Gilmour Space Technologies secures indigenous support

The Juru Traditional Owners at Bowen in Queensland have signed a Cultural Heritage Management Agreement with Australian rocket manufacturer Gilmour Space Technologies. The agreement supports a proposed launch site within the Queensland government-owned Abbot Point State Development Area, which could see the first Australian-made rockets and satellites launching to orbit next year. Chairperson of the…

1.5 years after starting a process, Canberra backs commercial mRNA vaccine manufacture

By Peter Roberts Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced today that state and federal governments and vaccine producer Moderna had signed an ‘in principle’ deal for the construction of a Melbourne plant capable of utilising the newly successful vaccine production technologies that produced the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. The plant would be capable of producing up…

Importing trams because they were cheaper was never true – By Shane West

The idea that importing public transport rolling stock is somehow cheaper has been blown out of the water by Sydney’s recent disasters with trains that don’t fit the tunnels and trams that are cracking up, and let’s not forget imported ferries that don’t fit under bridges. Here Shane West forensically dissects the history of Sydney’s…

Silver, lead and zinc refining goes green as minerals sector rushes to decarbonise

By Peter Roberts Nystrar’s big silver, lead and zinc refinery at Port Pirie in South Australia is planning to go green with news that the company and the state are funding a $5 million front end engineering and design study for as $750 million green hydrogen electrolyser to power the plant. The plant, which was…