HEALTH & SAFETY CHAMPIONS
Over 1000 industry delegates converged on the Gold Coast in August for one of Australia’s largest mining conferences, the Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference (QMIHSC). The Innovation Awards are held as part of the conference, recognising creative and practical solutions to safety and occupational health problems within the resources industry. There are three […]
PROSTATE CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
Prostate cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia. This year, over 3,000 men will lose their battle with prostate cancer – that’s 10 fathers, brothers, sons, friends and workmates today alone. September is International Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness of the disease and raise much-needed funds to […]
RACING GONE WILD
Lake Macquarie’s Taylor Gill started racing go-karts when he was 7 years old. Speed ahead to 2024 and he’s on his way to winning the FIA Junior World Rally Championship in Europe. The 20-year-old has already entered the history books as the first Australian to ever win a Junior World Rally Championship event coming in […]
BEING PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER
12-year-old Tully and her dad Nelson are preparing to hit the road in ‘Margot the Tarago’ to join a convoy of 70 teams as part of the Lunchbox Rally, travelling through regional NSW to raise money for the Cancer Council. You would have heard of the Shitbox and the Mystery Box Rally before – they […]
GIDDY UP IN THE HUNTER VALLEY
Pokolbin and Lovedale in the beautiful Hunter Valley are known for award winning wines and food, but did you know you can spend a morning looking at wine country on horseback? Hunter Valley Horse Riding and Adventures has been operating at Lovedale for more than 30 years. They offer a whole list of adventures in […]
NOTHING BUT CLASS
On Monday 14th October, men and women will gather at the Branxton Community Hall for the Wear White & Teal High Tea for Ovarian Cancer to raise money for the insidious disease. It’s a cause close to the hearts of many, which is why the event is the recipient of this month’s @ The Coalface […]
ONCE A GOANNA, ALWAYS A GOANNA
20-year-old Fletcher Sharpe was born in the coalfields and spent all his weekends on the footy field. He played with the Cessnock Goannas throughout his junior career and worked his way through the Newcastle Knights pathways program and finally onto the NRL footy field. Fletcher is Cessnock through and through, playing rugby league with the […]
A CHANCE TO HAVE YOUR SAY
The annual Upper Hunter Mining Dialogue Community Forum is right around the corner, and this year I have the pleasure of facilitating the event and trying to fill the very big shoes of the former facilitator, Di Sneddon. First held in 2012, the Community Forum is for everyone. It is an opportunity for stakeholders to […]
PUMPED FOR RENEWABLE PROJECT
Idemitsu Australia and AGL are preparing to embark on a huge construction project at the former Muswellbrook Coal site. The Muswellbrook Pumped Hydro project has been in the planning since 2019, and in July received Critical State Significant Infrastructure status (CSSI). The project will be located on the former Muswellbrook Coal site where mining ceased […]
HORSIN’ AROUND
Idemitsu’s Joanne McFayden has been playing polocrosse for more than 20 years, and recently competed in the Australian Polocrosse Nationals for the first time with her horse Blacky. Joanne has ridden horses her entire life, but only started playing polocrosse when she was about 19 years old living in Moree. “I stayed in Moree for […]
THE FUTURE OF WASTE MANAGEMENT
When you think of IT in a business, your first thought is probably computers, the internet and coding. But it is so much more diverse than that. At Port Waratah Coal Services, IT is making a huge difference in the waste and material management space. Rebecca Harmes is a 26-year-old IT Graduate at Port Waratah […]
INDUSTRY STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE
Often labelled as the highlight on the NSW Mining calendar, the 2024 Health, Safety, Environment and Community (HSEC) Conference was held in the Hunter Valley in August and included the annual HSEC Awards dinner. The prestigious annual awards are an important part of the conference highlighting the industry’s efforts to deliver better outcomes for the […]
LIFE-SAVING PARTNERSHIP
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service (WRHS) has been operating throughout northern NSW for almost 50 years, free of charge for anyone who needs it thanks to more than 850 volunteers, fundraising and sponsorship. It costs $40 million each year to keep the four yellow and red helicopters in the skies above NSW with its lifesaving […]
SPEAK UP EVEN IF YOUR VOICE SHAKES
Josh Jones was an apprentice at Dawson South when his best mate was killed on the job, and he was severely injured. Nine years later, Josh has found the courage to talk about what happened to help other miners be safer at work. Josh started his apprenticeship in 2012 and was sent to a different […]
