Wesfarmers and SQM have jointly approved a final investment decision to expand the Mt Holland lithium project in Western Australia, adding a new integrated ore sorting facility alongside the existing mine and concentrator. The project, operated by Covalent Lithium, will double spodumene concentrate output and is expected to materially reduce unit operating costs while accelerating cash flow from the operation. For mine planners and process engineers, the key change is the upstream ore sorting step, which should improve feed grade and reduce downstream milling and flotation load.

Nearly two-thirds of global mining and metals facilities are sited in areas of significant physical water risk, according to ICMM’s new Global Mining and Metals Water Dataset. The analysis also finds that competition for water between mine sites and other industrial and domestic users is the dominant physical risk driver, rather than solely hydrological scarcity. For geotechnical and processing teams, this points to tighter constraints on dewatering, tailings water balances and make-up water allocations, with permitting and community relations becoming critical design inputs.

Aeris Resources has more than quadrupled the ore reserve at its Tritton copper operations in central New South Wales to 10 Mt at 1.7 per cent Cu and 0.38 g/t Au, securing over five years of mill feed for the existing processing plant. The enlarged reserve base underpins Aeris’ strategy for a long-life, multi-mine hub, giving planners clearer visibility on stope sequencing, backfill requirements and ventilation upgrades across multiple underground orebodies. For contractors and suppliers, the five-year runway signals sustained demand for ground support, pastefill, and mine services in the Tritton district.