Research and Development
If you thought mining was all about brute force and big rigs, think again.
It’s not often a map redraws itself — but that’s exactly what’s happening to Australia’s rare earths landscape.
When global power plays, policy whiplash and economic shocks collide, opportunity hides in the chaos — and for Australia’s critical minerals sector, survival now depends on strategy as much as supply.
It’s not every day that a government geoscience leader talks about AI assistants, rare earth mapping, and century-long prosperity in the same breath – but that’s exactly what Melissa Harris did in Perth.
When a government commits to a multi-billion program over 35 years to a single initiative, it’s worth paying attention.
Unlocking up to 70 per cent faster mine planning cycles and millions in additional project value is now within reach for operations that combine centralised data systems, virtual twins and advanced optimisation engines.
A waste stream from iron ore processing is proving it can outperform conventional materials in building mine haul roads and deliver major environmental gains.
At the Life of Mine | Mine Waste and Tailings Conference 2025 in Brisbane, University of Queensland PhD candidate Yue Xiong unveiled a promising alternative to radiation-based monitoring of tailings slurry pipelines - one that could make real-time density measurement safer, cheaper and more adaptable across mine sites.
When Alejo Sfriso, corporate consultant at SRK Consulting Argentina, stepped up to the podium at the Life of Mine | Mine Waste and Tailings 2025 conference in Brisbane, his message was as direct as it was disruptive: it’s time to leave deterministic factor-of-safety thinking behind.
When reliable environmental performance data doesn’t exist, simulation can step in – and according to IGO Nova’s Zachary Hearne, it could give Australian producers a market advantage.
