Dr Vanessa Torres has been appointed chair of the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA), taking over leadership of the state-funded body that directs minerals R&D investment. MRIWA typically co-funds applied research in areas such as tailings management, orebody characterisation and decarbonisation of mining fleets across Western Australia’s iron ore, gold and battery minerals sectors. Torres’ appointment signals continuity for industry–research collaboration on high-impact geotechnical and processing projects, with funding decisions directly affecting mine design, waste storage strategies and technology trials in operating sites.

Northern Star Resources has reported a difficult December quarter but says it is on track for a stronger second half of the 2025–26 financial year, with production and cost guidance unchanged across its Australian gold operations. Management is banking on improved performance at key assets such as Kalgoorlie and Yandal, supported by ongoing capital spend on underground development and processing upgrades. For mine planners and geotechs, the message is to expect tighter operating discipline rather than major cutbacks, with current mine schedules and longer-term reserve development largely intact.

Austral Resources beat its 2025 Q4 copper production guidance at the Lady Annie heap leach–SXEW operation in northwest Queensland despite record rainfall and flooding that shut nearby mines and cut regional road access. Continuous irrigation of leach pads, maintaining solution management and access to the 30,000tpa SXEW plant, allowed copper cathode output to stay above budget while avoiding major geotechnical instability on stacked heaps. The performance signals robust wet-weather operating procedures and drainage design for future extreme rainfall events in the Mount Isa–Cloncurry district.