SEISMIC SURGE IN FAR NORTH: 3.9 EARTHQUAKE NEAR ROXBY DOWNS

3.9 Earthquake near Roxby Downs - the latest in a spate of earthquakes in South Australia's Far North (Map Geoscience Australia)

A 3.9 magnitude earthquake has struck near Olympic Dam in South Australia’s Mid – Far North AEST: Monday 26 March 2012 at 07:53:20  in addition to a spate of 4 separate earthquakes in the Far North of the state in the past week. 

The succession of medium to significant earthquakes has prompted  Geoscience Australia to begin setting up seismic monitoring equipment in the Far North where three of the earthquakes occured last week including a 6.1 magnitude quake.

SPATE OF EARTHQUAKES HIT SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S FAR NORTH

Location of 6.1 earthquake near Ernabella (Geoscience Australia)

A spate of earthquakes all within a week of each other have occurred in South Australia’s Far North with three strikes on the APY Lands.

A significant 6.1 earthquake struck near Ernabella (Pukatja), Fregon and Indulkana on the APY Lands at 8.25pm South Australian Daylight Savings Time CDT Friday night 23 March 2012.

The Ernabella quake occurred at a shallow depth of 3 km and according to Geoscience Australia may have been felt by people up to 507 km away and could have caused damage up to 40 km away. 

Mintabie residents on the APY Lands some 160 km away did not feel anything. 

COOBER PEDY TO SECURE WATER SUPPLY WITH GRANT

Coober Pedy will have a more secure water supply thanks to a $600,000 State Government grant to upgrade a 26-year-old cement water pipeline which supplies the town.

Regional Development Minister Gail Gago said the Regional Development Infrastructure Fund
(RDIF) grant would assist with the cost of replacing 12 kilometres of cement pipeline with PVC.

OPAL AND PRECIOUS METAL THEFT – COOBER PEDY

Silver ingot similar to those stolen

Coober Pedy police are investigating the theft of a significant quantity of opal, and gold and silver ingots from Coober Pedy this week and ask dealers of precious stones and metals to be wary of anyone offering cheap deals.

Between Monday evening 20 February and Tuesday morning, a residential property in Coober Pedy was broken into with thieves stealing the opals and ingots.

PROPOSED CHANGES TO FEDERAL MINING OHS&W REGULATIONS DEFERRED

Proposed changes to federal mining occupational health safety and welfare (OHS&W) regulations to be implemented on the first of January 2012 have been deferred for twelve months, while lawmakers, Safe Work Australia and Safe Work SA to consider the implications/changes to any OHS&W regulations that affect miners.

$65,000 BACK-PAY FOR COOBER PEDY WORKERS

Eleven workers at Coober Pedy in South Australia have been back-paid a total of $65,900 following intervention by the Fair Work Ombudsman.

The workers – who all worked at the same business – were underpaid the minimum hourly rate.

IMX RESOURCES DISPUTE WITH JV PARTNER

On 14 November 2011, IMX Resources Limited  called on its joint venture partner, Taifeng Yuanchuang International Development Co., Ltd  to pay by 28 November 2011 its 49% share (A$4,121,601) of Cairn Hill expenditure under the Heads of Agreement  between IMX and Taifeng dated 29 December 2009.