Latest news with #WA
ABC News
18 hours ago
- Politics
- ABC News
City of Nedlands referred to Corruption and Crime Commission
A Perth local government embroiled in several highly publicised controversies has been referred to WA's corruption watchdog, though it is unclear why.
ABC News
18 hours ago
- ABC News
Big Bell Gold mine fined $945,000 over death of worker Paige Counsell
Big Bell Gold mine has been fined nearly a million dollars over the death of a worker at an underground site in WA's Murchison region, in what a magistrate has described as a failure of policy and training. Paige Counsell died after being hit by a truck during a night shift at the mine, north-west of Cue, in December 2020. Deputy Chief Magistrate, Elizabeth Woods, said there was a "failure of policy, process and training." She said there were "minimal safe areas for pedestrians and vehicle to interact" and the "key safety message" had not been grasped by drivers. The company "must constantly be on the lookout for problems", but "the training was ineffective, the consequences were serious," Magistrate Woods told the court. "The training was not specific enough," she said. The magistrate noted that the company had expressed remorse. She fined Big Bell Gold, which pleaded guilty to failing to provide a safe workplace, $945,000, and ordered it to pay costs of $20,000. Paige's mother, Samantha, and brother, Blake, were in court for the sentencing and spoke to the ABC afterwards. "Nothing's going to bring her back," Ms Counsell said. Ms Counsell said she was grateful the company had pleaded guilty, meaning a trial was not required, but said it was "galling" that the fine would likely simply go into government coffers. Ms Counsell described Big Bell's parent company, Westgold, as "fantastic" through its support for the family after the tragedy. In a statement, Westgold's managing director and chief executive Wayne Bramwell said the company had worked closely with regulators and various authorities during the investigations, and had done its own review of its Occupational Health and Safety management plan. Mr Bramwell said he had met with Ms Counsell recently and assured her that her daughter's memory would continue to be honoured. He said a stone memorial at Big Bell stood as a reminder to remain vigilant for safety. The Department of Mines brought the prosecution in 2023. Worksafe said the offence did not indicate that the breach caused the fatal incident, but it highlighted a failure in terms of safe systems. But WA Work Safe Commissioner Sally North said the case sent a strong message to workplaces, particularly those with mobile plant. "Big Bell Gold Operations failed to provide its contractor's employees involved in the fatal incident with sufficient information, instructions and training to ensure positive communication was established between pedestrians and drivers underground," she said.
News.com.au
a day ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Is lithium finding its wings again? Here's what three ASX explorers have to say
After prolonged depressed prices, lithium has begun to claw its way back China continues to control the majority of lithium processing and EV manufacturing Stockhead speaks to three explorers in the lithium space to gauge their thoughts Lithium was a market darling in 2022, ushering in a tsunami of newly minted explorers to the ASX – then the wave crashed. Now the beloved battery metal could be starting to swell again, with activity emerging in recent weeks. The price of the battery-metal has spectacularly devalued over the past few years due to oversupply and re-adjusting Western demand for electric vehicles. But now, the Global X Lithium & Battery Tech ETF has climbed more than 20% over the past month, whilst price reporting agency Fastmarkets on Tuesday assessed 6% Li2O – the benchmark for the spodumene concentrate mined by WA producers – at US$760/t. That's a violent increase from the June 23 low of US$610/t, underpinned by rising futures prices in China and improved buying interest from battery makers, as well as the closure of a number of Chinese operations on environmental grounds. In the same period, lithium carbonate has run from US$8050/t to US$8550/t. This change has flowed through to ASX miners. Kathleen Valley lithium mine owner Liontown Resources (ASX:LTR) has regularly been a barometer for speculative interest in the sector. It once ran from 3c to more than $3 at lithium's highs before crashing below 60c at its recent ebb. The Gina Rinehart backed stock has seen its share price climb more than 16% over the past five days to breathe down the neck of $1 once again. A tale of two countries It isn't always easy to glean clear answers from the market (furiously shakes Magic 8 Ball). But some of the most recent data has come out of two closely linked places, Africa's lithium hotspot of Zimbabwe and China. This month, Zimbabwe reported a 30% growth in lithium exports for the first half of this year in spite of a weak spot price. The Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe says the country shipped nearly 600,000t of spodumene concentrate between January and June this year, an increase from more than 450,000t during the same period in the year prior. China is the chief buyer of