Speakers

Speakers

Government Representatives

Madeleine King image

The Hon Madeleine King MP

Federal Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia
Dale Last image

The Hon Dale Last MP

Queensland Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland Minister for Manufacturing, Queensland Minister for Regional and Rural Development
Anthony Chisholm image

Senator the Hon Anthony Chisholm

Assistant Minister for Resources, Assistant Minister for Regional Development, Assistant Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Deputy Manager of Government Business in the Senate, Senator for Queensland
Susan McDonald image

Senator Susan McDonald

Senator for Queensland, Shadow Minister for Resources, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia

Keynotes & Mining Representatives

Neville Power image

Neville Power

Director, Omnia Company
Matt O’Neill image

Matt O’Neill

Chief Operating Officer, Evolution Mining
Jason Floyd image

Jason Floyd

General Manager / Site Senior Executive, Ernest Henry Operations
Ben McInerney image

Ben McInerney

General Manager and Senior Site Executive, Eloise Copper Mine
Glen Connell image

Glen Connell

Executive General Manager - Stakeholder Relations, Harmony Eva Cooper Mines
Glenn Stockton image

Glenn Stockton AM

CEO, Sunwater
Kate Dickson image

Kate Dickson

Queensland Director and Head of National Operations, Association of Mining Exploration Companies
Jim Cooper image

Jim Cooper

COO, PRL Group
Daniel Bales image

Daniel Bales

Study Manager, Dugald River Renewables

Departmental Representatives

Darren Cleland image

Darren Cleland PSM

Executive Regional Director – North, Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning
Ernie Camp image

Cr Ernie Camp

Mayor Burke Shire Council, Chair Gulf Savannah Development
Kerry Smeltzer image

Kerry Smeltzer

Assistant Coordinator-General, Office of the Coordinator-General, Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning
Patricia O’Callaghan image

Patricia O’Callaghan

Director-General, Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation
Rob Lawrence image

Rob Lawrence

Deputy Director General, Environmental Services and Regulation, Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation. Queensland.
Scott Sullivan image

Scott Sullivan

Executive Director, Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation

Invited Speakers

Ben Paxton Hall image

Ben Paxton Hall

Director, Operations and Company Secretary, North West Phosphate
Bradley Hamilton image

Bradley Hamilton

Market Leader, Transport – Northern Australia, GHD
Bradley Jones image

Bradley Jones

Principal Traffic Engineer, Premise Australia Pty Ltd
Bronwyn Barnes image

Bronwyn Barnes

President & CEO Director, Ivanhoe Atlantic
Dan Kelleher image

Dan Kelleher

General Manager, Southern Cross, Phosphate Hill & Mt Isa
Gareth Forde image

Dr Gareth Forde

Principal Engineer, All Energy Pty Ltd
Janette Hewson image

Janette Hewson

CEO, Queensland Resources Council
John Mavrogenes​ image

Professor John Mavrogenes​

Professor, Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University
Maria James image

Maria James

CEO, Mt Isa to Townsville Economic Development Zone
Matt Johnson image

Matt Johnson

Turnaround Manager - Northern Australia Operations for Southern Cross Fertilisers, Phosphate Hill & Mt Isa
Rick Valenta image

Professor Rick Valenta

Director, Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland
Ross Browning image

Ross Browning

Non-Executive Director, enviroMETS
Sally Henderson image

Sally Henderson

Founder, Redefining Resources
Warwick Squire image

Warwick Squire

CEO, Coexistence Queensland

The Hon Madeleine King

Federal Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia

The Hon. Madeleine King was sworn in as Federal Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia on 1 June 2022, and reappointed to the role on 13 May 2025, following the re-election of the Albanese Government.

Minister King was first elected to Parliament in 2016, representing the seat of Brand on the outskirts of Perth, where she was born and grew up.

The seat encompasses the Cities of Rockingham and Kwinana and contains some of Perth’s heavy industries, including the HMAS Stirling naval base on Garden Island and the Kwinana Industrial Area. King’s father worked at the BP oil refinery in Kwinana and her mother and grandmother ran a drapery store in Rockingham.

