The current climate of constrained investment in plant is likely to continue for another two years so managers should seek improvements through better use of manpower and automation, a panel concluded on day one of the conference.

The panel, which was chaired by BnM managing director Brian Nicholls, reflected earlier comments made by Anglo American head of underground operations Glen Britton who has been successful in turning around the performance of the flagship Moranbah North mine in Queensland.

“One of the best tips from Glen Britton was that you’ve got to manage on a short-term basis,” Nicholls said.

“If you manage at short-term intervals, you can’t stand still.”

The culture of Moranbah North mine has changed with the emphasis on accountability on carrying through actions and selecting the right personnel for the job.

Failure to conform to the requirements of the job would lead to the person’s removal from the position at the mine, Britton said.

Moranbah North has also used automation to improve productivity in the areas of shotcreting and wi-fi in the mine to improve communications and tracking.

VoIP telephones were used to streamline the distribution of information and the management processes.

These were examples of investment in technology that could save time during critical periods such as longwall shifts that would tie up labour and machinery and decrease productivity, the panel said.