Africa's lithium, a source it has cultivated to garner control over a supply chain previously dominated at the raw material end by Australia and Chile. And it remains top dog in the EV industry by the length of the straight, producing more than 70% of the world's share in 2024 with an even stronger grip on battery production and battery chemical refining. Today, Chinese-owned companies commandeer about one quarter of the globe's lithium mining and two-thirds of battery grade lithium chemical capacity. Low lithium prices have suited the dominant battery players CATL and BYD, who have developed their own mines in China to help flood the market and, allegedly, keep a lid on prices. But the Chinese Government has become increasingly concerned with Neijuan, a phrase popularised by Weibo users to describe the negatives of the "rat race". In mining terms, it means authorities could crack down on sectors where competition is driving industrial losses. Whether that was behind the closure of Zijin subsidiary Zangge Mining's Qinghai operations, a key factor in recent commodity price increases, is a subject of speculation. Is this month's increase in the lithium price nothing but a dead cat bounce, or are we witnessing a return to glory days? While many explorers pivoted their attention away from the battery metal, Stockhead spoke to three companies who believe in the long term opportunity. What are you seeing on the ground floor as a lithium explorer in terms of market sentiment? Chariot Corporation (ASX:CC9) managing director Shanthar Pathmanathan: "I believe it's the beginning of a massive bull run in lithium, but it's important to be cost conscious. Africa has increased production from artisanal and small scale mines by 500% in the last three years whilst lithium prices crashed by 90%. African supply is now about 20% of world supply. "Moreover, the Chinese buyers seem to prefer African supply. The inside lane in lithium for the next year or so while prices are still recovering will likely continue to be the Africa-to-China supply route. Getting in on the inside lane means making money whilst others are not and potentially taking advantage of opportunities elsewhere. "I still see lithium as the great disruptor of the massive, multi-trillion dollar oil market and this recent crisis has given us the opportunity we needed to get positioned." Pursuit Minerals (ASX:PUR) managing director and CEO Aaron Revelle: "We're seeing a definitive shift in sentiment on the ground. The rebound in lithium carbonate pricing has re-ignited some soft investor interest, particularly in high-quality brine assets following on from the Rio Tinto acquisition of Arcadium and many watching how the new CEO of Rio will advance those assets. "There's more inbound interest, especially those looking to secure supply outside of China. Juniors with pilot scale production, strong grades, and a clear pathway to development are getting a second look. It's cautious optimism, but the tone has improved from earlier this year." Delta Lithium (ASX:DLI) managing director James Croser: "There's perhaps a glimmer of dawn on the horizon after a very long night. I want to believe that this uptick in sentiment is a collective realisation that the tide may be on the turn and the relentless adoption of new battery technologies and applications, and persistent double digit growth in most markets will in fact translate into improved market pricing in the long run. I mean, how can it not? But I've been wide awake since midnight waiting for that dawn, seen a couple of false ones and we need to be cautious that our optimism isn't clouding our vision." What potential catalysts are on the horizon that could create a boon in the lithium space? SP: "Interest rate cuts and more dovish monetary policy is what I'm looking at. I think Trump is bang on the money in that it needs to flow again. Easier access to money will mean households will have more money to spend on relative luxury items like EVs, although the price gap has diminished or reversed as of late with the advent of the Chinese EVs." AR: "Several key catalysts could trigger a strong re-rating across the lithium sector, such as a potential revival of EV subsidies in Europe or the US could direct significant capital toward EV supply chains in an effort to break China's dominance on processing. Rising investment in grid-scale battery storage, driven by the global rollout of renewable energy infrastructure and the ever growing rise of the AI sector is also emerging as another major demand driver. "In China, recent signs of supply-side discipline – including Zangge Mining's decision to halt lithium production – highlights efforts to stabilise prices, and any further pro-EV or economic support measures from Beijing would add upward pressure. "Finally, M&A activity remains a powerful catalyst; strategic acquisitions by automakers, battery manufacturers, or majors seeking to lock in supply are likely to drive a valuation reset across the developer end of the market." JC: "On top of consistent EV demand growth, I think renewables and the associated fixed battery storage requirements are the dark horse. Having batteries on your business/house with solar on the roof is akin to putting a water tank next to a windmill. It's obvious