The Role of Water Delivery in Dust Control for Mines

Western Australia’s mining industry is one of the more competitive in the world. Name any precious metals traded in the market and, chances are, at least one company is hard at work extracting them from a deposit somewhere in the state. The industry is likewise ripe for more investment from international mining bigwigs; a global survey identified Australia as “investor-friendly” in terms of faster permit approvals, less corruption, and effective handling of social issues.

Worker safety is also a priority in the state as well as for the rest of the country. Since many mines are located deep into WA interior, there are fewer paved roads to connect them. The road traffic in and out of the mines can string up clouds of dust that will potentially affect employees. As such, mines set up road dust controls to keep the area free of hazards.

This type of work usually involves spraying layers of water multiple times into the unpaved road’s surface to harden it. The water that will be utilized for this specific purpose can be delivered and stored at mine site dams, and can be used in addition to the water supply from the local water table. With the help of water delivery services and efficient dust control measures, miners are protected from inhaling harmful substances into their system.

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Transporting Water into Perth from the Kimberley

The greater Perth metropolitan area has undergone tough times as far its water supply is concerned. Although the city itself sits on top of an ancient aquifer, changes in environmental conditions have stressed the water supply to the point of a water shortage crisis. Experts are hard-pressed to find new resources in light of a growing population and higher standard of living for Perth natives. Recent developments in the Federal Government’s water management discussions, on the other hand, are leaning towards the revival of a water project linking Perth with the Kimberley.

Originally proposed in mid-2005 but rejected a year later, the plan called for a 3,700-kilometer canal to be built from the Kimberley to Perth. Other elements of the plan involved laying down pipelines, towing bags of water down the coast, and tapping supertankers to transport water. This comes at a time when Colin Barnett, who expressed intentions for such a plan in his failed run for the premiership in 2005, is now the state premier facing reelection.

Even the opposition is welcoming the initiative, with Shadow Regional Development Minister Barnaby Joyce hard at work in shunning Federal Government critics. Pundits say that the project will help shape the Kimberley’s political future. 

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The Big Rationale Behind the Bigness of Freight Trucks

Big might not always be better, but it's often the only way to get the job done as fast as possible. For instance, a single freight truck can perform the job of hundreds of pickup trucks or small trucks, which will translate to benefits such as less transport costs. Without the massive cargo capacity of these huge vehicles, shortages could be imminent – and such things can spell disaster for any business.

Trucking doesn’t just happen locally; in fact, it usually happens on a national level, with goods being shipped from one city to the other regardless of distance. All over Australia, for example, truckers have at least 800,000 kilometers of road ahead of them. Sydney is definitely not a stone’s throw away from Darwin, let alone from Perth. There’s no time to make multiple trips, and there's limited capital to sustain these road expeditions.

It’s easier to cover more ground in a single trip than to drive back and forth all the time, which is why freight trucks carry as much as they can in one go. In addition, fatigue is likely to set in if the truckers are constantly on the road with little to no breaks in between. With the issue of safety and practicality on the line, it's no wonder that freight trucks are big for a reason. 

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