Mill relining systems OEM RUSSELL MINERAL EQUIPMENT has completed the final milestone of its transitional sale agreement with Resource Capital Funds, bringing Singapore-based industrial and technology investor Novo Tellus onto the share register. The deal, signed on 16 November 2024, secures new growth capital for RME’s specialised mill relining machines and liner handling systems used on large SAG and ball mills worldwide. For mine operators, the move signals continued OEM backing for high-availability relining services and potential acceleration of automation and digital tooling across shutdown-critical mill maintenance.

Heidelberg Materials UK has secured planning conditions from Somerset Council to reopen the 160m‑tonne Westdown limestone quarry near Frome, with site preparations starting autumn 2026 and production targeted for the second half of 2027. Operations will be confined to the former quarry boundary, with hedgerows and edge woodland retained, plus 44 acres of new habitat and native broadleaved planting on screening bunds to create species‑rich connected woodland and grassland. Combined aggregate output from Westdown and the nearby rail‑connected Whatley quarry will not exceed Whatley’s current permitted tonnage, with Whatley focusing on national rail markets to reduce HGV traffic through local villages.

A new strategic partnership between the Resources Centre of Excellence (RCOE), The University of Queensland and Mining3, launched at the Queensland Mining & Engineering Exhibition in Mackay, will focus on accelerating commercialisation of critical minerals technologies. The collaboration is designed to link laboratory-scale research with field deployment, using RCOE’s Mackay facilities as a testbed for mining equipment, processing flowsheets and digital tools. For engineers, this signals more opportunities to trial critical-mineral extraction and processing innovations in operating Queensland coal and metalliferous mines.