ENERGY NETWORKS Australia has welcomed the release by the Tasmanian Government of the Tasmanian Renewable Hydrogen Action Plan.

Chief executive officer of Energy Networks Australia, Andrew Dillon, said hydrogen would play an important role in the sustainable energy future.

"Hydrogen can be produced from excess renewable power, providing clean energy that can be stored for when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind isn’t blowing,” Mr Dillon said. “As the energy sector continues to decarbonise and intermittent renewable generation increases, this storage capacity means hydrogen can play an important role in stabilising our energy system.

“Hydrogen technology is already being embraced around the world for domestic and commercial use in gas networks and to fuel passenger and freight trains.”

Mr Dillon said trials of hydrogen production, hydrogen blending into existing networks or exports were underway in every Australian state, with Tasmania’s strategy the latest addition.

“Energy networks are using renewable gases such as hydrogen made from solar and wind power to decarbonise our gas networks,” Mr Dillon said.

A recent update to Gas Vision 2050, released by Energy Networks Australia and the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association, showed that more than $180 million of funding had been committed nationally for hydrogen infrastructure projects.

Energy Networks Australia has previously released research confirming that the injection of hydrogen into Australian gas distribution networks can be done under current gas legislation.

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THE Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has welcomed a $13.8 million five-year Queensland Government package to encourage new discoveries of critical minerals to attract more overseas investment, drive more international trade and create more local jobs and economic prosperity.

QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane, who is in Washington DC as part of a delegation led by Federal Resources Minister Matt Canavan to further develop the US-Australia trading partnership on critical minerals, said the package announced by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was based on consultation with the industry and would hit the right mark at the right time.

“Queensland has globally-significant reserves of copper, nickel, zinc,  graphite, and molybdenum and major deposits of cobalt, rhenium, scandium, tantalum, niobium, lithium, rare earths and vanadium,” he said.

Mr Macfarlane said the funding would including $9 million to unearth more and better geological information to help the industry identify new products and $4.8 million to re-examine old mine tailing and core samples for these minerals.

“These are the key areas QRC and the Queensland Exploration Council urged the Government to focus on and they have delivered.  We thank the Premier, the Deputy Premier, State Development Minister Cameron Dick and Mines Minister Anthony Lynham for the commitment of confidence into this growing sector,” he said.

“We also acknowledge the strong representations from the Australian Workers’ Union to encourage additional investment in exploration.  The AWU, like QRC, knows the investment in exploration delivers the new discoveries and the new jobs,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“Mount Isa itself owes its existence to the discoveries of the lone prospector John Campbell Miles in 1923.  It would be fitting if, through this funding, Queenslanders could welcome major new discoveries to celebrate the centenary of those original discoveries.

Mr Macfarlane said the package followed the government’s earlier commitment to upgrade the Townsville to Mount Isa rail line and commit $80 million to subsidise commercial freight users on the Mount Isa line over four years.

www.qrc.org.au

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NEWMONT Goldcorp Corporation (Newmont Goldcorp) said it looks forward to a long and productive partnership with Saracen Mineral Holdings Ltd. (Saracen) at Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) in Australia.

Earlier today, Saracen announced an agreement to purchase Barrick Gold Corporation’s 50 percent stake in KCGM. Newmont Goldcorp will remain the operator of KCGM and continue to manage the mine according to its leading policies and standards.

“We congratulate Saracen on its agreement to purchase Barrick’s stake in KCGM and we look forward to partnering with them to continue delivering value at this world-class asset, safely and efficiently,” said Tom Palmer, president and chief executive officer. “KCGM and the Golden Mile offer ongoing growth and value generating opportunities in Australia, which remains a core operating region for Newmont.”

Located in Kalgoorlie-Boulder in Western Australia, KCGM directly employs about 1,250 people and produced 636,000 ounces of gold in 2018. Operations began at KCGM in 1989 and the mine has produced 21 million ounces of gold over the last three decades.

About Newmont Goldcorp

Newmont Goldcorp is the world’s leading gold company and a producer of copper, silver, zinc and lead. The company’s world-class portfolio of assets, prospects and talent is anchored in favorable mining jurisdictions in North America, South America, Australia and Africa. Newmont Goldcorp is the only gold producer listed in the S&P 500 Index and is widely recognized for its principled environmental, social and governance practices. The company is an industry leader in value creation, supported by robust safety standards, superior execution and technical proficiency. Newmont Goldcorp was founded in 1921 and has been publicly traded since 1925.

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THE 2019 Future2 Wheel Classic charity bike ride will set off from Melbourne’s DISC Velodrome on Friday November 22, aiming to surpass previous years’ fundraising efforts for the Future2 Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA).

Now in its 10th year, the Wheel Classic will feature 18 financial planners and other financial services professionals from across Australia (plus support crew), who will ride 819km over six stages.

Leading cycling broadcaster Matthew Keenan will join the riders on the first stage of the ride. Mr Keenan is well known to cycling enthusiasts through his work covering the world’s greatest cycling events including the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, Vuelta a Espaňa, and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.

The riders will travel through the Daylesford Ranges and down to Apollo Bay. The group will ride the famous Amy Gillett Fondo route before cycling the Great Ocean Road and looping back to Queenscliff to catch a ferry to Sorrento, arriving at Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre on Wednesday November 27 for the opening of the 2019 FPA Professionals Congress.

Future2 supports young disadvantaged Australians experiencing social, physical or financial hardship. Riders will have the chance to meet some of the Future2 grant recipients past and present along the way including Boroondara Cares in Melbourne and Hello Hurricane in Queenscliff.

The Future2 Hiking Challenge will also take place ahead of Congress, taking hikers to the Grampians mountain range. Departing November 23, 12 hikers will cover around 17km over two full days (plus travel time from Melbourne to Halls Gap and return) to take in the wild beauty of the diverse landscape.

Future2 chair, Petra Churcher said: “We are grateful to our partners and for the commitment and generosity of the individual FPA members who take part in the Wheel Classic and Hiking Challenge to raise funds to support Future2.”

Riders have taken on the challenge of each raising $1,500, while hikers will each aim to raise $1,200 to support Future2’s Make the Difference! Grant program.  Future2 awarded $191,066 in new grants to 20 not-for-profit organisations in 2019, an increase of more than 5 percent over last year. Future2 has now committed $1,195,066 in grants since its inception in 2007.

MLC is the Gold partner of the 2019 Wheel Classic and Hiking Challenge. Riders and hikers from MLC include: Geoff Rogers, general manager, MLC Wealth Distribution (rider); Carl Wilkin, MLC (rider); John Tsihlis, MLC (rider); Rosa Velkovski, MLC (hiker); Ellen Hickman, MLC (hiker).

MLC staff are contributing to the fundraising effort and are aiming to raise $10,000 by hosting fundraising events for Future2 across their offices in five cities. Iress, Magellan Financial Group and Pickles are also partners of the 2019 Wheel Classic. 

MLC is also the Gold partner of the 2019 Future2 Celebration to be held at the FPA 2019 Professionals Congress on Thursday November 28.

www.future2foundation.org.au

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