Program

Our industry’s purpose is to produce minerals and energy to benefit people everywhere whilst not impacting adversely on, and indeed enhancing, the global and local environment. The 2023 World Mining Congress is taking place when the world is changing in very important ways.

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Pre-Congress Symposia

This Special Symposium will highlight the links between the mining and quarry sectors and consist of three conference sessions over the first and second and third days of the Congress (Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28), as well as a pre-conference symposium on Monday 26 June 2023.

Pre-Congress Symposium Registration includes access to the Symposium on Monday 26 June 2023. A full congress registration is required in order to access the sessions on Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 June.

Construction materials dominate global mineral production and globally account for six of the top ten produced mineral commodities. Construction materials underpin global development and the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, whether it be the clay bricks and roof tiles that provide shelter, or the sand, gravel and crushed stone that builds bridges and paves roads. These ‘Development Minerals’ are crucial inputs for infrastructure, housing, road building, and manufacturing and predominantly support the livelihoods of people working in domestic artisanal, small and medium-sized businesses.

The Special Symposium on Sustainable Construction Materials address the following themes:

  • Sustainable aggregates – the environmental and social challenges associated with sand, gravel and crushed stone extraction are garnering international attention (e.g. recognition by the United Nations Environment Assembly) and local action.
  • Circular economy – by-products of mining and mineral processing can help to avoid the production of large volumes of mineral wastes and contribute to the transition to a circular economy. Ore-sand produced from metal ores can help to reduce mining wastes and be an alternative source of aggregate.
  • Low Carbon Concrete – cement is a major contributor to global climate change, accounting for around 8 percent of all anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. Low carbon alternatives to ordinary portland cement are gaining traction, such as limestone calcined clay cement and geopolymers.
  • Poverty reduction and livelihood improvement – a large proportion of the world’s construction materials workforce are small and medium sized enterprises that mine local materials and, in the developing world, often live in circumstances of poverty.
  • Resourcing the future – climate change, natural disasters, urbanisation, infrastructure and population growth are driving large increases in the demand for construction materials.

Within the next decade or so, a growing number of major mines around the world will cease production; some of these closures will be planned, others will be the result of changing market conditions or unanticipated technical problems. Regardless of whether they are planned or not, a substantial proportion of these closures will present significant environmental, technical and social challenges. Many countries are already having to deal with the legacies of inadequately closed or abandoned mines, generally with only limited success. A specific issue will be managing environmental and socialtransitions in coal mining regions, as the shift to a post-carbon economy gathers pace.

As stated by the International Council on Mining and Metals, mine closure has become one of the most challenging issues facing mining companies, communities and governments around the world (https://www.icmm.com/en-gb/environmental-stewardship/mine-closure). How well these challenges are addressed has major implications for the reputation of the mining sector and its future Licence to Operate.

This special symposium will combine presentations on closure case studies from around the world, with thought provoking panel sessions highlighting the risks and opportunities for local communities through mine closure. Working in conjunction with the Cooperative Research Centre for Transformations in Mining Economies, the symposium will bring together representatives from industry, local communities, governments and experts to discuss the issue of mine closure from their differing perspectives.

The symposium is seeking case studies highlighting the following potential topics:

  • The scale of the closure challenge.
  • Technological innovations to address abandoned mine sites and stranded assets.
  • Good practice in progressive closure and rehabilitation.
  • Alternative post-mining uses for land and infrastructure.
  • Regulation and governance of mine closure and relinquishment.
  • Planning and preparation for social transitions.
  • Engaging with Indigenous people and local communities around closure.
  • Managing closure and post-mining transitions at a regional scale.
  • Management in perpetuity.
  • Designing and building mines for closure/ Delivering on the promise of integrated mine closure.
  1. To attract and influence senior government officials from producer and consumer countries on the need for internationally coordinated approaches for detailed roadmaps and plans with measurable dates and targets that map to the climate goals agreed in COP26.
  2. To gain international acceptance of the need for governments to adopt policies that accelerate environmentally and socially responsible developments of new, and expansions of existing, mines (including re-mining of waste materials) and processing facilities.
  3. To gain acceptance that the investment needed to support the vast increases in production of critical materials required to achieve accepted climate goals will require active participation and significant investment by governments in forms that might include:
    • supporting RD&D to accelerate bringing new technologies to market,
    • encouraging education and training of people and companies in emerging economies in areas such as: social performance and governance, environmentally sustainable operations, and the development and adoption of new technologies,
    • participating in public-private partnerships to develop mining and processing operations in countries that can assure responsible development and supply, and
    • acting as a guaranteed purchaser-of-last-resort of some energy, minerals and materials. And last, but by no means least,
    • ensuring that communities and the environment in the regions where fossil fuel production is wound down and terminated are appropriately looked after.

Confirmed Speakers

Hon. Madeleine King MP

Hon. Madeleine King MP

Minister for Resources

Minister for Northern Australia

Hon. Scott Stewart MP

Hon. Scott Stewart MP

Minister for Resources, Queensland

Member for Townsville

17:30 – 19:00 WMC 2023 Welcome Reception

MINING: CREATING VALUE FOR SOCIETY

Time (AEST) Plenary Session
08:00 - 08:25 Welcome to Country
Official Opening
SESSION CHAIR
08:25 - 08:35

Welcome to WMC 2023

Hua Guo
Dr Hua Guo
WMC 2023 Congress Chair, Research Director
CSIRO Mineral Resources
08:35 - 08:45

Welcome from WMC

Marek Cala
Professor Marek Cala
Chairman, WMC International Organising Committee
Dean, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Resource Management
AGH University of Science and Technology
08:45 - 08:55

Welcome from CSIRO

Larry Marshall
Dr Larry Marshall
Chief Executive
CSIRO
08:55 - 09:05

Welcome to Queensland

Annastacia Palaszczuk
Annastacia Palaszczuk
Premier of Queensland
09:05 - 09:10
Jillian Whiting
Jillian Whiting
Congress EmCee
Plenary Session 1
SESSION CHAIR
09:10 - 09:25

Rationale for international governmental collaboration and coordinated policy approaches to achieve the required production of minerals for the new economy

Tim Gould
Tim Gould
Chief Energy Economist
International Energy Agency
09:25 - 09:50

Plenary Session

Rohitesh Dhawan
Rohitesh Dhawan
President and Chief Executive Officer
ICMM
Plenary Session 2
09:50 - 10:15

Plenary Session

Mike Henry
Mike Henry
Chief Executive Officer and Director
BHP
10:20 - 11:00 Morning Tea/Posters
Plenary Session 3
SESSION CHAIR
11:00 - 11:25

