Latest news with #SamWalsh
West Australian
16-07-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Rio Tinto mining partner Gina Rinehart tells local lad Simon Trott to shift miner's HQ from London to Perth
Australia's richest person has suggested Rio Tinto's incoming chief should move the company's headquarters to WA and made a tongue-in-cheek dig at the mining giant's African iron ore ambitions. Gina Rinehart, who has multiple Pilbara iron ore mining joint ventures with Rio Tinto, invoked a conversation she had with Sam Walsh in a congratulatory message to Simon Trott. It was announced on Tuesday that Mr Trott would ascend from being Rio's iron ore boss to overseeing the miner's entire global business from August 25. Mr Trott, a Christchurch Grammar old boy from WA's Wheatbelt, will be Rio's first Australian-born chief executive since Mr Walsh — who held the reins between 2013 and 2016. It is understood the incoming CEO, like his predecessors in the role, will re-locate to London where Rio's head office is based. 'Congratulations to Simon! When Sam Walsh went from iron ore chief to CEO of Rio, I suggested that he transfer Rio headquarters to where it makes most of its money, WA,' Mrs Rinehart said. 'Still think this would be good for WA, and much safer than Guinea!' Mrs Rinehart's comment about Guinea was a reference to the Simandou iron ore complex that Rio has poured more than $10 billion of investment into despite upheaval in the West African country. Rio said on Wednesday that Simandou would ship first ore by November with up to a million tonnes setting sail before the end of 2025. Simandou has been dubbed the 'Pilbara killer' owing to its potential to supplant the Pilbara as the world's premier region for iron ore. Rio in response to the moniker has said Simandou is the 'Pilbara enabler'. The Anglo-Australian company claims Simandou allows it to bring lower-grade iron ore mines in the Pilbara online and mix their output with Simandou's higher-grade ore. The mixed iron ore product is then shipped to China's steel mills. Rio has committed to spending $20b on new mines and equipment in the Pilbara by the end of 2028. As part of this cash splash, Rio and Mrs Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting agreed last month to spend $2.5 billion extending the life of the Hope Downs mining province.
The Advertiser
14-06-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Foot fault: 'inconvenient' setback a blow for Blues
Carlton's finals hopes have received a huge blow after star midfielder Sam Walsh was ruled out for between five to six weeks with an "inconvenient" foot injury. Walsh reported soreness in his foot at training on Friday and was sent off for scans, which revealed a hot spot. Carlton say there is no fracture in the foot and surgery isn't required, but a period of recovery is needed to allow the injury to settle. The Blues hope Walsh will return in either round 19 or 20. That means he will not only miss Sunday's clash with West Coast in Perth, but also games against North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Collingwood and Brisbane, before a possible return against Melbourne in round 19. Carlton's season is already hanging in the balance at 5-7, and the loss of Walsh is a big blow to their hopes of clawing back into the top eight. Jaxon Binns has been called up into Carlton's 23 to take on West Coast. "It's more in the early stages which is why the timeline isn't as long as what it could've been," Carlton coach Michael Voss said of Walsh's injury on Saturday. "We're fortunate enough we caught it early, but all these things always come with inconvenient timing. "It's inconvenient for everyone, for him and for us. "He's a real pro. Once he knows what he's dealing with, he turns his mind into his rehab, how he can get better and how to get the most out of the situation. "He'll take his five or six weeks and hopefully we get him back better and stronger." Carlton have already lost Nic Newman (knee), No.3 draft pick Jagga Smith (knee) and Brodie Kemp (achilles) for the rest of the season, while star forward Harry McKay will miss his second consecutive match due to knee soreness. West Coast have made three changes from the team that lost to North Melbourne by 10 points last week. Tom McCarthy, the No.1 pick from the mid-season rookie draft, has been named for his AFL debut, while Clay Hall and Bailey Williams return to the side. Premiership defender Tom Cole will spend a stint on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, while Brady Hough (illness) and Archer Reid (omitted) are the other outs. Meanwhile, All-Australian West Coast backman Jeremy McGovern faces an anxious wait after fronting the AFL's concussion panel on Thursday night. McGovern hasn't played since being concussed in the round eight loss to Melbourne on May 3, and the concussion panel will decide whether he can continue his decorated 197-game career. A decision on McGovern's future is expected within the next week. Carlton's finals hopes have