Before entering parliament Minister King held senior executive roles at The University of Western Australia and served as the inaugural Chief Operating Officer at the Perth USAsia Centre.

As a Shadow Minister, a former political adviser and through Parliamentary committee work, she was a regular visitor to Northern Australia and has been deeply engaged in issues surrounding development in the north.

Minister King has a strong interest in ensuring the benefits of economic development are shared fairly and create opportunities for all segments of Australian society.

The Hon Dale Last

Queensland Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland Minister for Manufacturing, Queensland Minister for Regional and Rural Development

Dale Last is the Queensland Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Minister for Manufacturing and Minister for Regional and Rural Development.

Born and raised in country Queensland, Minister Last has dedicated his career to serving regional communities.

Minister Last joined the Queensland Police Service in 1981 and was awarded the National Police Medal in 1988 for diligent long service to the community. He was appointed Officer in Charge of Townsville Police Station in 2000, leading frontline law enforcement in Queensland’s largest regional centre.

Following his service in the Queensland Police Service, Minister Last was elected to Townsville City Council, where he served as both Councillor and Deputy Mayor. In 2015, he was elected to the Queensland Parliament as the Member for Burdekin.

Minister Last is a fierce advocate for regional communities and rural development. His electorate of Burdekin is home to major resources projects and key transport infrastructure, including numerous mines and the Port of Abbot Point.

He lives on a small farm at Alligator Creek with his wife, two of his children and a menagerie including two horses and a pet pig called Honey.

Senator the Hon Anthony Chisholm

Assistant Minister for Resources, Assistant Minister for Regional Development, Assistant Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Deputy Manager of Government Business in the Senate, Senator for Queensland

Anthony grew up on the northside of Brisbane attending Wavell State High School.

Prior to being elected, Anthony has had an active role in Queensland politics serving as Queensland Labor State Secretary between 2008 and 2014, before taking on the role of Campaign Director for the 2015 Queensland State Election, which saw the Palaszczuk Government sweep to power.

Anthony attended Griffith University graduating with a Bachelor of Arts. Throughout his university years and in his working life, Anthony has maintained strong community involvement through his work with charities from his local community on the northside of Brisbane.

Anthony was elected to the Senate in 2016 and then re-elected in 2022.

During the first term of the Albanese Government, he was appointed by the Prime Minister as the Assistant Minister for Education and the Assistant Minister for Regional Development, and in July 2024 was sworn in as Assistant Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Following the 2025 Federal Election, Anthony retained his Regional Development and Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry portfolios, but was also sworn in as the Assistant Minister for Resources.

Coming from a vast, decentralised State like Queensland, Anthony is passionate about ensuring secure employment, affordable healthcare and necessary access to services are available to all - no matter where they live.

As a Senator for Queensland and Assistant Minister in the Albanese Labor Government, Anthony is committed to providing a strong Labor voice for working people throughout the State and across the country.

Senator Susan McDonald

Senator for Queensland, Shadow Minister for Resources, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia

About Susan

From growing up on her family’s cattle property in North-West Queensland to running a business in South-East Queensland, Susan has a deep appreciation of the issues affecting Queenslanders across the state.

Raised near Cloncurry, Susan was educated by Correspondence School and Mt Isa School of the Air before attending boarding school in Brisbane and studying commerce and economics at the University of Queensland.

A qualified accountant and mum to three kids, Susan also ran a chain of butcher shops for six years, responsible for over 100 staff across five stores, before being elected to the Australian Senate for Queensland.

Susan is based in Townsville, making her the Coalition’s northernmost Senator in Queensland.

Parliamentary Service

Susan is the Shadow Minister for Resources and Shadow Minister for Northern Australia, roles in which she will be able to help grow our country’s most productive regions and industries for the benefit of all Australians.

Susan was elected to the Senate in May 2019 as a member of the Liberal National Party and sits in the Federal Nationals party room.

Susan also held roles in the previous Coalition Government as Special Envoy for Northern Australia and Chair of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee.

Neville Power

Director, Omnia Company

BE(Mech), MBA, HFIEAust, FAusIMM, MAICD

Nev is the Owner of Bushy Park Station, a family ran cattle station.

