Algae and mining: A new frontier in sustainable site rehabilitation

Algae might seem an unlikely candidate to help transform Australia’s post-mining landscapes, but a new CSIRO -led project suggests these tiny aquatic organisms could provide sustainable futures for mine sites, surrounding ecosystems, and local communities. Looking down the microscope at the microalgae Nannochloropsis Australia’s mining sector is approaching a crossroads—where economic legacy and environmental responsibility must find common ground. A new CSIRO -led study, supported by the Cooperative Research Centre for Transformations in Mining Economies (CRC TiME), suggests that one of the most promising bridges between these imperatives may come from an unexpected source: algae. Though small in stature, algae are emerging as giants in their potential to transform post-mining landscapes. The study, developed in partnership with the University of Queensland and Murdoch University , proposes that algae-based technologies could reduce mining’s environmental footprint while seeding new...

Australia still encourages foreign investment

Despite tensions between Australia and China over the charging of Rio Tinto executives for corruption and stealing of state secrets, Australia's Deputy Treasurer, Senator Nick Sherry, Has stated his government still welcomes foreign investment from all countries.

"I, as a minister, and the government, strongly support, in the strongest terms, foreign investment into Australia," he said. "If you do not get foreign investment, you do not get the development of Australian business and resources and you do not get the jobs that flow from it."