RAVENSWOOD GOLD
M
ining runs deep in the town of Ravenswood. Since 1868, four million ounces of gold have been mined at Ravenswood with another four million still in resource. 2.7 million ounces are targeted to be mined over the next 14 years. Indeed, mining in Ravenswood Gold 2 | APAC Outlook issue 50
has a special relationship with the town of the same name, working sideby-side for over 150 years. “As time and the mine has evolved, we are at the stage where the northern extension of our activities are a few hundred metres from the town,” explains Brett Fletcher, CEO at Ravenswood. “We are as close to the
township of Ravenswood as a modern mine would want to be. The mine started in 1868 with a whole raft of mining prospects in remote outback Queensland, and it became a bustling gold rush town in the 1880s and 1890s. They built the town basically on top of the mine because everyone just walked to work in those days.
MINING
Putting Ravenswood
F IRST Brett Fletcher, CEO at Ravenswood Gold, discusses the transformation of the mining industry and his company’s vision to be renowned as the largest gold mine in Queensland, Australia Writer: Sean Galea-Pace | Project Manager: Thomas Arnold
“We work hard to be a great neighbour to the people of Ravenswood.”
SUSTAINABILITY DRIVE And Fletcher is true to his word. Ravenswood Gold takes its corporate social responsibility strategy seriously. This encompasses its native title agreement with the traditional owners
Brett Fletcher, CEO
of the land, the Birriah People, a heritage agreement with the State of Queensland for the State heritagelisted area in which it operates, and its relationship with the wider Ravenswood community. Throughout 2020, Ravenswood Gold continued to invest in the community through various APAC Outlook issue 50 | 3
roc-drill.com.au
Integrity - Safety - Expertise Roc Drill is the Specialist Drilling Services provider engaged by Ravenswood Gold delivering drilling services through a long-term contract. Roc Drill is a drilling contractor that operates across Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. Roc Drill has a constantly evolving and welldeveloped safety system that ensures that all functions delivered safely. Roc Drill owns and operates a world class well maintained fleet of equipment and educates the workforce to provide drilling and blasting services developed to exceed client expectations by delivering outcomes.
Call 1 800 762 500
Facilities Supporting Ravenswood Gold Ravenswood Roc Drill Office & Workshop / Ravenswood Gold Ravenswood Townsville Brisbane
Roc Drill Office / Workshop / Store / Roc Drill Compound On-Site Roc Drill NQ Training and Rebuild / 5-6 Reward Court Bohle, Qld 4818 Head Office / Major Rebuild / National / 9a Formation Street, Wacol, Qld 4076
Current Opportunities Please refer to our website for the latest employment opportunities.
Roc Drill is a member of Norcliffe Mining Services Limited
R
oc Drill is the blasthole drill contractor operating at Ravenswood Gold. Roc-Drill is proud to be selected to deliver drilling services to Ravenswood Gold through a long-term contract. This requires a well-trained workforce committed to delivering results safely, using state of the art equipment and technology to achieve the best outcomes for Ravenswood Gold. CEO Nigel De Veth and the Roc-Drill workforce are committed to meeting and outperforming contract requirements. Utilising a fleet of up to 11 new Epiroc Silenced Drill Rigs, the Ravenswood Gold Project is the largest contract that Roc-Drill has been awarded to date. The fleet comprising of up to 3 Epiroc T40 Silenced, and 8 Epiroc T45 Silenced, is the world’s largest fleet of this type operating at a single project. The fleet has been customised and developed specifically to Roc-Drill and Ravenswood Gold’s requirements. Roc-Drill has also been awarded the reverse circulation (RC) drilling contract at Ravenswood Gold. Roc-Drill will mobilise a new Epiroc D65 XL along with an Epiroc D65 recently rebuilt in their head office situated in Wacol Brisbane. To support the project, Roc-Drill has built a large workshop on site to carry out routine maintenance throughout the contract duration, complete with Drill Bit sharpening facility, specialised tooling, critical spare parts and much more. Roc-Drill is committed to hiring and supporting local businesses within the local region of Townsville, Charters Towers, and surrounding areas. The conveniently situated site allows the workforce to enjoy a family friendly week on week off roster, driving to and from the operation.
Securing the contracts has strengthened the operational functionality of Roc-Drill in Northern Australia. This long-term contract has provided the ability to secure a Workshop and Training facility in the Townsville Industrial Hub to support the Ravenswood Gold project. This facility will provide drill training, remanufacturing and admin support in Townsville. With this we encourage and invest in developing skills to support our operations from the local workforce, along with supporting local businesses where possible. Developing the mine of the future requires a commitment across the mine development and all stakeholders. This site will synergise Epiroc’s Surface Manager, and Orica’s Blast IQ, another Australia first. The Orica owned and operated platform provides the Mine Engineers and Shotfirers feedback and information to make informed decisions in Drill and Blast optimisation. This requires a smart fleet of drills, linking the data flow and feedback across the operations. Roc-Drill’s Safety Systems are constantly evolving, Roc-Drill is certified under the ISO Standards. This commitment to safety is critical in delivering outcomes for Ravenswood Gold. Working alongside the executive and mining team at Ravenswood Gold has provided the opportunity to further develop our internal safety platform mandating a strong reporting culture, providing transparency to the mine owner for all details of our operations. Safety is everyone’s responsibility, and our workforce is committed to managing risks across the delivery of our services.
