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Job fears loom large over Nhulunbuy bauxite mine employees
Edited by : AL CIRCLE
1 min read
Reports of Nhulunbuy's bauxite mine being on brink of closure have been dismissed as "alarmist''.
Member of the Legislative Assembly Lynne Walker said: "I don't believe for one minute that it will happen."
The alumina operation is the sole reason for the town's existence. It employs 1500 workers and the whole community of 3800 people relies on the mine, directly or indirectly, for income.
Owner Pacific Aluminium would not comment on reports that the mine would shut after losing more than $100 million in the first six months of this year.
Investec analyst Tim Gerrard said: "All the signals point to the closure of this operation.''
He said an alternative was for the refinery to close and the mine to continue exporting bauxite. This scaled-down operation would still entail the lose of hundreds of jobs.
But Ms Walker, who has represented the town since 2008, said she was in regular talks with Pacific Aluminium.
She said the miner wanted to save money by switching from heavy fuel to gas.
Member of the Legislative Assembly Lynne Walker said: "I don't believe for one minute that it will happen."
The alumina operation is the sole reason for the town's existence. It employs 1500 workers and the whole community of 3800 people relies on the mine, directly or indirectly, for income.
Owner Pacific Aluminium would not comment on reports that the mine would shut after losing more than $100 million in the first six months of this year.
Investec analyst Tim Gerrard said: "All the signals point to the closure of this operation.''
He said an alternative was for the refinery to close and the mine to continue exporting bauxite. This scaled-down operation would still entail the lose of hundreds of jobs.
But Ms Walker, who has represented the town since 2008, said she was in regular talks with Pacific Aluminium.
She said the miner wanted to save money by switching from heavy fuel to gas.
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