Blog
AI is more present in the mining world than you may realise
As a columnist, it would be remiss of me not to write about AI, such is the impact it has or could have on almost every aspect of our lives. So here goes… On the operational side of the gold sector, there are plenty of obvious ways it will impact the industry –...
Why simply stating your country’s mineral potential is no longer enough
As I wrote in my March column, there’s a growing maturity to the public-private relationship in African mining. The sector is still not without its challenges – local content, resource nationalism creep, corruption, infrastructure gaps, regulatory inefficiency – but...
Do investors and the gold sector share the same values?
Recent events in the Australian gold sector have shown just how much its approach to equity investors has changed in recent years. The last 15 years have been a remarkable period for homegrown gold producers. You only have to flick through a 2011 issue of Paydirt...
Australia’s diplomatic footprint in Africa does not match the expanses of its mining investment
Paydirt is proud of the work it has done to raise the profile of Australian-African trade and investment relations over the last 25 years but for all the success, there is still much work to be done. When Paydirt started Africa Down Under in 2003, the...
Gold’s unprecedented run warped everything. So what next?
It’s not always easy when you’re deep in the thick of it, but a step back can reveal the remarkable diversity on the Australian gold scene in 2026. Until a few years ago, there was clear demarcation. There were hundreds of explorers chasing the multimillion-ounce...
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,...