Plenary Session

Duncan Wanblad
Duncan Wanblad
Chief Executive
Anglo American plc
Plenary Session 4
11:25 - 11:50

Plenary Session

Fiona Hick
Fiona Hick
Chief Executive Officer
Fortescue Metals
Plenary Session 5
11:50 - 12:15

Plenary Session

Sanjeev Gandhi
Sanjeev Gandhi
Managing Director & CEO
Orica
12:15 - 13:30 Lunch/Posters
Plenary Session 6
SESSION CHAIR
13:30 - 13:55

Critical minerals, collaboration and training: The role of universities in mining’s global future

Deborah Terry AO
Professor Deborah Terry AO
Vice-Chancellor and President
The University of Queensland
Plenary Session 7
13:55 - 14:10

Plenary Session

Li Xiaohong
Professor Li Xiaohong
President
Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE)
Plenary Session 8
14:10 - 14:25

Plenary Session

Tania Constable
Tania Constable PSM
Chief Executive Officer
Minerals Council of Australia
Plenary Speaker - Discussion + Q&A
MODERATOR
Tania Constable
Tania Constable PSM
Chief Executive Officer
Minerals Council of Australia
14:25 - 15:00 Facilitated discussion + Question & Answer
15:00 - 15:30 Afternoon Tea/Posters
15:30 - 17:30
Parallel Sessions

Session Title:

Session Chair:

Session Speaker:

Organisation:


Artificial Intelligence

Rapid Resource Modelling

David Lawie
Imdex Ltd

15:30 - 15:45
Keynote

15:45 - 16:00

16:00 - 16:15

16:15 - 16:30

16:30 - 17:15
Panel Discussion

Autonomous Systems

Human Autonomy Integration

Ross McAree
The University of Queensland

15:30 - 16:15
Keynote

16:15 - 16:30

16:30 - 16:45

16:45 - 17:00

17:00 - 17:15

Critical Minerals

Critical Minerals Provenance
Final Session of the Minerals Policy & Governance Symposium & Joint Session of Decarbonisation & Critical Minerals Streams

Shaun Ferris
Queensland Government

15:30 - 15:50

15:50 - 16:05

16:05 - 16:20

16:20 - 16:35

16:35 - 16:50

16:50 - 17:20
Facilitated Panel Discussion

17:20 - 17:35

17:35 - 17:45

17:45 - 17:50

Decarbonisation

Critical Minerals Provenance
Final Session of the Minerals Policy & Governance Symposium & Joint Session of Decarbonisation & Critical Minerals Streams

Shaun Ferris
Queensland Government

15:30 - 15:50

15:50 - 16:05

16:05 - 16:20

16:20 - 16:35

16:35 - 16:50

16:50 - 17:20
Facilitated Panel Discussion

17:20 - 17:35

17:35 - 17:45

17:45 - 17:50

Environmental Sustainability

Global Change Driving the Rise of ESG

Nadja Kunz
The University of British Columbia

15:30 - 15:50
Keynote

15:50 - 16:10
Keynote

16:10 - 16:25

16:25 - 17:15
Panel Discussion

Future Workforce & Education

Industry Discussion Forum Future Workforce Skills - Needs, Training and Development Models

Dr Diana Drinkwater
Mineralis

15:30 - 17:15




Geosciences & Discovery

Global Mega Trends - Resource Implications

Chris Pigram
Geoscience Australia

15:30 - 16:00
Keynote

16:00 - 16:15

16:15 - 16:30

16:30 - 16:45

16:45 - 17:00

17:00 - 17:15

Health Safety & Wellbeing

Safety Leadership and Safety Culture

Susan Johnston
The University of Queensland

15:30 - 15:50
Keynote

15:50 - 16:05


16:05 - 16:20

16:20 - 16:35

16:35 - 16:50

16:50 - 17:05

17:05 - 17:15

Mining Science & Engineering

Mining - Creating Value for Society

Charlie Sartain
FAusIMM, FTSE

15:30 - 15:50
Keynote

15:50 - 16:10

16:10 - 16:30

16:30 - 16:50

16:50 - 17:10

New Mining Frontiers

New Mining Frontiers

Jonathon Ralston
CSIRO

15:30 - 15:40

15:40 - 16:05
Keynote

16:05 - 17:15
Panel Discussion








Processing & Refining

Optimising the Production Chain

Joe Pease
Mineralis

15:30 - 15:50
Keynote

15:50 - 16:05

16:05 - 16:20

16:20 - 16:35

16:35 - 16:50

16:50 - 17:15
Facilitated Panel Discussion

Social Performance & Governance

Panel Session on Social Performance in the Global Mining Sector - the State of Play and Emerging Challenges

Deanna Kemp
The University of Queensland

15:30 - 17:15
Panel Discussion





Technology & Operations

Mine Operations

Ian Neill
Australian Coal Research Limited

15:30 - 15:50
Keynote

15:50 - 16:05

16:05 - 16:20

16:20 - 16:35

16:35 - 16:50

16:50 - 17:05

Technology & Operations

Rock Mechanics & Tunnelling

Charles Fairhurst
Itasca International Inc.

15:30 - 15:50
Keynote

15:50 - 16:05

16:05 - 16:20

16:20 - 16:35

16:35 - 16:50

16:50 - 17:05

17:05 - 17:15

Technology & Operations

Electrification

Tony Egan
Glencore

15:30 - 15:50
Keynote

15:50 - 16:05

16:05 - 16:20

16:20 - 16:35

16:35 - 16:50

16:50 - 17:05

17:05 - 17:15

Sustainable Construction Materials

Sustainable sourcing of sand and aggregates

Daniel Franks
The Unviersity of Queensland

15:30 - 15:45
Keynote

15:45 - 16:00

16:00 - 16:15

16:15 - 16:30

16:30 - 16:45

16:45 - 17:00

17:00 - 17:15
17:30 – 19:00 Digital Poster Session

TRANSFORMATION IN MINING

Time (AEST) Plenary Session
08:15 - 08:30 Opening Session + Housekeeping
Plenary Session 9
SESSION CHAIR
08:30 - 08:55

Plenary Session

Sinead Kaufman
Sinead Kaufman
Chief Executive, Minerals
Rio Tinto
Plenary Session 10
08:55 - 09:20

Transformation of Mining – Sustainability of Lithium Supply

Martín Pérez de Solay
Martín Pérez de Solay
Managing Director & CEO
Allkem
Plenary Session 11
09:20 - 09:45

Plenary Session

Ailie MacAdam
Ailie MacAdam
Global President
Bechtel Mining and Metals
Plenary Session 12
09:45 - 10:10

Plenary Session

Tom palmer
Tom Palmer
President and Chief Executive Officer
Newmont Corporation
10:10 - 11:00 Morning Tea/Posters
11:00 - 12:45
Parallel Sessions

