The WA Mining Conference, set to take place in Perth from 21-22 July, will offer a vital opportunity for the industry to come together again, connect and share information in person.
After successfully navigating the global COVID-19 pandemic, with record sales values for the Western Australian resource sector in 2020, and amid suggestions that mineral production levels will accelerate further over the coming years, it has become more important than ever that market-leading technologies are at the forefront of the industry’s expansion. Strategy, collaboration and technology have emerged as key themes for the mining industry to deal with the risks and opportunities posed in 2021.
The two-day program of the WA Mining Conference will actively explore topics such as the geopolitical and economic drivers of a post-COVID world, as they pertain specifically to the Western Australian mining sector. The program will examine the latest technological advancements including automation, robotics and how organisations will be challenged by the absorption of innovation.
On day one, the highlight of the plenary stream will be a panel discussion centred around how innovation will look post-COVID and what the impact will be on exploration, new projects, mining operational demands and export markets for resources and technology as Western Australia emerges from this crisis. The panel will include: Alan Bye, Managing Director of Imvelo and Director of Digital Value Chains at Curtin University; Adrian Beer, CEO of METS Ignited; Andrew Bailey, CEO of the MinEX CRC; and David Cormack, a Partner from Deloitte.
WA Mining Conference advisor Ric Gros says the 2021 event will be a celebration of the state’s rich mining sector.
“Western Australia is a world-leading mining jurisdiction, rich in mining mineral diversity with over 40% of operating mines in Australia,” says Gros. “Its research, innovation and mining operations are world-class and a destination hub for mining technology companies. At WA Mining conference, we seek to celebrate with you the richness of this amazing sector. Look forward to seeing you there.”
The WA Mining Conference will also look at the changes in government policies and how collaboration will help overcome any inherent uncertainties, while placing a spotlight on sustainability and climate change and its risk to the WA resource sector.
On day two, Dr Talitha Santini of the University of Western Australia Mining Innovation Network will present exciting new advances in tailings remediation research & development (R&D), and explore emerging opportunities for tailings reuse. According to Dr Santini, collapses of tailings storage facilities in Samarco and Brumadinho, while far away from WA, have raised awareness of the risks of large scale, long term tailings storage.
“My estimates indicate that we currently store around 3-10 billion tonnes of tailings in WA,” Dr Santini explains. “Pressure from within mining companies, and from the public, government regulators, and investors, is driving development of new technologies for tailings remediation and reuse. I’ll present and explore some of these new technologies at WA Mining and where they may be most useful around WA.”
Dr Santini says COVID-19 has had huge impacts on how the mining industry connects and shares knowledge.
“Conferences such as WA Mining are essential for networking across sectors and commodities, and advancing the performance of the mining industry as a whole,” Dr Santini continues. “We’re very lucky in WA to be able to have big multi-day events like WA Mining at this point in time.”
Other key sessions across the two-day conference include a deep dive into WA’s Renewable Hydrogen Strategy and the opportunities for the mining sector, a presentation on critical minerals and how Australia can leverage this opportunity, and a number of round table discussions about the future design of mining equipment, and engaging the resource sector with the space sector. Alongside the conference will be a targeted supplier showcase where delegates can source the latest products and services as well as a networking event on the first night to connect with colleagues from across the state.
WA Mining will take place on Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 July 2021 at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, with doors opening at 9am on both days.