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Business |
‘Kainantu can be turned around’
New team to shore up
the gold mine: H’lands Pacific MD
By BRIAN GOMEZ in Sydney
IN his first public statement as managing director of Highlands
Pacific, John Gooding has expressed confidence the company’s
troubled Kainantu gold mine “can be turned around and reach its
full potential”.
Mr Gooding made this comment yesterday in disclosing the names of
the new management team that will be charged with the task of
turning around the dismal production performance at Kainantu.
The statement said most of the new team members had worked
previously with Mr Gooding would be fully operational by the end
of next month.
The four-man team is headed by David Whittle who takes over as
general manager for the Kainantu mine. He was described as a
mining engineer with extensive experience in gold and base metal
mines in Australia and Africa.
Gary Varley, who has vast experience in underground mining in
Australia and Africa, has been appointed mine manager with Bill
Read as mill manager and Peter Scerri as maintenance manager.
Mr Scerri will be responsible for underground mining and milling
equipment and infrastructure at Kainantu.
They join two other team members already in place - Chris Huddy,
chief geologist at Kainantu and David Wissink, manager community
and cultural affairs.
“From what I have seen at Kainantu, and given the calibre of the
new team that we have assembled, I have every confidence that
Kainantu can be turned around and reach its full potential,” Mr
Gooding said.
Highlands Pacific continued its decline yesterday, shedding A$0.05
to A$0.165.
The stock had plunged to a low of A$0.12 recently following severe
mining production problems with some optimism that a turnaround
may occur following the appointment of Mr Gooding.
 
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