NT government keen to help Compass employees Friday, 30 January 2009
THE Northern Territory government has said it will assist employees of collapsed miner Compass Resources’ Browns oxide mine in order to keep skilled workers in the Territory.
Debt-laden Compass went into voluntary administration yesterday just months after commissioning the Browns oxide copper-cobalt-nickel operation.
The Browns oxide operation at Batchelor, 90km from Darwin, employs around 100 people.
While it is unclear if the mine will be placed on care and maintenance, Northern Territory Minister for Mines and Energy Kon Vatskalis vowed to do everything possible to keep the workers in the Territory.
Representatives from the Department of Business will liaise with administrators to ensure mine employees are aware of their options.
“One of the biggest problems we’ve had in the Territory has been a skills shortage and we don’t want to lose the good people we already have,” said Vatskalis.
“The NT is not immune from the impact of the global financial crisis but is well placed to fill the employee shortages experienced by some Territory businesses.”
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