Nev is also the Non-Executive Chair of Future Battery Minerals, Director and Deputy Chair of Strike Energy Limited and he is also a Non-Executive and Lead Independent Director of employment services provider APM Human Services International Ltd.

With more than four decades of experience in mining, minerals processing, construction and steel making, Nev has accumulated a wide range of skills and knowledge across multiple sectors of the commercial and Not for Profit global business landscape.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nev was appointed by the Prime Minister to lead an expert advisory board, the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission (NCCC).  The Commission had two key roles: to help minimise and mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 on jobs and businesses, and to facilitate the fastest possible recovery of the Australian economy and communities.

From 2011 to 2018, Nev was Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Fortescue Metals Group Ltd, one of the world’s largest, lowest cost producers of iron ore. During his time Fortescue more than quadrupled its production to over 170 million tonnes per annum and positioned itself as the lowest cost supplier of seaborne iron ore to China.

Before joining Fortescue, he held Chief Executive positions at Thiess and the Smorgon Steel Group.

Nev also has an extensive background in agribusiness and aviation, holding both fixed wing and helicopter commercial pilot licenses.

Matt O’Neill

Chief Operating Officer, Evolution Mining

Mr O’Neill commenced as Chief Operating Officer on 1 June 2024. He has more than 20 years of experience working in base metals and gold.

Most recently, Mr O’Neill was the Australian Regional Lead / COO for Glencore’s Copper and Zinc businesses, responsible for managing all copper and zinc assets in Glencore’s Australian portfolio. This included accountability for Ernest Henry when Evolution acquired an economic interest in the operation in 2016 through to Evolution’s 100% ownership of the asset in January 2022. Mr. O’Neill joined Xstrata / Glencore in 2004 and, since leaving in 2023, managed his own consulting business, which included supporting Evolution with the integration of the Northparkes operation.

Mr O’Neill’s strong experience is supported by a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering, a Graduate Certificate in Mining Engineering and an MBA.

Jason Floyd

General Manager / Site Senior Executive, Ernest Henry Operations

The General Manager of Evolution Mining’s Ernest Henry operation, Jason has been with Evolution for over 10 years, with senior roles in both operations and corporate functions, including roles at Evolution’s Red Lake and Cowal operations.

Jason has worked for several multinational mining companies both in Australia and overseas, such as Barrick Gold, Kinross Gold and Placer Dome. Born and raised in the mining town of Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada, Jason is a mining engineer with qualifications from Queen’s University in Canada and has worked across both operations and technical roles over his 25-plus years in the mining industry.

Ben McInerney

General Manager and Senior Site Executive, Eloise Copper Mine

Ben has over 25 years of experience in metalliferous mining operations throughout Australia and 14 years in Executive management roles including AIC Mines, FMR Investments and Evolution Mining. Ben holds a Bachelor of Mining Engineering, a First Class Mine Managers Certificate and a Senior Site Executive Certificate in Queensland. In his 5 years at Eloise, he has witnessed firsthand an operation that was on the brink of closure, to not only recover, but have the best long-term outlook in its 30 years of existence.

Glen Connell

Executive General Manager - Stakeholder Relations, Harmony Eva Cooper Mines

An accomplished Natural Resources Executive and Australian Diplomat with a diverse 24-year career in International Relations, Government Policy, Strategic Communications and Public Affairs.

A values-driven creative leader, he combines big picture vision with hard-nosed pragmatism and commercial acumen. Well networked and expert in influencing meaningful and productive stakeholder relationships in diverse markets around the world. He has led external engagement in Papua New Guinea, Laos, China, Myanmar, Australia, Fiji, Canada, the United States and Ecuador.

Glen's professional motivation is to hasten the transition to the ‘new economy’ by improving the connection between public policy and private sector activity to foster sustainable and diverse economic growth.

Glenn Stockton

CEO, Sunwater

Glenn Stockton AM became CEO on 3 August 2020. He has vast experience in leadership and successfully managing complex infrastructure projects. Glenn focuses on building strong relationships to achieve project goals.