SOME MARRIAGES NEED A HARD HAT…
Adelaide got more than she bargained for when she started dating Elliott Earnshaw from Singleton. Not even a week into their relationship Elliott asked Adelaide if she would take part in a Wife Carrying competition. Originating in Finland, Wife Carrying is very much like it sounds… Men carrying wives (or girlfriends or friends or sisters) […]
LIFEBLOOD: MINERS TOP THE CHART
Every day countless recipients require blood and blood products. There are over half a million active blood donors across Australia including a few workers in the mining industry who not only save lives but have a little friendly competition while they’re at it. Glencore has saved 378 lives this year with their blood, plasma and […]
TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL
61-year-old Judith Tynan is a mum of two, owner of Tynan Engineering with her husband and a CrossFit athlete who is going to compete with the best CrossFitters in the world in America for the fourth time. Judith first noticed CrossFit about 12 years ago. “Where I used to workout, there was a big glass […]
A HELPING HAND FROM HVO
Help for Hunter Valley community and business groups to put on events, food for people experiencing homelessness, and programs to give local school kids skills for their future is on its way thanks to Hunter Valley Operations’ latest community grants. The mine has awarded 20 grants to not for profit organisations who can find it […]
PARTY TIME FOR PWCS
Port Waratah has celebrated an important milestone for the business, the 40th anniversary of its Kooragang Coal Terminal operations. Coal loading operations in Newcastle expanded to Kooragang Island in 1984 with the opening of Stage 1 of the Kooragang Coal Loader. The Official opening of Kooragang Coal Terminal by the Premier, Mr Neville Wran, was […]
MAKE THE MOVE TO MAULES
About 40-kilometres northeast of Boggabri sits Fairfax Public School. It was established in 1910 in the Maules Creek locale, servicing the 87 people who call Maules Creek home. Now, the community wants to show you how beautiful their home is and why you should consider bringing your family there to live. Once upon a time, […]
COMMUNITY CHAMPION: ED OLDENBURG
Not for profit organisation Little Wings has been operating in Queensland for just over a year, flying sick children in rural areas to hospitals in the city to get the medical care they need. 290 children have been helped thanks to volunteer pilots like Ed Oldenburg. Little Wings provides air and land transport for children […]
PENTATHLETE EN ROUTE TO PARIS
At just 20 years old, Singleton-born Genevieve Janse van Rensburg is about to achieve her ultimate goal – competing in the Modern Pentathlon at the Paris Games. What is the Modern Pentathlon you might be thinking. Well, it consists of four events, fencing, swimming, equestrian (show jumping) and the oneLaser Run (running and shooting). The […]
A SMASHING GOOD TIME
Are you feeling wound up? Frustrated? Need an outlet for any number of feelings? Well Sutton Estate is the place you need to go in Pokolbin to smash some wine bottles and plates and throw a nice, sharp axe at a wall. It was a rainy Sunday afternoon when my boyfriend and I decided to […]
DESERT DAREDEVILS
The Tatts Finke Desert Race is iconic. It’s Australia’s toughest off-road motorsport event for cars, buggies, trophy trucks, SXS and bikes out of Alice Springs. It’s not just for professionals like Singleton’s Toby Price either, hundreds of bike riders make the trek to the heart of Australia to experience the Finke Desert Race. Toby Morgan […]
HELPING COMMUNITIES ROAR
Every community relies on its local Lions Club and in Gunnedah the Lions Club has been tirelessly raising money for the community for over six decades. So, this month we are giving them the Complete Parts and @ The Coalface $500 Community Gift, helping them to do what they do best – help others. Lions […]
WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A HAUL TRUCK
A white HitachiEH5000 mining haul truck is right now circling the pit at Bengalla Mining Company encouraging workers to make positive connections and speak openly about their mental health. Mining manufacturing company Bradken partnered with Bengalla to refurbish and custom paint the haul truck to support local organisation ‘Where There’s A Will’ (WTAW). The haul […]
LITTLE WINGS CONTINUES TO SOAR
Not for profit organisation Little Wings started 12 years ago in NSW with just one plane and has now grown to four planes and flies across 71 regions in NSW, the ACT, QLD and even parts of the Northern Territory. Twelve years ago, the organisation started to provide services to children undergoing cancer treatment at […]
LACHLAN HAVING A BALL
Kicking the footy around the local footy fields at Merriwa, Lachlan Walmsley never thought he would be playing in front of thousands of people at Wembley Stadium in the UK winning back-to-back 1895 cup trophies. At 26 years old that’s exactly what he’s done. Lachlan started kicking the football around when he was 4 years […]
A MINER, AN OLYMPIAN AND AN MP, OH MY!
