at the Kathleen Valley Lithium Mine and the Bellevue Gold Mine, while reiterating the government's position. "I don't mind people having an opinion; I don't share that opinion," she said, in response to the keynote panel's comments. Her West Australian counterpart, David Michael, said there would be no shift in the government's position on uranium mining, ruling out any further approvals following those granted by the Barnett Liberal Government in 2017. Deep Yellow's project at Mulga Rock, estimated to be Australia's third-largest untapped uranium resource, is the only project in WA free to proceed under current laws.
ABC News
31-07-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Workers' accommodation approved for WA Super Pit gold mine expansion
Controversial workers' accommodation just 2.7 kilometres from the CBD of Australia's biggest outback city has been approved. Approval of gold miner Northern Star Resources' 800-bed camp in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, 600km east of Perth, has fuelled debate over the future of historic mining communities amid increasing levels of fly-in, fly-out work. The $65 million camp will house workers for a series of upcoming projects at Kalgoorlie's Super Pit gold mine, which are set to extend the life of the operation until at least 2046. The state government's Development Assessment Panel signed off on the project, three votes to two, despite 144 objections from residents. Housing has been at a premium in Kalgoorlie-Boulder for years, with vacancy rates hovering around the 1 per cent mark. Northern Star said it had exhausted all available accommodation options in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, with only 70 rental properties available in the city. The company has subsequently revealed plans to build an additional $35 million, 300-bed camp on a mining lease near its Kalgoorlie core yard. The Development Assessment Panel initially deferred a decision on the camp in May, giving Northern Star 90 days to address six areas of concern identified by the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. The issues included the impact to the local road network and water sustainability, after the Water Corporation advised it did not have capacity to provide drinking water. Northern Star's updated plans included enlarged accommodation units, increasing the number of buildings from 200 to 268, a proposed water pipeline and an amended bushfire management plan. If the water pipeline could not be built, Northern Star planned to truck water to the camp, which would be connected to the city's sewerage network. Northern Star suggested the new workforce accommodation would inject $65 million directly into the local economy, with an indirect impact of $141.1 million across the broader economy. It said construction would create 47 jobs and a further 213 indirect jobs, while the total value of economic impacts on residents and local businesses was estimated at $63.7 million over 10 years. City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder councillor Nardia Turner argued against approving the camp during Thursday's hearing. "I am not sure how much benefit there will be to the community because there's a wet mess, gym and convenience store on site," she said. Urban planner Jillian Bardos, who has researched the housing and rental crisis in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, said the argument of building more houses over camps was a "balancing act" and it remained a "hot button issue" in mining communities across Australia. "Do you have permanent housing to integrate them more into the town life and hope people will stay there and create that culture and longevity of the town?" she said. "Or do you have the transient workforce accommodation? Chuck them out near site in dongas, it's strictly FIFO, and then hope that a couple of them come into the town and spend some money." Long-term Kalgoorlie resident Louise Hurst was among those who opposed the camp's construction. "Our town is lacking services and is in gradual decline because we don't have that population to sustain what we need here to be a successful community," she said. "There's no incentive for a person to change from FIFO, living in a camp, to living in Kalgoorlie. "If you're not invested in the community, you're not going to make connections and you don't have the time, the inclination or the motivation to do so." The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder approved the development of four separate workforce accommodation facilities with a combined 902 beds between January 2018 and March 2024. Two others were at various stages of approval, including mining giant BHP's proposed 1,152-bed camp to house workers for a planned furnace rebuild at the Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter. But that application was put on hold after last year's decision to place BHP's Nickel West business into care and maintenance. Kalgoorlie MLA Ali Kent said she understood the community's frustration with mining camps. "People don't like camps, they don't like FIFO," she said. "We don't want to become a FIFO town, this is a family town, my family's here and it's important we make sure that's the primary concern, attracting residential people. "But we also do live in a mining town, and if they can't get access to labour from within the town or people for whatever reason don't want to move here, then you have to provide the facilities for mining companies to keep going." Kalgoorlie-Boulder Mayor Glenn Wilson has recently adopted a different approach, calling for an overhaul of the fringe benefits tax to improve housing affordability. Mr Wilson also chairs the Australian Mining Cities Alliance, which includes local governments from Karratha, Mount Isa and Broken Hill. In that capacity, he met with various ministers during a visit to Canberra in late June. The alliance is lobbying for 100 per cent exemptions on housing and utilities for mining communities to encourage population growth. "The housing affordability crisis in mining areas is quite large … how do we continue to get people to continue to live in our areas?" he said. "It doesn't help if you're in Karratha and a 4x1 is $1 million or Kalgoorlie-Boulder where prices for rent are going through the roof."
