Rio Tinto has strengthened its share structure as major institutional investors signal support for a potential merger with Glencore, positioning the combined group as a dominant player in iron ore, copper and aluminium. A deal would consolidate Rio’s Pilbara iron ore system and Oyu Tolgoi copper interests with Glencore’s large thermal coal, cobalt and zinc portfolios, concentrating ownership of several Tier 1 orebodies. For geotechnical and mining engineers, such consolidation could accelerate portfolio-level decisions on mine life extensions, brownfield expansions and closure schedules across multiple continents.

Gold built Victoria’s mining legacy, but the state is now targeting a new wave of critical minerals including rare earths, lithium and high‑purity alumina alongside its established gold sector. Exploration is intensifying in the Bendigo and Stawell zones, with juniors and majors using deeper diamond drilling and modern geophysics to chase structurally controlled deposits beneath historic workings. For geotechs and mine planners, the shift means more complex underground designs in highly altered host rocks and greater emphasis on tailings reprocessing, acid‑forming potential and multi‑commodity processing flowsheets.

Leveraging mining tyre management for cost and emissions gains, Kal Tire argues that optimising haul truck tyres can materially cut both fuel burn and tyre spend in open-pit operations where loading and haulage already account for roughly 50–60 per cent of operating costs. The company points to better inflation control, haul-road maintenance and tyre selection for specific pit profiles as levers to reduce rolling resistance and extend tyre life on 200–400 t class trucks. For engineers, the message is that tyre data, road design and maintenance planning should be integrated into mine planning, not treated as a consumables issue.