landform design

The base case is zero. The reality is 20 per cent over. Mining’s most expensive assumption isn’t going away.

Will Kendall has a line that lands with the quiet force of something everyone in the room already knew but hadn’t quite said out loud: "Base case is cost overruns of over 20 per cent," Will says, "That’s your base case.

By Jamie Wade on August 27, 2026
Efficiency, Production Optimisation, Costs, Financial Planning, Contract Management, ESG, Reclamation Projects, Regulatory Adherence, Extraction, Reserve Estimation, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation, Mines & Projects, Project Overviews, Development Stages
Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, North America, Canada
Iron ore, Strategic Minerals, Lithium, Precious Metals, Gold, Copper, Nickel, Energy Minerals, Coal (Thermal and Metallurgical), Rare Earth Elements

The contractor recovery has a forward visibility problem, and the JV model is quietly rewriting how junior projects get built

There are two stories inside Grant Thornton's latest mining contractors report, and the one getting most of the attention is the wrong one.

By Jamie Wade on April 28, 2026
Efficiency, Production Optimisation, Mineral Processing, Costs, Financial Planning, Contract Management, Procurement Efficiency, ESG, Reclamation Projects, Regulatory Adherence, Long-term Planning, Extraction, Mineral Extraction, Reserve Estimation, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation, Mines & Projects, Project Overviews, Development Stages
Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, North America, Canada
Iron ore, Strategic Minerals, Lithium, Precious Metals, Gold, Base Metals, Copper, Nickel, Energy Minerals, Coal (Thermal and Metallurgical)

Why safe mine closure is just the beginning and not the end of the story for mining companies, communities and the land they leave behind

If there was one thing the panel on safe mine closure made clear at this year’s Life of Mine - Mine Waste and Tailings Conference in Brisbane, it’s this: closure is no longer just about sealing off the last truckload and planting grass.

By Jamie Wade on August 5, 2025
Efficiency, Process Improvement, Mineral Processing, Costs, Financial Planning, Cost Control, ESG, Environmental Impact Assessments, Waste Management, Reclamation Projects, Stakeholder Communication, Community Development Projects, Corporate Social Responsibility, Local Employment Opportunities, Sustainable Practices, Mine Closure Planning, Workforce, Training and Development, Health and Well-being Programs, Innovation, Process Innovation, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation, Mines & Projects, Project Overviews, Development Stages, Case Studies
Australia, Western Australia, Pilbara
Precious Metals, Gold, Base Metals, Copper

How erosion models are busting gullies, predicting the future and helping miners design landforms that last centuries and pass the pub test

What if you could fast-forward a century to see whether your rehabilitated mine landform holds its shape or collapses into a network of gullies? At a recent seminar hosted by the Office of the Queensland Mine Rehabilitation Commissioner (OQMRC), one message rang clear: erosion and landscape evolution models are no longer just academic exercises—they’re digital crystal balls for mine closure planning.

By Jamie Wade on June 5, 2025
Efficiency, Process Improvement, Workflow Management, ESG, Environmental Impact Assessments, Reclamation Projects, Regulatory Adherence, Long-term Planning, Mine Closure Planning, Innovation, Research and Development, Technology Adoption, Collaboration with Research Institutions, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation, Mines & Projects, Development Stages, Case Studies
Australia, Queensland, Bowen Basin
Aluminium/Bauxite, Industrial Minerals, Energy Minerals, Coal (Thermal and Metallurgical)