ABC News
22-07-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Shire of Coolgardie defies WA local government minister over proposed merger
A debt-laden outback council has threatened legal action to hold off a would-be merger with its larger neighbour. Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley rose in state parliament in June to slam "gross mismanagement" at the Shire of Coolgardie, which she described as a "financial mess" amid concerns about its ongoing viability. Council documents show the the shire owed creditors $2.8 million at June 30, while carrying debt of $27.5 million with just $2.9 million cash in the bank. Ms Beazley proposed a "boundary adjustment" with the neighbouring City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, but has since been inundated with letters from ratepayers in both communities opposed to the merger. Coolgardie councillors on Monday endorsed a position paper detailing its fight to maintain its independence. The shire said it would "explore its legal position" should Ms Beazley force an amalgamation. Shire president Malcolm Cullen said the council wanted to work with the Department of Local Government over the next 12 months while trying to achieve financial and organisational stability. Mr Cullen and Kalgoorlie-Boulder Mayor Glenn Wilson were due to fly to Perth on Tuesday morning for another meeting with the minister after she told both councils to reach a joint position at a meeting last month. "The position that we will be taking to the meeting is basically to provide the shire more time to look at enacting a financial recovery plan that will return the shire to financial stability and also organisational stability for the future," Mr Cullen said. "Certainly, just request that there be a bit a little bit of breathing space so that both the Shire of Coolgardie and the city can work through a number of issues that have been identified in discussions so far." City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder councillors discussed the proposed boundary adjustment behind closed doors at Monday night's ordinary council meeting, where the council also endorsed its 2025-26 Budget. Mayor Glenn Wilson said a boundary adjustment was a legislative process which was different to an amalgamation or merger. He said the Shire of Coolgardie would be dissolved if the action went ahead. He said the council had been asked by the minister's office to keep its formal position confidential until after Tuesday's meeting. But Mr Wilson did concede there was little to be gained by taking on the Shire of Coolgardie's mountain of debt. "There has to be nothing that our residents pay for out of this … our residents and our community should not bear the brunt of others' debt," he said. The Shire of Coolgardie has already proposed the sale of a controversial workers' accommodation village in Kambalda, which was built in 2022 by the council to take advantage of the Goldfields' most recent mining boom. The 328-room Bluebush Village was last valued in March in the range of $16.4 million to $19.4 million. Occupancy rates were as low as 25 per cent earlier this year. The shire said it planned to advertise Bluebush Village for sale by public tender from next month, evaluate offers in November and make a final decision on a proposed transaction in January. Mr Cullen said early estimates suggested the sale would lower debt to manageable levels. "It's in the ballpark, it's a ballpark figure," he said. Residents of both the Shire of Coolgardie and City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder have voiced their opposition to the merger in letters to the minister's office. Kambalda real estate agent Cheryl Davis requested the minister delay a decision until the shire's financial situation was properly assessed. She said the shire was making positive strides in operational improvement and renewed community engagement. "These early signs of progress are encouraging, and we believe the shire should be given a fair opportunity to continue this momentum without the added pressure of structural changes at this time," Ms Davis said. Kalgoorlie business owner Greg Bowden told the minister it would be "unfair and impractical" to expect the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder to take on responsibility for another local government while dealing with "its own internal challenges". "The risk of further instability and long-term financial pressure on both communities is real if this is rushed," he said. Fellow Kalgoorlie business owner John Bruce was concerned an amalgamation would place an "unfair and unsustainable burden" on ratepayers and businesses in Kalgoorlie-Boulder. "Our city should not be expected to absorb the consequences of long-term mismanagement, nor take on liabilities and debt accumulated by another local government without adequate assessment and consultation." Coolgardie RSL sub-branch secretary Ann Meagher told the minister Coolgardie was "more than just a dot on the map". "We have weathered storms before, and while we acknowledge the current challenges faced by the shire, we truly believe there is still time and opportunity to turn things around," she wrote. The Parents and Citizen Association at Coolgardie Primary School also wrote to the minister with an urgent request to delay any boundary changes. "We are considering the children of Coolgardie and the impact amalgamating with Kalgoorlie will cause," Coolgardie P&C president Coriana Boothey said. "It is a major concern that as a small community and small school that we will be left behind and not receive the support we are in need of."
