Gold has become Australia’s second-largest resource export for the first time in more than 60 years, with the June 2026 Resources and Energy Quarterly reporting $68.4 billion in gold export earnings for 2025–26. The shift pushes gold ahead of long‑standing contenders such as thermal coal and alumina, driven by high US‑dollar prices and steady output from major operations in Western Australia’s Goldfields and the Pilbara. For miners and project developers, the data strengthens the case for brownfield expansions, higher‑grade underground developments and accelerated approvals for new processing capacity.

Sandvik’s MC431 continuous miner, built at its specialised mechanical cutting plant in Zeltweg, Austria, has been assembled and commissioned at the company’s Heatherbrae facility in New South Wales ahead of its first deployment in Australia. The machine is designed for underground hard rock mechanical cutting, targeting applications where drill-and-blast is constrained by seismicity, vibration limits or access, and will be supported locally by Sandvik’s Australian technical teams. For mine planners and geotechnical engineers, the MC431 signals growing scope to design layouts, ground support and production schedules around continuous cutting rather than cyclic blasting.

Rio Tinto Group and CITIC Investment Holdings have launched the Suzhou Industrial Park Rio Tinto-CITIC Xinxin Equity Investment Fund on 26 June, partnering with CITIC Private Equity, Shaanxi Coal Geology Group, Yuanfeng Capital and Zhongfang to back mining technology ventures. The fund is moving to invest in “green” autonomous haulage system (AHS) trucks, signalling capital support for low-emission, automated haul fleets in large open pits. For mine planners and OEMs, this points to stronger funding for battery-electric or hybrid AHS platforms and associated digital control infrastructure in China-focused projects.