The tour group at Coober Pedy including Mr Kim Boehm Managing Director of Clemenger, Daniel Tsogas Director, Marketing & Communications of Advantage SA, Nikki Seymour-Smith Chief Executive of Advantage SA and Megan Andrews Director Memberships & Communications of SACOME

South Australian Government communications organisation Advantage SA this week hosted interstate and local media groups on a tour aimed at encouraging positive publicity for the SA mining sector.

Advantage SA CEO Nikki Seymour-Smith said, “Advantage SA’s Interstate Media Program seeks to challenge and alter the perceptions held by editors and key interstate media representatives regarding South Australia. It aims to profile South Australia as a visionary, creative, and innovative State, while providing an informative hands-on experience that highlights the key advantages of the State”.

The media tour conducted between Tuesday 7 December and Wednesday 8 December highlighted the South Australian resource potential and export sector, emphasizing that the mineral sector currently employs around 7,700 workers hence economic benefits in the state.

On the agenda were four of the State’s operating mines including Olympic Dam, copper, gold and uranium mine which recently submitted amendments to its (EIS) environmental impact statement to the South Australian government; plus one of Australia’s significant new copper-gold mines at Prominent Hill. The tour also explored the recently opened Cairn Hill iron ore and gold mine near Coober Pedy, and the Beverley uranium mine located in the iconic Flinders Ranges. (waiting on quote)

Yanni Athanasiadis business owner of the Umoona Opal Mine speaks with Megan Lloyd Editor of Sunday Mail during the reception held at Mr. Athanasiadis Opal Mine and Museum in Coober Pedy

The final leg of the Far North tour took guests to the opal mining centre of Coober Pedy where precious opal has been mined for nearly a hundred years.  Guests visited Coober Pedy’s Umoona Opal Mine and Tom’s Working Mine which are key attractions in the midst of the century old opal mining region.

Advantage SA CEO Nikki Seymour-Smith said, “A highlight of the tour, in addition to the opportunity to get up close to some of the State’s working mines, was the brilliant hospitality that we received at every stop along the way, from those in the industry at the mines we visited and the Coober Pedy locals.”

Coober Pedy business owner Yanni Athanasiadis at Umoona Opal Mine said, “I would like to thank Nikki Seymour-Smith CEO of Advantage SA for her initiative in showing everyone from the group around Coober Pedy helping them to form an understanding of what Coober Pedy and the opal industry is all about”.

“Our strength in tourism with the quality of accommodation houses and attractions we provide to our visitors was experienced first hand by key people from the media which may assist in producing some positive articles in their newspapers and magazines about our town”.

“We appreciate the interest the entire group showed in the various facets of the opal mining industry in Coober Pedy,” said Mr. Athanasiadis.

“The Advantage SA Mining tour was a great success”, said tour coordinator Nikki Seymour-Smith. “All guests came away with invaluable insights into our State’s rich resource industry.”

“The tour exposed a number of journalists representing key interstate outlets to South Australia’s rapidly growing mining sector.” 

“We worked very closely with the South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy on the tour to expose journalists representing key interstate and local outlets to South Australia’s thriving mining sector,” said Advantage SA’s Nikki Seymour-Smith.

Invited to tour with Advantage SA were journalists from the Herald Sun, Business Review Weekly, Australian Financial Review, Sunday Mail and Solstice Media along with seven South Australian business leaders who are also Advantage SA Foundation members.