Dan Repacholi grew up in the outskirts of Melbourne going to the local shooting range with his father and brothers. He’s worked in the Hunter Valley’s mining industry, competed at four Commonwealth Games and five Olympics and is now the Federal Member for Hunter. Dan’s parents were both shooters. His dad worked as a quarantine […]
BY SHIFT WORKERS, FOR SHIFT WORKERS
One night, two years ago, Jim Maher was driving a haul truck at Bulga Mine listening to podcasts when he had an idea. Fast forward to today and Jim, along with his mates Lachlan Cromby and Jai Brook, have created a business called ‘Night Work Nutrition’. Jim, Lachlan and Jai all started together at Bulga […]
HSEC FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
The NSW Minerals Council will hold their annual Health, Safety, Environment and Community Awards during the HSEC Conference in August, with the four categories set to be contested by some of the best in the business. Yancoal is nominated in the Health Excellence category for a Mental Health Program they are halfway through rolling out […]
THREE DECADES IN MINING, AND ANOTHER THREE GIVING BACK
Gary Holland has lived in Singleton his entire life. He worked in payroll in the mining industry for 30 years and then left the industry to volunteer in Papua New Guinea. Since he returned home, he has been giving back to his local community in several ways, including through Dolly’s Charity Shop. Gary was 21 […]
MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY UNDERGROUND
Des O’Connell has hung up his hard hat after more than 50 years working in underground mines in New Zealand and here in Queensland. The Kiwi followed in his father’s footsteps getting his first job underground at Strongman Mine on New Zealand’s west coast when he was just 16 years old in 1967. “I worked […]
A LITERAL LEAP OF FAITH
Jumping out of a plane was the most THRILLING moment of my life so far. I have gone from being that person who says they would never skydive and always saying ‘why would you jump out of a perfectly good plane’ to strongly encouraging everyone I know to do it because they will never, ever […]
LITTLE WINGS HELPING LITTLE PEOPLE
Not for profit organisation Little Wings started 12 years ago in NSW with just one plane and has now grown to four planes and expanded its reach into Queensland. The organisation provides air and land transport for children who are seriously ill or have a chronic illness and need a hospital more than three hours’ […]
HOME IS WHERE THE GOVERNMENT TELLS YOU IT IS
QCoal is frustrated that their employees will be forced to travel 40 minutes on an unsafe road after a 12.5 hour shift after the QLD Government saved the town of Glenden but are closing Byerwen Mine’s current mining camp. The mining town of Glenden faced being destroyed altogether after the Newlands Mine closed and its […]
POSTIE PILGRIMAGE
A group of postie bike enthusiasts are gearing up to tackle 2,200-kilometres on the back of postie bikes across regional Queensland to raise money for Childhood Cancer Support (CCS). This will be the 11th year of the Annual Postie Bike Safari that has raised a total of $696,000 for various charities since it started. Between […]
PROVIDING A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT, A SAFE LIFE
Imagine being a victim of domestic violence, facing fleeing your home and risking homelessness and your and your children’s safety. For 1 in 4 women, and 1 in 8 men, that is the reality. But there is an organisation helping those people and they are the recipient of this month’s @ The Coalface and Complete […]
ICONIC COMPANY GETS A REBRAND
A well-known company in the Hunter Valley and beyond for 43 years, the Hunter Valley Training Company (HVTC) has unveiled its brand-new look and name: Zeal Futures. HVTC, Hunter-V-Tech, Central Coast Community College and the Lake Macquarie Business Grad Centre have all been combined under the one name, Zeal Futures. CEO Sharon Smith explained the […]
THE CHARMING TOWN OF MURRURUNDI
