The federal government has granted Major Project Status to two large-scale, renewable energy-related projects – the Northern Silica Project and Bonaparte Carbon Capture and Storage Project – and renewed that status for two others. According to a statement from industry minister Tim Ayres on Thursday, Northern Silica (located north of Cairns) will produce “3 to…
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Picture this: a building has collapsed after an earthquake, rescue crews are racing against time to find survivors buried in the rubble, and their secret weapon isn’t a robot or drone – it’s a beetle wearing a tiny backpack. University of Queensland researchers have turned science fiction into reality by creating what they cheerfully call…
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Solar farms across Australia are about to get a robotic makeover, with artificial intelligence-powered machines set to revolutionise how panels are installed across the country’s renewable energy landscape. Robotics pioneer Luminous has scored $4.9 million in funding as the first recipient of ARENA’s $100 million Solar ScaleUp Challenge, designed to crowdsource ideas from around the…
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Metal processor Nyrstar Australia urgently needs to secure a government rescue package to ensure a future for its loss-making smelters in South Australia and Tasmania, as The Australian Financial Review reports. Chief executive Matt Howell said the company’s Swiss owner was weighing whether to close the plants within weeks. Howell, who took over as chief…
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Despite the Industry 4.0 theme emerging from Germany early in the last decade, local uptake of the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” (or smart factories, 4IR or a handful of other near-synonyms) appears to be slow. The benefits have been spruiked ad nauseum in the intervening years by industrial technology vendors, researchers, manufacturing advocates and others. Yet…
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Arafura vessel commissioned The Royal Australian Navy commissioned the first of six Arafura class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) at Fremantle, Western Australia, on Saturday. According to a statement from Defence, the OPVs (built by Luerssen Australia, which is owned by Civmec as of Wednesday) will improve the “ability to contribute to maritime patrol, response and…
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Henderson, Western Australia-based construction and engineering firm Civmec has confirmed the completed acquisition of all shares in Luerssen Australia, the local subsidiary of NVL (Naval Vessels Lürssen.) The $20 million deal was completed on Wednesday. Civmec said in an ASX statement that it will consolidate its role in local naval shipbuilding “by bringing Luerssen Australia’s…
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Brisbane-based Versatile Structures has pulled off a dramatic rescue mission, announcing on Monday the acquisition of Superior Coaters just weeks before the Dulux-accredited powder coating facility was set to close its doors forever. The last-minute buyout reads like a business thriller – when Versatile Structures learned in April that their key supplier was shutting down…
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Tasmanian businesses began receiving a 25 per cent increase to financial assistance on Monday as the Albanese Labor Government delivered on a key election commitment to boost the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme. The scheme recognises Tasmania’s reliance on shipping across the Bass Strait and supports Tasmanian shippers to move a range of non-bulk goods by…
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The Queensland government says it will establish a new Manufacturing Hub in Toowoomba, following a funding allocation of $10 million in last week’s state budget. No opening date was given in the update on Tuesday. The statement from manufacturing minister Dale Last said the Toowoomba hub will “soon begin working with local manufacturers to strengthen…
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