Latest news with #BowenBasin
News.com.au
08-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Fair Work Commission rules against BHP in ‘same job same pay' decision on Queensland coal mines
Some 2200 coal mine workers in Queensland's Bowen Basin are in line for a $30,000 pay bump following a landmark ruling from the Fair Work Commission against mining giant BHP. The Mining and Energy Union and Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union took the $200bn behemoth to court over the Same Job Same Pay reforms. Passed in 2023, the changes are designed to equalise pay rates between direct hire and labour hire employees at large-scale enterprises if they are performing the same job. The unions argued BHP had undercut worker wages at its coal mines by using an in-house labour hire service called OS Production and Maintenance. Late Monday evening, the FWC determined the work performed by OS employees at the company's Saraji, Peak Downs and Goonyella Riverside mines was not 'for the provision of a service, rather than for the supply of labour' and so delivered 'regulated labour hire arrangement orders'. The orders clear the way for average worker pay bumps of $30,000 at a cost of $66m to the company, the ACTU has claimed. 'This is about Australian unions winning wage justice for workers, which stops labour hire workers being treated as second-class citizens,' ACTU secretary Sally McManus said after the ruling. 'Wealthy mining companies like BHP have clawed money out of workers' pay packets for many years when the income should be returned to workers, their families and the communities they support.' Several factors contributed to the ruling. First, the FWC determined BHP held significant control and direction of where OS employees would work, what they would do and details of how the work would be performed. Second, the workers were compelled to adhere to 'detailed and highly prescriptive requirements imposed by BMA (BHP Mitsubishi Alliance)'. Further, the FWC found OS workers used 'virtually entirely, plant and equipment supplied by BMA to perform work'. 'That consideration supports a conclusion that the work performed by employees of OS Production is not for the provision of a service, rather than the supply of labour,' the bench ruled. It also concluded that although the work performed by OS employees might be specialised, it was of the 'same nature and involves the same specialised and expert skills as are exercised by employees of BHP Coal performing the same work'. The ruling also covers employees with labour hire companies Workpac and Chandler McLeod, who the commission found were 'performing the same work in the same crews and BMA employees and receiving substantially lower remuneration because of the identity of their employer'. The landmark decision could up-end labour arrangements across the country's massive and lucrative mining sector. Minerals Council of Australia CEO Tania Constable called the decision 'incredibly disappointing' and said it would 'directly threaten thousands of specialised contractors who play a vital role in mining operations across the country'. 'Unlike labour hire, these businesses exist to provide a specialised service, not just workers, and should never have been covered by these laws,' she said. 'These businesses now face the risk of being drawn into complex and costly legal proceedings, creating instability in employment arrangements that have long supported operational flexibility, efficiency and mining productivity. 'The commission's ruling confirms what the MCA has long argued: that the government's legislation goes well beyond its original promise to target only the 'limited circumstances' where 'labour hire' is used to deliberately undercut wages.' BHP, meanwhile, has railed against what it sees as an escalation in excessive cost burdens on its Queensland operations, citing complex industrial relations demands and the state's sharp coal royalty regime. The company has reduced its footprint in the Bowen Basin in recent years, offloading its Daunia and Blackwater mines to Whitehaven Coal in April last year. It now runs five mines in conjunction with Mitsubishi: Saraji, Goonyella, Caval Ridge, Broadmeadow and Peak Downs.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Thiess secures $1.5bn contract extension for Lake Vermont Mine in Australia
Thiess has announced a contract extension valued at A$2.3bn ($1.5bn) over three years at Jellinbah Group's Lake Vermont Mine in Queensland's Bowen Basin. The new agreement, which supersedes the existing contract set to expire in 2026, will now extend until June 2028. Under the terms of the renewed contract, Thiess will continue to deliver comprehensive mining services at the Lake Vermont Mine. These services include managing the site according to legal requirements, covering all facets of mine engineering and operations. They also involve the upkeep and asset management of stationary and mobile equipment, restoration projects, as well as operating and maintaining Jellinbah Group's processing facility, train loading station and mining camp. Thiess group executive chair and CEO Michael Wright said: 'For nearly two decades, Thiess has worked with the Jellinbah Group to safely enhance and expand Lake Vermont Mine's operations – driving efficiency, productivity and cost effectiveness through commodity cycles. This further extension is a testament to the strong and trusted partnership built over many years, and reflects Thiess' track record in the safe, efficient delivery of sustainable mining solutions.' Jellinbah awarded Thiess the initial mining contract for the Lake Vermont Mine in 2007. Thiess not only constructed the mine infrastructure but has also been integral to the mine's expansion and operational success through multiple contract renewals. Thiess Australia East group executive Rae O'Brien said: 'Thiess is proud of the advancements we have introduced at Lake Vermont Mine over the years with the support of Jellinbah Group. These include safety innovations, world-leading autonomous drilling and semi-autonomous dozing technology, and strategic mine planning and resource optimisation, to support our client's longer-term business outcomes.' In a related development, Thiess has been awarded a contract extension for three years, worth approximately A$590m, to maintain its mining services at QCoal's Northern Hub in Queensland. "Thiess secures $1.5bn contract extension for Lake Vermont Mine in Australia" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Daily Telegraph