Session Title:

Session Chair:

Session Speaker:

Organisation:


Artificial Intelligence

AI in Ore Body Knowledge and Its Use

Rajkumar Mathiravedu
Orica

11:00 - 11:15
Keynote

11:15 - 11:30

11:30 - 11:45

11:45 - 12:00

12:00 - 12:15

12:15 - 12:30

12:30 - 12:45

Autonomous Systems

Sustainability, Digitisation, and Automation for the Natual Resources Sector

Andrew Strange
CSIRO

11:00 - 11:30
Keynote

11:30 - 11:45

11:45 - 12:00

12:00 - 12:15

12:15 - 12:30

12:30 - 12:45

Critical Minerals

Trade & Investment in Sustainable Critical Minerals

Ian Dover
Non-Executive Director

11:00 - 11:20
Keynote

11:20 - 11:35

11:35 - 11:50

11:50 - 12:05

12:05 - 12:20

12:20 - 12:45

Decarbonisation

Company Perspectives and Future Technologies

David Noon
GroundProbe

11:00 - 11:35
Keynote

11:20 - 11:35

11:35 - 11:50

11:50 - 12:05

12:05 - 12:20

12:20 - 12:35

12:35 - 12:45

Environmental Sustainability

Climate Change and Mining

Ian Lowe
Griffith University

11:00 - 11:20
Keynote

11:20 - 11:40
Keynote

11:40 - 11:55

11:55 - 12:10

12:10 - 12:45
Panel Discussion

Future Workforce & Education

Future Workforce Skills - Adaptive to Change

Jan Cilliers
Imperial College London

11:00 - 11:05
Keynote

11:05 - 11:15

11:15 - 11:25

11:25 - 11:35

11:35 - 11:45

11:45 - 11:55

11:55 - 12:45

Geosciences & Discovery

Orebody Knowledge - The Sensing, Digital, Visualisation and Information Revolution

Andrew Bailey
MinEx CRC Ltd

11:00 - 11:30
Keynote

11:30 - 11:45

11:45 - 12:00

12:00 - 12:15

12:15 - 12:30

12:30 - 12:45

Health Safety & Wellbeing

Health and Wellbeing

Bobbie Foot
BHP

11:00 - 11:20
Keynote

11:20 - 11:40
Keynote

11:40 - 11:55

11:55 - 12:10

12:10 - 12:25

12:25 - 12:40

Mining Science & Engineering

Transformations in Mining

José Marun
Consultant

11:00 - 11:20
Keynote

11:20 - 11:40

11:40 - 12:00

12:00 - 12:20

12:20 - 12:40

New Mining Frontiers

Space Resources Vision and Future

Wayne Stasinowsky
CSIRO

11:00 - 11:25
Keynote

11:25 - 11:45

11:45 - 12:05

12:05 - 12:25

12:25 - 12:45

Processing & Refining

Recyling and Refining

Ralph Holmes
CSIRO

11:00 - 11:25
Keynote

11:25 - 11:40

11:40 - 11:55

11:55 - 12:10
Facilitated Panel Discussion

Social Performance & Governance

ESG Certification and Evaluation Schemes in the Mining Sector: How Do they Work and What Do They Have to Offer?

Bruce Harvey
Resolution88

11:00 - 12:45
Panel Discussion





Technology & Operations

Ventilation/Methane

John Grieves
QCoal Group

11:00 - 11:20
Keynote

11:20 - 11:35

11:35 - 11:50

11:50 - 12:05

12:05 - 12:20

12:20 - 12:35

12:35 - 12:45

Technology & Operations

Rock Mechanics/Caving

Xing LI
CSIRO

11:00 - 11:20
Keynote

11:20 - 11:35

11:35 - 11:50

11:50 - 12:05

12:05 - 12:20

12:20 - 12:35

12:35 - 12:45

Technology & Operations

Research Initiatives

Tony Egan
Glencore

11:00 - 11:20
Keynote

11:20 - 11:35

11:35 - 11:50

11:50 - 12:05

12:05 - 12:20

12:20 - 12:35

12:35 - 12:45

Sustainable Construction Materials

Reducing Mineral Wastes Through By-Products

Daniel Franks
The University of Queensland

11:00 - 11:20
Keynote

11:20 - 11:35

11:35 - 12:15
Panel Discussion





12:15 - 12:45
12:45 - 14:00
Lunch/Posters
14:00 - 15:45
Parallel Sessions

Session Title:

Session Chair:

Session Speaker:

Organisation:


Artificial Intelligence

Case Studies of Industrial AI in Operations and Maintenance

Karin Breitman
Rio Tinto

14:00 - 14:15
Keynote

14:15 - 14:30

14:30 - 14:45

14:45 - 15:00

15:00 - 15:15
Get the most out of condition monitoring data: Improving conveyor belt wear forecasts to make better maintenance decisions