If you’ve driven from the Lower Hunter through to Tamworth, out to Gunnedah and the northwest, chances are you’ve driven through a beautiful little town called Murrurundi. The town’s history dates back to the early 19th century when it was established as a stopover point for travelers and stockmen who were traveling across the vast […]
CROSSFIT COMMUNITIES LIKE NO OTHER
For the last three years, CrossFit gyms across the country have gotten behind an initiative to raise money for Wounded Heroes Australia – an organisation providing 24/7 crisis support to current and ex-serving Australian Defence Force veterans and their families. The event is called 24 Hours of Heroes and this year 33 gyms participated, with […]
STRONGMAN ROB KEEPING HIS COAL
Robert Marlow is a Tyre Supervisor for Otraco at BHP’s Mount Arthur Mine at Muswellbrook, and on his days off he spends hours in the gym training as a Strongman. Rob’s commitment has paid off, recently returning from Australia’s first tested Strongman competition and qualifier, the Natural Strongman Worlds in South Australia. He finished the […]
EVERY ROLE IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE PUZZLE
Being able to transfer your skills to roles across the globe is just one of the incredible opportunities that a career in mining has offered Whitehaven Coal’s Keryn Zambrowski. Her story is proof that a career in mining can open up the world… if you are willing to do what it takes. If her name […]
A PLACE TO CALL HOME
Blackroo Community Haven has been operating out of garages, work sheds and homes in Muswellbrook, but now the organisation has a place to call home thanks to grant funding through MACH Energy. The MACH Energy Mount Pleasant Operation Aboriginal Community Development Fund (ACDF) was established in 2006 and supports partnerships in the Upper Hunter Valley […]
REGISTRATIONS NOW OPEN FOR QME
Every two years, the 2024 Queensland Mining & Engineering Exhibition (QME) takes over the heart of Mackay. This year’s exhibition is setting benchmarks across event size, exhibitors and speakers, with a super-sized floor plan already promising attendees the ultimate opportunity for connection and competitive advantage in the Queensland mining industry. Held this year from 23-25 […]
THIS IS A CONVERSATION STARTER
Dan and Ed were two larrikin tradies who would go to work every day needing to come up with creative solutions to a myriad of problems. One day instead of doing that on the tools, they decided to do that with TradeMutt, eye-catching high vis workwear that encourages tradespeople to start a conversation about mental […]
A WALK IN HISTORY
Standing as testament to Australia’s rich gold mining heritage is the newly inaugurated Miners’ Memorial Walk in Charter’s Towers. This unique attraction serves not only as a bridge to the past, where fortune-seekers ventured into the depths of the earth, but also as a solemn tribute to those whose journeys were cut short in mine, […]
THE NEXT GENERATION OF COAL
Futura Resources has washed and sent their first load of coal from Wilton mine to the Port of Gladstone marking a significant milestone for the future of coal in Queensland. Futura Resources is Australian-owned and was founded in late 2017. That’s when the company picked up the Fairhill and Wilton coal projects adjacent to each […]
DOWN TO EARTH TALKS WHERE IT’S NEEDED MOST
About 750 mine workers at Glencore’s Oaky Creek mine in the Bowen Basin have listened to a mental health presentation that really hit home. Craig Hamilton worked at an underground coal mine in NSW for 16 years before he jumped on the radio to talk about cricket and found he was a natural. That’s where […]
FIRST ON SCENE
In an initiative to combat the alarming statistics of road crash incidents in regional and remote areas, Anglo American in partnership with the Queensland Trucking Association has rolled out a series of vital First On Scene Remote Incident Training workshops across Central Queensland. The training aims to arm motorists with crucial first aid and crash […]
DIVING INTO MINING
Balancing full-time work and a professional sporting career should be an Olympic sport on its own, but for Maddison Keeney that’s what she’s done since 2021 – and represented Australia at the Olympic Games. Maddison joined mining giant BHP through the Minerals Australia Lift Program while she was preparing for the Olympics in Tokyo in […]
