"Man dead after Bootu Creek mine wall collapse, unions call for industrial manslaughter laws", 26 August 2019

A man who was buried under a collapsed wall of dirt and rock at a Northern Territory mine has died.

Unions are now calling for industrial manslaughter laws to be implemented and for workplace culture to be shifted to prioritise worker safety.

In a statement released on Monday, Singapore-based OM Holdings Ltd — which owns subsidiary OM (Manganese) Ltd (OMM), which runs the Bootu Creek mine 110 kilometres north of Tennant Creek — confirmed the death...

A joint investigative team has been set up with representatives from Northern Territory Police and the Department of Primary Industry and Resources...

Current and former Bootu Creek mine workers have contacted the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMMEU) with concerns about the mine, said NT organiser Kane Lowth. "They're making allegations that similar slips have occurred recently, not dissimilar to the one that occurred on Saturday that took this gentleman's life," he said...the CFMMEU would seek an urgent meeting with NT WorkSafe once its investigation at the site was complete...

Unions NT called for a "revamp" of workplace culture...

He also called for the NT Government to implement industrial manslaughter laws, "which will put the onus back on the company and have a lot of impact we think across the broader safety culture in companies", he said.

The Bootu Creek mine was placed in administration in January 2016, before resuming operations in early 2017. About 140 workers lost their jobs when the mine was mothballed, largely due to a drop in ore prices, and only returned to full production in 2018...