From Miningnet.newsMincor's FIFO plans spark local...

From Miningnet.news


Mincor's FIFO plans spark local outrage

Michael Quinn


Wednesday, April 21, 2004
KAMBALDA nickel miner Mincor Resources is facing strong opposition from the local community to developing a fly-in/fly out operation servicing its new Redross and Mariners projects.

Mincor has put a building application for the construction of an accommodation village to the Coolgardie Shire Council, with a meeting to decide the application set down for next Tuesday.

Mincor's Jim Reeve said the proposal was based on the need to source skilled Perth-based miners and operators - as well as Kambalda employees - because of a shortfall of such labour in the booming Kambalda region.

Independence, View Resources, Reliance Mining and Titan Resources have all developed (or are currently developing) nickel mines in the region in recent times.

Fly-in/fly-out operations have long been seen as the scourge of local communities, with families of miners opting to live in better serviced cities at the expense of small towns.

Reeve also said the company would be introducing longer shifts than the eight-hour shifts currently utilised at the Miitel and Wannaway mines.

He told MiningNews.net that a large proportion of miners at those two mines wanted longer shifts (and consequent longer breaks), and that he believed Miitel and Wannaway were the only two mines in Australia with eight-hour shifts.

Mincor recently mined its one millionth tonne at Kambalda after being the first of the new generation of nickel miners to buy an operation from WMC Resources.

First ore from Redross and Mariners is due later this year, with total output of 15,000t of attributable contained metal forecast for 2005-06 based on current reserves.