2020 has been a tough year for Australia. Despite the challenges of COVID19 and the resulting dislocation and disruption, WA’s resource sector is helping to lead a nation-wide economic recovery. The exploration industry is at the forefront of this effort, with established and emerging miners making discoveries that prove WA will remain an internationally renowned mining province for years to come.
Even with the disruption caused by COVID-19 the WA Mining Club has been able to continue providing events and insightful commentary on the resources sector throughout the year. This is a testament to our committee, sponsors, and members, and I would like to extend my gratitude to all those who continued to support the Club throughout this unprecedented time.
November has been a busy month for the WAMC with many events taking place and the exciting announcement of a new WA Mining Club committee.
I am pleased to introduce the Committee members for 2021:
Congratulations to all committee members on their appointment, I look forward to working with you all. As the youngest and fourth female President of the WAMC, it is exciting for me to see over 50 per cent female representation on the WAMC Committee. As a Club we are committed to increasing the number of our female and Young Professional members, and it is wonderful to see both represented at a committee level.
I would also like to congratulate Damian Quail, the outgoing President, and all other committee members for your service to the WAMC during your tenure.
Our events in November were focussed around our future leaders starting with the Scholarships Luncheon where guest speaker Peter Kerr, CEO at Mt Gibson Iron, spoke about previous Scholarship winners and where they are now, and why the WAMC Scholarship is such an amazing program. He also gave an insightful overview of the Koolan Mine, its history, and operations.
More recently the Club hosted the Young Professionals Event which focused on Risk, Exploration and Technology, at the stunning Ritz Carlton. It was a great event, with insights on managing exploration risks through focus on the right people and use of technology. A big thanks to our panellists – Alex Dorsch, MD of Chalice Gold Mines, Scott Williamson MD of Blackstone Minerals, and Jordan Rogers GIS Geologist from Gold Road Resources, moderated by Holly Bridgewater, Principal Industry Engagement from Unearthed.
We also rolled out our new Buddy Program which will see our Young Professionals (YPs) matched with a mentor to assist the YPs with their transition to Standard Member events and in developing their careers in the mining industry. It is an exciting program and one which I believe has excellent potential to develop our YPs to become leaders of WA Mining Club, and the wider resources sector in the future.
As we enter the festive season, I remind everyone to stay safe and enjoy networking with colleagues. I look forward to seeing as many of our members as possible at the sold-out St Barbara’s Day event on Friday, 4 December.
Natalie Taylor
President