CHARTING THE FUTURE OF COAL
A recent event at the Moranbah Golf Club gathered the local mining community together in a groundbreaking event aimed at reshaping the conversation around coal. Sponsored by MEC Mining in partnership with the AusIMM Central Queensland Branch, the panel discussion titled “Repositioning Coal – Bringing Conversations Back to the Living Room” sought to navigate the […]
INSPIRING INCLUSION
On International Women’s Day the annual QRC/WIMARQ Women in Resources Awards were held. We caught up with the winners to find out where they got their start, what challenges they’ve overcome along the way, and what they think still needs to change for women in the mining industry. Exceptional Woman in Queensland Resources – Sonia […]
DECARBONISATION ACCELERATED
Greater Whitsunday Alliance and the Resources Centre of Excellence are hosting the region’s first ever decarbonisation summit on May 23, to help local businesses understand their role in carbon reduction. Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) CEO Kylie Porter said the Decarbonisation Accelerated Summit is focused on unlocking thinking around decarbonisation and to provide a platform for […]
ON YOUR MARKS!
The BMA Mackay Marina Run has officially launched, with event organisers anticipating a record turnout of over 3,500 participants on June 2. Celebrating its 16th iteration, this esteemed event is acclaimed for combining athletic endurance with the allure of Queensland’s picturesque landscapes, offering a course that is both fast and flat amidst sub-tropical beauty. Event […]
HOT WHEELS
The 2024 Rockhampton Cup on Wheels and the Capricornia Cup, held on the March 22 & 23, unfolded as a spectacular weekend of cycling, marking the 57th and 56th instalment of these prestigious events, respectively. Characterised by their feature Wheelraces, which are Handicap events, these races offer every competitor, regardless of their starting position, an […]
COMMUNITY CHAMPION: ANNE MEEHAN
In the tapestry of the Isaac region community, Anne Meehan stands as a vital thread that binds the community’s fabric with unwavering strength and commitment. For over forty years, Anne’s journey through the heartlands of Central Queensland has been less about the path travelled and more about the lives she’s touched, the initiatives she’s spearheaded, […]
VULCAN STEELS THE SHOW
Vulcan Mackay’s brand new premises are bigger, better, safer, and of course, as tough as steel! Tell us about the journey that got the business to where it is today. Vulcan Mackay was first opened back in 2004 under the name of Interlloy. There were three staff at the time, the premises had one saw, […]
A PIC IN TIME
In February 1893, the Eclipse Colliery at Tivoli, Ipswich, owned by John Wright, was the epicenter of a disaster that marked one of Queensland’s darkest moments in mining history. Amidst a series of devastating cyclones that caused unprecedented flooding across South East Queensland, the Eclipse mine suffered a tragic event that claimed the lives of […]
YOU’LL NEVER KNOW IF YOU DON’T GIVE IT GO
To celebrate International Women’s Day, Batchfire Resources is proud to share two of its New to Industry success stories and shine a spotlight on the opportunities available for women in the resources sector. Bek Roy’s dump truck dreams became a reality when she became a machinery operator at Batchfire Resources’ Callide Mine. Bek and her […]
COLLINSVILLE CANTER FOR CANCER
On Sunday March 10, a wave of pink took over Collinsville as more than 80 people and five dogs took part in an International Women’s Day Fun Run event. The second annual Collinsville Sea of Pink is the town’s ‘virtual’ answer to the Brisbane IWD Fun Run event, supported by Mater Chicks in Pink. There […]
HILLCOCK’S HOME SWEET HOME