ABC News
26-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
WA local government minister suggests merger for Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Coolgardie councils
Western Australia's local government minister has put council mergers back on the agenda, suggesting the unification of a trouble-plagued Goldfields council with its much larger regional neighbour. Hannah Beazley made the comments in state parliament on Thursday, suggesting the combination of the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Shire of Coolgardie — both about 600 kilometres east of Perth — could be a solution to the latter's significant financial and governance issues. The potential amalgamation of the Shire of Coolgardie and the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder has been mooted for decades, while broader proposals to reduce WA's 139 councils have a similar history. Ms Beazley rebuffed the Shire of Coolgardie earlier this month when it attempted to hike mining rates by 97 per cent to address a $6.5 million budget deficit. In state parliament on Thursday, Ms Beazley said "shocking mismanagement" had resulted in questions about the Shire of Coolgardie's ongoing financial viability, describing the council as a "financial mess". "I will take prompt action and have arranged a meeting with representatives of the Shire of Coolgardie, the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and the local member [Labor MP Ali Kent], to address the serious concerns in relation to the financial viability of the Shire," she told parliament. "While I am assured that no malice was intended by elected members, nevertheless, shocking mismanagement and poor governance has occurred at the shire. "I would urge the shire to do what is right for their community and region and be cooperative in speaking with their neighbouring council at Kalgoorlie-Boulder and jointly support a boundary adjustment." Kalgoorlie MLA Ali Kent said she hoped both councils would be supportive of the proposal. "It's a different thing that I believe Colin Barnett put into the act some time ago. A boundary readjustment is just basically redrawing where the boundary goes out to," she said. "Surely the future of the region is far more critical than what a line on the map is. "There's obviously a lot of work and a lot of detail that will need to go into the boundary readjustment." The ABC has contacted both Kalgoorlie-Boulder Mayor Glenn Wilson and Shire of Coolgardie President Malcolm Cullen for comment. A merger of the neighbouring shires — founded on the discovery of gold at Coolgardie in 1892 and at Kalgoorlie in 1893 — would create one of the physically largest local governments in WA. The Shire of Coolgardie covers 30,400 square kilometres and has about 3,600 people living in the towns of Coolgardie, Kambalda, Widgiemooltha and the Aboriginal community of Kurrawang. The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder is significantly larger in both land mass and population, responsible for an area covering 95,575 square kilometres and about 30,000 residents. It was created out of the 1989 merger of the Town of Kalgoorlie and the Shire of Boulder. A review of the Local Government Act in 2020 sparked renewed calls for councils to consider mergers to be sustainable into the future. There has been some reluctance in the past, with the proposed merger of the shires of Westonia and Yilgarn in WA's Wheatbelt voted down by ratepayers in 2012. Some councils have been successfully merged, like in the state's Midwest, where the City of Greater-Geraldton was created following its 2011 amalgamation with the Shire of Mullewa. That followed City of Geraldton's prior amalgamation with the Shire of Greenough in 2007. The potential amalgamation comes after Shire of Coolgardie councillors this week agreed to put a controversial mining camp on the market to address its dire financial situation. The council built the 328-room Bluebush Village in Kambalda to take advantage of the Goldfields' latest mining boom. Figures provided by the Shire of Coolgardie to the ABC confirmed the initial budget for Bluebush Village blew out from $9 million to more than $24.5 million. The workers' accommodation opened in late 2022 but had lower-than-expected occupancy rates following the demise of WA's once-booming nickel industry. Shire president Malcolm Cullen said the first step in the sale process was for acting CEO Aaron Cook to prepare a report detailing the requirements for a major land transaction, with cost estimates and timeframes. "It's a process that we promised the community we would look into, and we are definitely going down that path," Mr Cullen told the ABC on Wednesday. "It is a great facility and we feel it does create a significant economic benefit for the community of Kambalda being in the middle of the town."