received a huge blow after star midfielder Sam Walsh was ruled out for between five to six weeks with an "inconvenient" foot injury. Walsh reported soreness in his foot at training on Friday and was sent off for scans, which revealed a hot spot. Carlton say there is no fracture in the foot and surgery isn't required, but a period of recovery is needed to allow the injury to settle. The Blues hope Walsh will return in either round 19 or 20. That means he will not only miss Sunday's clash with West Coast in Perth, but also games against North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Collingwood and Brisbane, before a possible return against Melbourne in round 19. Carlton's season is already hanging in the balance at 5-7, and the loss of Walsh is a big blow to their hopes of clawing back into the top eight. Jaxon Binns has been called up into Carlton's 23 to take on West Coast. "It's more in the early stages which is why the timeline isn't as long as what it could've been," Carlton coach Michael Voss said of Walsh's injury on Saturday. "We're fortunate enough we caught it early, but all these things always come with inconvenient timing. "It's inconvenient for everyone, for him and for us. "He's a real pro. Once he knows what he's dealing with, he turns his mind into his rehab, how he can get better and how to get the most out of the situation. "He'll take his five or six weeks and hopefully we get him back better and stronger." Carlton have already lost Nic Newman (knee), No.3 draft pick Jagga Smith (knee) and Brodie Kemp (achilles) for the rest of the season, while star forward Harry McKay will miss his second consecutive match due to knee soreness. West Coast have made three changes from the team that lost to North Melbourne by 10 points last week. Tom McCarthy, the No.1 pick from the mid-season rookie draft, has been named for his AFL debut, while Clay Hall and Bailey Williams return to the side. Premiership defender Tom Cole will spend a stint on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, while Brady Hough (illness) and Archer Reid (omitted) are the other outs. Meanwhile, All-Australian West Coast backman Jeremy McGovern faces an anxious wait after fronting the AFL's concussion panel on Thursday night. McGovern hasn't played since being concussed in the round eight loss to Melbourne on May 3, and the concussion panel will decide whether he can continue his decorated 197-game career. A decision on McGovern's future is expected within the next week. Carlton's finals hopes have received a huge blow after star midfielder Sam Walsh was ruled out for between five to six weeks with an "inconvenient" foot injury. Walsh reported soreness in his foot at training on Friday and was sent off for scans, which revealed a hot spot. Carlton say there is no fracture in the foot and surgery isn't required, but a period of recovery is needed to allow the injury to settle. The Blues hope Walsh will return in either round 19 or 20. That means he will not only miss Sunday's clash with West Coast in Perth, but also games against North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Collingwood and Brisbane, before a possible return against Melbourne in round 19. Carlton's season is already hanging in the balance at 5-7, and the loss of Walsh is a big blow to their hopes of clawing back into the top eight. Jaxon Binns has been called up into Carlton's 23 to take on West Coast. "It's more in the early stages which is why the timeline isn't as long as what it could've been," Carlton coach Michael Voss said of Walsh's injury on Saturday. "We're fortunate enough we caught it early, but all these things always come with inconvenient timing. "It's inconvenient for everyone, for him and for us. "He's a real pro. Once he knows what he's dealing with, he turns his mind into his rehab, how he can get better and how to get the most out of the situation. "He'll take his five or six weeks and hopefully we get him back better and stronger." Carlton have already lost Nic Newman (knee), No.3 draft pick Jagga Smith (knee) and Brodie Kemp (achilles) for the rest of the season, while star forward Harry McKay will miss his second consecutive match due to knee soreness. West Coast have made three changes from the team that lost to North Melbourne by 10 points last week. Tom McCarthy, the No.1 pick from the mid-season rookie draft, has been named for his AFL debut, while Clay Hall and Bailey Williams return to the side. Premiership defender Tom Cole will spend a stint on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, while Brady Hough (illness) and Archer Reid (omitted) are the other outs. Meanwhile, All-Australian West Coast backman Jeremy McGovern faces an anxious wait after fronting the AFL's concussion panel on Thursday night. McGovern hasn't played since being concussed in the round eight loss to Melbourne on May 3, and the concussion panel will decide whether he can continue his decorated 197-game career. A decision on McGovern's future is expected within the next week.
