This session will explore the multifaceted landscape of electrification within the mining industry, examining both the opportunities presented, challenges faced, and lessons learned. It will cover best practices for navigating regulatory issues, infrastructure needs, and technological limitations to promote sustainable electrification efforts in the sector.

• Fortescue’s real zero 2030 target – the first milestone, introducing the electric excavator
• How Fortescue is influencing heavy industry decarbonisation
• Lessons learned from our first electric HME introduction 
• Leveraging opportunities that going electric presents and navigating the evolving challenges

• Renewables capacity, grid development, a new complex digitally enabled and automated green energy system and the capacity to optimise production dynamically based on power availability are all part of the deliver of net zero targets mining companies have set.
• What priorities do mining companies need to have to build these networks?
• What can we learn from the grid development approaches and experience of power companies in the approach and priorities required to do this in an efficient, resilient and safe manner?

This session will explore the investment opportunities in innovative technologies and practices, from automation and digitalization to sustainable mining solutions. It will discuss the economic benefits, risk mitigation, and long-term value of investing in innovation.

This session will focus on effective energy management in mining operations, how to optimise energy use, integrate renewable sources and developing energy storage solutions to ensure consistency in energy supply to power mines, especially in remote areas.

Membrane technologies are rapidly transforming the landscape of mineral processing, offering innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective solutions for extracting valuable elements from complex ores and waste streams. This workshop will explore the latest advancements in membrane-based separation and purification technologies, with a focus on critical minerals such as lithium, rubidium, and high-purity alumina (HPA).

Key topics will include:

• Introduction to membrane technology
• The role of membranes in enhancing extraction efficiency and resource recovery.
• Recent breakthroughs in membrane materials and process integration.
• Case studies on lithium, rubidium, and HPA extraction using advanced membranes.
• Challenges and opportunities for scaling membrane technologies in the mining sector.

This session will explore how advancements in technology are reshaping roles and skill requirements in the mining industry. It will discuss emerging job profiles and strategies for building a tech-ready workforce to drive productivity and sustainability in the evolving mining landscape.

As the mining industry evolves, health and wellbeing are emerging as critical pillars of future-ready operations. No longer just a compliance issue, workforce wellbeing is now recognised as a key driver of productivity, safety, retention, and long-term sustainability. This session will explore how mining organisations are rethinking health and wellbeing—from mental health initiatives and fatigue management to the design of inclusive, psychologically safe workplaces. With a focus on both physical and mental health, the discussion will highlight innovative programs, data-driven approaches, and leadership strategies that position wellbeing not as a cost, but as a competitive advantage in the future of mining.

Background to skills shortages and how industry, suppliers, employees, and government can help to create a workforce of the future. 

Electric Vehicles & Automation in Mobile Plant  –  A close look at likely scenarios in training and employment in this key area of the mining industry.

This paper proposes a transformative framework for Indigenous workforce participation in Australia's extractive industries, grounded in UNDRIP and recognizing First Nations Australians as "Rights Holders" rather than stakeholders. The model embeds Indigenous employment across all mining phases—exploration through post-closure—with culturally responsive workforce design at each stage. It emphasizes "participation over pay-out," moving beyond royalty payments toward co-created economic opportunities and shared governance through Community Development Agreements. The approach integrates Indigenous knowledge systems with technical training, Indigenous businesses into supply chains, and Traditional Owner priorities into closure planning. This transforms mining from extraction to regenerative partnership, strengthening Social License while creating sustainable Indigenous economic development aligned with cultural governance.

This session centres on the strategic role that D&I play in achieving organizational success. It will focus on how to build a genuinely inclusive workplace from the ground up, creating conditions for a resilient, innovative, and high-performing organization.

This topic is about recruitment techniques and strategies that expand the reach to diverse talent pools, improve candidate quality, and build a pipeline that can withstand industry fluctuations. It would cover recruitment innovation,  partnerships with educational institutions and outreach to non-traditional candidate. 

With declining geoscience enrollments and misconceptions about mining, attracting and retaining young talent is a critical challenge. This discussion will explore:

• Why fewer students pursue geoscience careers.
• How industry messaging can better engage young people.
• What young professionals seek in the industry.
• How companies can bridge the gap.

Workforce turnover, unplanned absenteeism and productivity dips during roster transitions are costing mining operations millions each year - but the root cause is often overlooked.

This high-impact, data-backed workshop reframes FIFO family wellbeing—not as a traditional HR initiative but as a strategic operational lever with measurable ROI. Grounded in lived FIFO experience and insights from hundreds of families, it uncovers the hidden costs of psychological stress and family disconnection - and equips you to drive meaningful, measurable change across your site or organisation.

Whether you manage a remote team or oversee site operations, this workshop delivers practical strategies to help your crews stay focused, safe and on-site - by supporting what matters most at home.

From onboarding to reintegration, from new parent support to emergency response planning—this workshop equips mining leaders with scalable, low-cost strategies that directly reduce churn, improve safety, and drive workforce stability.

Key Takeaways:

• Quantify the real cost of turnover, absenteeism and transition fatigue.
• Identify your site’s gaps using a FIFO Family Support Audit.
• Access ready-to-use templates, calculators and implementation frameworks.
• Learn how FIFO family interventions translate into measurable operational impact.
• Leave with an action plan tailored to your site.

In this interactive session, we will explore what effective Critical Risk Management looks like—from frontline execution to board-level oversight—with participants self-assessing their organisation’s maturity using a proven framework.

• Hear diverse insights from leaders in operations, contractors, technical services, governance, research and digital enabled frontline improvement.
• Benchmark your CRM maturity using the University of Queensland’s industry leading self-assessment tool.
• Define “what good looks like” — including how organisations identify material unwanted events (MUEs), specify the true critical controls, embed those controls into work, and audit their effectiveness.
• Walk away with practical steps to strengthen your critical risk management program.

Industrial theatre comes to the Future of Mining!

Partnering with the amazing team from ACT Australia, this interactive workshop will lead you through a live-acted play designed for impactful, experiential learning.

For 15 years Miners’ Promise has been providing compassionate care, guidance, essential liaison and advocacy, trauma-informed support, grief counselling, practical assistance and financial support for mining and resources families.

Supporting families across Australia as they navigate bereavement and significant crisis events Miners’ Promise has helped hundreds of families to move forward in their own time, in their own way.

The session will upskill and empower attendees to fulfil your unspoken promise to your employees – to provide the best possible care during the toughest of times.

Turning technology into a commercial success demands more than invention — it requires system-level understanding, the right mix of resources, and a strong ESG foundation. This masterclass explores how Australian industry can unlock high-impact opportunities by aligning innovation with sustainability and social licence.

Join us to uncover overlooked enablers — and common pitfalls — through real-world case studies from both local and global contexts. Key takeaways include:

• How ESG and system integration gaps contribute to commercial failures.
• Why low-cost labour doesn't always deliver long-term success.
• A hands-on ESG Optimiser Canvas to map and prioritise the right technologies and resource strategies for your operation.