Fonterra has announced plans to expand its Stanhope processing plant to incorporate ricotta cheese production once its Cororooke plant closes in October. [ + ]

The machineSAFE website is a user-friendly platform providing safety resources and information covering all aspects of machine safeguarding, safe plant automation and safety-related engineering across all industries. [ + ]

Global Industry Analysts has released a research report which provides a review of market trends, issues, drivers, company profiles, mergers, acquisitions and other strategic industry activities. [ + ]

Hiring optimism in Australia is expected to weaken in Q4 this year, falling to a Net Employment Outlook of +3% from +6% in Q3, the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey shows. [ + ]

Rockwell Automation has sponsored the biggest FIRST tournament in Australia to date. FIRST recently held the Asia Pacific Open FIRST LEGO League Championship and Invitational FIRST Tech Challenge in Sydney. [ + ]

Ulrich Spiesshofer has taken over as ABB's Chief Executive Officer. Spiesshofer will succeed Joe Hogan as CEO; Hogan will continue as advisor to the board until the end of March 2014. [ + ]

Concerns are growing in the Tasmanian midlands about Petragas's intentions to conduct oil and gas exploration in the region. The company has applied for an exploration licence for around 4000 m² of farmland just north of Hobart, near Kempton and Oatlands. [ + ]

Fluid Components International (FCI) has released a video that illustrates the VeriCal In-Situ Calibration System for the ST100 Series flow meter. [ + ]

Chief Minister Adam Giles announced plans for 'use it or lose it' rules to ensure oil and gas companies develop exploration leases or lose them within a given time frame. Speaking at an oil and gas industry conference in Darwin, Giles said these rules would prevent companies from just banking the leases. [ + ]

In the coming months, Rockwell Automation will provide specialised TÜV Rheinland Functional Safety Program training to machinery engineers across the country. [ + ]

ABB and Statoil have entered into a joint industry program to develop solutions for transmission, distribution and power conversion systems designed to power and control subsea pumps and gas compressors at depths of 3000 m and over vast distances. [ + ]

Rockwell Automation has been awarded an order in excess of $6.7 million by South Korean company DSME. Rockwell will deliver fully integrated safety solutions for Transocean, a leading provider of offshore contract drilling services. [ + ]

Coal seam gas producer QGC has awarded Thiess a $1.8 billion contract to construct gas compression facilities and associated works for the QCLNG project in the Surat Basin. [ + ]

University of Sydney researchers recently received a $1.36 million grant from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia which will allow the international research team to continue its work in the field of membrane technology. [ + ]

Rockwell Automation has launched an initiative to help manufacturers better protect their control systems from cybersecurity threats. Automation and IT professionals will be able to more effectively secure their industrial processes with the initiative, which uses control system design and best practices, contemporary technologies and professional services from Rockwell and its strategic partnerships. [ + ]