Hillcock Industrial owner’s, Jarryd Hill & Sandra Alcock, recently celebrated the opening of their new business in Mackay. Tell us about the journey that got the business to where it is today. Both of us have a long history working together in the consumable distribution industry and working alongside the mining sector, delivering large change […]
MY MINING LIFE – TROY WILLIAMS
Who are you and what do you do? Troy Williams, I’m an operator at Moranbah North Mine. When did you start in the mining industry and what was your first job? I started in 2002 in secondary support, bolting at Southern Mine in Middlemount. How different is your job now to what you wanted to […]
OPINION: HOW SAME JOB SAME PAY APPLICATIONS WORK
The MEU has made an application for Same Job Same Pay orders for WorkPac labour hire production workers at Callide coal mine near Biloela. It was the first application under new federal laws and paves the way for many more. The new laws allow for applications to be made to the Fair Work Commission for […]
YOUTH HAVE THEIR SAY IN COMMUNITIES’ FUTURE
Housing and childcare services are key issues to target to build community sustainability, according to members of the 2024 Smart Transformation Youth Advisory Council. The Youth Advisory Council (YAC) met in Dysart, with the support of BMA, to assess local issues and provide a youth voice into Smart Transformation’s work to help future proof Dysart […]
SCHOLARSHIPS ACCELERATE STUDIES
Four first year James Cook University students from regional Queensland have shared in a $45,000 scholarship fund designed to help them excel in their studies. For the first time, the QCoal Foundation has awarded not only its annual $30,000 scholarship, but three additional bursaries to JCU students. Scholarship recipient and Speech Pathology student Taylor Dockerty […]
OPINION: MONEY SHOULDN’T BUY YOU EVERYTHING
This month the Texas Government ripped $8.5 billion of its funds from the world’s largest investment fund manager, BlackRock. Texas made this decision based on a law passed in 2021 that banned financial institutions from boycotting entire parts of the agricultural or mining industries. These laws are broadly aimed at the scourge of ESG investment […]
COMMUNITY GIFT – MACKAY MEN’S SHED
This month the Complete Parts and @ The Coalface $500 Community Gift goes to the Mackay Men’s Shed, building the community, one project at a time. The Mackay Men’s Shed Inc. was founded in early 2022 by a group of retired men and has become a cornerstone for those seeking, mateship, purpose, and a sense […]
COMMUNITY COMMEMORATES RAE
The Moranbah community came together on March 17 for the inaugural Black Duck Rae Day, commemorating Rae Linda Gosley, who succumbed to cancer in March 2023. Norm Gosley, Rae’s husband, organised the event to celebrate her life and to fundraise for local cancer patient support. “I just want everyone to remember Rae as she was […]
UNITING AGAINST DUST DISEASE
The Mining and Energy Union Queensland District’s global health and safety conference brought together international representatives for a weeklong congress about the prevalence of respiratory disease in the mining industry. World experts on dust disease, including doctors, researchers, academics, and workplace representatives from various countries, including Albania, South Africa, Colombia, USA, Indonesia and Mongolia gathered […]
FULL STEAM AHEAD
Aurizon’s train fleet in Queensland could soon all be running on hybrid systems utilising both diesel and electricity, able to use both or one or the other. Aurizon has secured a deal with Alta Battery Technology, a pioneer in battery technology innovation for power decarbonisation. Aurizon is Australia’s largest rail freight provider and part of […]
DIRT AND ALL
Dirt and All Podcast: E1 – Buddhi Edirisuriya ‘Careers with WesTrac and Chickens on a Plane’ Dirt and All is an exciting new podcast that digs deeper into the relationships and stories that lie beyond the dirt within the mining and construction industries, presented by DGI Trading. Hosts Ben ‘Woodsy’ Woods (DGI Trading) and Ryan […]
SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY IS A GAMECHANGER