15:15 - 15:45
Panel Discussion

Autonomous Systems

Challenges and Opportunities of Autonomous Technology

Andrew Job
Plotlogic

14:00 - 14:30
Keynote

14:30 - 14:45

14:45 - 15:00

15:00 - 15:15

15:15 - 15:30

15:30 - 15:45

Critical Minerals

Global Primary and Secondary Critical Mineral Occurrence and Supply

Anita Parbhakar-Fox
The University of Queensland

14:00 - 14:20
Keynote

14:20 - 14:35

14:35 - 14:50

14:50 - 15:05

15:05 - 15:20

15:20 PM - 15:35

15:35 - 15:45

Decarbonisation

Hydrogen and Decarbonising Downstream Industry

Ruth Knibbe
The University of Queensland

14:00 - 14:20
Keynote

14:20 - 14:35

14:35 - 14:50

14:50 - 15:05

15:05 - 15:20

15:20 - 15:35

15:35 - 15:45

Environmental Sustainability

International Approaches to Environmental Sustainability

Anna Littleboy
The University of Queensland

14:00 - 14:20
Keynote

14:20 - 14:35

14:35 - 14:50

14:50 - 15:05

15:05 - 15:20

15:20 - 15:45

Future Workforce & Education

Future Education Challenges for Mining Industry Professionals

Bruce Hebblewhite
Professor Emeritus, UNSW Sydney

14:00 - 14:25
Keynote

14:25 - 14:35

14:35 - 14:45

14:45 - 14:55

14:55 - 15:05

15:05 - 15:45

Geosciences & Discovery

Orebodies in a Geological Context - Minerals Systems and Predictive Geoscience

Rob Hough
CSIRO

14:00 - 14:30
Keynote

14:30 - 14:45

14:45 - 15:00

15:00 - 15:15

15:15 - 15:30

15:30 - 15:45

Health Safety & Wellbeing

Using Data to Drive Safety & Health Improvement


14:00 - 14:20
Keynote

14:20 - 14:35

14:35 - 14:50

14:50 - 15:05

15:05 - 15:45

Mining Science & Engineering

Transformations in Mining

Alice Clark
The University of Queensland

14:00 - 14:20
Keynote

14:20 - 14:40

14:40 - 15:00

15:00 - 15:20

15:20 - 15:40

New Mining Frontiers

Pioneering Mining Concepts and Enablers

Jane Hodgkinson
CSIRO

14:00 - 14:25
Keynote

14:25 - 14:45

14:45 - 15:05

15:05 - 15:25

15:25 - 15:45

Processing & Refining

Developments in Hydrometallurgy and Mineral Processing

Maurits Van Camp
The University of Queensland

14:00 - 14:25
Keynote

14:25 - 14:40

14:40 - 14:55

14:55 - 15:10

15:10 - 15:45
Facilitated Panel Discussion

Social Performance & Governance

Perspectives on Governance

David Brereton
The University of Queensland

14:05 - 14:25

14:25 - 14:45

14:45 - 15:05

15:05 - 15:25

15:25 - 15:45

Technology & Operations

Methods & Optimisation

John Grieves
QCoal Group

14:00 - 14:20
Keynote

14:20 - 14:35

14:35 - 14:50

14:50 - 15:05

15:05 - 15:20

15:20 - 15:35

15:35 - 15:45

Technology & Operations

Rock Mechanics/Geotech

Ali Mirzaghorbanali
University of Southern Queensland

14:00 - 14:20
Keynote

14:20 - 14:35

14:35 - 14:50

14:50 - 15:05

15:05 - 15:20

15:20 - 15:35

15:35 - 15:45

Technology & Operations

Rock Cutting

Sevda Dehkhoda
Beck Engineering

14:00 - 14:20
Keynote

14:20 - 14:35

14:35 - 14:50

14:50 - 15:05

15:05 - 15:20

15:20 - 15:35

15:35 - 15:45
15:45 - 16:15
Afternoon Tea/Posters
16:15 - 18:00
Parallel Sessions

Session Title:

Session Chair:

Session Speaker:

Organisation:


Artificial Intelligence

Infrastructure, Organisational Capability and Individual Competence Requirements for AI

Joseph Starwood
Microsoft

16:15 - 16:30
Keynote

16:30 - 16:45

16:45 - 17:00

17:00 - 17:15

17:15 - 18:00
Panel Discussion

Autonomous Systems

Applications of Automation

Mark Dunn
CSIRO

16:15 - 16:45
Keynote

16:45 - 17:00

17:00 - 17:15

17:15 - 17:30

17:30 - 17:45

17:45 - 18:00

Critical Minerals

ESG and Critical Minerals

Jennifer Purdie
BHP

16:15 - 16:35
Keynote

16:35 - 16:50

16:50 - 17:05

17:05 - 17:20

17:20 - 17:35

17:35 - 17:50

17:50 - 18:00

Decarbonisation

Fugitive Emissions/Capturing and sequestering CO2

Sarah Ryan
Woodside Energy

16:15 - 16:35
Keynote

16:35 - 16:50

16:50 - 17:05

17:05 - 17:20

17:20 - 17:35

17:35 - 17:50

17:50 - 18:00

Environmental Sustainability

Environmental Stewardship

Rae Mackay
Mine Land Rehabilitation Authority

16:15 - 16:35
Keynote

16:35 - 16:50

16:50 - 17:05

17:05 - 17:20

17:20 - 18:00
Panel Discussion

Future Workforce & Education

Future Education and Training Challenges for the Mining Industry

Elaine Wightman
The University of Queensland

16:15 - 16:45
Keynote

16:45 - 16:55

16:55 - 17:05

17:05 - 17:15

17:15 - 17:25

17:25 - 18:00

Geosciences & Discovery

The Latest Tools for Mapping and Discovery

Chris Pigram
Geoscience Australia

16:15 - 16:45
Keynote

16:45 - 17:00

17:00 - 17:15

17:15 - 18:00

Health Safety & Wellbeing

Risk Management and Controls

Kate Du Preez
Queensland Commissioner for Resources Safety and Health

16:15 - 16:35
Keynote

16:35 - 16:50

16:50 - 17:05

17:05 - 17:20

17:20 - 17:35

17:35 - 17:50

17:50 - 18:00

Mining Science & Engineering

Transformations in Mining

Charlie Sartain
FAusIMM,FTSE

16:15 - 16:35
Keynote

16:35 - 16:55

16:55 - 17:15

17:15 - 17:35

17:35 - 17:55

New Mining Frontiers

Emerging Mining Transition Pathways and Opportunities

Chad Hargrave
CSIRO

16:15 - 16:40
Keynote

16:40 - 17:00

17:00 - 17:20

17:20 - 17:40

17:40 - 18:00

Processing & Refining

Developments in Mineral Processing 1

Virginia Lawson
Glencore

16:15 - 16:35
Keynote

16:35 - 16:50

16:50 - 17:05

17:05 - 17:20

17:20 - 17:35

17:35 - 18:00
Facilitated Panel Discussion

Social Performance & Governance

Mining and Development: International Perspectives

Adam Babatu
World Bank

16:20 - 16:40

16:40 - 17:00

17:00 - 17:20

17:20 - 17:40

17:40 - 18:00

Technology & Operations

Case Studies - Technology

John Grieves
QCoal Group

16:15 - 16:35
Keynote

16:35 - 16:50

16:50 - 17:05

17:05 - 17:20

17:20 - 17:35

17:35 - 17:50

17:50 - 18:00

Technology & Operations

Rock Fragmentation/Drill & Blast

Ian Neill
Australian Coal Research Limited

16:15 - 16:35
Keynote

16:35 - 16:50

16:50 - 17:05

17:05 - 17:20

17:20 - 17:35

17:35 - 17:50

17:50 - 18:00

Technology & Operations

Groundwater & Restoration

Tony Egan
Glencore

16:15 - 16:35
Keynote

16:35 - 16:50

16:50 - 17:05

17:05 - 17:20

17:20 - 17:35

17:35 - 17:50

17:50 - 18:00
19:00 – Late WMC 2023 Congress Dinner

RESOURCING OUR FUTURE WORLD

Time (AEST) Plenary Session
08:20 - 08:30 Opening Session
Plenary Session 13
SESSION CHAIR
08:30 - 08:55

The Energy Transition: What Does It Really mean?

