High-grade gold–copper mineralisation at Medallion Metals’ Gem deposit within the Ravensthorpe project in Western Australia has been extended eastwards and at depth by recent drilling at the Kundip Mining Centre (KMC). The step-out holes confirm continuity of the Gem lode system beyond previous resource limits, materially enlarging the mineralised footprint within the KMC corridor. For mine planning and geotechnical design, the deeper intercepts signal potential for a larger underground inventory and the need to reassess pit shells, geotechnical domains and long-term development sequencing.

Resource Industry Network is campaigning across Bowen, Surat and Galilee coal regions as Queensland’s revised regulatory frameworks and higher coal royalties threaten margins for miners and the METS supply chain. General manager Dean Kirkwood warns that hundreds of small and mid-sized contractors in Mackay and other hubs – from heavy fabrication workshops to drill and blast service providers – face reduced forward work and curtailed investment in new fleets. For geotechnical and mining engineers, the shift signals tighter project pipelines, delayed brownfield expansions and greater scrutiny on cost and schedule risk in coal-related work.

Battery-electric support fleets, including graders, water carts and service trucks, are emerging as a near-term decarbonisation lever for Australian mines, avoiding the payload and duty-cycle constraints that still limit 220–400 t battery-electric haul trucks. OEMs such as XCMG are field-testing high-voltage, fast-charge support equipment in demanding pit environments, targeting shift-length operation with opportunistic charging during breaks. For mine planners and maintenance teams, this shifts immediate focus to site-wide power distribution, charging bay layout and thermal management of batteries rather than wholesale replacement of primary production fleets.