RAVENSWOOD GOLD sponsorships and projects, particularly its work on Ravenswood State School. Ravenswood Gold completed the relocation and construction of the school, a project that required significant coordination with the Queensland State Department of Education, Department of Environment and Science and Project Managers. The relocation involved moving and renovating two buildings listed on the Queensland Heritage Register from the old school site (within the planned Buck Reef West Pit footprint) to the new school location, and construction of the new classroom and playground facilities. The new school opened to students on 20 April, 2020. “We’re not aware of a precedent in Queensland for a mine saying we want to relocate your school,” says Fletcher. “It was a massive effort, and the team did fantastically well.” As part of the heritage school relocation, a ceremony was held by Ravenswood Gold Mine and the Ravenswood State School to recognise the Ravenswood State School’s former pool. The former pool was built around 1925 after the students spent months searching the township for unused bricks to bring to school to construct a pool. The ceremony continued the story of the pool when past and present school students and other interested people carried a brick from the former pool to the new school site on Elphinstone Street. The bricks will be used by landscapers to create a garden bed and a plaque will sit in the garden bed and tell the story of the pool to future students and visitors to the school. The morning was a great success with many people including former school students and Department of Education representatives joining the current students to carry a brick and mark the heritage of the former school pool.
6 | APAC Outlook issue 50
RAVENSWOOD GOLD: INITIATIVES Ravenswood Gold is undertaking a number of other initiatives. These include: DONATING funding for a local artist to prepare a mosaic sign for the front of the new school building. DONATING to the Ravenswood State School Parents and Citizens Association to fund support of school students and resources. ORGANISING and funding a Fun Day including amusement activities and food to celebrate the opening of the new school. FUNDING a Surf Life Saving training and activity day for school students in Townsville. DONATING over $24,000 and other resources to the Ravenswood Restoration and Preservation Association (RRPA), to maintain and enhance the historic heritage of the town. DONATING other resources to the Ravenswood State School to enhance the learning opportunities of the local students through support of music lessons, swimming lessons and sporting events. SUPPORTING RRPA through sourcing a grant to upgrade the town’s Train Carriage Information Centre. The upgrade includes renovation of the building, updated signage and provision of a touch-screen advertising experience that the town has to offer to visitors. ORGANISATION of the Ravenswood Rocks weekend event incorporating a treasure hunt-style search for specially painted rocks across the town by day and live music at night. The event drew a large number of visitors from surrounding towns, supporting local businesses. SUPPORTING the health of the local residents through the provision of emergency medical care by site nurses as well as facilitating monthly clinics in the town by the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS). This work is well recognised within the broader community as evidenced by site nurse Gregory Clark’s RFDS Local Hero award. DONATING Christmas gifts to local children and a charity organisation. SPONSORING fundraising for men’s health awareness event – Movember.
MINING
Epiroc supports Roc Drill’s World largest Fleet Epiroc Silenced Smartroc Drill’s operating on a Single project. Epiroc and Roc Drill have worked together over the decades with innovation and development and OEM support critical to ensure outcomes achieved for clients. Roc drill has works with Epiroc to develop and adapt the T40 & T45 platform to provide a fleet of drills that comply with the strict acoustic requirements of the Ravenswood Gold project. Epiroc is a World Class OEM supporting Ravenswood Gold’s to what will be one of Australia’s largest gold producers.
Orica are Australia’s leading Blasting Suppliers and Contractors. Orica has developed with Ravenswood Gold specific blasting parameters that ensure and protect the sensitive arears in close proximity to the new open pit under development. This entailed detailed seismic vibration analysis and trails to develop the blasting program suitable for the project. Orica and Roc Drill have established a close working co-operative relationship across many projects domestically and support international operations. Ravenswood Gold will utilise the full-service suite of products that Orica can provide linking Blast IQ an Orica Platform this links the Epiroc Cirteq drilling platform with the specially developed Mobile Manufacturing Trucks delivering and analysing on a hole-by-hole basis allowing the by the hole tracking of outcomes.
www.epiroc.com APAC Outlook issue 50 | 7
RAVENSWOOD GOLD
Hitachi Construction Machinery (Australia) RAVENSWOOD TAKES DELIVERY OF THE FIRST NEW HITACHI EX3600-7 EXCAVATOR Hitachi Construction Machinery (Australia) Pty Ltd (HCA) have recently established a longterm working relationship with Ravenswood Gold by providing a multi-million dollar mining fleet to support the Ravenswood Expansion Plan (REP) in Northern Queensland. The gold mine giant will take delivery of several Hitachi mining machines including two EX3600-7 excavators, which are the first of the EX3600-7 utilising the latest MTU powered units to arrive in Australia from the new Hitachi dash-7 range. HCA General Manager of Mining, Eric Green say’s ‘the new dash-7 models are designed with a major focus on safety for operation and maintenance.’