Cathy Foley
Dr Cathy Foley AO PSM
Australia's Chief Scientist
Australian Government
Plenary Session 14
08:55 - 09:20

Plenary Session

Sherry Duhe
Sherry Duhe
Interim Chief Executive Officer
Newcrest
Plenary Session 15
09:20 - 09:45

Plenary Session

Michael Wright
Michael Wright
Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer
Thiess
Plenary Session 16
09:45 - 10:10

Plenary Session

The Hon Jim Chalmers MP
The Treasurer of Australia
10:10 - 11:00 Morning Tea/Posters
11:00 - 12:45
Parallel Sessions

Session Title:

Session Chair:

Session Speaker:

Organisation:


Artificial Intelligence

Technology Solutions for Specific Geological, Mining and Processing Challenges

Paul Lucey
Worley

11:00 - 11:15
Keynote

11:15 - 11:30

11:30 - 11:45

11:45 - 12:00

12:00 - 12:15

12:15 - 12:45

Autonomous Systems

Successful Implementation of Automation

Carl Hendricks
Caterpillar

11:00 - 11:30
Keynote

11:30 - 11:45

11:45 - 12:00

12:00 - 12:15

12:15 - 12:30

12:30 - 12:45

Critical Minerals

Technological Advancements in Processing, Refining and Recycling

Massimo Gasparon
European Raw Materials Alliance

11:00 - 11:20
Keynote

11:20 - 11:35

11:35 - 11:50

11:50 - 12:05

12:05 - 12:20

12:20 - 12:45

Decarbonisation

Serious about Decarbonisation: be up-to-date with Nuclear Energy


11:00 - 11:20
Keynote

11:20 - 11:35

11:35 - 11:50

11:50 - 12:05

12:05 - 12:20

12:20 - 12:35

12:35 - 12:45

Environmental Sustainability

Innovation in Managing Water

Claire Cote
The University of Queensland

11:00 - 11:20
Keynote

11:20 - 11:35

11:35 - 11:50

11:50 - 12:05

12:05 - 12:20

12:20 - 12:45

Future Workforce & Education

Future Ways of Working

Gavin Lind
Mining and Automotive Skills Alliance

11:00 - 11:30
Keynote

11:30 - 11:40

11:40 - 11:50

11:50 - 12:00

12:00 - 12:10

12:10 - 12:45

Geosciences & Discovery

Geoscience in the Mine of the Future

Sandra Occhipinti
CSIRO

11:00 - 11:30
Keynote

11:30 - 11:45

11:45 - 12:00

12:00 - 12:45

Health Safety & Wellbeing

International Approaches to Safety & Health

Trish Kerin
IChemE

11:00 - 11:20
Keynote

11:20 - 11:35

11:35 - 11:50

11:50 - 12:05

12:05 - 12:20

12:20 - 12:35

12:35 - 12:45

Mining Science & Engineering

Resourcing our Future World

Alice Clark
The University of Queensland

11:00 - 11:20
Keynote

11:20 - 11:40

11:40 - 12:00

12:00 - 12:20

12:20 - 12:40

New Mining Frontiers

Subsea Exploration and Discovery

Joe Perkins
CSIRO

11:00 - 11:25

11:25 - 11:45

11:45 - 12:05

12:05 - 12:25

12:25 - 12:45

Processing & Refining

Developments in Smelting, Refining and Recycling

Gerardo Alvear Flores
Canadian Engineering Associates

11:00 - 11:20
Keynote

11:20 - 11:35

11:35 - 11:50

11:50 - 12:05

12:05 - 12:20

12:20 - 12:45
Facilitated Panel Discussion

Social Performance & Governance

Mining and Indigenous Peoples

Chris Anderson
The University of Queensland

11:05 - 11:25

11:25 - 11:55




11:55 - 12:15

12:15 - 12:45

Technology & Operations

Outburst/Rock Burst

John Grieves
QCoal Group

11:00 - 11:20
Keynote

11:20 - 11:35

11:35 - 11:50

11:50 - 12:05

12:05 - 12:20

12:20 - 12:35

12:35 - 12:45

Technology & Operations

Knowledge Sharing

Mikael Rinne
Aalto University

11:00 - 11:20
Keynote

11:20 - 11:35

11:35 - 11:50

11:50 - 12:05

12:05 - 12:20

12:20 - 12:35

12:35 - 12:45

Technology & Operations

Case Studies - Operations

Xing LI
CSIRO

11:00 - 11:20
Keynote

11:20 - 11:35

11:35 - 11:50

11:50 - 12:05

12:05 - 12:20

12:20 - 12:35

12:35 - 12:45
12:45 - 14:00
Lunch/Posters
14:00 - 15:45
Parallel Sessions

Session Title:

Session Chair:

Session Speaker:

Organisation:


Artificial Intelligence

Digital Twins

Michelle Ash
BHP

14:00 - 14:15
Keynote

14:15 - 14:30

14:30 - 14:45

14:45 - 15:00

15:00 - 15:15

15:15 - 15:30

15:30 - 15:45

Autonomous Systems

Panel: Mining Automation: Where is it Going and How Will it Get There?

