High-grade gold–copper mineralisation at Medallion Metals’ Gem deposit within the Ravensthorpe project in Western Australia has been extended eastwards and at depth by recent drilling at the Kundip Mining Centre (KMC). The step-out holes confirm continuity of the Gem lode system beyond previous resource limits, materially enlarging the mineralised footprint within the KMC corridor. For mine planning and geotechnical design, the deeper intercepts signal potential for a larger underground inventory and the need to reassess pit shells, geotechnical domains and long-term development sequencing.

Resource Industry Network is campaigning across Bowen, Surat and Galilee coal regions as Queensland’s revised regulatory frameworks and higher coal royalties threaten margins for miners and the METS supply chain. General manager Dean Kirkwood warns that hundreds of small and mid-sized contractors in Mackay and other hubs – from heavy fabrication workshops to drill and blast service providers – face reduced forward work and curtailed investment in new fleets. For geotechnical and mining engineers, the shift signals tighter project pipelines, delayed brownfield expansions and greater scrutiny on cost and schedule risk in coal-related work.

Terrain Minerals has reported a maiden Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate of 677,000 tonnes at 2.5g/t gold for 54,000oz at the Lightning deposit, part of its 100 per cent-owned Smokebush gold–silver project in Western Australia’s Murchison region. The resource provides an initial inventory for potential open-pit and underground evaluation, with grade and tonnage in the typical range for small to mid-scale Murchison shear-hosted gold systems. For geotechnical and mine planning teams, the defined tonnage and grade support early-stage pit shell optimisation, geometallurgical testwork scheduling, and targeted infill drilling design.