INSIDE RAVENSWOOD GOLD Despite COVID-19’s seismic impact on the world, the mining sector in Australia has emerged relatively unscathed from the pandemic. New figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics have demonstrated that the sector was responsible for over one tenth of the economy between 2019 and 2020. Meanwhile, resources and energy exports reached a significant $221.2 billion in value over the same period, forming Australian mining as a substantial component of both its domestic and international economies. On the back of COVID-19, this growth has meant mining has provided Australia with much-needed employment stability which has been seen as a welcome boost amidst significant disruption. And with ambitions of becoming 8 | APAC Outlook issue 50
Queensland’s largest and most recognised gold mine, Ravenswood Gold is making waves in Australia’s mining space and is displaying no signs of slowing down. A private company owned by EMR Capital and SGX-listed Golden Energy and Resources Limited, Ravenswood Gold was created as a joint venture to purchase, operate and develop the Ravenswood Gold Mine which is located 130 kilometres south of Townsville and 90 kilometres east of Charters Town in Northeast Queensland, Australia. Sitting at the helm of operations is Fletcher. With over 30 years of operational experience in a number of senior national and international leadership roles, he has witnessed significant evolution in the mining industry over the past three decades.
“The new dash-7 series has many design features which will reduce lifecycle costings, with a focus on reduced fuel burn, refined hydraulic systems and increased durability plus optional engine choices which Ravenswood has taken advantage of to ensure lower costs per tonne,” he said. The fleet purchase has also included the EX2600-7 and EX1200-7 excavators delivered in 2020 along with the initial haulage fleet which consists of the Hitachi EH3500AC-3, 180 tonne mining dump trucks. CEO of Ravenswood Gold Brett Fletcher said, “Majority of Ravenswood’s mining fleet will consist of Hitachi product with the handover of the EX3600-7 last year marking the beginning of a long-term working relationship between the gold mine and Hitachi.” “Hitachi product is supported out of Townsville and Mackay, along with parts and servicing of the equipment which will be a significant benefit to local business.” Mr Fletcher said the Hitachi equipment was well suited to the hard Ravenswood ore bodies as well as being selected for its high productivity and performance.
A NEW STANDARD IN EFFICIENCY.
HITACHI EX3600-7 MINING EXCAVATOR The new Hitachi EX-7 series range of mining excavators were designed with safety and efficiency at the forefront. Delivering enhancements in bucket sizing, reliability, durability and overall efficiencies for increased productivity at the lowest cost. The Hitachi range are backed by Global e-Service and ConSite, allowing your team to monitor machine health and productivity in real time.
RAVENSWOOD GOLD “I think the mining industry is exciting — it’s the greatest industry there is,” he declares. “The mining space in Australia is continuously growing and changing. Commodities are changing too which is exciting as we begin to move away from coal to metals and other newer products. It’s a fantastically exciting time to be involved in the industry.” For Fletcher, there was no question over which direction his career would take him. “I don’t think there was any doubt over where I would work. I had only ever considered being a mining engineer,” he explains. “There’s a long history of mining in my family. My father worked for Conzinc Riotinto of Australia (CRA) for 35 years, while his father before him and his brothers also all worked in mining. It is also the same on my mother’s side. I was
always going to seek a career in mining.” Fletcher has served as CEO at Ravenswood Gold since March 2020, upon the company being formed as a result of EMR Capital and Golden Energy and Resources Limited’s joint venture. “Ravenswood Gold was created with the aim of becoming a modern, long-life, low-cost performing asset,” says Fletcher. “We’re working on a $400 million injection into the project at the moment; we’re into the construction phase and we have less than a year to go before we finish the upgrade of the business. “We’re in an extraordinary, explosive growth phase. We’re a small company and fairly nimble, but we have hugely supportive parent companies with great networks of
Ausenco Ausenco delivers exceptional financial and sustainable outcomes for Ravenswood Gold Financial, social, and environmental outcomes are key drivers across the mining industry. Our core purpose at Ausenco is to find a better way to solve challenges and help our clients. This is at the heart of how we are executing the Ravenswood Gold Expansion EPCM (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Management) Project in Australia. Improving Net Present Value for Ravenswood Gold This major upgrade involves a new three-stage crushing circuit, a new ball mill, additional leaching capacity with six 5,100m3 tanks, and associated infrastructure upgrades. The new circuit can process up to 12 Mtpa, more than double the existing throughput. Our highly experienced technical team is fast tracking the project to ensure the process plant will achieve the new capacity on schedule for Ravenswood Gold. Reducing environmental footprint The new design allows for pre-concentration as an option. Pre-concentration separates the ore from waste early in the process, therefore reducing the amount of material in downstream comminution and processing. This solution not only increases production and lowers operating costs, but also consumes significantly less energy and water per gold ounce. At Ravenswood Gold, pre-concentration can reduce water and energy intensity by 32 percent. Supporting the local community At Ausenco, we understand our role in growing the economy of the community in which we operate, and we do so through our project employment and procurement strategies. 40 percent of the onsite supervision team is from Townsville and surrounding areas. We prioritised local contractors from Townsville and the broader North Queensland region, including Dawsons Engineering, Thomas Steel Fabrication, MINEELEC, RMS, Wulguru Steel, PJ Walsh, and Mineforce.
