Connecting Industry

Robert Dark is the publisher of Industry Queensland, an online publication producing information on mining, construction, and infrastructure development predominately across Queensland. From growing up in a mining region to becoming a journalist in Central and Northern Queensland, to starting Industry Queensland as a print publication in 2004, Robert has a firm grasp of the current issues and opportunities in the resource sector including the future of coal, critical minerals and the renewables industry including the effects of the battery revolution.

Peter Jones is the Chairman of the Australasian High Pressure Water Jetting Association (AUSJET), the peak national industrial services representative body with members across Australia and internationally. Formed initially as a response to injuries sustained in the water jetting industry, AUSJET exists to strengthen safety standards for business and industry working in the Water Jetting, Drain Cleaning, Vacuum Loading and Hydro Excavation Industries. Peter has more than 20 years of management experience in the Service Industry and moved into the Industrial Service Industry in 2004 and is currently the business manager at KOR Equipment Solutions in WA, South Australia, and the Northern Territory.

Mike Ferraro is Strandline Resources Ltd Technical and Marketing Director. Mike is a resource industry professional with 30+ years' experience and is a qualified metallurgist. His experience includes significant roles including Managing Director of Doral and Chief Operating Officer of MZI as well as earlier technical and operational management roles with Cristal and Simcoa. Specific to mineral sands, he has managed completion of bankable feasibility studies, operational readiness from greenfield for several operations and subsequent management thereof, as well as oversight on several expansions including design, approvals, project management and market development.

Nigel Hunt is Metronet's, the single largest investment in public transport Perth has ever seen, Morley-Ellenbrook Line Principal Project Director. Nigel has over 30 years of experience in the design and construction of passenger, freight and heavy haul railways and his experience includes management roles for the design and construction of Perth's last major new railway line to Mandurah. In the Pilbara, he has worked on major railway and non-process infrastructure projects for the mining sector.

Sarah Smith is the CEO of Scenario, a company that offers project, portfolio and enterprise-wide solutions, by providing a platform to manage project delivery, collaboration and processes for large to major projects. Sarah took over as Scenario's CEO in June 2019 however, she started working for Scenario almost 21 years ago, initially starting her career in Quality Assurance, then specialising in providing workforce management solutions for mining for 15 Years, before stepping into various management roles within the organisation.

Vincent Algar is the Managing Director of Australian Vanadium Limited. Vincent is a geologist by profession with over 27 years' experience in the mining industry, spanning underground and open cut mining operations, greenfields exploration, project development and mining services in both Western Australia and Southern Africa. Since 2015 Vincent has been Managing Director of Australian Vanadium Limited and is responsible for advancing the company's high-grade Australian Vanadium Project in Western Australia with its mine site south of Meekatharra and processing plant location between Mullewa and Geraldton.

Anton Guinea is the director of the Guinea Group, a company that supports leaders to create high performing teams and an environment of psychological and physical safety predominantly within the resource and construction sector. As a 21-year-old sparkie, Anton survived a near fatal workplace incident which changed his life forever. Over the last 15 years, Anton has worked with over 150 businesses globally, and has dedicated himself to safety thought leadership. The Guinea Group have developed and implemented methodologies which create lasting and impactful safety change, through a combined approach to psychological and physical safety.

Nicole Allison is the Operations Manager of EQIP Gladstone (Education Queensland Industry Partnership). EQIP is a non-profit initiative, providing a central point of contact to facilitate collaboration between Education Queensland, business, industry, and the community, to provide alternative education opportunities and career pathways into the resource and construction industry. EQIP's Workplace Learning Programs have won two Queensland Training Awards for Industry Collaboration and have been twice finalists at the Australian Training Awards. Prior to EQIP, Nicole worked in Engineering, Safety and Training roles, predominantly in the Coal and Gas industries.

Stefan Maslak is the National Sales & Marketing Manager at Stabilised Pavements of Australia, the largest specialist stabilisation contractor in Australasia providing services in the construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of pavements. Stefan has 20+ years working in the resource and construction sector within the civil and building industry. Utilising an established network of contacts in global markets, Stefan has worked for several companies in the sector not only throughout Australia, but with Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, India and Europe. Welcome Stefan to the program.