John McGagh
McGagh Advisory Pty Ltd

14:00 - 14:10

14:10 - 14:15

14:15 - 14:20

14:20 - 14:25

14:25 - 14:30

14:30 - 14:35

14:35 - 15:45
Panel Discussion

Critical Minerals

Critical Minerals Mining Trends and Forecasts

Warren Pearce
Association of Mining & Exploration Companies

14:00 - 14:20
Keynote

14:20 - 14:35

14:35 - 14:50

14:50 - 15:05

15:05 - 15:20

15:20 - 15:45

Decarbonisation

General Discussion with Invited Panellists and delegates

Robin Batterham
The University of Melbourne

14:00 - 15:45







Environmental Sustainability

Innovation in Environmental Stewardship

Laura Sonter
The University of Queensland

14:00 - 14:20
Keynote

14:20 - 14:35

14:35 - 14:50

14:50 - 15:05

15:05 - 15:20

15:20 - 15:35

15:35 - 15:45

Future Workforce & Education

The Work Environment and Workforce Skills - Workforce Attraction and Retention

Kate Hobbs
Hobbs Consulting Group

14:00 - 14:10

14:10 - 14:20

14:20 - 14:30

14:30 - 14:40

14:40 -14:50

14:50 -15:45

Geosciences & Discovery

Geoscience and Discovery

Rick Valenta
The University of Queensland

14:00 - 14:30
Keynote

14:30 - 14:45

14:45 - 15:00

15:00 - 15:15

15:15 - 15:45
Facilitated Panel Discussion

Health Safety & Wellbeing

New Frontiers in Health, Safety and Wellbeing

Susan Johnston
The University of Queensland

Panel Discussion





Mining Science & Engineering

Resourcing Our Future World

José Marun
Consultant

14:00 - 14:20
Keynote

14:20 - 14:40

14:40 - 15:00

15:00 - 15:20

15:20 - 15:45
Panel Discussion

New Mining Frontiers

Off-Earth Mining Science and Exploration

Marc Elmouttie
CSIRO

14:00 - 14:25
Keynote

14:25 - 14:45

14:45 - 15:05

15:05 - 15:25

15:25 - 15:45

Processing & Refining

Mineral Processing Developments 2

Jim Finch
McGill University

14:00 - 14:20
Keynote

14:20 - 14:35

14:35 - 14:50

14:50 - 15:05

15:05 - 15:20

15:20 - 15:45
Facilitated Panel Discussion

Social Performance & Governance

Improving Social Performance on the Ground

Caroline Digby
University of Cape Town

14:05 - 14:25

14:25 - 14:45

14:45 - 15:05

15:05 - 15:25

15:25 - 15:40

15:40 - 15:45

Technology & Operations

Strata Support

Naj Aziz
University of Wollongong

14:00 - 14:20
Keynote

14:20 - 14:35

14:35 - 14:50

14:50 - 15:05

15:05 - 15:20

15:20 - 15:35

15:35 - 15:45
15:45 - 16:15
Afternoon Tea/Posters
Closing Ceremony
16:15 - 16:45 26th WMC Awards
16:45 - 17:25 26th WMC Handover to 27th WMC Host Country
Chair of 27th WMC
17:25 - 17:35 Lucky Draw Attendance Prize & Congress Close
17:35 - 18:45 Farewell Drinks

Congress Streams

The WMC 2023 program looks to the future of mining and resources in a global context. Themes will be addressed in plenary and concurrent sessions, special interest group meetings, workshops and discussion panels. The focus is on active participation, giving attendees opportunities to present and participate in important discussions on the major current and future issues and challenges facing mining and resources across the globe.

This structure will allow delegates to take “deep dives” into the latest developments and new research in these specific areas. These parallel streams will be interspersed with joint-stream and plenary sessions where delegates come together to explore nexus issues.

The Congress will explain and explore how technology is transforming the sustainable production of minerals and fuels creating value that continues to lift significant segments of the world’s population out of poverty and contributes in an essential manner to an improved way of life.

Sessions and paper types

  1. Rapid Resources modelling: In-use application papers, Research papers
  2. Tracking ore from blast hole to market: In-use application papers, Research papers
  3. Diagnostics, classification, prediction, scheduling and optimisation for anything used in mining: In-use application papers, Research papers
  4. Infrastructure for AI: digital upskilling and hardware/software, data and communications platforms to support AI and IOT: In-use application papers, Research papers
  5. Autonomy and AI – trust, ethics and replicability: Position papers, Research papers.
  6. The future of mining: In-use application papers, Research papers

Paper types

  • In-use applications papers - 2-page papers focussed on industry applications and trials in progress and in use.
  • Resources papers - 2-page papers to promote efficient and open sharing of data, workflows, algorithms, applications etc.
  • Research papers – traditional full-length academic papers to cover topics in more detail.

Autonomous systems are being adopted by the mining industry; the rate of adoption has increased since the first industrial introduction of Autonomous Haulage systems in Australia circa 2008 and now spans drill and blast through to processing and beneficiation.

Surface and underground operations are looking towards the introduction of Autonomous Systems to improve productivity and deliver superior outcomes in terms of Health Safety and the Environment. Advances in processing automation and increasing yields and driving new levels of sustainability in the sector.

In recognition of the above, this stream will consider three important drivers that are required, in combination, to deliver the operational benefits that Autonomous Systems can bring to Global Mining Operations.

  1. Technical Enablers,
  2. Organizational/Human Factors
  3. Change Management

We will explore these elements against using broad time frames;

  • Timeframe 1 – What mining and processing autonomy does look like in 2023 in terms of capabilities and limitations of existing technologies and use cases.
  • Timeframe 2 – What mining and processing autonomy could look like in 2033
  • Timeframe 3 – What mining and processing autonomy should look like in the more distant future

We will map the migration of Autonomous Systems from the wider commercial and industrial landscape into at-scale Mining enabling, for example, either motive/vehicular (e.g. trucks, trains. loaders, ancillary equipment etc) or advanced AI enabled decision making systems (e.g. process control, human safety tracking etc)

We acknowledge that Autonomous (Mining) Systems embed, at industrial-scale, elements of Artificial Intelligence - defined as a collection of interrelated technologies used to solve problems and perform tasks that, when humans do them, requires thinking. Generally we recognise this will encompass a subset of the following elements,

  • Machine learning
  • Speech
  • Vision
  • Language Processing
  • Expert Systems
  • Planning and Optimisation

We wish to explore what steps the ecosystem should take to build a pathway to enable platform component interoperability which will promote the more extensive exploitation of this exciting technology across the Mining industry.

We also wish to explore the important role of the regulator in assessing and approving use of Autonomy in the mining industry. This is required to enable the at-scale implementation of a functionally safe autonomous technology supported workplace. This exploration will cover the need for the mine owners, equipment manufacturers and regulators to coordinate activities to achieve this outcome.

The Autonomous Systems stream will bring together the perspectives of mining companies, equipment manufacturers, technology providers and researchers.

Importantly, this workstream will look beyond pure technology to explore and understand human factors, organizational and change management elements that must be addressed to maximise the value that Autonomous Systems offers. We note that these drivers are essentially Trust Based, we intend to explore, at a more fundamental level, how they can be engineered into the operating landscape.

Global energy transitions will require very substantial increases in supply of many critical materials. For example, annual demand for battery materials - lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, vanadium, graphite - is expected to increase by over 450% by 2050.  Rare earth minerals are vital for the manufacture of electronic goods and, whilst not rare, are distributed unevenly around the world.  The Congress will discuss advancements in exploration, extraction, processing, refining and recycling of these critical and strategic materials and explore the global market, environmental and social implications of their production and use. Discussion will range into the opportunities for international collaboration in equipment, technologies and supply chains to deliver the global energy and technology transitions at affordable prices with minimum delays. Topics discussed will include:

  • Global outlook of critical materials demand and supply especially contributing to the global decarbonisation, energy and digital transitions.
  • Technological advancements in exploration, extraction, processing including tailings, refining and recycling to deliver critical raw materials to global markets.
  • Mining equipment, technology and services (METS) innovation in the extraction, processing, refining and recycling of critical materials
  • Impediments and solutions for companies investing, developing and operating mines and the downstream processing of critical materials in all countries including Australia
  • Opportunities and impediments for international technological collaboration in critical minerals extraction, downstream processing, supply chain development and environmental performance.
  • Capital Raising and Investment in Critical Minerals

Arguably the world’s most critical pollution problem is the emission of greenhouse gases that are raising global temperatures to dangerous levels. International pressures to reduce the use of fossil fuels will have a transformative effect on our industry. Our industry has the opportunity to take a lead role in addressing this problem and the Congress will examine the steps that companies are making in this area and explore how, acting together, we might do more. By, for example:

  • Decarbonisation opportunities across the mining value chain.
  • Challenges in commercialising new technologies for the replacement of diesel, including electrification of mining fleets.
  • Use of hydrogen to decarbonise metals processing including steelmaking. Role of hydrogen in fleet applications.
  • Wide deployment of renewable energy systems for off grid applications.
  • Commercialising carbon capture and storage technologies by increasing scale and lowering costs to support decarbonisation across the mining value chain.

