Meetings, arrests after NT mine forced into second lockdown

A Territory mine has been forced into a second lockdown, just days after a female worker was forced to hide in fear for her life.

A Northern Territory mine was placed into lockdown for a second time on Tuesday after armed men were seen approaching the site.

Groote Eylandt’s GEMCO mine entered its second lockdown in three days after two men, believed to have been armed with axes, were seen walking towards an external perimeter fence on Tuesday afternoon.

The NT government has responded to unrest on Groote Eylandt and its impact on GEMCO’s manganese operation with a meeting of key-stakeholders at Parliament House this morning.

Chief Commissioner Michael Murphy met with representatives from GEMCO, Police Minister Kate Worden and officers from Mining Minister Nicole Manison’s office to find solutions to the incidents.

The meeting underlines the seriousness with which the NT government is taking the mine violence.

Mining generated $367m in royalties to the NT in 2022-23 and is responsible for thousands of direct and indirect jobs.

Northern Territory police have deployed five additional officers to Groote Eylandt since Saturday morning’s incident.

A haul truck drives past a crossing at South32's GEMCO manganese mine.

Two members of the serious crime squad, two from Strike Force Trident and a canine and officer from police dog operations have joined existing officers at Alyungula in an attempt to normalise behaviour at the island.

Tuesday’s incident followed the lockdown early on Saturday morning when an unidentified number of armed intruders entered the GEMCO mine site and terrorised staff members, forcing a female employer to hide in fear for her life and other staff to barricade inside a smoko room.

Tuesday’s incident forced the mine into lockdown and disruption at transport hubs, with additional police being deployed to the troubled region.

A social media post from a GEMCO employee said upon arrival at Groote Eylandt airport at 5pm, workers were told to check-in at the mine site and the gates were locked.

It said police were at the scene at about 5.30pm with passengers on incoming flights not allowed out of the airport gates.

Bus services were delayed because night shift wasn’t allowed to enter the mine.

Earlier Wednesday police made two arrests in relation to the weekend incident.

Detective Senior Sergeant Karl Day said investigations remain ongoing.

He said shortly after 6am Wednesday, officers from serious crime, Strike Force Trident, the dog operations unit and Alyangula general duties officers arrested two males aged 17 and 20 for offences reported at the mine over the weekend.

Both men remain in custody and are expected to be charged on Wednesday.

Police Minister Kate Worden said the safety of employees “is paramount and no staff should be subjecgted to violent behaviour in their workplace”.

NT WorkSafe wants GEMCO to provide detail on measures being taken to mitigate the risk from unauthorised access to the mine.

This masthead has contacted GEMCO and the Minerals Council NT for comment.

Police probe GEMCO mine ‘invasion’

Police are continuing investigations into an incident at GEMCO’s manganese mine at Groote Eylandt on Saturday in which two mine employees were injured and another reportedly terrorised.

Police have flown additional resources onto Groote Eylandt in the wake of the incident which has left mine workers shaken and exposed flaws in the site’s security.

Social media reported that at about 3am Saturday GEMCO’s Groote Eylandt mine had been locked down due to trespassers on location armed with an axe.

The post said the intruders were “actively attempting” to steal cars and there were reports of damaged vehicles and damage at the mine workshop.

The report said several offenders armed with edged weapons attempted to gain entry to a locked room where a female worker was hiding and that other staff were locked in a smoko room.

The mine was evacuated, a worker received an injury to the chest and another suffered an eye injury when a screwdriver was thrown through a glass window.

Globally, mine security is a serious issue with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade supporting the so-called West Africa mining security conference in Ghana late last month.

Police are investigating an incident at South32's GEMCO manganese mine on Groote Eylandt.

Included on the agenda was an afternoon workshop looking into kidnap response, risks and mitigation targeting mine personnel and staff.

Mine safety and security have emerged as an additional issue now being faced by the NT government as it attempts to attract more mines to grow the Territory’s economy and reduce the dependence on commonwealth revenue.

The Opposition CLP said mining companies address issues of safety and security when considering whether to open new mines in the Territory.

During an address at NT Resources Week last month, Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro addressed issues around recruitment faced by NT employers.

“Spiralling crime means our safety is threatened on a daily basis in our homes, streets and workplaces,” she said.

“The economic cost of crime is also taking its toll, with Territorians paying four-and-a-half times more for insurance than people living in Adelaide,” she said.

“It is costing our population growth and it is costing our ability to attract and retain staff.”

Mine owners South32 have declined to comment beyond its initial statement posted on social media on Saturday acknowledging members of the public had accessed the mine site, property had been damaged and the mine had been placed in temporary lockdown.

“GEMCO’s priority is the safety of our people,” the statement said.

“We are working closely with the police to assist with these inquiries.”