that one complements the other. People are just getting over the novelty of solar, wait until everyone works out that having battery storage is like keeping the solar on all night! "Politically, I think seeing serious downstream processing outside China by the Europeans/North Americans/Japanese will go a long way in breaking the pricing power that the Chinese now possess for lithium raw materials. That'll likely require government assistance at these prices, so I'll be looking for some firm government actions to back up the rhetoric and ultimately provide a broader customer base for the miners." How do you view the future of global lithium demand, and which countries will lead the charge as China dominates EV production? SP: "That will continue to be the trend. China is close to the great tipping point. One in two cars sold in China are EVs and they could move to close to 100% EV penetration soon. The USA EV sales will respond with more dovish monetary policy." AR: "China remains dominant in battery manufacturing and electric vehicle production, currently selling over 1 million EVs per month, a staggering pace that has helped push global EV adoption to a tipping point, with one in every four new vehicles sold now electric. "Whilst China leads today, we see a more diversified future emerging over the next 5–10 years. The US and Canada continue to invest heavily in scaling domestic EV and battery supply chains, with a growing focus on building out domestic critical mineral production and processing. Europe is similarly accelerating efforts to localise refining capacity and secure offtake agreements, aiming to reduce reliance on China amid tightening ESG and supply-chain transparency standards. "On the supply side, Argentina and Australia remain critical players with Argentina offering tier-1 brine resources, increased judicial and regulatory certainty, low-cost extraction potential, and faster development pathways. Demand for lithium isn't disappearing; it's shifting regionally. This transition is fuelling a new wave of investment, and competition across the global battery materials landscape." JC: "China doesn't look like it's giving up first place any time soon. They have really bet the farm on lithium and invested a huge amount of capital in the battery supply chain going back at least 10 years. "There's a long way to go before EVs inevitably overtake vehicles on the road, so I expect growth and innovation in the EV sector to continue apace. There's pretty strenuous competition going on between the new Chinese car manufacturers and the old car companies, with new models coming out all the time. Competition is good for consumers, so I expect the product offering to improve and strong competition to persist. Global EV penetration looks almost certain to continue to grow: the genie is well and truly out of the bottle, and it's a pretty cool genie with more torque and less moving parts." What are the key challenges and opportunities you foresee in the lithium market over the next 12 months? SP: "We could have a scramble for lithium supply if the Chinese market passes the tipping point. Car purchases are subject to the network effect where people tend to follow their neighbours. China is currently the only market that matters and they're at 50% EV penetration. "Chariot is well setup after this downturn. We have reacquired the Horizon property with a 10.2Mt LCE resource and taken a 66.667% stake in a magnificent portfolio of spodumene bearing projects in Nigeria in the most counter cyclical way possible." AR: "The lithium sector continues to face real challenges over the next 12 months with ongoing price volatility and a significantly tighter capital environment making it increasingly difficult for developers to raise the funds needed to progress projects compared to other commodities such as gold or copper. Negative sentiment around spodumene oversupply continues to cloud investor outlook, even though brine based projects remain comparatively low cost and economically robust even at current price levels of between US$8-10,000/t for lithium carbonate. "Despite these challenges, there are clear opportunities emerging. Juniors with pilot scale operations or near term development timelines, particularly in Argentina, are well positioned to attract offtake interest as buyers look to diversify. ESG aligned, low cost brine projects are gaining traction with Western partners, and any recovery in sentiment, or lithium demand could sharply re-rate quality assets that are development-ready. "Companies that come out with massive production targets above 20,000tpa of new material without the balance sheet to support it or are NPV chasing to try and look good in the market will struggle to gain investor interest. Investors can see the demand piece for lithium remaining intact with demand set to hit near 3 million tonnes by 2030, however it's capital discipline and realistic scalable projects that will win out long term." JC: "I feel a little relieved that Delta isn't trying to navigate this price trough as a producer. Our challenge at Delta is to position our business and manage capital effectively through the downturn, keep our projects ticking along and be ready to come out of the blocks when real improvement shows up."
