Record spending from Western Australia’s resources sector has delivered a $166 billion economic contribution, with mining and energy activity now supporting about two in every five jobs across the state. The sector’s direct and indirect employment footprint spans iron ore, LNG, gold and critical minerals operations, with flow-on work for civil contractors, drill and blast crews, maintenance trades and port logistics. For geotechnical and mining engineers, the scale of investment signals continued demand for large open-pit expansions, tailings and waste facility design, and brownfield infrastructure upgrades.

Resolute Mining has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Nimba Mining Company, a 100% Guinean state-owned entity, to co-develop gold projects in one of West Africa’s most prospective gold belts, under the oversight of Guinea’s Ministry of Mines and Geology. The partnership covers joint mineral resource assessment, detailed geological studies and frameworks for potential large-scale gold production, aligned with the State’s Simandou 2040 Programme. Resolute views Guinea as a candidate for its fourth mine, while NMC aims to increase local content in the national mining ecosystem.

Liebherr Mining has launched the R 9100 Generation 8, a 100‑tonne class mining excavator positioned between the R 9600 and R 9150 in its large excavator line-up. The R 9100 G8 features an optimised attachment design, updated undercarriage and revised uppercarriage structure aimed at higher digging forces and reduced structural stress in typical hard rock and overburden applications. Liebherr is targeting truck pairings in the 50–65 tonne payload range, signalling a focus on mid-size load-and-haul fleets seeking higher pass-matching efficiency.