Tony Harmey is the National Head of Sales and Relationships for Apricity Finance, a company that provides invoice finance facilities available to businesses providing goods or services to high credit customers including the resource and construction industry. In his role as National Head of Sales and Relationships, Tony works closely with his clients to ensure the model is right to assist with the continued growth of their business. Prior to joining Apricity, Tony owned and operated his own hotels for more than 20 years, providing him with extensive knowledge of small to medium enterprises, and the day-to-day challenges and opportunities they face.

David Watt joined the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) in 2020 as Head of Commercial for the Inland Rail Program. He is accountable for the Program's commercial strategy, assurance, procurement and delivery strategy, as well as all procurement and contract management activities and insurance services. David has more than 25 years' experience across all aspects of commercial, risk, contract, project, and general management – both on project sites and in the corporate environment – and brings his most recent experience from a range of Director-level roles at SNC-Lavalin.

Paul Hodgson is the East Coast General Manager, Innovation and Stakeholder Engagement for the National Energy Resources Australia (NERA). Paul works with stakeholders to increase the productivity, competitiveness and export potential of the energy resources sector. Paul has spent over 20 years exploring the competitiveness of businesses, industries and regions, and designing and implementing strategies to improve performance through innovation and collaboration and most recently, he has been leading the establishment of Australia's national hydrogen technology cluster network, including a funding program for regional clusters across Australia.

Joseph Adair is a senior ecologist at Green Tape Solutions, a consultancy specialising in environmental assessments, environmental approvals, ecological surveys and environmental auditing for private and public sectors within major infrastructure, mining, renewable energy, and residential developments. Before joining Green Tape Solutions, Joe worked within the environmental sector as a Project Coordinator and Sanctuary Manager for the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Consultant to Arrow Energy and Papuan Oil Search and Principal Ecologist for the Santos GLNG project, and for the Queensland Government's Parks and Wildlife Service.

Dean Lynch is the Snowy 2.0 Relations Manager for the Snowy Hydro project. A fifth-generation resident of the Monaro and Snowy Mountains region, Dean has been a leader in the community as Mayor of the Cooma Monaro Shire and administrator of the Snowy Monaro Regional Council. He also has extensive experience in business as the former owner and operator of a chain of electrical retail stores, and in civil earthworks and contracting. Dean remains a retail business owner in Cooma and owns and manages Kunuma Stud.

Barry Maluga is co-founder and director of Emergency Response, Readiness and Recovery – a consultancy that assists the mining and industrial sector on emergency response planning, readiness and procedures, and developing recovery guidelines including auditing emergency response operations and emergency vehicle acquisition. Prior to establishing the business, Barry managed the Biloela Command for Queensland Fire & Emergency Services where he led the agency in natural disasters and emergency incidents within the mining, industrial and private sector including all levels of government.

Kate Swain is a Leading Environmental and Planning Lawyer at McCullough Robertson based in Newcastle, NSW. Kate is a Partner in the environment and planning team and works primarily in the resources and renewables sectors with a particular focus on land access, pollution, water licensing and approvals, native title and biodiversity. She assists her clients through the complex development assessment process, including overseeing the preparation of project applications and environmental assessments and is recognised as a leading mining lawyer across the eastern seaboard with a detailed understanding of Mining legislation and associated policies.

Ian Hudson is the Executive Director of Industry Capability Network (ICN) NSW. ICN supports local and regional business by helping them access major project new business opportunities or individual buyer requirements. At ICN, Ian has held roles as Regional Manager in Central West NSW, where he engaged SMEs in major mining, construction and transport projects. Prior to that, he held an Agrifood industry role and Aboriginal business development mentoring role. With almost 10 years at the ICN, Ian now leads a passionate team of people located in regional and metropolitan NSW who are intent on helping buyers efficiently develop a competitive and capable supply chain by finding and introducing competent suppliers.

Carey West is the director of Loadscan, a company providing load volume scanners and measurement systems for mines, quarries, and civil construction companies for the resource and construction industry to optimise production and loading which has subsequently become the industry standard . Carey formed the company in 2012 when he acquired the license from Tally Clerk to manufacture and sell load volume scanners globally which was the brainchild of Carey's father, Wayne West. Carey has since developed the product from the ground up which is now being used in over 20 countries from around the world.

