S P E C I A L F E A T U R E

4 JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2006 FRANCE AUSTRALIE

Australia boasts a rich diversity of naturalresources and there is no shortage ofFrench and Australian companies facilitatingthe exploration, processing and distributionof these many resources.

One such example is United GroupResources; an Australian construction,engineering, asset management andmaintenance provider offering long termintegrated solutions to the mining &mineral processing, oil & gas, and chemicalsectors. The preparation and life-span of amining project is often lengthy and has alarge impact on regional employment andeconomy. A pertinent example of thebenefits a project can bring to the localcommunity is the Goro Nickel project inNew Caledonia.With almost 5,000 peoplealready involved, production is expected to begin in early 2007.

According to Invest Australia, foreignmining investors are attracted to Australia by its efficient regulation and approvalprocesses, Government support forresearch & development technology,competitive energy supplies, and proximityto the Asia Pacific markets. Invest Australiareports that in terms of economicdemonstrated resources, Australia wasranked world-first for zinc, lead, nickel,tantalum and uranium in 2005.

GAS & STEELGiven Australia’s considerable gas

reserves, the production and storage of gasis of central importance to the sector.International Chemicals Engineeringrepresents Arkema, who are world leadersin gas odourant research and productdevelopment. Arkema’s product range isused extensively to allow the safe storageand use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas andNatural Gas in Australian motor vehiclesand homes. FACCI Member Air Liquide isactively involved in creating solutions forindustrial gases for the mining industry.Oneexample is their development of an on-sitenitrogen generating unit to protect the coalmine goafs from explosion.

Smorgon Steel is one of Australia’slargest steel producers, with annualproduction exceeding 900,000 tonnes.Smorgon high-grade steel is manufactured

almost entirely from recycled iron andsteel.This makes Smorgon Steel the largestbuyer of feed scrap in Australia.

Mineral trading is, naturally, of pivotalimportance to the mining and resourcesectors. Since 1954, Berjak & Partners have been trading in minerals, ferrous, andnon-ferrous compounds from Australasia,Oceania, South East Asia, the Middle East,Europe and South Africa. Similarly, fellowFACCI Member Solsteel, imports ferrousand non-ferrous metal products throughexclusive affiliations with some of theworld’s leading manufacturers.

Another major player in the resourcessector, AREVA T&D, has over 100 years of expertise in bringing power to peopleworldwide. Their products and servicestransmit and distribute electricity, ensurethe safety of energy flows and operateefficient networks through informationmanagement.

There are numerous service providerswho support the mining and resourcesectors. From suppliers of machinery,catering, and radio & communicationssystems, to recruiters, explorationcompanies, lawyers and financial advisors.

SKILLS SHORTAGES ANDRECRUITMENT SOLUTIONS

The mining and resources boom has ledto a skills shortage in the sector. It has been estimated that an additional70,000 employees will be needed in theminerals sector by the year 2015. Hence,recruitment and HR providers are crucialto the industry, now more than ever.As the leading cross-cultural andmultilingual service provider in Australia,The Polyglot Group specialises in the

international recruitment of experiencedprofessionals for the global mining industry.With the Nickel boom in New Caledonia,Polyglot has demonstrated its expertise inglobally recruiting qualified French speakingprofessionals, engineers, and managers.Polyglot assists its clients through a range ofservices including: recruitment andheadhunting, HR and payroll outsourcingservices, HR/OH&S audit and due diligence, business visas and salary packaging for foreign expats and cross-cultural training and coaching. FellowFACCI Member John Davidson andAssociates (JDA) has established a strongmarketplace presence since 1990 bysuccessfully implementing recruitmentcampaigns for mining and constructionprojects in Africa, Indonesia, Australia,Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia.As commodity demand continues to remainhigh, finding, and keeping, the right personfor the job will gain increasing importance.

LEGALThe complexity of long-term, often

multinational, joint-ventures inherent tomany mining and resource projectsnecessitates a thorough and expertunderstanding of the governing legalregulations. Anthony Abrahams of Anthony Abrahams Lawyers is active almostexclusively in the resources area, providinglegal advice in relation to large-scale civilengineering projects, often involving Frenchdocumentation and legal issues. The firm has just completed a pipeline contract inNew Caledonia (where it is regularly active)and is currently advising on a third watertreatment plant project in Sri Lanka.Another FACCI Member with expertise ininternational law in the mining and resourcesectors is Michael Bula Solicitors,International Lawyers and Notary (MBS).With its external consultants, associatedoffices and offshore legal agents, MBSprovides full legal and translation servicesfor mining projects in French-speakingAfrica for clients, law firms and charteredaccountancies. Amongst its extensive areasof expertise, MBS specialises in regulatoryinterpretation,mining property agreements,joint-venture negotiations, mining permitapplications and transfers, and explorationand production activities. The success ofmining and resource projects in NewCaledonia,means that Australian companies

Natalie Corry FACCI Federal

MINING, REFINERY & RESOURCES:

Breaking New Ground

Image kindly supplied by Woodside

S P E C I A L F E A T U R E

are becoming increasingly involved inbusiness partnerships with Australia’sclosest French-speaking neighbour. NormanWaterhouse Lawyers is an Australiancommercial law firm who advise Australiancompanies involved in French, NewCaledonian and French Polynesianinvestments and operations.

FINANCIALThe financing of, and investment in,

mining and resource projects requiresspecialist industry knowledge. BNP Paribas’natural resources team has on-groundspecialists ranging from mining engineersand geologists to experienced financiers.BNP Paribas has secured noteworthymandates such as the lead arranging roleson the financing for the Hope Downs IronOre project, the Resource Pacificunderground Coal-mine development, bothin Australia, and the Masbate Gold projectin the Philippines. Fellow FACCI MembersErnst & Young have made a significantimpact through their involvement withmany leading industry players. Ernst &Young’s Minerals, Energy & Utilities Groupis comprised of more than 300 industry

experts nationwide who provideassurance, advisory, taxation andtransaction support services to Blue-ChipAustralian and global companies in thesector, including BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto,Xstrata,Woodside, BP, and Total.

RADIOCOMMUNICATIONSAnother excellent example of the

diversity of supply industries supporting themining and resource sectors is ATDI SouthPacific. Radiocommunications softwareexpert ATDI South Pacific supplies servicesand planning tools for telecommunicationengineers in the mining industry.

EQUIPMENT & WATER MANAGEMENTOf the numerous supply industries

serving the mining and resource sectors,equipment production is a key provider.FACCI Member and fast growing accessequipment manufacturer, Haulotte Group,has opened its third Australian outlet atCoopers Plains in Brisbane’s South. Thislatest expansionary move comes afterHaulotte Group recently announced annualsales had risen globally by a massive 45 percent in 2005. Haulotte Group currently

offers 50 different models of accessequipment from narrow, compact electricscissors designed to fit through doorwaysto rough terrain and knuckle-boom unitswith operating heights of 32 metres.

Water is one of our most preciousresources and Australia's mining sites relyheavily on drinking water, high pressurewater and wastewater systems. Twodivisions of Veolia Environnement specialisein this area. Firstly, Veolia EnvironmentalServices (formerly Collex) provides adiverse portfolio of industrial maintenanceand cleaning services including high pressurewater jetting, tank cleaning, and pipelineservices. Secondly,Veolia Water Solutions &Technologies provides potable water,process water and wastewater treatmentsolutions for all types of mining sites.

With Queensland and WesternAustralia remaining strong exporters, themining and resources boom shows littlesign of slowing.The challenge for the futurewill be to implement recruitment strategiesto stem the industry’s skills shortage so thatAustralia can continue to compete globally.

Natalie Corry