ausenco.com/RavenswoodGold
10 | APAC Outlook issue 50
Reducing water and energy intensity by 32% at Ravenswood Gold
At Ausenco, we create engineering solutions that deliver strong financial and sustainable outcomes for our clients. Designed by our experts, the new Ravenswood Gold processing plant can be operated efficiently across a range of capacities (between 5-12 Mtpa). Preconcentration is used to extract the ore efficiently early in the process, helping improve the operation’s economics while significantly reducing water and energy consumption. #WeFindABetterWay ausenco.com/RavenswoodGold
RAVENSWOOD GOLD
Ausdraulics Ausdraulics provide a wide range of hydraulic and diesel parts. We supply our products to a diverse range of clientele throughout North Queensland. Our many business partnerships allow us to source whatever you need for your situation. Ausdraulics workshop is fully equipped to provide the services for breakdown situations, along with manufactured and service of items. Our hydraulic and diesel fitters have fully equipped service vehicles for onsite trouble shooting and repairs. Distance is not a problem. Onsite is a fully equipped machine shop, cylinder strip repair bench, hydraulic test bench, 60 tonne press, ID welding capabilities and certified paint spray booth. Ausdraulics has 5 fully equipped service vehicles, 2 hose vans, designated Groeneveld vehicle. Our services offered are:
people. Over the past 12 months, we have made our investment decisions and we’re now in the process of executing them. We are working with an exciting group of suppliers and partners to deliver the project, including state and federal governments which have given us tremendous support. In a tough climate in terms of jobs, Ravenswood Gold is a fantastic story.” Ravenswood Gold acquired ownership of the mine on 1 April, 2020, with just over 160 permanent employees. Since then, the company has employed an additional 150 permanent staff with more to come. “90 percent of our employees drive-in, drive-out from the local (North Queensland) region,” explains Fletcher. “Ravenswood Gold partners with suppliers from the local region 12 | APAC Outlook issue 50
where possible, including a recently signed contract worth over $15 million with a Townsville-based steel fabricator. In 2020, 98 percent of Ravenswood Gold’s procurement expenditure occurred within Australia, with 54 percent being in Queensland and 30 percent in the local region. This translates to tens of millions of dollars invested back into the local area.”
DEVELOPING KEY, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS To Fletcher, he acknowledges how essential partnerships are to success in mining. “They’re vital,” he stresses. “I’ve worked with the EMR Group for the past 12 months on this project and the last 18 months on another project before that. We’re linked in with a number of strategic
• Hose and fittings repair/sale/install – partnering with RYCO • Cylinder repair/sale/install/ manufacture • Grease system repair/sale/install – partnering with Groeneveld Beka • Diesel industrial repair/sale/install – Deutz and Perkins (new and used) • Oil sales and filtration • Fluid power sales • Pumps, including diaphragm and hydraulic pumps, repair/sales/install • Fluid and fuel transfer equipment, repair/sales/install • Air, lube, fuel and coolant filters • Valves, repair/sales/install • Motors, repair/sales/install • Accumulators, repair/sales/install • Generators, repair/sales/install • High force tooling repairs/sales Ausdraulics are distributors of, Ryco hose and fittings, Groeneveld Beka Grease lubricators, Deutz industrial engines and parts, Lubrication Engineers, Valvoline, SPX Power Team, Bosch Rexroth, Hydac. Ausdraulics has worked along side Ravenswood Gold for 15years and in that time has seen the site expand and progress into Queensland’s largest Gold Mine. Ravenswood gold Mine, is a leader in the industry and provides employment and opportunities for towns and businesses across North Queensland.