Patrice Brown is the Director of CQG Consulting, a firm offering planning and development, environmental and engineering services to local, national, and international clients. Patrice has been a Corporate Environmental Advisor for over 30 years' experienced in industrial and environmental management, regional business leadership and an advocate for sustainable development. A leader in environmental impact assessment and a Certified Environmental Practitioner, Patrice established CQG Consulting in 2003 as a professional consultancy to deliver practical, creative and cost-effective solutions throughout regional Australia.

Mark Hinton is the Manager for Longwall Hydraulics, a hydraulic engineering company specialising in design and manufacture of longwall pump and tank stations, based in Mackay. Mark has worked in the mining industry for the past 40 years beginning with working in a mineral sand's mine in WA. For the last thirty years he has worked in sales and management with manufacturing and engineering companies in Perth and Brisbane, supplying equipment into the exploration drilling and the hard rock mining industries.

Ben Hughes is the Principal at Hughes et al, a local content consultancy working with resources and infrastructure projects who want to increase manufacturing and deliver on regional jobs. Ben began his career in local content in 2008 and has represented a range of proponents and contractors throughout Australia. He has only recently published the ‘Project Directors Local Content Guidance Note' which provides thought leadership on how projects can maximise local content. Hughes et al work for tender and delivery teams and project owners to design and implement local jobs, supply, and regional capability projects.

Sam heads Coffey Testing's Central QLD office in Rockhampton. Coffey Testing offer construction materials testing and geotechnical services for the construction industry from mining, oil and gas and residential projects to publicly funded roads and social infrastructure works. Coffey Testing Central Queensland has grown substantially under his guidance from its inception only two years ago to now having a Rockhampton based laboratory with over 20 technicians working from just below Mackay to as far as Gin-Gin in the south and west to Emerald

Jodie Currie is the Director and founder of the Bowen Basin Mining Club (BBMC), as well as a co-founder of Strategic Mining Communications, a consultancy business working with mining industry leaders. Jodie started the Bowen Basin Mining Club in 2010 after seeing a need for mining industry suppliers to work together by bringing high-profile speakers to regular regional networking events. Jodie has established the BBMC Yearbook, an annual thought leadership publication, as well as recognising the industry's achievers through the Queensland Mining Awards. In 2020, Jodie launched the BBMC's newest extension, The Crib Room podcast.

David Nunn is the managing director of High Risk Solutions (HRS), a scaffolding company working within the mining, construction, and residential sectors. Operating for over 8 years and with over 2000 tonnes of scaffold available on hand and the backup capability when required, David has established a team of industry specialists where the business delivers specific project teams for large, one-off projects through their industry partners. . David has a double Diploma in Business and Human Resource Management and he believes his greatest asset is the ability to look at each job differently, often coming up with simpler more economical solutions.

Edwin Davis is the founder and creative director of Pure Gold Films, a video production company with a primary focus on the resource and construction sector. Edwin is responsible for all end-to-end production requirements and has an in-depth knowledge and passion for heavy industry and has been delivering unique insights and the right advice to create engaging corporate and commercial videos across Australia for well-known businesses and brands working in the resource and construction industry since 2006.

Nicola Curtis is the Health, Safety, Environment, Quality and Security Manager for MAXAM Australia, PNG and the Pacific Islands and business owner of OHS72. Nicola is a qualified trainer, accredited auditor, and workplace rehabilitation coordinator and has extensive experience in mining, heavy manufacturing, transport, and infrastructure including RTO management and oil and gas. Nicola is also the managing director of OHS72 which provides health, safety, environment and quality assurance management systems and certification audit programs across the resource and construction industry.

Andy Shone is the CEO of The Southpac Group. The Southpac Group assist organisations improve safety across three key objectives – Human and Organisational Performance, Management Systems and Leadership. An active facilitator, lead auditor and consultant, Andy has led the development of innovative training and assurance programs covering leadership, quality, safety and continual Improvement all with a focus on the critical role of people. He is a postgraduate of the Griffith University Safety Science Innovation Lab in Brisbane and is a passionate proponent of cutting-edge leadership concepts and safety science.