BIG mining in Australia remains confident that a returned Gillard government would deliver on the pre-election commitments that neutered the politically damaging debate over the resource super-profits tax.
It was widely speculated yesterday that the big three mine companies that walked Julia Gillard through the super-profits tax backdown - BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Xstrata - [...]

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Job losses in the skilled market have slowed, thanks to the effect of the federal government’s fiscal stimulus packages, a new survey has shown.
The Clarius skills index declined by 0.6 per cent in the third quarter to 98.2 points, compared to 98.8 points in the second quarter.
The index is currently at its lowest level since [...]

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Mining group Petra Diamonds has discovered a 507.55 carat white diamond at South Africa’s Cullinan mine, one of the largest high-quality rough diamonds ever found, the firm said on Tuesday.
“This spectacular gemstone was recovered on Thursday 24 September and is currently with experts for analysis,” said a statement released by the London-listed company which operates [...]

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The Wimmera-Mallee pipeline project has won an environmental sustainability award.
Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water is one of 67 organisations to win an Australian Business Award, from a field of almost 1,000 entrants from various industries.
Manager director Jeff Rigby says the award acknowledges the company’s commitment to preserving and protecting the environment.
He says this has been achieved [...]

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Doctors in the Blue Mountains town of Lithgow have signed a letter to the local council raising concern about the safety of its water.
Doctor John Dearin, says the GPs’ fears were sparked by an article in the New South Wales Public Health Journal last year, which raised concerns about elevated nickel levels in the water [...]

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The Queensland Department of Environment says millions of megalitres of floodwater has been recorded in Western Queensland this year, 30 times the volume of Sydney Harbour.
Downpours in January and February caused massive flooding in the Gulf and north-west river systems, flowing into the state’s south-west and then into South Australia’s Lake Eyre.
Department spokesman Peter Gordon [...]

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Fluoride will be added to Coffs Harbour’s water supply tomorrow.
In 2004 the Department of Health ordered that fluoride be added, however the council wanted to wait until the new water filtration plant was up and running.
That plant was officially opened yesterday at Karangi.
From tomorrow all homes connected to the town water supply on the coastal [...]

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Mining giant Rio Tinto has scrapped its proposed $US19.5 billion ($24.3 billion) transaction with Chinese company Chinalco in favour of a $US15.2 billion ($19 billion) equity raising and an iron ore joint venture with rival BHP Billiton.

Rio Tinto said this morning the deal with Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco), which would have lifted the China [...]

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A joint venture comprising of Al Habtoor Leighton (40%), Murray & Roberts (40%) and Takenaka (20%) has withdrawn from a $2 billion project in Dubai.
The Al Habtoor – Murray & Roberts – Takenaka Joint Venture (HMRT) and the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) have mutually agreed that the Joint Venture will pull out of [...]

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We are keen to keep you informed about the Digital TV switchover process. We have found one nifty little website to keep you informed, and let you talk to others about Digital TV, the switchover process and more. Head to www.switchovertodigitaltv.com.au and check out all the posts to be informed about Digital TV and be [...]

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