CME has teamed up with the Cooperative Research Centre for Optimising Resource Extraction (CRC ORE) to establish a major new mining innovation hub in the Goldfields to test new technologies in the hope of revolutionising the way gold and other mineral deposits are extracted.
CME CEO Reg Howard-Smith said Kalgoorlie-Boulder’s close proximity to several operating mine sites made it natural choice as the site for the new hub, which aims to innovate and add significant value to Western Australia’s growing resources sector.
“This new hub will strengthen Western Australia’s reputation as a world-leader in the extraction and processing of previous metals and cement our standing as a centre of excellence in mining education and research,” he said.
“CME is thrilled to be playing such an important role in this project, which will go a long way in ensuring the long-term sustainability and profitability of the industry.
“Ultimately, we are looking to ensure Western Australia produces the highest quality product at the lowest cost with minimal environmental impact, and it is through the use of new technologies that we can achieve this.”
Along with CME, other inaugural partners of the project include Curtin University’s Western Australian School of Mines (WASM), the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA), METS Ignited, an Industry Growth Centre funded by the Australian Government, the Central Regional TAFE and the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
The hub will also serve as a centre of excellence for technical knowledge transfer and will be used to train professionals to further grow capability and capacity locally and interstate.