Day 3 event wrap: World Mining Congress 2023
Key members of our team were delighted to join Australian and international mining industry leaders at the 26th World Mining Congress 2023 (WMC23) in Brisbane. It’s the first time Australia has staged the triennial event, and it’s due to the efforts of Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO in hosting a jam-packed four-day program. The theme of the congress is “Resourcing Tomorrow - Creating Value for Society” setting the tone as future-thinking and as innovative as we know our Australian mining industry to be.
We were there to hear leaders discuss current challenges, and share the latest research, technology and best practice; the second day of WMC23 extended the already-information rich opportunities to connect with industry.
On the final day, we were inspired by Australian leaders in the plenary sessions, but also by women devoting their efforts to improving diversity and inclusion through the Future Workforce & Education stream industry discussion “Future Ways of Working – a World Without Work?” Read on to find out more.
Dr Cathy Foley OAM, Australia’s Chief Scientist
“Australia must reduce by 17 Mt CO2-e per year to reach our climate target - 40% faster than we have since 2009. The automotive sector and electric vehicles are key and the mining industry must provide the critical minerals to develop them to build them and run them. Science and technology are essential to the energy transition.”
“Many companies are already making tangible steps … to provide economic and employment benefits for First Nations Australians and this includes direct employment opportunities and goals for indigenous employment workforce and career development programmes and also procurement from local First Nations companies.”
Sherry Duhe - Interim CEO, Newcrest Mining
“10 tonnes of mining material is needed to make one electric vehicle.”
“We are creating a brighter future for people through safe and responsible mining - it's our obligation to convince people that not only that mining is ok but it is critical to our future.”
Treasurer of Australia Jim Chalmers MP
“There are three factors that I think that we will have to manage really well together if we are to make the most of these opportunities laid out before us. The first one is about resilience in supply chains, the second one is making the right investments that work for our people and our partners, and thirdly linking critical minerals properly with a broader effort to drive growth through the energy transformation.”
“Without Australian mining we know we won't achieve supply chain security. Without Australian mining we won't get to net zero. Without Australian mining, our ambition to become a renewable energy superpower will be impossible to achieve, and without Australian mining we won't play the role that we can and should in the new world economy.”
Michael Wright, Theiss Executive Chair and Chief Executive
“… our sector, many see as a major contributor to climate change without understanding. The sector also delivers the critical minerals needed to move to that zero emissions. To many other people the hi-tech industries are a lot more appealing than flying to our remote locations to undertake work. Our industry needs to think deeply about how to attract the brightest emerging talent that we can find. Whilst not perfect, certainly we've got a lot of initiatives to continue to move our business forward and be part of the future of mining.”
Future Workforce & Education Congress Stream
The different congress streams highlight new technologies that will change our industry in dramatic ways in the coming years and decades. The Future Workforce & Education stream hosted industry discussion forums focusing on implications for the future workforce, skills people will need, how to attract people with the relevant skills, how accredited courses will need to change and how we can make our workforce more inclusive.
Read on for the key takeouts from the final industry discussion, chaired by our own CEO, Dr Gavin Lind.
Kate Hobbs – Hobbs Consulting Group
“The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and whatever you choose to do… whether you choose to work a lot or not much at all remember that life is too short to be doing something that doesn't enable you to work and play and as leaders in our industry, an industry that continues to have the potential to transform the world, remember that the future of work is not written yet you have the power to influence what the future for yourself and others looks like when it comes to work, so I urge you to build wisely.”
Mogaleadi Seabela, Anglo American
“The people are the business. Technology adoption cannot happen without our people… the people in South Africa may be different like in any parts of the world, they have different needs and they think differently about the future of work and livelihood. It's important that we understand change and how it affects them, that we co-create with them and understand what their role, responsibilities and expectations are, what are their fears are around technology adoption...”
Zulfatun Mahmudah, PT Kaltim Prima Coal
“Women are the minority in the mining industry ... they face marginalisation and also sexism especially in the form of sexual harassment - sometimes you say that it's a joke - but it is actually included in sexism because it is a form of sexual harassment.”
Jocelyn Peltier-Huntley, University of Saskatchewan, and founder of Women in Mining and Women in Nuclear Saskatchewan Inc.
“When we asked participants what is the greatest benefit of the Women in Mining and Women in Nuclear Saskatchewan mentorship programme… we've consistently heard statements like this, so many say that they are able to feel connected and heard. They’re really able to get strong advice that's relevant to them from their mentor and they’re maybe not getting that otherwise from the leader within their organisation… and what we hear from mentors is that they feel like they're able to make a difference. Oftentimes people were drawn into doing this because they want to help have more women in the industry, but a lot of the times the mentors are learning a lot too, and they're able to take it back to their teams in their own companies, and they're able to be better allies in their own workplaces, and work to shifting some of the systems that they don't see working maybe in another company where they're helping their mentee.”
Enjoy our gallery of moments caught on the final day of the World Mining Congress 2023.