08-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Telegraph
Massive $105m deal for humble mining dongas
A massive deal has been approved for a foreign firm to buy four mining donga villages with more than 1,300 bedrooms – coming in over $78,000 a room. New York Stock Exchange listed Civeo Corporation, whose annual revenue last year was over a billion Aussie dollars, has confirmed its purchase of four villages in Queensland's Bowen Basin off a private seller. MORE: Aussie capital named top two city in the world Big Aus bank slashes rates weeks before RBA decision MORE: Quirky solution to housing crisis Artist builds Aus first aircrete dome home Civeo Corp CEO Bradley Dodson said the deal was approved 'earlier than expected'. The $105m deal equates to just over two years of projected revenue that the Bowen Basin deal was expected to bring in for the US-based firm. Mr Dodson said it would 'add annualised revenue and EBITDA of approximately $50m and $27m, or approximately US$32m and US$17m, respectively' to Civeo Corporation's numbers. In a statement to NYSE, the firm said the purchase gives the firm 'unmatched presence and capabilities' in what it said was 'the world's premier metallurgical coal basin'. The deal includes ongoing contracts with new and existing metallurgical coal producers under take-or-pay contracts – which means the firm will get paid whether companies use the dongas fully or not. MORE: See the Aussies who put their pets first when buying a house Un-beer-lievable: SEQ costlier than Melbourne for housing, food, grog The firm already has a strong Queensland presence with Coppabella Village between Moranbah and Nebo, Dysart Village, Middlemount Village, Moranbah Village, and Nebo Village; two in New South Wales – Boggabri Village and Narrabri Village; and one in Western Australia – Karratha Village. All up before this deal, Civeo owned and operated 28 lodges and villages across Australia and North America with about 27,500 rooms, and also provides hospitality services at 22 customer-owned locations with over 18,000 rooms. Civeo Corporation operates in the hospitality services zones within the resource sector, accommodating hundreds or thousands of workers in long-term and temporary accommodation, providing food, housekeeping, facility management, laundry, water and wastewater treatment, power generation, communications, security and logistics. Mr Dodson said 'we have updated Civeo's 2025 guidance to reflect the expected revenue and Adjusted EBITDA contributions from these newly acquired villages and look forward to deepening our relationships with our customers in the Bowen Basin.' MORE REAL ESTATE NEWS
News.com.au
08-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Massive $105m deal for humble mining dongas
A massive deal has been approved for a foreign firm to buy four mining donga villages with more than 1,300 bedrooms – coming in over $78,000 a room. New York Stock Exchange listed Civeo Corporation, whose annual revenue last year was over a billion Aussie dollars, has confirmed its purchase of four villages in Queensland's Bowen Basin off a private seller. Big Aus bank slashes rates weeks before RBA decision Civeo Corp CEO Bradley Dodson said the deal was approved 'earlier than expected'. The $105m deal equates to just over two years of projected revenue that the Bowen Basin deal was expected to bring in for the US-based firm. Mr Dodson said it would 'add annualised revenue and EBITDA of approximately $50m and $27m, or approximately US$32m and US$17m, respectively' to Civeo Corporation's numbers. In a statement to NYSE, the firm said the purchase gives the firm 'unmatched presence and capabilities' in what it said was 'the world's premier metallurgical coal basin'. The deal includes ongoing contracts with new and existing metallurgical coal producers under take-or-pay contracts – which means the firm will get paid whether companies use the dongas fully or not. Un-beer-lievable: SEQ costlier than Melbourne for housing, food, grog The firm already has a strong Queensland presence with Coppabella Village between Moranbah and Nebo, Dysart Village, Middlemount Village, Moranbah Village, and Nebo Village; two in New South Wales – Boggabri Village and Narrabri Village; and one in Western Australia – Karratha Village. All up before this deal, Civeo owned and operated 28 lodges and villages across Australia and North America with about 27,500 rooms, and also provides hospitality services at 22 customer-owned locations with over 18,000 rooms. Civeo Corporation operates in the hospitality services zones within the resource sector, accommodating hundreds or thousands of workers in long-term and temporary accommodation, providing food, housekeeping, facility management, laundry, water and wastewater treatment, power generation, communications, security and logistics. Mr Dodson said 'we have updated Civeo's 2025 guidance to reflect the expected revenue and Adjusted EBITDA contributions from these newly acquired villages and look forward to deepening our relationships with our customers in the Bowen Basin.'
