The Tasmanian Government has voiced support for the workers and families impacted by the Avebury nickel mine closure.
Last week, it was announced that less than two years after recommencing operations, the Avebury nickel mine was to be transitioned back into care and maintenance.
Advisory and investment firm KordaMentha cited the weakening nickel price and the increase in Indonesian nickel supply as the reason behind the mine’s closure.
Tasmanian Resources Minister Felix Ellis said funding has now been made available to the workers impacted by the mine’s closure. The funding can help the workers find new jobs and re-training options.
“We are ready with a range of assistance available to connect workers to new job opportunities including through the Regional Jobs Hub Network and the Career Connector service or to get into suitable training,” Ellis said.
“Whether it is finding a job in the same field or retraining for another trade, we can connect these workers with the people that can help and also assisting with training and licensing costs up to $3000 through our Rapid Response Skills Initiative.
“Our team at Jobs Tasmania is engaging with Avebury to ensure impacted employees receive comprehensive support and information about their options to find new work.”
Ellis said the Avebury mine workers possess a wide range of skills that can be deployed to other local businesses.
“We’ve got strong demand for skilled workers including in advanced manufacturing and civil construction and we can help connect these workers with those jobs,” he said.
“We’ll initially be holding information sessions on the west coast for workers as well as providing support for the drive-in drive-out workforce across the state.
“This decision will have a big impact on the community and the (Tasmanian) Government is stepping up to support employees to find new work as soon as possible.”
Avebury’s closure is just the latest nickel mine to close in Australia, with IGO, Wyloo, BHP being significantly impacted by the nickel downturn.
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