NICKEL and gold group Independence Group's friendly $532 million bid for base metals producer Jabiru Metals has kicked off the predicted flood of merger and acquisition activity by second-ranked miners.

WHEN Gabby Gumurdul started work at the Ranger uranium mine last year he worked one week on and then had a week off. Now Mr Gumurdul, from the remote Northern Territory community of Gunbalanya, typically works 60 hours a week, doing a variety of jobs at the mine.

Grey nomads turned green with envy when they spotted Stephen Williams touring in a Trakka Jabiru.

TERRITORY Resources chairman Michael Kiernan is planning to offload Consolidated Minerals' Kambalda nickel business and its lucrative stake in emerging copper producer Jabiru Metals, raising several hundred million dollars, if he succeeds with a planned $780 million takeover.

JABIRU Metals has won the crowded race for exploration rights to the Benambra copper/zinc deposits in East Gippsland's alpine region.