HYDRAULIC/ DIESEL SPECIALISTS SERVICING TOWNSVILLE & SURROUNDING AREAS 24/7 : 365 DAYS A YEAR
• Bosch Rexroth • RYCO Hose & Fittings • Hydac • Lubrication Engineers • Groeneveld-Beka • SPX Power Team • Commercial Hydraulics • Hydraulic Industrial Cylinders • Parker Motion Control 39 Carroll St, Mount Louisa, Townsville, Qld 4814 www.ausdraulics.com.au | sales@ausdraulics.com.au | (07) 4774 6355
RAVENSWOOD GOLD partners, Ausenco being another particularly influential one. Ausenco does a lot of work with EMR and is our preferred EPCM supplier for the project. Through that network, we’ve also been working with the likes of ATC Williams and brought in groups like Pensar for some of the civil construction. There’s a range of different people all playing an important role.” However, without Hitachi, Fletcher believes that meeting Ravenswood Gold’s timeframes would have been challenging. “We’ve got a great relationship with Hitachi and are spending about $120 million for the purchase of a brandnew mining fleet,” he says. “On 1 April when we started, we began without
any mining personnel or equipment and said we’d begin mining by 1 December. Through the support of Hitachi, we made this a reality.” Fletcher is clear about what he requires when seeking to establish a mutually beneficial and sustainable collaboration. “There has to be common goals and we can’t compromise on safety and quality,” he discusses. “We look at how potential partners treat their people and we’re also looking for businesses that want to succeed. We’re not here for the fun of it, we’re here to create an extraordinarily successful gold mine. We’re here to make quick but sustained improvements and make a long-term, value-generating asset because that’s what we do.”
Cater Care It’s personal, for this privatelyowned catering provider. Ravenswood was one of the top gold producers in North Queensland in the early 1900’s. Thanks to the expansion programme the mine is now thriving again. Maintaining a workforce of more than 400 employees and contractors in a remote location, and ensuring they stay motivated and comfortable isn’t easy, but it is an essential part of success. Dave Mackay, General Manager of Ravenswood Village knows how vital ‘comfort’ is in terms of employee engagement on this site. “When Cater Care came in as our provider the transition exceeded our expectations. Especially given we had a major weather event at the time,” he said. “The Cater Care team made an immediate difference. There has been a lot of positive feedback from our employees regarding both the presentation and quality.” Cater Care also gave us a new perspective on what ‘personal attention’ really means.’ Dave said. Founded in 1999, Cater Care has stayed true to its core values: To put fresh food first and develop people at every level. Over the last twenty-two years, this privately owned company has etched its own niche by ensuring its operational ratios allow for personal attention. Which translates to smoother processes, better relationships, more agile adaptations and continual improvement and engagement at every level. With the Ravenswood partnership, engagement has extended to the community, with Cater Care catering for a range of local events such as themed nights in the Town Hall, and school functions. Cater Care is proud of its partnership with Ravenswood Gold, and look forward to continuing to provide the nutritional energy for their workforce so they can keep finding those Mother Lodes.
www.catercare.com.au
14 | APAC Outlook issue 50
Mother Lodes aren’t discovered on empty stomachs
“
Four million ounces of gold have been mined at Ravenswood since 1868, with another 4 million to be mined over the mine’s life. It’s the pride of North Queensland, and more importantly it’s now Australia’s biggest gold mine.
Cater Care’s personal attention is a real point of difference
There is currently a 400 strong workforce living at Ravenswood Village. That translates to: • 8,400 meals a week • 4892 kilos of fresh food trucked in weekly, • A supply chain utilising 60% of locally operated suppliers from Charters Towers through to Townsville. Boosting the local economy in these regional areas. • 30 rostered positions to serve and care for the workforce. With 85% of these currently filled by locals. The company responsible for feeding and servicing this workforce, is Cater Care. A privately owned, Australian service provider. A provider with a proud 22 year history of ensuring employees in remote mining
Ray McCarthy
Commercial Manager.
locations have a place that feels like home, and the right food to fuel them. Every meal is nutritionally balanced and designed to suit a range of dietary and cultural needs, and to sustain the energy demands of the workers. Cater Care know Mother Lodes aren’t discovered on empty stomachs, and the team at Ravenswood Gold know how important a happy, engaged workforce is. It’s a partnership powering progress.
