Southern Cross Gold has reported its highest-grade shallow gold intersection to date at the Apollo prospect, part of its Sunday Creek project in Victoria, signalling further upside in near-surface mineralisation. The result comes from ongoing diamond drilling targeting epizonal gold–antimony veins, with Apollo sitting along strike from the Rising Sun and Christina prospects within the same structural corridor. For mine planners and geotechs, the shallow, high-grade nature of the intercept strengthens the case for potential open-pit starter scenarios and tighter geotechnical characterisation of vein-hosted ground conditions.

ABx Group has secured roles in two Federal Government-backed research initiatives to advance rare earths extraction from its ionic adsorption clay deposits in northern Tasmania and bauxite-hosted resources in Queensland. The grants, awarded under national critical minerals and industry growth programmes, will fund testwork on low-acid leach processes, beneficiation flowsheets and pilot-scale recovery of magnet rare earths such as neodymium and praseodymium. Outcomes could materially affect project economics, tailings chemistry and permitting pathways for clay-hosted rare earths developments in Australia.

Nominations for the 2025 Women in Industry Awards are closing soon, with categories spanning mining, engineering, transport, manufacturing and resources, and open to roles from site-based operators to senior executives. The awards, run by Prime Creative Media and supported by Australian Mining, recognise technical innovation, safety leadership, operational excellence and mentoring, rather than purely corporate or HR achievements. Mining and civil leaders are being urged to nominate women leading projects such as mine expansion programmes, process-plant upgrades, automation deployments or geotechnical risk initiatives before the final deadline.