He values the link between design, performance, and maintenance for optimal asset performance and returns. An advocate of safety, governance, accountability, and customer-focused outcomes, he actively works on enhancing business resilience and leadership capacity.

Previously, Glenn was General Manager Operations at Pacific Partnerships, Director and Board Chairman of Pulse Partnerships Consortium for Cross River Rail, CEO of ACT Light Rail, and served as a Colonel in the Royal Australian Engineers.s

Glenn is a Member of the Order of Australia, an Australian Institute of Company Directors graduate, and holds an MBA from the Universities of Southern Queensland and Canberra.

Kate Dickson

Queensland Director and Head of National Operations, Association of Mining Exploration Companies

Kate brings a unique perspective and extensive experience to the resources industry, understanding both the private and public sectors. She collaborates closely with stakeholders to drive AMEC’s Strategic Plan, ensuring positive outcomes for AMEC members and the broader community. Kate is committed to upholding AMEC’s advocacy traditions and actively engages stakeholders in this mission. Her background and experience have instilled in her the belief that the right policy levers are key to making a lasting impact in the resources industry.

Jim Cooper

COO, PRL Group

Jim has over 38 years of experience in the mining industry, spanning a wide range of locations and commodities. Throughout his career, Jim has demonstrated a strong commitment to leading safe, efficient, and productive operations. His extensive industry knowledge and hands-on leadership bring a wealth of operational expertise to PRL Global.

Daniel Bales

Study Manager, Dugald River Renewables

Daniel is an experienced mining and project manager with over 20 years experience across various roles, countries and commodities. Daniel has worked with MMG in North West Queensland on strategic planning and projects with Century and Dugald River Mines and is currently leading the Dugald River Wind Farm project.

Darren Cleland

Executive Regional Director – North, Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning

Darren Cleland has over 30 years’ experience in industry and regional economic development, including 20 years in the private sector and more than 20 years in public service As Executive Regional Director - North with the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, Darren oversees economic development initiatives from Gladstone up to the Torres Strait and west to Mount Isa. He and his team are focused on a broad range of projects encompassing the department’s priority sectors of defence, biofuels and biomedical as well as whole of government priority industries which include mining, agriculture and tourism. In 2024, he was awarded a Public Service Medal for his outstanding public service to regional and rural communities in Queensland. Darren has a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Queensland and leverages his expertise in financial and economic modelling and his understanding of business trends to drive regional investment and development.

Cr Ernie Camp

Mayor Burke Shire Council, Chair Gulf Savannah Development

Ernie Camp has been involved in local government for over twenty-six years. After being appointed as a Councillor to fill a vacancy caused by a departure of a sitting Councillor, he served the remainder of that Council term and then completed another full term as a Councillor. After a hiatus of one term, he then served as Deputy Mayor for two terms and is now in his fourth term as Mayor. Ernie has been Chair of Gulf Savannah Development, the premier regional development body for the Southern Gulf of Carpentaria region, for over a decade. He is also, through these roles, a committee member of NW Minerals Province Stakeholder Advisory Committee, Statewide Oversight Group (Biosecurity) and the NWQ Regional Technical Advisory Group (Biosecurity). When not wearing these hats he runs a grassfed beef property, in partnership with his wife, 71km SE of Burketown. He has also been trialling broadacre farming on his property with the first shipment of AAA+ sorghum exported to China from this region. He is passionate about his local community, the grassfed beef industry and seeing his region, known as the Plains of Promise, realise the vison and potential identified over a century ago.

Kerry Smeltzer

Assistant Coordinator-General, Office of the Coordinator-General, Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning

Kerry Smeltzer is a seasoned public sector professional with extensive experience in facilitating approvals for major resource industry projects across Queensland. As Assistant Coordinator-General, Kerry plays a pivotal role in navigating complex regulatory frameworks, coordinating multi-agency assessments, and ensuring timely and transparent decision-making processes that support sustainable development.

With a strong background in strategic planning and stakeholder engagement, Kerry works closely with industry proponents, government departments, and community representatives to balance economic growth with environmental and social considerations. Her work contributes to Queensland’s reputation as a leading destination for responsible resource investment, helping unlock opportunities in mining, energy, and infrastructure while upholding rigorous standards.

