Sandvik Australia has launched its 2026–2028 Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan, marking a decade of formal reconciliation work and setting a minimum target of 3.5% Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation in its workforce. The two-year RAP also commits to increased First Nations supplier participation in Sandvik’s mining equipment and services supply chain and to structured cultural capability training across its Australian operations. For mine owners and contractors, the plan signals growing expectations for Indigenous employment and procurement benchmarks in OEM tendering and project partnerships.

AIC Mines is moving to acquire the Mt Cuthbert copper project in north-west Queensland via a $120 million deal to purchase 100 per cent of Materra Metals. The transaction comprises $100 million in AIC shares and a $20 million cash component, giving AIC a second operating hub alongside its Eloise copper mine, 60km away. The close proximity of Eloise and Mt Cuthbert suggests potential for shared processing, consolidated infrastructure and regional optimisation of underground and open-pit copper operations.

Core Lithium has restarted mining and processing at its Finniss lithium operation in the Northern Territory, reporting $17.8 million in revenue for the 12 months to 30 June as it transitions out of care and maintenance. The company now targets steady-state production by 2028, backed by a materially stronger cash position after a difficult price environment for spodumene concentrate. For mine planners and process engineers, the restart signals renewed demand for contractor services, drilling, and plant optimisation as Finniss ramps back towards nameplate throughput.