Skip to main content

A drone shot of Koniambo mine in New Caledonia.

A photo of the Nickel factory sitting by the coast under blue skies.
The nickel factory at Koniambo mine in New Caledonia's north province.(ABC News: Nicolas Job)

Rows of previously used trucks and vehicles now sit unused at Koniambo mine.
Rows of previously used trucks and vehicles now sit abandoned at Koniambo mine.(ABC News: Nicolas Job)
An aerial shot of Koniambo mine taken from a drone showing factory machinery.
A drone shot of Koniambo mine.(ABC News: Nicolas Job)

A photo of former mine worker Andre Diela wearing an orange t-shirt and cap.
André Diela was among the 1,200 workers to lose their jobs at Koniambo.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)
A map showing the location of the Koniambo mine in New Caledonia off the east coast of Australia.
The Koniambo mine sits in the north province of New Caledonia about 1,500km east of Australia with the capital Nouméa in the south.(ABC News Graphic: Jarrod Fankhauser)
A close up photo of Andre's old mining boots sitting in his garden.
André Diela’s old mining boots.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)
A view of the garden outside André Diela’s house.
A view of the garden outside André Diela’s house.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)

A photo of a yellow building with a closed storefront in the town of Voh.
Shops in the nearby town of Voh, northern New Caledonia, have since been abandoned or closed.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)
A photo of a closed petrol station in Voh.
An empty petrol station in Voh.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)
A map with the ocean in beige, and land in blue, showing the location of Koniambo nickel mine and factory in New Caledonia.
The Koniambo nickel mine and factory are surrounded by the towns of Voh, Koné and Pouembout. (ABC News Graphic: Jarrod Fankhauser)

A view of the empty tables at the Auberge De Gaulle Hotel.
Empty tables at the Auberge De Gaulle hotel.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)
A photo of Chantel Haoa the head chef at the Auberge De Gaulle hotel.
Chantel Haoa. The head chef at the Auberge De Gaulle hotel.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)
A photo of a pathway through green trees and empty accomodation.
The Auberge De Gaulle hotel has been largely vacant since the mine close.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)

A photo of Samuel Gorohouna sitting down in jeans and a shirt staring into the distance.
Samuel Gorohouna grew up in Koné and worries about the future of the region without nickel.  (ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)

Samuel Gorohouna walks us around an empty carpark in Koné.
Samuel Gorohouna walks us through an empty car park in Koné's business district.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)
A photo of a dark deserted hallway lined with closed shops.
Many of the shops and commercial areas in Koné have since been deserted.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)
A photo of dark hallways through closed shops.
The loss of the mine has drastically impacted small businesses and the local economy.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)
Graffiti in French which translates into "Northern factory, stupidity of man".
Graffiti on an abandoned building nearby translates to "Northern factory, stupidity of man".(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)

Sylvie Brier from economic development group Avenir Nord.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)
A photo of a long road straight through huge green hills and trees.
Some say the the situation offers an opportunity to lift the tourism and agriculture industries.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)

A photo of an abandoned building in Voh surrounded by overgrown grass and trees.
An abandoned building in Voh.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)

A photo from when the mine was open of a worker looking up at it.
The Koniambo nickel mine closed in August 2024.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)

A photo from inside a nickel smelter which looks like long dark hall with pipes.
The inside of the nickel smelter is dark and abandoned.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)
A photo of a dark room filled with pipes inside the mine.
Koniambo factory remains empty of the workers who once filled the site.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)

A photo of Jean-Louis Thydjepache in the mine.
Jean-Louis Thydjepache is one of the few people still tending to the site.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)
A photo of nickel smelters inside the mine.
The nickel smelters which have been shut down are difficult to turn back on.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)
A photo of the oven display reads 1,700 degrees.
Experts say the now-shut down ovens could take a year to restart.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)

A photo of mayor Henriette Hmae sitting behind her desk in an orange shirt.
Congresswoman and mayor Henriette Hmae says the independence movement is bigger than the nickel industry.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)

Smoke rises over city of Noumea, in New Caledonia.
There were both political and economic reasons for the riots that engulfed Nouméa.(AP Photo: Nicolas Job)

A photo of one of Andre Diela's pigs facing the camera.
A photo of one of André Diela's pigs.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)
A photo of two men tending fruits in a garden.
André Diela began tending fruit trees after he lost his job.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)
A photo of a speed boat sitting in Andre Dieylah's garden.
A boat sitting in André Diela's garden.(ABC News: Yasmine Wright Gittins)

  • Cooper Williams and Yasmine Wright Gittins
  • Yasmine Wright Gittins
  • Nicolas Job
  • Doug Dingwall

Posted , updated 
Share