Kerry is known for her collaborative approach, policy insight, and commitment to delivering outcomes that align with both government priorities and community expectations.

Patricia O’Callaghan

Director-General, Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation

Patricia (Trish) joined the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation as Director-General in November 2024. She has held significant senior executive positions over the past 15 years and has a passion for growing companies, communities and bettering the lives of people.

Trish has a wealth of experience in tourism, having previously served as CEO of Tourism and Events Queensland. Prior to this, she headed up Destination Gold Coast from February 2021 to December 2022; following nine years with Townsville Enterprise, first as General Manager for Tourism and Events before being promoted to CEO.

With extensive experience in strategy development, advocacy, corporate communications, government, stakeholder and media relations, and marketing, Trish has a proven record of working with communities to convert strategy into tangible outcomes.

Trish has previously been accepted into the Australian American Young Leadership Dialogue, was named 2018 BOSS Young Executive by the Australian Financial Review and was the recipient of the 2014 Australian Institute of Management – Young Manager of the Year Award for Queensland.

Rob Lawrence

Deputy Director General, Environmental Services and Regulation, Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation. Queensland.

Rob joined Queensland’s Environment Department in 1995 after working in local government in the Northern Territory. Rob has held numerous leadership roles across the department, including leading environmental regulation in North Queensland for over a decade. For the past 5 years, Rob has been the head of Queensland’s environmental regulator in his role as Deputy-Director General, Environmental Services and Regulation. In this role, Rob leads the team responsible for administering a range of environmental legislation that manages the impact of human activity on the Queensland’s unique environment.

Scott Sullivan

Executive Director, Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation

Scott Sullivan has over 30 years of experience in the field of conservation and environmental protection across both the private and public sector. As Executive Director, Minerals and Northern Compliance within the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, Scott leads an environmental regulatory program across Queensland. He and his team are focussed on monitoring environmental compliance across a range of sectors, from agriculture and government utilities to light and heavy industry through to mining. Scott leads the team responsible for assessing and deciding the State’s environmental approvals for the mineral resources sector with a significant level of engagement in the North and North West of the State.

Ben Paxton Hall

Director, Operations and Company Secretary, North West Phosphate

Ben is an operations, government, regulatory, and stakeholder affairs specialist with over five years' experience in both the public and private sectors. Having worked across a host of highly regulated industries including mining and resources, Ben offers unique expertise streamlining operations and delivering desired outcomes. Prior to joining North West Phosphate, Ben held roles in government and private enterprise across Brisbane, Sydney, and Canberra.

Bradley Hamilton

Market Leader, Transport – Northern Australia, GHD

Brad has worked in the construction and mining industries for over 25 years with roles in project delivery, operational and customer account management throughout Queensland and the Northern Territory. Brads connection with the North West started in 2010 when he moved to Mount Isa as the Area Manager for Hasting Deering a role he held for 4 yrs before relocating back to Townsville but continued to work in the North West for key mining and government clients where his focus shifted to Construction projects with Fulton Hogan mainly based around road, airport and rail assets.

Joining GHD in 2023 as the Market Leader – Transport for Northern Australia, Brad continues to focus on front end enabling infrastructure and planning within the region aligned to the region's development and economic growth.

Bradley Jones

Principal Traffic Engineer, Premise Australia Pty Ltd

Over more than 19 years, Bradley Jones has gained a diverse range of experience across the length and breadth of Queensland on projects that range in size from providing access solutions for small developments, through planning local government spanning transport networks, to assessment of transport options for the movement of freight between western Queensland and the east coast. Bradley works with private and public sector clients to improve traffic impact assessment and transport planning processes reflecting critically on the latest trends in traffic engineering and transport planning to adopt best practice techniques. Bradley actively shares his knowledge and experience through presentations at conferences. Pavement impact assessment and network planning are recurring themes in presentations with other topics including freight transport and road safety impact assessment.

