Mechanical Engineering Safety Seminar 2026 agenda at a glance

8:00am – 9:00am  |  Registration

9:00am – 10:30am  |  Session 1 

• Welcome and Resources Regulator update – Anthony Margetts, Chief Inspector, Resources Regulator
• Future of Mining - Insights from an OEM - Craig Johnston, Vice President Sales Australia & NZ, Sandvik Mining

10:30am – 11:00am  |  Morning tea

11:00am – 12:30pm  |  Session 2 

• Learning the Hard Way: Legal Perspectives on WHS Incidents in Mining - Tom Reaburn, Partner, McCullough Robertson Lawyers
• Empowering Growth: Managing Apprentices at Glencore - Alison Pepper, Senior Mechanical Engineer, and Paul Watters, Learning and Development Coordinator, Hunter Valley Operations
• Apprentice Tyre Handler Incident - Mike Priestley, Operations Manager, Yarrabee Mine, Yancoal QLD

12:30pm – 1:20pm  |  Lunch

1:20pm – 3:15pm  |  Session 3 

• Panel Discussion: Best Practices for Developing and Supporting Apprentices
  Panel members: Jess Frost (Mt Arthur), Anthony Tully (Metropolitan), Brendan Watson, (Mt Arthur & Mt Pleasant) and Paul Watters, (Hunter Valley Operations)
• The Titan Submersible Implosion: What Happened, Why and the Implications for Engineering Ethics - Professor Jan Hayes, Professor of Organisational Accident Prevention, RMIT University

3:15pm – 3:35pm  |  Afternoon tea

3:35pm – 5:05pm  |  Session 4

• Mining and Petroleum Competence Board: Update by Joanne Muller, Chair MPCB
• Ventilation Air Methane (VAM) Project Update and Demonstration - Gabrielle Foodey, Study Lead – VAM, Appin Mine, GM3
• Operations to Closure - Lessons from Liddell - Ben Withers, Statutory Mechanical Engineer, Glencore

8:00am – 8:30am   |  Registration

8:30am – 10:45am  |  Session 1 

• Mechanical update from the Resources Regulator - Dwaine Jones, Deputy Chief Inspector, Resources Regulator
• Engineering Better Teams - Ashley Belteky, Trailblazing Diesel Mechanic, founder of Blue Leader and Leadership trainer
• Establishing Maxwell Underground and Overland Conveyor - Simon Flannery, Senior Mechanical Engineer & Kayla Crow, Statutory Mechanical Engineer, Malabar Resources
• Smooth Ride System for Transport of Injured Personnel Underground - Paul Williamson, Manager of Mechanical Engineering, Clarence Centennial Coal

10:50am – 11:35am  |  Brunch

11:35am – 1:50pm  |  Session 2 

• The Importance of Fasteners in Mechanical Engineering - Matt Blanch, Director - Failure Analysis & Materials Investigations Manager, Noble Engineering Services
• Diesel management in mines - Nathan Thompson, Mechanical Engineer Manager, GM3
• Collision Awareness System - For When All Else Fails - Dennis Hunt, Mining Manager, Tronox and Tony Peterson, Mining Manager, Yellow Iron
• Provision of Secondary Egress Using a Crane-Deployed Emergency Pod - Phil Howlin, Principal Engineer Mechanical, Advitech

Close

_{^{*Please note the agenda is subject to change}}