ABC News
06-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
London gold executive says Perth Mint 'well regarded', two years after damaging reports
A high-ranking executive from the London-based World Gold Council says the Perth Mint remains "well regarded" internationally, two years after its reputation as a refiner was questioned over the "doping" of gold bars. An investigation by the ABC's Four Corners revealed the mint sold gold to China that met broader industry standards of 99.99 per cent pure gold, but not stricter standards for silver content at the Shanghai Gold Exchange. It also uncovered governance failures by the WA government-owned Gold Corporation relating to anti-money laundering laws, which prompted a federal parliamentary inquiry of the 126-year-old mint, resulting in 10 recommendations last year. Perth Mint chairman Sam Walsh took responsibility for "historical shortcomings" when the mint's annual report was tabled in state parliament in September, noting 60,000 customer records had been remediated as part of a $34 million government program to improve anti-money laundering processes. In light of the mint's recent history, the ABC asked the World Gold Council's chief strategy officer, Terry Heymann, who visited Kalgoorlie and Perth this week for the premiere of a new documentary about WA gold mining, if its international reputation had been damaged. "I'm not going to comment specifically on the details, but the Perth Mint is very well regarded, as indeed is ABC Refinery (in Sydney)," he said. "Australia has two leading refineries and that really gives confidence to the market that the gold coming out of those refineries is to the expected standard, both in terms of the quality, the purity of the gold and responsible sourcing." Mr Heymann said the responsible sourcing of gold remained a focus of the World Gold Council, adding that "there is always room for continuous improvement". The Perth Mint's reputation was restored somewhat in March when it was appointed by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) as a refinery referee — one of just seven across the globe responsible for quality control of the world's precious metals. The accreditation process took several years and will make the mint responsible for assessing the standards of third-party refiners. "It speaks to the quality of our products," Perth Mint CEO Paul Graham told the ABC in March. "It's something we're very proud of and it places us among the most trusted refiners globally. "We're the only ones in the southern hemisphere who have achieved the referee appointment." Mr Graham replaced Jason Waters in November 2023 after his predecessor acknowledged issues around the diluted gold it supplied to China were "damaging and unacceptable". But Mr Graham denied gold bars had intentionally been diluted or "doped", claiming the media had "misrepresented what the Perth Mint has been doing historically". "The bars are never 100 per cent pure," he said. "I think what was reported around doping, which is a very unfortunate term, isn't necessarily correct." Mr Graham said it was common practice to top up bars with silver or base metals, such as copper. "What we try and do at the Perth Mint is get as close as we can to that 100 per cent," he said. "We believe today that our bars are as pure as any, if not the purest in the market, where we're currently getting bars out at to the tune of 99.996 purity. "The bars that were in question previously were around the 99.992 or 99.993 mark, so we have improved through technology and our focus, but we never believed we were intentionally doping the bars under the standards." Meanwhile, the Perth Mint has reported strong demand for its product as the Australian dollar gold price continues to trade at record highs. It soared above $5,000 an ounce for the first time in April — the same week US President Donald Trump announced his "Liberation Day" tariffs. The Perth Mint sold 43,714 ounces of gold and 723,641oz of silver in April, up from 40,537oz of gold and 713,306oz of silver in March. Demand softened in May when the mint sold 28,244oz of gold and 496,707oz of silver. The mint's depository held 308,899oz of gold at the end of May — equivalent to 9.61 tonnes — worth more than $1.5 billion at current prices. Mr Heymann described gold as an "economic safe harbour", saying the metal had "proven security and resilience". He said US economic policies were only one factor in a perfect storm that also included conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. "You look at the sustained demand that there is for gold, so much of that being underpinned by central banks around the world, who have had unprecedented levels of buying," he said. "Why are they buying gold? It gives them confidence in helping to manage the financial security of the countries they're responsible for. "Of course, government policies, including the US, play into that but there's no one specific indicator that drives the gold price. "It is a reflection of what's going on around the world."
News.com.au
05-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
'I almost fell off my daybed in Fiji!''
AFL: Carlton Blues coach Michael Voss said he fell off his daybed in Fiji reading Sam Walsh was in demand.
News.com.au
07-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
AFL 2025: Carlton star Tom De Koning speaks on contract status
Out-of-contract Carlton star Tom De Koning is in no rush to extend with the Blues, revealing he has 'plenty of things to weigh up'. De Koning is being targeted heavily by St Kilda with a monster deal in the vicinity of $1.7m a season. The 25-year-old big man is in career-best form and has parked contract extension talks until later in the season. 'I'm focusing at the moment on just playing my best footy for the team,' De Koning told SEN's Dwayne's World. 'All that other stuff is playing out in the background and I'm just focusing on my football – the other stuff is between the club and my manager. 'I'm not putting a timeline on it, we're comfortable with where everything sits and that will happen when it happens. 'I'm not in a different position to what any of my other teammates have been in. 'You look at 'Crippa' (Patrick Cripps), 'Walshy' (Sam Walsh), Harry (McKay), Charlie (Curnow), they've all been through it, and everyone is different. 'There's plenty of things to weigh up – but if I can play my best footy then I'm putting my best foot forward.' Carlton could still pitch De Koning a deal worth more than $1m a year but is not likely to be able to match the Saints' 'Godfather' offer. De Koning says the details of his impending deal at Carlton or St Kilda is not front of mind but admits he has to work out what is best for himself. 'I haven't thought too deeply about that to be honest. I've put myself in this position, so whatever gets offered, gets offered,' he said. 'That negotiation (the length of deal) has been between the club and my manager, (I am) kind of letting that play out. 'I'm very similar to other players. We're all in the same position and we're on a list where players are getting paid different amounts.
