Carnaby Resources has wrapped up the transaction to acquire the Trekelano mining leases in North-West Queensland from Chinova Resources.

Carnaby said it had paid Chinova $5.7 million upon completion of the acquisition in addition to the $3 million cash deposit paid upon signing the asset sale agreement in late 2024. It also place a $1.3 million environmental bond with Queensland Treasury as part of the registered transfer of Trekelano.

Related: Carnaby excited over latest Trekelano find

Completion of the acquisition allows Carnaby to kick off exploration-focussed drilling at Trekelano, targeting direct lode extensions to the Inheritance deposit and the historical Trekelano deposit.

The company said integration of Trekelano into the Greater Duchess pre-feasibility study remained on track, with key geotechnical and metallurgical drilling already completed.

Sunshine Metals has started a Collaborative Exploration Incentive-funded diamond drill hole at Liontown North, part of the Ravenswood Consolidated Project.

A 650m diamond drill hole is planned to test coincident induced polarisation (IP) and electromagnetic (EM) anomalies on the north side of the conceptual Liontown Dome.

“Any mineralisation intersected will confirm the prospectivity of an untested 3km stretch of the target Liontown contact,” Sunshine managing director Damien Keys said.

Drilling is also set to commence at Sunshine’s Sybil project this month, with the programs running concurrently.

Exploration work by Killi Resources at the Mount Rawdon West project has thrown the potential of its King Louie and Baloo prospects into focus.

The company said it had defined priority drill targets within a 4km by 1.7km copper-gold-molybdenum surface geochemical anomaly at the Baloo prospect.

It reported peak soil assay results of 1,760ppb gold and 602ppm copper at the site.

At King Louie, ground truthing, infill and extension sampling of soil anomalies are proposed after peak soil assay results returned 640ppb gold and 2,499ppm copper.

Mount Rawdon West is Killi’s flagship exploration asset, comprising 309sq km of prospective gold and copper ground between Evolution Mining’s Mount Rawdon gold mine and SolGold’s Mount Perry project, 60km inland from Bundaberg.

Aviation Australia and Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) have announced the establishment of the Townsville Aviation Training Academy, set to open in January 2026.  

The Mount Louisa facility, which is under construction, will feature more than 750sq m of dedicated training space, equipped with rotary and fixed-wing aircraft training aids tailored for both defence and commercial aviation sectors. 

The new academy will initially focus on training aircraft maintenance engineers for the Australian Army’s rotary wing fleet, including the AH-64E Apache helicopters which will be stationed in Townsville from later this year.

The State Government said the inaugural training program would welcome 36 BDA apprentices and trainees, marking a pivotal step in developing local talent and ensuring the sustainability of the aerospace industry in North Queensland.  

Twenty-two projects have been funded under the State Government’s new $100 million Country Roads Connect Program – aimed at improving the connectivity and resilience of Queensland’s regional road network.

Regional and Rural Development Minister Dale Last said the overwhelming response from councils demonstrated the need to upgrade the state’s unsealed road network.

“These roads are critical lifelines for regional communities, and improving them is essential for safety, connectivity, and economic development,” Mr Last said.

The successful projects include: Anderleigh Road, Gympie Regional Council; Barmaryee Road, Livingstone Shire Council; Bowen Developmental Road, Whitsunday Regional Council; China Camp Road, Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council; Cloncurry-Dajarra Road, Cloncurry Shire Council; Cotherstone-Capella Road, Isaac Regional Council; Daymar-Weengallon Road, Goondiwindi Regional Council; Diamantina Developmental Road, Barcoo Shire Council; Gayndah Mount Perry Road, North Burnett Regional Council; Injune Road Project, Banana Shire Council; Jakelwar – Goodooga Rd (North), Balonne Shire Council; Jobs Gate Road, Paroo Shire Council; Julia Creek-Taldora Road, McKinlay Shire Council; Memerambi Barkers Creek Road, South Burnett Regional Council; Murray Road, Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council; Ootann Road, Mareeba Shire Council; Richmond Winton Road, Richmond Shire Council; Stanwell-Waroula Road, Rockhampton Regional Council; Warra-Canaga Creek Road, Western Downs Regional Council; Warri Gate Road, Bulloo Shire Council; Wyntoon-Springton Road, Central Highlands Regional Council; Yuleba Surat Road, Maranoa Shire Council.