Blog
CGT discount a kick in the guts for junior exploration
It’s 16 years since the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd Federal Labor Government managed to rile the entire Australian mining industry with its resources super profits tax policy and its Albanese successor appears intent on reviving the spirit of those times. In May, the Federal...
Lithium is back, but for how long?
The lithium cycle has turned again, perhaps proving the Australian sector was not facing the existential threat so many of us feared. This time last year, the local lithium sector was hanging onto life. Mines and processing plants were closing, exploration had dried...
Junior mining bosses might grumble but WA’s winning record is hard to knock
When I was a kid, I used to go to Middlesbrough’s English Premier League matches with my grandad and his brother. My grandad was the eternal optimist, always thinking we had a chance of winning 5-0, or scoring a last-minute equaliser, his enthusiasm was infectious....
Is global uncertainty still the gold mining industry’s best friend?
Two years of writing about rising gold prices and thickening margins, as a cynical old hack it is comforting to have something less positive to ponder, a bit of intrigue to get my teeth into once again Spot gold’s descent to below $US4,500/oz at the time of print may...
Critical minerals sector screams for predictability
Much of this month’s issue of Australia’s Paydirt is dedicated to a preview of Paydirt’s Critical Battery Minerals Conference, which will be held on April 21-22 in Perth. It has been a thrilling ride for both industry and event over the 10 years since it started as...
Determining the ‘vibe’ of a resources conference is no easy task
Whenever you return from a major mining conference, the first question from those who couldn’t attend is always – ‘So, what was the mood?’ I always find this a difficult question to answer, not least because I’m usually exhausted by the end of these conferences. Also,...
Drought broken as deluge of money flows into the resources sector
When I was young, my favourite part of any nature documentary was that moment when the long, harsh season broke and a new cycle of life began. If it was an Australian or African setting, it would be at the end of the long drought. If it was in cooler climates, it was...
How goes the gold sector maintain its record surge in 2026?
Things have rarely looked brighter for Australian gold companies, but the sector for the sector in 2026 will be maintaining the momentum. Here’s a look at what matters most to the different sections of the industry over the next 12 months: The juniors Last year...
Metals and minerals set to continue rollercoaster ride
As we ride towards the end of the year, it is safe to say there have been few more tumultuous periods in metals and minerals markets than 2025. Previous decades have seen bigger booms and market crashes, more controversies and success stories, but I can think of no...
Are we at the beginning of a boom or the start of a bust?
It is a question which, in the mining sector, is always under interpretation. The Hedley Widdup Lion Selection clock is a great visualisation of the mining sector’s boom-bust cycle – the problem is there is no telling just how quickly the hands are moving. In the...
A contrarian viewpoint on the rising gold price
Given I regularly wrote about the greenshoots emerging for juniors during the long downturn, it is only fair that I take a contrarian standpoint while the sector enjoys the greatest period in its history Don’t get me wrong, I am not predicting the end of the gold...