“
Christine Charlton. National Client Development Manager CONNECT VIA LINKEDIN https://au.linkedin.com/in/ccharlton-fmsolutionspecialist
catercare.com.au
RAVENSWOOD GOLD
Simmco QLD Simmco QLD Pty Ltd is a family run business with a long history of mining in North Queensland, in particular the Ravenswood Region. Family ties date back to the 1880’s in Ravenswood and include the Pugh, Wilshere & Tangawa families. All of whom were directly involved in mining in the region at various points during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Simmco QLD Pty Ltd has operated at the Ravenswood Gold Mine for over 25 years. During this time, we have provided a wide variety of services to the mine. We are excited about future opportunities, driven by Ravenswood Gold’s expansion plans for the mine and the associated benefits this will bring to the local and regional communities. Simmco QLD Pty Ltd provides earthworks and associated services to the Civil and Mining industries. We currently employ 70 plus staff from across North Queensland.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is now playing a more influential role on operations within mining. With the space evolving at speed, AI is impacting the way mines today make choices for the future. As a result of rapid advances in technological innovation, there are new technologies such as automation, digitisation and electrification that are ready to play a more prominent role in the industry. Indeed, the future of mining is exciting and it is clear that the space is ready to embrace the latest trends rapidly. However, for many outside the mining industry, there is often a perception that the sector is among the slowest to adopt new technology into processes. Yet for Fletcher, this couldn’t be further from the truth. “It’s definitely a misconception that a lot of people have,” he admits. 16 | APAC Outlook issue 50
“Mining is always at the forefront of new technology from right back when steam engines were developed to pump water out of mines. There’s new ideas and technology every single day and the space is constantly changing. It’s not just about software, it’s about integrating people and machines too.”
Simmco QLD Pty Ltd and associated companies have evolved over the last 40 years. We are capable and experienced in providing services which include: • Load & Haul • Bulk Excavation • Detailed Excavation • ROM Management • Project Management • Exploration • Rehabilitation
MINING IN AUSTRALIA
• Small Scale Mine Management
In 2020, mining was just one of four sectors to record a positive contribution, alongside financial services, public administration, safety and education and training. Much of the positive contribution was driven by the fact that Australia’s mines kept producing, while other sectors struggled to keep up. Between June 2019 and June 2020, the total output of Australia’s mining industry rose by 1.1 percent. This is in comparison to the
Simmco QLD operates a varied fleet of Komatsu, Hitachi & Caterpillar Equipment with maintenance and servicing undertaken at our dedicated Maintenance Facility in Ravenswood, with assistance from our many local suppliers from the North Queensland area.
www.simmcoqld.com
Efficient. Productive. Safe.
• • • •
Bulk Earthworks / Mining Plant Hire Heavy Machinery Servicing & Repairs Civil Works
• • • •
Rehabilitation Works Site Preparation Project Management Exploration
www.simmcoqld.com Facebook: @simmcoqld
RAVENSWOOD GOLD stark difference in other industries, a 10.3 percent decrease in construction output, a 23.2 percent drop in administration and a 43.4 percent decline in the accommodation and food services sector. As such, a combination of the robust nature of the sector and the push for additional hires within the industry has meant that the total number of Australians employed in the sector has risen in recent years. Government figures have showcased the number of Australians employed in mining increased by 21.4 percent in the five years to 2020, to a total figure of 261,900. Against the backdrop of COVID19, Fletcher reflects how well his organisation responded to the global
pandemic and believes Ravenswood Gold mitigated its impact relatively well. “Australia’s mining industry really pulled together at the beginning which was fantastic to see. From the beginning, we implemented a host of different measures all centred around social distancing and basic hygiene,” he explains. “Having a predominantly local, drive-in drive-out, workforce proved of great benefit during Queensland’s 2020 COVID-19 border closures, resulting in no tangible impact to the company’s day-today operations. We also use local suppliers as much as possible which meant our supply chain was well protected as most of our products came from Australia.”
ATC Williams Ravenswood Gold has committed to a substantial production upgrade, requiring an expansion of existing tailings storage facilities. The company has therefore sought to transform a legacy with the former tailings storage into an opportunity to not only increase storage capacity but to elevate the standard of closure and rehabilitation. The storage is formed using ROM waste rock and will be BGM lined as a means of mitigating any future seepage issues and to enhance storage integrity and long term safety. Considered life-of-mine planning integrated with tailings storage design provides for a final landform that should achieve a beneficial and sustainable end land use.
atcwilliams.com.au
Maxitool Mining Maxitool Mining has partnered with Ravenswood for over 8 years completing Mill Relines, Fixed Plant Maintenance, Operating and Maintaining Crushers, Mobile Plant Operators as well as assisting in various other areas of operations. At Maxitool Mining our strategy is to provide CERTAINTY for all our stakeholders, we do this by providing Certainty in SAFETY, QUALITY & VALUE. Maxitool has thoroughly enjoyed being involved with Ravenswood Gold to date, we look forward to what the future holds and we wish them all the best with the new expansion.