Courier-Mail
2 days ago
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
Australia crush West Indies in T20 as Green, Inglis shine in run chase
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cricket. Followed categories will be added to My News. Cameron Green broke his bat hitting one of his four sixes over the scoreboard at Sabina Park and Josh Inglis brought up his 50 with a shot which landed on a grandstand roof as the Australian duo blasted the West Indian bowlers to deliver a second-straight T20 win in Jamaica. Matt Kuhnemann became a three-format player on his T20 debut as a spin plan brought the home team undone despite another worrying failure from Glenn Maxwell who replaced dumped dynamo Jake Fraser-McGurk at the top of the order. After first-gamer Mitch Owen blasted the tourists to victory on Monday, Wednesday was debutant Kuhnemann's turn and the left-arm tweaker went for just 13 runs off three of his overs, and 20 off another, opening the bowling on debut, as spinners took five wickets from 11 of the 20 overs sent down. Adam Zampa snared three wickets and Maxwell two to limit the home team to 8-172, despite three Australian dropped catches. Roston Chase was bowled by Adam Zampa. (Photo by Randy Brooks / AFP) Maxwell, who was promoted to open, failed to get going, again, and his recent returns for the Australian T20 team - just two scores above 40 in his past 14 innings - could possibly cast doubt over his sport after the emergence of Owen who can bat and bowl. But his early dismissal for just 12, and captain Mitch Marsh's exit brought Green and Inglis together on a turning pitch which wasn't without its challenges. The WA pair played and missed a few times but also swatted nine sixes in a 131-run partnership, a new record, which powered the tourists to an eight-wicket win and a 2-0 series lead, reaching their target with 28 balls to spare. Inglis finished unbeaten on 78 of fjust 33 balls while Green, who belted 51 in the opening game, added 56 off 32 balls to his series total. Inglis brought up his 50 off just 22 balls, reaching his milestone with a six which hit the grandstand roof and dribbled down into the gutter, forcing a quick break in play. Cameron Green (L) and Josh Inglis (R) put on a huge partnership. (Photo by Randy Brooks / AFP) He was dropped on 60 after skying a pull shot, one of a handful of dropped catches shared between the two teams, and Green hit the next ball for six to pile on the pain. Earlier, Maxwell gave Shimron Hetmyer a send-off after claiming his wicket the ball following a DRS review denied by 'umpire's call' . 'It only cost me one ball,' he screamed twice. He finished with 2-15, but his 10-ball struggle with the bat was more telling, with Owen, who wasn;t required to bat in his second game after making a half-century on debut, looming as another potential opening option for the Australians with three games in the series to go. Matt Kuhnemann was given his T20 cap from fellow spinner Adam Zampa. Tama BIDING HIS TIME Kuhnemann had been rolling his arm over in the nets as part of the Australian squad for more than six weeks before getting his call-up in Jamaica. The left-arm spinner had been unused squad member for last month's World Test Championship final, the three Tests against the West Indies and missed the series opening T20 as well. But the 28-year-old added his T20 cap to his ODI and Test appearances for Australia, giving him a stat in all three forms. All of his international appearances have, however, come overseas. Andre Russell receives his retirement award at Sabina Park. (Photo by Randy Brooks / AFP) BYE BYE DRE As Kuhnemann played his first T20, West Indian superstar Andre Russell played his last having decided to end his international career at his home ground in Kingston. Russell, who has made some stunning Big Bash cameos, went out with a bang too, blasting four sixes in a 15-ball innings of 36 as he signed off. The all-rounder played 142 matches for the West Indies, including a solitary Test in 2010, and remains a box-office drawcard in T20 tournaments around the world. Originally published as Josh Inglis and Cameron Green swatted nine sixes and a record partnership in huge Australian win in the West Indies.
