Delivery of two Liebherr R 9600s and one R 9400 hydraulic excavator to Gold Fields’ Gruyere gold mine in Western Australia marks the start of a new OEM–operator partnership for large-scale load-and-haul. The ultra-class R 9600, typically paired with 220–290 tonne haul trucks, will materially increase dig capacity on the mine’s main production faces, while the slightly smaller R 9400 offers more flexible deployment on satellite pits and cutbacks. For mine planners and maintenance teams, the mixed Liebherr fleet introduces new loading geometries, bucket–truck match options, and parts/skills requirements.

A new Minerals Council of Australia report, Territory Ready: Building Territory capability for the next generation of resource development, maps how the Northern Territory can staff upcoming critical minerals, gas and conventional mining projects by strengthening VET-to-degree pathways and on-the-job training. Recommendations include structured partnerships between NT mines and Charles Darwin University, targeted interstate and international recruitment for specialist roles such as process engineers and geoscientists, and expanded apprenticeships in remote communities. For operators, the message is to lock in workforce pipelines early or risk project delays and higher labour costs.

Nova Minerals has secured final Alaska Department of Natural Resources approvals for its Department of War-funded antimony project, completing permitting for stibnite mining at the Styx and Stibium prospects, ore sorting at the Whiskey Bravo site within the Estelle gold project, and downstream refining at Port MacKenzie. The 42.81-acre Port Mac refinery site near the West Susitna Access Road will produce military-grade antimony trisulfide and grade II antimony metal (>99.65% Sb) from 2027, backed by US$43.4 million in federal funding. All major long-lead mining and processing equipment is already procured and delivered, with flowsheet engineering and metallurgical test work completed.