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the parochial mining crowd that will gather managing director Raleigh Finlayson. Bowler added that post pandemic, the
at the Goldfields Art Centre from October “It is good for the long term of Kalgoorlie job opportunities in Kalgoorlie would attract
12-14. and I know they are investing in the op- more people to the region and the city was
“Diggers & Dealers will be the end of erations; it was a great move by them and preparing for the influx.
a wonderful fortnight in Kalgoorlie. In the very positive for WA and Kalgoorlie.” In August, the Central Regional TAFE re-
lead up we will have the annual Kalgoorlie The Northern Star/Saracen acquisi- ceived a $10 million cash injection from the
race round and the WA Golf PGA, so it is tion of KCGM for the famed Super Pit has WA Government, with $9 million going into
going to be fantastic,” Mayor of Kalgoorlie provided another uplift for the people of a new heavy plant and engineering trades
John Bowler told Paydirt. Kalgoorlie. workshop and $1 million to upgrade and
“As Mayor, I hope that Mark McGowan “Two years ago, we were a bit down- expand the automotive electrical workshop
continues his hard-line [on border con- beat, but excitement was starting to build and light automotive training.
this time last year when gold went “I know that the Kalgoorlie-Boulder [Cen-
through $2,000/oz. It has not only tral Regional] TAFE is gearing up to do
been the gold price, but the new more training and that is the great message
owners of the Super Pit have had a to young families; if you come here you’re
clear positive impact,” Bowler said. son or daughter can get a traineeship and
“Northern Star and Saracen are you end up a with job yourself. The City
as good as any gold companies Council is also facilitating the construction
in the world and they are looking of a 120-odd bed day-care facility and we
at a long-term view of the Super expect that to be sold out by the time it is
Pit, which is great for our city. We built. Families will benefit from that child-
have seen recently the life span of care increase and it will enhance job pros-
the Super Pit go up and I’m sure pects for people,” Bowler said.
they will get much more life out of “Post-COVID, traditional jobs in the air-
Mt Charlotte.” line and tourism industry aren’t going to
A residentially run mine, there be there and there will be lots of unem-
are about 1,100 people employed ployment in those areas at a time when
to run the Super Pit, with around Kalgoorlie offers solid, long-term employ-
30% of KCGM suppliers sourced ment opportunities.
from the Kalgoorlie-Boul-
der area.
Currently, the Super Pit
is poised for production
until 2035 with output to ex-
ceed 675,000 ozpa gold by
FY2028.
The reserve base at the
Super Pit is 9.7 moz gold,
with expected production
in FY2021 of 440,000-
Jim Walker
480,000oz @ AISC
$1,470-1,570/oz. KCGM
trols]. I know that some people say maybe has allocated $198 million in growth
we should have a bubble with South Aus- capital and $12 million in explora-
tralia and Northern Territory, but I think tion in the same period.
while he is keeping a hard-line we can KCGM’s commitment to the
have things like the PGA and Diggers & Super Pit comes at a time that
Dealers without the virus getting into WA.” Kalgoorlie is seeing diversification
Travel restrictions mean that the in- of its economy.
ternational and interstate guests accus- “Lynas [Corp Ltd see page 40] is
tomed to making the annual pilgrimage an advantage to our city as it is not
to Kalgoorlie for Diggers & Dealers will nickel or gold; it is another industry.
be missing in 2020, however, they won’t Ever since Paddy Hannan walked
be completely shutout with the 53 com- over the hill, community leaders
pany presentations taking centre stage to have been trying to expand the eco-
be live streamed during the course of the nomic base of Kalgoorlie. Now the
three-day event. economy is going to be the broad-
Gold stories – about 30 in all – are once est it’s ever been,” Bowler said.
again in abundance on the programme, “People have been moving back Mark McGowan
with new KCGM owners Northern Star into town, houses prices are going
Resources Ltd and Saracen Mineral Hold- up – not disconcertingly for those that want “The services and retail industries are
ings Ltd headline acts. to come and buy – but vacancy rates for suffering world-wide and the COVID period
“Two local boys that went to the Kalgoor- rentals is down to 2%, which is considered has seen us hold our own in those areas,
lie School of Mines and would have been very low. You always have a turnover of which is better than the international aver-
looking over that pit as young budding stu- people leaving and people moving in, but age. Target is a loss, but Kmart and Coles
dents and now they own it; what a great today I was told it was under 1%. We are are moving in and indications are that we
story,” Walker said of Northern Star execu- going to need more housing because there may also get an Aldi,” he said.
tive chairman Bill Beament and Saracen are more jobs coming.”
– Mark Andrews

aUSTRaLIa’S PaYDIRT OCTOBeR 2020 Page 29