T +617 4255 8665 E enquiries@maxitool.com.au www.maxitool.com.au
18 | APAC Outlook issue 50
MINING
Providing services to the mining and resources sector in: Tailings Management
Water Management
Dam Engineering
Hydrogeology
Slurry and Mechanical Engineering
Closure and Rehabilitation
Materials Characterisation
Laboratory Testing
Craig Noske (Melbourne) +61 3 8587 0900 Lis Boczek (Brisbane) +61 7 3352 7222 ATCWILLIAMS.COM.AU
APAC Outlook issue 50 | 19
RAVENSWOOD GOLD
TALENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY Ravenswood Gold respects its people and believes in their value and the contributions they make to the company. To Fletcher, having the right people in the correct positions is the key to safe and effective operations. “We’ve got an experienced management team on site, many of whom have worked at the site for over 10 years,” explains Fletcher. “The site and industry experience within our entire team provides a strong basis for running an efficient and safe operation.” In 2020, Ravenswood Gold filled 124 new permanent positions on top of the existing 160-strong workforce. Of the permanent workforce, 90 percent 20 | APAC Outlook issue 50
live in the North Queensland region and 99 percent live within the State of Queensland. “We recruited almost exactly what we thought we’d need people-wise. When we advertised for our first round of 40 mine operations jobs, we received over 3,000 applications from across Australia and a variety of industries with various levels of experience so had a large pool of applicants to select from,” he explains. “This meant that we had a great opportunity to hand pick the 40-best people. We wanted that first intake to be very experienced and expand the values of the business going forward. “The thinking behind this was that they could help establish and build a positive culture for lesser experienced people to come in six months later, with these foundations already built. Ravenswood is considered a fantastic place to work, with a great reputation, a brilliant location and we see this as a massive advantage. We believe
Scope Systems We offer innovative solutions that maximise efficiency for our customers and their operations. How did we help Ravenswood Gold? Ravenswood Gold engaged Scope Systems to implement Pronto Xi as their ERP system. The rapid implementation of core functions allowed accounting, direct purchasing, accounts payable and salary payment information to be set up in a compressed timeframe, even with a COVID-19 lockdown in place. How can Scope Systems help us? Talk to us about your mining operations. We will work alongside you to identify practical solutions for operational challenges.
T (08) 9245 9900 www.scopesystems.com.au
MINING
Hardfacing that really works! OUR SERVICES INCLUDE: Tungsten Carbide Hardfacing Bucket Refurbishment and Wear Packages Stockist of Hardox Steel Plate 3mm to 60mm Plasma Cutting Abrasive Blasting and Painting Address: 436 Daniel Road, Home Hill, Qld Contact Blair on 0429 778 438 or email blair@nqhf.com
Our software solutions Exploration to production mining ERP Business intelligence & data analytics Mining software add-ons & extensions
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Ravenswood Gold was able to implement a new ERP system within a month thanks to the support of Scope Systems during the COVID-19 lockdown. Marcus Brown, Senior Finance Manager
(08) 9245 9900
www.scopesystems.com.au
APAC Outlook issue 50 | 21
RAVENSWOOD GOLD we’ve sourced a great team from the local region with strong operational backgrounds.” Ravenswood Gold promotes diversity in its workforce with more than 20 percent female diversity across the site, up to 30 percent in the mining department, including 80 percent of mining haulage operators.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT To Fletcher, he counts five key pillars to his and Ravenswood Gold’s strategy. “Firstly, it’s the recommencement of the mine,” he says. “When we purchased the asset, there was no mining being undertaken so it was simply reprocessing waste dump material. Our target was to
PLANS FOR 2021 During 2021, Ravenswood Gold intends to continue its sponsorship of local organisations, community members and events, as well as major projects such as: SHOWGROUND FACILITIES UPGRADE – improving the public camping ground’s appeal and capacity for tourists by constructing new kitchen and ablution facilities as part of a coordinated project with the local government body, Charters Towers Regional Council. BUCK REEF WEST LOOKOUT – installing a public lookout on top of the Buck Reef West Pit’s noise bund to provide a safe viewing platform over mining operations. This development will include a carpark and safe walking access to the lookout in order to enhance the tourism appeal of the town. STOCKHAM HOUSE MUSEUM – developing the relocated miner’s cottage and key historic artefacts from the Buck Reef West mining area into a public museum and heritage precinct. The museum will contain general history of the town and mining area, including specialised rooms promoting the indigenous heritage of the area (through representation of the Birriah People and their stories) as well as the history of women on the goldfields (encompassing outcomes of a PhD study conducted on the local area).
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22 | APAC Outlook issue 50
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APAC Outlook issue 50 | 23
RAVENSWOOD GOLD recommence large-scale open cut mining on 1 December, to build a complete mining team and to start mining the Buck Reef West Pit which we have achieved. It’s a pit that will produce 25 million tonnes of ore for us over the next five years and be a fairly large-scale operation.” “We will then move from the Buck Reef West Pit into the SarsfieldNolans pit. We wanted to establish a series of pits that we know we can operate for the next 14 years. We’re creating something that is built to last and will have future growth.” The second part of Fletcher’s strategy is increasing the size of the processing plant. “We’re spending $200 million on the processing plant to take it up to a capacity of seven and a half million tonnes per annum so it has great size,” he tells us. “There’s a few different stages of the project; a new leach circuit, crushing circuit and a milling circuit.
