The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia

CME Head of Economics Aaron Walker delivered a keynote presentation on day one of the WA Mining Conference and Exhibition that outlined some of the key developments impacting industry over the past 18 months. - Falls in key commodity prices, including iron ore, lithium and nickel - Rising costs including electricity in the SWIS - Declining employment, with WA resources sector employment down 20,000 jobs since May 2023 - Increasing regulatory uncertainty, primarily at a Federal level through new industrial relations laws and proposed environmental reforms To overcome these challenges, the CME continues to advocate for the State Government to deliver on key priorities including streamlining approvals, decarbonising our state's electricity grids and developing fully turnkey Strategic Industrial Areas. At a Federal level, its important all policy levers are working in the same direction to support a sector that is so pivotal to Australia’s prosperity.

The final day of plenary and breakout sessions focussed on the importance of collaboration and partnerships between business and community sectors and the dual goals of net zero and nature positive, which are intrinsically linked. Determining common data metrics and accessible data sources, that provide locally sourced data was a key takeaway from breakout sessions that focussed on use of data in achieving nature positive. Indigenous leadership and engagement with First Nations peoples was highlighted as key to sustainability. Traditional knowledge will play a vital role in helping understand and report our impact on nature.

Global Nature Positive Summit - Day One Fantastic to see such a large contingent of West Australians, including state government departments, community-based and indigenous-owned organisations and resource sector representatives attending the Global Nature Positive Summit in Sydney. These WA connections are truly reflective of the broader collaboration required between government, community and industry to successfully implement a nature positive approach. It has been clear from all today's speakers that business and the private sector will need to play a key role to make a nature positive Australia a reality. Business leaders presenting at the conference have highlighted the need to develop common terminology, reliable and accessible scientific data and settings that enable sustainable business investment in nature. The opening day of the summit also brought a commitment from Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to expand the sub-Antarctic Heard and McDonald Islands Marine Park by a further 310,000sqm - which means more than half of Australia's oceans are now protected.

The CME wishes to extend sincere congratulations to BCI Minerals for achieving a significant milestone with the Mardie Salt and Potash Project, which earlier this month commenced filling its first evaporation ponds with seawater. This marks a key development for the $1.4 billion initiative. Utilising 99% solar energy, Mardie is expected to produce 5.3 million tonnes of industrial salt each year. Our CEO, Rebecca Tomkinson - pictured here with Australian Capital Equity general counsel Rubini Ventouras - joined BCI Minerals to commemorate Australia’s newest and largest solar salt project on Thursday night.

We are pleased to announce that we have extended the nomination deadline for the CME Women in Resources Awards! We understand the unique challenges faced by FIFO workers balancing their rosters and personal commitments, and we want to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to submit a nomination. This extension is designed to provide the extra time needed to recognise the incredible women who are making significant contributions in the mining and resources sector. Whether it’s a colleague who leads by example, a mentor who inspires those around her, or a technical specialist who has delivered an outstanding innovation, now is the time to celebrate their achievements. Submit your nominations by Friday 11 October at https://hubs.ly/Q02RYCZZ0.

The CME congratulates experienced environmental practitioner, Darren Walsh, for his appointment as WA's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Chair, and thanks Lee McIntosh for her contribution as Acting Chair during a period of substantial reform associated with the Vogel McFerran review. The CME also thanks outgoing EPA Board member, Professor Fiona Haslam McKenzie for her contribution and governance, and acknowledges the appointment of Karen Caple as her replacement. The CME looks forward to continuing a productive relationship with the EPA. board.

Fantastic to have Minister for Finance, Commerce and Women's Interests Sue Ellery join us to officially launch the seventh edition of the CME's Diversity and Inclusion report on Thursday evening. While the latest results are encouraging - headlined by a doubling in the number of women working in the resources sector in just two years - there remains a lot of work ahead. As John Galvin, long-time chair of the CME's Diversity and Inclusion Reference Group, writes in the report: "My view is that these exciting improvements are the outcome of multiple initiatives and programs and more importantly a uniform cultural commitment across all of our members to improvement in the diversity and inclusion space. "Without the appropriate culture there cannot be change and the results in this year’s report clearly highlight that the culture is driving us in the right direction."

Today's final Boardroom Briefing featured Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation Director General Rebecca Brown providing an update on WA's ongoing diversification and decarbonisation agenda, with a focus on strategic industrial land activation, approvals reform and Carbon Capture, Use and Storage (CCUS). A big thank you to everyone who took part - especially our presenters - in what has been an insightful and informative series.

Every two years, the CME surveys our members on the composition of their workforces as part of efforts to track progress towards improving diversity in the resources sector. The seventh edition of the Diversity and Inclusion report is headlined by a hugely encouraging insight: the number of women working in resources and mining in WA doubled between 2021 and 2023. And those women are increasingly working in traditionally male-dominated roles, from plant operators and technicians through to engineers and board directors. Read the report for yourself here: https://hubs.ly/Q02Rbf820

Recent changes to WA's domestic gas policy, progress towards Carbon Capture, Use and Storage (CCUS) in WA and ongoing work to streamline project approvals stemming from the Vogel-McFerran review were all on the agenda when Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety Director General Richard Sellers joined us for the CME's penultimate Boardroom Briefing on Wednesday.