Process Improvement
As the mining industry edges closer to a tipping point on tailings management, a panel of global experts at the 2025 Life of Mine | Mine Waste and Tailings Conference in Brisbane issued a clear message: discipline in operations, humility in design, and a more adaptive mindset will be critical to preventing the next tailings disaster.
If there was one thing the panel on safe mine closure made clear at this year’s Life of Mine - Mine Waste and Tailings Conference in Brisbane, it’s this: closure is no longer just about sealing off the last truckload and planting grass.
Statutory officials in Queensland’s mineral mines and quarries are now required to hold a valid Practising Certificate as part of a newly implemented professional development scheme introduced by the state’s mining regulator.
In the drive to improve energy efficiency, recovery, and metallurgical precision, a global engineering company has released a quiet disruptor: a machine-learning-enabled sensor that’s helping mining operations monitor and optimise grind size with new levels of accuracy.
From deserts to drill pads, remote exploration teams increasingly need to make informed, high-impact decisions without waiting weeks for lab results.
In the mining world, where uptime is profit and safety is paramount, innovations that reduce risk while boosting operational efficiency are prized.
At the AusIMM 2025 Life of Mine - Mine Waste and Tailings Conference in Brisbane, a standout panel on site characterisation dug deep into the evolving challenges - and innovations - facing tailings engineers.
Tailings engineers aren’t just designing structures - they’re safeguarding legacies.
For decades, mine planning has leaned heavily on deterministic models - tools that simplify the earth into a single version of the truth.
As global demand for clean energy technology intensifies and geopolitical tensions rise, the importance of critical minerals has reached new heights.