West Australian
2 days ago
- Sport
- West Australian
Josh Inglis and Cameron Green swatted nine sixes and a record partnership in huge Australian win in the West Indies.
Cameron Green broke his bat hitting one of his four sixes over the scoreboard at Sabina Park and Josh Inglis brought up his 50 with a shot which landed on a grandstand roof as the Australian duo blasted the West Indian bowlers to deliver a second-straight T20 win in Jamaica. Matt Kuhnemann became a three-format player on his T20 debut as a spin plan brought the home team undone despite another worrying failure from Glenn Maxwell who replaced dumped dynamo Jake Fraser-McGurk at the top of the order. Cricket In-Article Head to head CAPI After first-gamer Mitch Owen blasted the tourists to victory on Monday, Wednesday was debutant Kuhnemann's turn and the left-arm tweaker went for just 13 runs off three of his overs, and 20 off another, opening the bowling on debut, as spinners took five wickets from 11 of the 20 overs sent down. Adam Zampa snared three wickets and Maxwell two to limit the home team to 8-172, despite three Australian dropped catches. Maxwell, who was promoted to open, failed to get going, again, and his recent returns for the Australian T20 team - just two scores above 40 in his past 14 innings - could possibly cast doubt over his sport after the emergence of Owen who can bat and bowl. But his early dismissal for just 12, and captain Mitch Marsh's exit brought Green and Inglis together on a turning pitch which wasn't without its challenges. The WA pair played and missed a few times but also swatted nine sixes in a 131-run partnership, a new record, which powered the tourists to an eight-wicket win and a 2-0 series lead, reaching their target with 28 balls to spare. Inglis finished unbeaten on 78 of fjust 33 balls while Green, who belted 51 in the opening game, added 56 off 32 balls to his series total. Inglis brought up his 50 off just 22 balls, reaching his milestone with a six which hit the grandstand roof and dribbled down into the gutter, forcing a quick break in play. He was dropped on 60 after skying a pull shot, one of a handful of dropped catches shared between the two teams, and Green hit the next ball for six to pile on the pain. Earlier, Maxwell gave Shimron Hetmyer a send-off after claiming his wicket the ball following a DRS review denied by 'umpire's call' . 'It only cost me one ball,' he screamed twice. He finished with 2-15, but his 10-ball struggle with the bat was more telling, with Owen, who wasn;t required to bat in his second game after making a half-century on debut, looming as another potential opening option for the Australians with three games in the series to go. BIDING HIS TIME Kuhnemann had been rolling his arm over in the nets as part of the Australian squad for more than six weeks before getting his call-up in Jamaica. The left-arm spinner had been unused squad member for last month's World Test Championship final, the three Tests against the West Indies and missed the series opening T20 as well. But the 28-year-old added his T20 cap to his ODI and Test appearances for Australia, giving him a stat in all three forms. All of his international appearances have, however, come overseas. BYE BYE DRE As Kuhnemann played his first T20, West Indian superstar Andre Russell played his last having decided to end his international career at his home ground in Kingston. Russell, who has made some stunning Big Bash cameos, went out with a bang too, blasting four sixes in a 15-ball innings of 36 as he signed off. The all-rounder played 142 matches for the West Indies, including a solitary Test in 2010, and remains a box-office drawcard in T20 tournaments around the world.