Mines are situated in space and impact the surrounding environmental and social ecosystems. At a site scale, environmental management is an increasingly important aspect of site operations encompassing waste and water management, emissions reduction, biodiversity restoration, rehabilitation and closure. At a regional scale, the accumulation of mining activity can affect regional water systems, landscapes and mining legacies. At a global level, environmental performance is becoming increasingly salient for investors looking to finance projects delivering against the United nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The topics to be covered in this stream include:

  • The trends and drivers of environmental management and sustainability practice (including climate change, renewable energy technology, changing methods, complex ore bodies, public expectations and awareness, digital transformation, supply/demand and resource pressures)
  • Operational strategies for delivering safe, stable and non-polluting landforms and ecosystems throughout the mine lifecycle (including alternative tailings and waste management strategies, water management, the reduction of dust and airborne emissions, ecosystem restoration, and monitoring of ecosystem function).
  • Evolutions in environmental regulation and policy.
  • Towards the zero waste mine: Strategies for applying circular economy principles in mining to reduce and recycle mine wastes
  • Managing environmental legacies (including environmental risk assessment, cumulative impacts, forecasting, data analytics, abandoned mines,)
  • Integrated mine closure leading practice
  • Mining Laws and Regulations

As a Congress highlight, the two streams of Environmental Sustainability and Social Performance & Governance will, in conjunction and the Cooperative Research Centre for Transformations in Mining Economies (CRC TiME), hold a Special Symposium on Mine Closure and Post-Mining Transitions.

The different Congress streams highlight new technologies that will change our industry in dramatic ways in the coming years and decades. What implications does this have for the future workforce? What skills will these people need? How will we attract the people with the relevant skills? How will university courses need to change? How can we make our workforce more inclusive? These topics will be explored. Stream topics will include:

Future education challenges for mining industry professionals

  • Future curriculum needs and structure
  • Educating for change (industry 4.0 and beyond; sustainable practices etc)
  • New paradigms for collaborative teaching models
  • What are the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders in education (academics/providers, students, industry, government, others)?
  • Ongoing sustainability of education providers
  • Knowledge management /knowledge retention and workforce demographics

Future workforce skills

  • What are the skills needs to meet future technologies?
  • Do current training models meet the future needs?
  • Alternative skills development pathways
  • How do we prepare a workforce for the changing technologies ahead, including upskilling, multi-skilling?
  • Access to multi-disciplinary skills, knowledge and innovative thinking from outside the industry

Future ways of working

  • The nature of a future workforce – organisational structures and work-models; the role of contractors and other external workforce providers in the future, versus employees
  • New ways of being a mining professional (remote access, digital communication and managing modern expectations about work/life balance)
  • Leadership in a changing world
  • Building an inclusive, diverse and respectful work environment
  • Attraction and retention - How should we deal with mining’s image in the broader community and the impact that has on attracting and retaining an inclusive workforce

Through this Stream we are also seeking to engage with and attract as many students and early career workers from around the world as possible to physically attend the Congress or, where this is not possible, to engage with the Congress through a Student Challenge team contest - see below.

The Congress will highlight and discuss new data acquisition techniques and geoscience knowledge to support mineral exploration. Key focus areas include exploration under deep cover, attracting exploration to frontier or greenfield regions, data collection and synthesis to unravel the fingerprints of ore-forming systems, characterisation to inform exploration, ore body knowledge, and modelling supported with artificial intelligence. The Congress will also examine the latest advancement and application of geophysics, structural geology, engineering geology for reliable mine characterisation for geological, geotechnical and geohydrological conditions. Specifically, the stream will discuss:

  • Future requirements for minerals based on a low-carbon society are uncertain, hence the ability to efficiently explore for, and understand the economics of, a range of elements and minerals is critical when striving to resource for tomorrow. Exploration theory and methodology must be responsive. This session will highlight the rapid, dynamic, and adaptable but predictive geoscience and techniques that are required.
  • Geoscience in the mine-of-the-future.
  • Translating detailed ore body knowledge into rapid real time decision support for 21st century resources.
  • Integrating geoscience data into 3D and 4D models of physical and geochemical characteristics of a mine.
  • Predictive geoscience for exploration, evaluation, and mining - from footprint to fingerprint
  • New techniques and approaches to exploration and mining to maximize value and mitigate risk (new geophysical and geochemical tools, new drilling technologies, and down hole tools for real time data acquisition).

This stream will examine both seemingly intractable longstanding safety and health challenges and new issues that have arisen as mining technology and mining workplaces have evolved. It will aim to provide a fresh lens through which to view health and safety improvement. Key topics to be covered include: recent developments in risk management, critical controls, and control effectiveness, creating a psychologically well workplace, leadership and safe behaviours, using automation, artificial intelligence, and digitalisation to enhance safety, enhanced use of data including leading indicators, dust and airborne emissions, the connection between operational and safety improvements, and the journey map from inadequate, to excellent, safety and health performance. Specifically:

Health and Wellbeing

  • Improving the Health and Wellbeing of our Workforces – including through new approaches to dust and particulate management, creating a psychologically well workplace, occupational hygiene, dealing with whole body vibration, fatigue management, and living and working with Covid 19.

AI and Automation

  • Using artificial intelligence, digitalisation, and automation to improve safety.

Data Driven Improvement

  • Enhanced collection, and utilisation, of safety and health data – including through improvements in incident investigation, sharing of lessons learnt, data analytics, and the development and implementation of leading indicators.

Leadership and Culture

  • Excellence in safety leadership, developing high performing teams, workforce engagement, and establishing and maintaining a highly reliable, safety and health focused, culture.

Risk Management and Controls

  • Excellence in risk management, and implementation of critical controls.

Technological Advances

  • Technical and operational developments with significant implications for improved safety and health.