Bronwyn Barnes

President & CEO Director, Ivanhoe Atlantic

Bronwyn is a distinguished leader in the global resources industry with nearly 30 years of experience across exploration and mining. She has worked extensively in Africa, especially West Africa, and held senior positions at BHP, Fortescue, and WMC. As President and CEO of Ivanhoe Atlantic since 2022, she leads projects under Robert Friedland’s Ivanhoe Group, including Ivanhoe Liberia. Bronwyn chairs ASX-listed Indiana Resources and Finder Energy, while maintaining close ties with investment agencies and governments to support infrastructure development. Her diverse board experience spans sectors including fishing, education, Indigenous affairs, and community development. She has served as Managing Director, Chair, and shareholder across multiple ASX entities. In 2019, she was inducted into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame, recognising her outstanding leadership and business impact. With deep governance expertise and a passion for sustainable growth, Bronwyn continues to influence the global mining sector through strategic development and transformative partnerships.

Dan Kelleher

General Manager, Southern Cross, Phosphate Hill & Mt Isa

Dan Kelleher is the General Manager of Northern Australian Operations for Incitec Pivot Limited, having recently joined the company in January 2024. In addition to being the Site Senior Executive at Phosphate Hill Mine, Dan also leads the team at the Mount Isa Acid Plant. A fitter and turner by trade, Dan holds a Bachelor of Engineering (mechanical) from Deakin University, a Masters in Maintenance and Reliability Engineering from Monash University, is a Chartered Professional Engineer with Engineers Australia, a Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Dan’s early career was in manufacturing, and for the last fifteen years he has built an extensive career in mining, having worked across several open cut mines and metallurgical processing facilities in commodities such as lead/zinc, coal, and bauxite, predominantly on the east coast of Australia in Queensland and in NSW.

Dr Gareth Forde

Principal Engineer, All Energy Pty Ltd

Gareth advises businesses on the economic and operational advantages of energy efficiency, on-site process heat, power generation and innovative industrial infrastructure. For our advanced process modelling of industrial and clean tech systems (or “Digital Twining”), the All Energy Pty Ltd team were a Telstra Business Awards QLD 2024 finalist for Sustainability. Providing strategic energy, emissions and sustainability advice to the private and public sectors, Gareth provides clarity on complex technical problems. All Energy Pty Ltd was part of the team that won the Australasian Industrial Project - Institute of Chemical Engineers for a circular economy multi-fuel biomass boiler that utilised a range of agri-residues to off-set fossil fuel usage at a food manufacturing facility.  Gareth is a registered greenhouse and energy auditor with the Clean Energy Regulator, a Registered Professional Engineer QLD (Chemical and Environmental Engineering), holds a BE(Chem) from UQ and a PhD (Engineering) from Cambridge University, UK.

Janette Hewson

CEO, Queensland Resources Council

Highly regarded industry leader, Janette Hewson, is the Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Resources Council.

Janette is a born and bred Queenslander with more than 25 years’ experience in resources at a senior executive level.

Her past positions include Executive Vice President, Environment, Sustainability & Governance at Santos and senior positions with global resources companies South 32 and Peabody Energy.

Janette has served on the Climate Advisory Panel for the Minerals Council of Australia, and the Boards of the Queensland Resources Council, NSW Minerals Council and Low Emissions Technology Australia. She has a Bachelor of Laws degree from Queensland University of Technology, a Bachelor of Arts (Modern Asian Studies with a major in Japanese language) from Griffith University and is a former winner of Queensland’s Exceptional Woman in Resources award.

Janette is married to Scott and they have two sons and a daughter.

Professor John Mavrogenes​

Professor, Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University

John Mavrogenes grew up in Chicago Illinois and majored in Geology at Beloit College (Wisconsin). He completed a PhD in Geochemistry at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1994 before moving to ANU for a three-year post-doctoral fellowship funded by Western Mining Corporation. Thirty years later he is still at ANU, researching and teaching ore deposit geology. He has supervised over 50 honours and 25 PhD students over these years covering a range of ore deposit types and experimental simulations of ore forming processes. For the past decade he has focused on the study of Australian rare earth deposits, including hosting the first two national conferences on rare earth deposits at ANU (REECON). LaRecently, he received the Joe Harms medal from and became a Fellow of the Geological Society of Australia for lifetime achievement in economic geology research.