ABC News
11-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
WA Government to increase capacity of historic Goldfields water pipeline by 2027
The West Australian government will spend more than half a billion dollars expanding the capacity of the historic Goldfields Water Supply Scheme, one of the world's longest overland freshwater pipelines. The so-called Golden Pipeline took five years to build during WA's 1890s gold rush and was commissioned in 1903 as the brainchild of the state's first engineer-in-chief CY O'Connor. About 40 per cent of the original pipeline remains in use today, supplying drinking water to more than 100,000 people across WA's Wheatbelt, Upper Great Southern and Goldfields regions. Water Minister Don Punch told reporters in Kalgoorlie-Boulder on Wednesday that $543 million will be allocated in the forthcoming state budget to increase the pipeline's daily capacity by more than 7.2 million litres, or about 10 per cent. It will be the biggest upgrade of the 566-kilometre-long pipeline in decades. "We anticipate works will be completed in 2027," he said. "The design work started out in 2021, so they're well underway and completed, and we're now in a position where works can begin very shortly. Mr Punch said demand from the resources sector, particularly the booming gold mining sector, was driving the expansion. "This pipeline has an incredible history and has been meeting the needs of the Goldfields until now, but clearly with the growth that's happening, and the attractiveness of this region, we need to increase water supply." The proposed works include the replacement of 44.5km of aging pipeline in the shires of Merredin, Westonia, and Yilgarn, with new sections to be installed underground alongside the existing route. The capacity of the Binduli Reservoir near Kalgoorlie-Boulder will also be doubled from its current level of about 400 megalitres and new valves installed to improve reliability. Shadow water minister Peter Rundle said the funding was very much needed. The Nationals MP said the development would see the regional party review the policy of supporting a desalination plant in Esperance that it took to this year's state election. "It will slow that particular project down, the desalination [plant], but we'll have a look at it for sure," Mr Rundle said. Work on the pipeline expansion began in 2021 when $15 million was committed towards feasibility studies. Water Corporation CEO Pat Donovan said the existing capacity of the pipeline was about 75 million litres of water per day, which would increase to about 82 million litres daily after the works were completed. "It's about a 10 per cent increase in capacity," he said. The original capacity of the pipeline when it was commissioned in 1903 was 22.7 million litres a day. Mr Donovan said tenders would be called within the next six to 12 months after detailed design work is completed and he considered the project one of the most significant since World War II. "Post-war, some of the pipeline was replaced with wooden pipes due to steel shortages, so that was a significant upgrade," he said. "But in terms of more recent history this is a very significant investment in the future of the pipeline." More than 60,000 pipes were used in the pipeline's original construction and eight steam pumping stations were capable of delivering 8 billion litres a year, which has since been upgraded to more than 24 billion litres a year. Mr Donovan said the long-term plan is for the pipeline to be rebuilt with modern below-ground pipe over the next 50 years. "We will be progressively replacing that over decades to come as we continue to upgrade to improve reliability and meet future demand," he said. The funding comes as the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder works to deliver a separate project to drought-proof one of Australia's biggest inland cities. Known as Water Bank, and with an estimated cost of $92 million, the project involves building new dams to harvest stormwater and grow supplies of recycled water to irrigate public spaces. WA Labor has committed $5 million to the project, while the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder has spent months lobbying Canberra for $9.5 million via the National Water Grid Fund to complete stage one. There was no word on its application in this year's Federal Budget.