This stream will highlight novel mine design solutions and engineering value enhancements in current and proposed mines. It will also feature developments to transform mining methodologies and operational practices with rapidly changing trends towards automation, waste minimisation, low-carbon operating environments, and mining of increasingly complex orebodies. Specifically, topics to be covered will include:

  • Rock fragmentation optimisation
  • Rock mechanics/ground control
  • Mine planning and scheduling
  • Deep, large scale underground mining
  • Cave mining technologies and practices
  • Pit slope stability and control
  • Mine ventilation design
  • Reserve estimation (overlap with Geoscience and Discovery)

These topics will be brought together and illustrated by case studies showing how new mining technologies and operational practices can lead to extraordinary productivity and economic improvements, along with positive safety, environmental and social outcomes.

This stream will explore emerging and longer-term mining opportunities including space resources, ultradeep operations, undersea exploration and rediscovery. It will also provide the forum for visionary thinking to imagine what our industry might look like in the future - thinking forward to the next 10, 20 and 50 years from now. It will offer opportunities to explore how science, technology and innovation will offer new pathways, accelerate convergence of sectors, and facilitate safer and more sustainable resource utilisation.  The stream will also bring together key stakeholders from the space and mining industry to put forward interests, shared challenges and capabilities to support greater levels of science and industrial collaboration. Specifically:

Off-Earth Mining

  • Space science exploration, prospecting, exploration, foundation services, extraction, remote operations, and resource production.
  • Exploring how the space and terrestrial mining industries can collectively benefit from technology transfer and processes.
  • Establishing lunar and Martian economies, enablers and customers.

Pioneering Mining Concepts

  • Novel and visionary resource and recovery concepts, methods and technologies. Demonstrator processes and systems. Exploration of new techniques that shift from bulk resource extraction to greater levels of specificity through selective mining advances.

Rediscovery

  • Identification and rehabilitation of underexploited and stranded mineral materials. Understanding future resource stewardship and long-term sustainability, drivers and opportunities. Redefining assets and parallel processing of resources, including modular processing that can extract the full value of primary and adjacent hosted minerals.

Future mining

  • What will the resource sector look like in 25, 50 or 100 years from now? Exploring how science, technology and innovation will offer new pathways, foster convergence of sectors, facilitate safe and sustainable resource utilisation, and lead to closed loop mining ecosystems.

Deep Sea Exploration

  • Science exploration, sensing technologies, remote and autonomous rovers, sustainable resource recovery processes and practices, technology transfer to adjacent mining sectors. Developing coherent responses to ethics and jurisdiction issues.

Industry faces the challenges not only of complex mineralogy but declining ore grades, access to suitable process water, increasing energy costs and handling of tailings. The Congress will examine process optimization to address these problems by reviewing the latest developments in geometallurgy and ore sorting, including the front-end rejection of gangue and, where feasible, in-situ mining and recovery. Big data utilisation and development of novel processing routes for increasingly complex low-grade ores will be a focus. Specifically we will examine:

Mineral Processing

  • Industry challenges
  • Processing difficult-to-treat low grade ores
  • Novel and improved separation technologies, including comminution, flotation, physical separation and hydrometallurgy
  • Geometallurgy
  • Ore sorting
  • Solid-liquid separation
  • Tailings handling, safety and disposal
  • Trends in dry processing
  • Big data utilisation
  • In-situ processing

Mineral Processing/Smelt/Refine Interface

  • Trends in the interface, in particular forces driving change in where impurities are removed
  • Optimum combination of mineral processing, smelt/refine and hydrometallurgical processing
  • Dealing with difficult impurities, eg, arsenic in large copper deposits

Refining

  • Driving forces and developments in production of iron and steel and other metals
  • Impurity management and removal
  • Driving forces and developments in renewable energy and new battery materials
  • Minimising greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint
  • Green smelting technologies

Recycling

  • Tailings and waste reprocessing
  • Developments in scrap processing and recycling, including e-waste
  • Trends in the use of by-products from mining operations.

This stream will address big questions such as: how to ensure that mining around the globe is conducted in ways that respect human rights, promote social inclusion and contribute positively to local communities and the wider society; how to maximise mining's contribution to social and economic development at the local, regional and national levels; how to engage appropriately with local communities and Indigenous people; how to lessen the impacts of mine closures on communities and regions and enable positive post-mining futures; and, how to ensure that global supplies of critical and strategic minerals are responsibly developed and sourced. These issues will be examined through the mining lifecycle, including - approval, construction, operation expansion, closure and relinquishment - taking an interdisciplinary perspective and exploring international frameworks such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Topics will include:

Mining, Human Rights and Social Inclusion

  • Impacts of mining on the rights of Indigenous peoples, local communities and employees
  • Initiatives for improving human rights due diligence in the mining sector
  • Participation of women and diversity in the mining sector.

Mining and Development

  • Mining's impact on economic and social development at the local, regional and national levels: what works, what doesn’t, and under what circumstances.
  • Emerging models of development and the implications for corporate and governmental practice.

Community and Stakeholder Engagement

  • The changing landscape of stakeholder engagement; the do’s and don’ts of effective engagement
  • Conflict management and resolution strategies
  • Indigenous peoples and the requirement for FPIC.

Mine Closure and Post-Mining Transitions

Responsible Sourcing and Development of Critical minerals - joint session with Critical Minerals Stream

  • Social and environmental risks associated with meeting the rising demand for new economy minerals
  • Commodity tracing and certification initiatives.

Communities, Workforces and Technological Transformations in Mining

  • Social risks, impacts and benefits of new and emerging mining technologies
  • Societal attitudes toward new technologies.

This stream will showcase a broad range of case studies with a backdrop of research initiatives in surface and underground mining covering both the coal and metalliferous sectors. The stream will also feature emerging trends and applications – both proven and novel, and operational practices. Topics to be covered include:

  • Mine optimisation and novel mining methods
  • Mine operations / electrification / fleet simulation
  • Drill and blast
  • Maintenance strategies and research
  • Geotechnical engineering management and control practices
  • Rock mechanics / strata control / caving
  • Outburst and rockburst research and practices
  • Mine ventilation and methane management
  • Groundwater management

Key Dates

Abstract submission closes Closed
Author notification and request for full paper Completed
Preliminary program launch Launched
Paper submission closes Closed
Final program launch 28 February 2023
Early Bird registration opens Open
Speaker registration closes 26 March 2023
Author notification paper approval 17 February 2023
Early Bird registartion closes 26 March 2023
World Mining Congress 26-29 June 2023

Register Interest

Register Here
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands and waters throughout Australia, and pay respect to the Elders past, present and emerging. We recognise the importance of connection to culture, land, kinship and community to the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander families. We acknowledge the cultural practices and traditions still carried out today and being passed down to future generations.