REX - Regional Express

news+views the industry will experience a turnaround over the long term. According to the report, uranium's spot price plummeted recently to US$43.38 per pound from a peak of US$135 per pound in 2007. Despite these discouraging numbers, ERA says that before long, nuclear power will become crucial, so the market should improve as power generation turns from fossil fuels. Japan will likely return to nuclear power, and China will continue to drive demand. A shortage of supply side is expected, and this will push uranium prices higher in the near future. AIMEX 2013 theme days Three theme days will form an important element of Asia-Pacific's International Mining Exhibition (AIMEX) 2013, to be held at the Sydney Showground from August 20 to 23. The special days will cover the key industry issues of women in mining, mine-site safety and new ways to increase industry productivity. High-profile speakers at the AIMEX 2013 theme days will include the Australian Coal Association's Dr Nikki Williams and Beaconsfield mine tragedy survivor Brant Webb. "Increasing female participation in mining is a key issue for both the industry and governments; safety is a major ongoing concern for the mining sector, and ongoing productivity improvements are essential for its ongoing success," said exhibition director Paul Baker. AIMEX 2013's Women in Mining Day will take place on Wednesday August 21; Mining Safety Day will be on Thursday August 22; and Industry Productivity Day will be on Friday August 23. To read our full story on AIMEX 2013, turn to page 8. www.aimex.com.au The Human Side of Mining Conscionable multinational companies are working towards taking human rights into their own hands. The establishment of the Native Title Act 1993 clarified the legal position of Australia's traditional Indigenous inhabitants in relation to land ownership. However, where the topical issue of 6 mining is concerned, native title is a little behind the times – giving mining companies the opportunity to access and explore land without the express consent of the title-holders. While this system, potentially, leaves the gate open for unregulated exploitation, native title lawyer Charles Gregory indicates that human rights strategies are being incorporated more frequently into multinational mining companies' internal policies. Speaking at the National Native Title Conference in June, Gregory said that encouraging multinational corporations to implement human rights policies was particularly pertinent in Australian subsidiaries, where Indigenous peoples currently have no veto rights over mining projects. 1992 the year the landmark Mabo case recognised native title in Australia for the first time. $15k the amount per day it is costing the mining industry to conduct heritage surveys. 450 – the approximate backlog of native title claims registered with the National Native Title Tribunal. 1996 the year the Wik case established that native title could co-exist with pastoral leases. New rules for UHF radio licensing The Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) recently made changes to the 400mHz spectrum that will affect all transmitting GNSS base stations (DGPS). An array of changes was introduced; however, DGPS users will be most affected by the change from 25kHz to 12.5kHz channels. Segments have also been set aside for the exclusive use of federal, state and territory government departments. Given the increasing use of GNSS equipment in Australia and the near-continual transmission of DGPS bases, a number of single-frequency channels in the 400MHz band have been reserved exclusively for area-wide DGPS applications. A DGPS base station must be authorised for operation under Commonwealth law and must have a licence issued by the ACMA. Australian positioning solutions company Position Partners urges its customers, new and old, to get in touch for more information and help in becoming compliant with the new regulations. The company is committed to helping businesses manage this change, regardless of the brand of GNSS equipment they have. "We have extensive experience in managing sites with multiple brands of survey and machine control and understand that radios pose the single biggest challenge in successful site-wide GNSS integration," said a spokesperson for the company. 1300 867 266; www.positionpartners.com.au

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