What if you could retrieve rare and precious metals from mining waste and abandoned mine sites? Capture methane emissions and transform them into valuable products, or permanently sequester greenhouse gas emissions? These are not pipe dreams but just a taste of what synthetic biology has to offer the mining industry. Synthetic biology involves supercharging and […]
SUPPLIER INSIDER – HIC SERVICES
Tell us about the business. HIC Services began operations in 1978 as Bynon Industrial Ceramics, providing industrial tiling services to the NSW steel and coal markets. By 1995, the business had grown significantly and the name was changed to HIC Services. We now have facilities in Newcastle, Mudgee, Gunnedah and Mackay. In 2017 HIC Services […]
FAMILY FUN AT MOOLARBEN COAL
Over 1,900 people streamed through the gates at Moolarben Coal in March to experience what it’s like ‘at the coalface’. Across two weekends employees, contractors and their families went through Moolarben’s gates to get a firsthand look at the mining operation heading along to pit tours,seeing excavators, trucks, loaders, drills, the coal preparation plant and […]
WHO’S IN THE ZOO? ME!
I love animals, but people? Not so much. So, spending a day at the zoo with crowds of tourists is not really my thing. Then I heard about a behind the scenes experience at Sydney’s iconic zoo, Taronga. Among the experiences offered at Taronga is its Zookeeper for the Day program. If you’re a fan […]
GEARING UP FOR A GOOD CAUSE
Expressway Spares’ company bash car will be hitting the road in May to raise awareness and funds for Variety – The Children’s Charity. Expressway Spares’ Gunnedah Branch Manager Anthony Smith will be jumping behind the wheel of the spruced up 1978 Ford Falcon and cruising from Gunnedah all the way up to Bymount, before heading […]
SUSHI NEVER TASTED SO GOOD
At the ripe young age of 28, I haven’t traveled very far – New Zealand and Airlie Beach are about as far as I’ve gone. But now I’ve been to Japan, and it was SUGOI! The 10-hour plane trip north was the worst part of our three-week holiday in Japan. It was long, but after […]
COMMUNITY CHAMPION – JOAN GRIFFITHS
This month’s Community Champion is Joan Griffiths, Narrabri Shire Council’s 2024 Citizen of the Year. Joan was born in Armidale, was married to her husband in Wollongong and then came back to live in Armidale and raise her family. Sometime after Joan and her husband Don arrived back in Armidale, Joan’s husband was offered a […]
SAFETY STARS
On Friday 15 March 2024, this year’s Hunter Safety Awards recognised individuals and businesses dedicated to championing safety, innovation and Work Health and Safety (WHS). Among the outstanding winners was Mines Rescue, demonstrating unwavering commitment to WHS by winning the Best WHS Training Program award. At the heart of their win is Mines Rescue’s Generic […]
MY MINING LIFE – PETER WALSH
Peter Walsh started as an apprentice at the NSW coal mine, Hunter Valley Operations (HVO). Forty years later he is leading its proposal to continue mining until 2050. Who are you and what do you do? Peter Walsh, Project Manager, Hunter Valley Operations (HVO) Continuation Project. When did you start in the mining industry and […]
COMMUNITY GIFT – VOCAL
This month the Complete Parts and @ The Coalface $500 Community Gift goes to The Victims of Crime Assistance League. VOCAL is a gift-deductible charity that provides support for anyone who has experienced crime-related trauma. VOCAL was founded by a family who experienced homicide in 1989 and at the time there was no trauma support […]
KEEP YOUR SKIN IN CHECK
Have you ever had a skin check? Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. Melanoma is the most common cancer in the 15-29 age group, while in the overall Australian population melanoma ranks as the third most common cancer. It only takes 10-15 minutes to have a skin check and if […]
WOMEN ON THE JOB AT MEU
With a combined more than 50 years’ experience in the mining industry, Jodie Cam and Kerry Konieczny have taken up positions as Mining and Energy Union (MEU) organisers in the northern region and plan to use their experience to help as many mining employees as they can. Jodie has been in the mining industry for […]