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All of that is progressing well and we expect it to be completed by the first quarter of 2022.” Thirdly, Ravenswood Gold is building a significant tailings facility, which is set to possess enough capacity to see out the mine life. “We’ve started the construction of the two-kilometre-long wall which will be the base of the tailings storage facility,” explains Fletcher. “We’ve already put one and a half million tonnes of material into that wall so it’s moving quickly. It will be a modern, world-class, state-of-the-art tailings storage facility when it’s completed.” The fourth part will see Ravenswood Gold pump out the tailings from its old in-pit storage facility into the new facility. “We need to mine the old pit, so we are pumping 28 million tonnes of tailings from that pit into the new storage facility,” he says. “That will take around five years in total to complete and is exciting in its own right.”
Townsville Cranes & NQ Mining Services Townsville Cranes and NQ Mining Services is a locally owned and family run business working in the Civil, Mining and general crane hire industry for the last 20 years. Our company specialises in crane hire and any lifting services required to ensure safe and productive project time frames are met. All of our staff are extensively trained and qualified with years in the industry. Townsville Cranes and NQ Mining Services have worked with Ravenswood Gold Mine for over 10 years and are supporting them with there ongoing expansion and increased production. If you require further information please contact us on (07) 4774 8833 Or visit our website: www.townsvillecranes.com www.nqminingservices.com.au
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RAVENSWOOD GOLD In the last part, Fletcher is keen to stress the importance of regional exploration and stresses his company is aiming high in this area. “We’ve already spent $5 million in exploration in the second half of 2020, and we’ve got about 1,200 square kilometres of fantastic ground in and around Ravenswood,” he explains. “We will be spending between $7-10 million a year on our exploration project to continue to develop this whole region.” Ravenswood Gold is party to Native Title Agreements with the traditional
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owners of the land – the Birriah People, and Heritage Agreements with the Queensland Department of Environment and Science’s heritage branch for the Queensland Heritage Register-listed areas associated with the Buck Reef West Pit. Ravenswood Gold maintains a positive, collaborative relationship with the Birriah People, implementing the following actions, amongst others, as part of the Native Title Agreements: • Employment of three Birriah trainees, with other apprenticeship
and traineeship opportunities offered solely to Birriah People expected to be filled in 2021. • An annual contribution to support training and professional development of nominated Birriah People. • An aspirational target of five percent Birriah employment associated with the Ravenswood Expansion Project. • Regular Project Committee meetings to discuss collaboration opportunities.
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In 2021, Ravenswood Gold is looking to collaborate with the Birriah People to deliver cultural heritage awareness training to all employees, and to complete the Stockham House museum display of Birriah heritage. As part of the Heritage Agreement requirements associated with mining of the Buck Reef West Pit in the Queensland Heritage Register-listed areas of the ‘Ravenswood Mining Landscape and Chinese Settlement Area’ and ‘Ravenswood State School, Residence and Former Pool’, a number of heritage preservation activities have been undertaken including: • Repointing (replacing and strengthening mortar joints between bricks) of three historic chimneys to ensure they remain stable during and beyond mining activities. • Finalising archival imagery and reporting associated with
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significant archaeological investigations that have occurred across the development area. • Dismantling and storing of three chimneys within the pit’s mining footprint. • Installation of a steel frame around the Sunset Number Two chimney to improve strength and minimise the effects of blasting. • Relocation of a number of significant large artefacts from the Ravenswood Mining Landscape and Chinese Settlement Area (including an old boiler, water wheel and explosives magazine) to the Stockham House museum as part of the surrounding heritage precinct. Moving forward, Fletcher reiterates his company’s desire to be seen as Queensland’s largest gold mine and stresses his organisation has no plans to succeed for short-term gain only.
“Our aim is always to be longlasting and sustainable,” he tells us. “When we say largest, it means a couple of different things. We want to be a big employer of apprentices, while also being a great contributor to the community, State and the country. We’re undertaking a lot of work in diversity and have gone from a 14 percent to 20 percent female workforce over the past year, with plans to increase this to 25 percent over the next 12 months. “Ultimately, we want to keep extending the mine life, we have a lot of ground, and we love exploring. What’s better than finding gold?”
Tel: 07 4736 9100 info@ravenswoodgold.com www.ravenswoodgold.com
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RAVENSWOOD GOLD 1 Macrossan Street, Ravenswood Queensland 4812 Tel: 07 4736 9100 info@ravenswoodgold.com www.ravenswoodgold.com
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