Maria James

CEO, Mt Isa to Townsville Economic Development Zone

Maria James is the CEO of MITEZ (Mt Isa to Townsville Economic Development Zone), a member-based regional development and advocacy group for the North West corridor.

Previous to this she spent more than a decade at Port of Townsville managing the trade and business development unit. Maria began her career as a graduate economist with the Commonwealth Department of Defence but then spent almost 20 years working in both the UK and USA in Further Education and International Rugby administration before settling in Townsville with her family.

A born and bred North Queenslander, Tully to be specific, Maria is passionate about Northern Australia and being part of its development. She sits on the RDA Townsville and North West Committee, Energy Queensland’s Customer and Community Council, the Athletics North Queensland Board and the CopperString Regional Reference Group.

Matt Johnson

Turnaround Manager - Northern Australia Operations for Southern Cross Fertilisers, Phosphate Hill & Mt Isa

Matt is the Turnaround Manager - Northern Australia Operations for Incitec Pivot Limited, Matt has been with the company for 14 years. Matt has worked numerous maintenance and reliability roles at Mount Isa and Phosphate Hill and has a Mechanical Engineering Degree from JCU in Townsville. Matt also holds his RSHQ Site Senior Executive Practicing Certificate.

Professor Rick Valenta

Director, Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland

Professor Rick Valenta is Director of the Sustainable Minerals Institute and UQ lead for the Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer. He has been with the Sustainable Minerals Institute for 8 years, following a career of 25 years in the mining industry. He has held leadership roles in major research initiatives across Queensland’s Northwest Mineral Province, including the Strategic Resources Exploration Program, New Economy Minerals Initiative, and the Alliance for Critical Minerals and Circular Economy. He originated the Queensland Deposit Atlas program and co-founded a project that is developing a 3D Digital Twin of the state. Rick leads geoscience and exploration efforts that have supported new discoveries and regional development, and is co-leading a project scoping the possibility of establishing a Rare Earth and Critical Mineral Research Centre in Mount Isa to help drive economic prosperity in the region through innovative support of strategic and critical mineral development projects.

Ross Browning

Non-Executive Director, enviroMETS

Ross is Founder and Managing Director of Impact250, which builds partnerships with traditional owners, establishes and operates business opportunities, creating positive impact for traditional owner groups.

He also has a depth of practical experience in mine repurposing/rehabilitation through the full mining lifecycle.

These activities are built on his strong working relationships with industry, Government and other stakeholders. The successful partnering with first nations Australians in post mining solutions has developed a deep understanding of the issue, and fires a passion to implement innovative post mining land use solutions.

Ross is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and completed a Master of Environmental Management.

Sally Henderson

Founder, Redefining Resources

Sally holds a first class honours in Mining Engineering from the University of Queensland, and an MBA (Strategy) with Dean's honours from RSM in Holland.

From 1996, her career has spanned over 4 continents and 10 commodities from bulks to niche metals, in greenfield and brownfield locations. Sally has held senior roles in Operations, Projects, Planning, Corporate Strategy and Business Development, and Portfolio Valuation. She is the founder of Redefining Resources, which offers business and strategic advisory services to industry, mining companies, government, and regional businesses to assist in unlocking business and industry potential in the Resources sector and adjacent industries.

Warwick Squire

CEO, Coexistence Queensland

Warwick Squire is an experienced executive specialising in change leadership, policy development, and operational efficiencies with more than 20 years in the government sector. He has extensive expertise in cultivating productive relationships, particularly throughout rural and regional communities in Queensland.

Warwick currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Coexistence Queensland, a role in which he leads and works collaboratively with landholders, communities, agricultural, energy and resource companies, peak bodies, and all levels of government to achieve positive coexistence outcomes.

His authentic leadership ensures team engagement and aligned focus within teams and across departments, driving change and delivering innovative projects in complex environments.

Warwick has built a reputation for taking on challenging roles and leading teams to deliver exceptional results.

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