TEN REASONS TO CELEBRATE
Ten local community groups in the Upper Hunter region will share in over $55,000 of funding thanks to the Ashton Coal Community Support Program. The 2024 community support program is helping fund new signage at Mitchell’s Flat Recreation Club, lighting and a generator at the Muswellbrook Rotary Club, outdoor musical instruments at Singleton Heights Pre-School, […]
MORE THAN A TRAILER
Muswellbrook family-owned business Eddies Trailers & Fab take a lot of pride in their manufacturing and when it comes to their trailer manufacturing anything is possible. Trailers, they’re everywhere. On the road, on farms, there’s probably a good chance you’ve got one in your backyard. Trailers are so commonplace that the last word that comes […]
LIVING LIFE ON THE EDGE
Like many sports, cliff diving is an artform. Free falling from up to 27-metres combined with awe-inducing aerobatics. It’s a sport that dates back to the 1700s, and Lake Macquarie’s Rhiannan Iffland is looking to be crowned the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Champion for an eighth consecutive time. When she was little, Rhiannan’s mum […]
EXPERIENCE SPEARHEADS HEAD OF ENERGY COAL
As Mount Arthur’s BHP mine edges closer to the end of its life, a new Vice President New South Wales Energy Coal (NSWEC) has been appointed. Liz Watts has been acting in the role since October last year and prior to that she was supporting the NSWEC team as Head of Transition, spearheading the mine’s […]
ALL ABOUT APPRENTICES
While MMS Engineering doesn’t like to boast about the quality of the products and services they provide, they have no qualms boasting about the quality of their apprentices. MMS Engineering Operations Manager Brad Smith contacted @ The Coalface for one reason. He wanted to give a shout out to all the apprentices working for the […]
TRANSMISSION ON TRACK
The state’s aging coal-fired power stations are reaching the end of their technical lives and with some closing faster than expected, the Hunter Transmission Project (HTP) will be operating by 2028 to help transport energy from NSW’s Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) to the east coast. The HTP involves building a new above-ground 500 kilovolt (kV) […]
FUNDING PROSPERITY AND WELLBEING
From solar panels and mountain biking to support for businesses and tourism, the latest round of the Singleton Community Economic Development Fund will deliver $462,521 to benefit residents over the next three years. In addition, a further $120,000 will be added to the total in 2024/2025 and 2025/2026, pending the successful outcomes of a pilot […]
DENDROBIUM TRIUMPHS AT FIRST AID CHALLENGE
Teams attended multiple casualties suffering from allergic reactions, snake bites, electrocution, carbon monoxide poisoning and cardiac arrest at the Newcastle Mines Rescue Station on Friday, 22 March. Twelve teams vied for top honours at the annual Coal Services Northern Region First Aid Competition, with the South32 Illawarra Metallurgical Coal’s Dendrobium mine named the overall winners […]
HVO APPRENTICES HELP OUT
With help from HVO apprentices, children attending Branxton Preschool will have a fantastic new space in which to play. Second year apprentices spent a day this month helping to put the finishing touches on the new 300 square metre playground space. The HVO apprentices rolled up their sleeves to get the play space ready for […]
MINING WOMEN A CLASS ABOVE
The annual NSW Women in Mining Awards were held in Sydney at the end of March. We caught up with the winners to learn about the challenges they’ve overcome and what they think still needs to change for women in the mining industry. EXCEPTIONAL WOMAN IN NSW MINING – KERYN ZAMBROWSKI Keryn is the Senior […]
OPINION: Mount Pleasant to test new Same Job Same Pay laws
The MEU has made an application for Same Job Same Pay orders for Programmed labour hire production workers at Mount Pleasant coal mine near Muswellbrook. It is the first application in NSW under new federal laws and paves the way for many more. The new laws allow for applications to be made to the Fair […]
