Resources Unearthed

27/10/2026

Has your business outgrown its structure?

A business can change enormously in five or ten years. Ownership evolves, equipment fleets grow, capital requirements increase and new opportunities emerge, yet the underlying structure may remain largely unchanged.

In his first article for Resources Unearthed, Nick Farr from RSM Australia considers when it may be worth taking another look at the structure supporting your business, particularly if investment, acquisitions, management ownership or succession are on the horizon.

Sometimes the right time to review your structure is well before you actually need to change it. More here: https://www.resourcesunearthed.com.au/has-your-business-outgrown-its-structure

Is your business structure still fit for purpose? Learn when restructuring may support growth, investment, employee ownership and future succession.

22/10/2026

📣 We are excited to welcome RSM Australia to Resources Unearthed.

As part of the collaboration, Nick Farr and Gabriel Ho will contribute their accounting, taxation and business advisory expertise to the Resources Unearthed network, further strengthening the support available to mining and resources professionals.

By bringing together expertise across financial planning, legal, accounting, taxation and business advisory disciplines, Resources Unearthed continues to connect the mining and resources sector with specialists who understand its unique opportunities and challenges.

Read the full announcement here: https://www.resourcesunearthed.com.au/rsm-australia-joins-resources-unearthed-specialist-advisory-network/

Resources Unearthed Welcomes RSM Australia to Enhance Specialist Support for Mining and Resources Professionals.

13/10/2026

Think Division 296 is only relevant if your super exceeds $3 million? Think again.

While much of the discussion has focused on those already above the threshold, that is not the full story.

For many mining and resources professionals, future investment growth, employee share schemes, business interests and family circumstances could mean Division 296 becomes increasingly relevant over time.

In our recent article, we explore why the conversation is not just about where your super sits today, but where it may be heading in the years ahead, and why SMSF members may want to understand a little-known cost-base election now rather than later.

One decision today could influence how the rules apply many years from now.

Division 296 may affect your future even if your super balance is below $3 million. Learn how the SMSF cost-base election could influence long-term outcomes.

07/10/2026

The biggest financial risk for many executives in their 50s is not making a bad decision. It is not asking the right questions soon enough.

Most executives we meet have done many things well. They have accumulated wealth, invested consistently and built successful careers.

The challenges often emerge when employee share schemes, superannuation, ownership structures, insurance and retirement planning are treated as separate decisions instead of part of one strategy.

Our latest article explores five questions that can help bring the bigger picture into focus.

Read more: https://www.resourcesunearthed.com.au/in-your-50s-five-financial-questions-every-mining-executive-should-be-asking/

28/09/2026

For many mining and resources executives, your 50s can be one of the most financially significant decades of your career.

Income is often at its highest, employee share schemes continue to vest, superannuation has become a major asset, and retirement is drawing closer.

In his latest article for Resources Unearthed, James Marshall explores five important financial questions worth asking before the next stage of your career and retirement journey.

Approaching retirement? Discover five important financial questions mining executives should consider around employee share schemes, superannuation, risk management and long-term wealth planning.

24/09/2026

Resources Unearthed's James Marshall recently joined QCoal Foundation Company Secretary Hans Larsson and the QCoal team at the 2026 Act for Kids Stadium of Hope Gala.

The event highlighted the incredible work being undertaken to support children and families affected by trauma, as well as the positive impact community partnerships can have across regional and remote Queensland.

For more information about Act for Kids and QCoal Foundation's support of the Re-ACT CQ Program, please see the post below.

22/09/2026

Have you read our latest article: When Your Employer Changes Hands: What Happens to Your Executive Share Scheme?

A few key insights highlighted by legal contributor Craig Hong of Hillhouse Legal Partners include:

🔸 The sale of a mine or business unit can have very different implications from the sale of an entire company.
🔸Change of control provisions, good leaver and bad leaver clauses, and board discretion can each influence what happens to unvested awards.
🔸 Many professionals do not locate or review their plan rules until after a transaction has been announced, when their options may already be limited.

For executives and employees participating in share schemes, these arrangements can represent a significant asset. Understanding the plan rules before a transaction occurs may help avoid unexpected outcomes and provide greater clarity when decisions need to be made.

Read more here: https://www.resourcesunearthed.com.au/when-your-employer-changes-hands-what-happens-to-your-executive-share-scheme/

14/09/2026

For many mining and resources professionals, an executive share scheme grows quietly in the background. Over time, what began as a workplace incentive can become one of your most valuable assets.

Yet when a mine, project or business changes hands, the question is no longer simply what your equity is worth. It becomes whether you will receive it at all.

The answer may not be found in the transaction announcement, but in the plan rules and grant documentation you received years earlier.

Read more from Craig Hong of Hillhouse Legal Partners, Legal Contributor for Resources Unearthed, as he explores what mining and resources executives should understand about executive share schemes, change of control events and the provisions that can affect their outcomes.

What happens to your executive share scheme when your employer is sold? Learn how change of control, good leaver provisions and board discretion may affect your equity.

03/09/2026

Congratulations to Stratus Financial Group, our Financial Planning contributors, on being named a finalist in the Fortnum Practice of the Year category. We wish the team all the very best for the awards next week.

We are proud to share that Stratus Financial Group has been named a finalist in the Fortnum Private Wealth Awards, in the Practice of the Year (3+ Advisers) category.

Congratulations to our advisers, Brett Cribb, James Marshall and Steve Nicholas, and to the entire Stratus team. This recognition reflects the dedication, professionalism and care they bring to our clients every day.

We are honoured to be recognised as a finalist and proud to be part of the Fortnum community, a network of professionals committed to delivering meaningful outcomes for clients.

Congratulations to our fellow finalists, and we wish everyone the very best.

01/09/2026

Many business owners focus on valuation, tax and finding the right buyer when planning an exit.

What is often overlooked are the legal provisions that can significantly influence how a transaction unfolds.

In this short video, Craig Hong of Hillhouse Legal Partners discusses the role of shareholder agreements, pre-emptive rights and ASIC "whitewashing" requirements, and why they should be considered well before a business sale is on the horizon.

Watch the snippet below and for a deeper discussion on business succession planning, listen to the full Resources Unearthed podcast.

Here: https://www.resourcesunearthed.com.au/business-succession-legal-and-tax-considerations-in-selling-a-business/