What if yesterday's mine waste could become tomorrow's source of critical minerals?

Anita Parbhakar-Fox MAusIMM, Technical and Innovation Lead for Geoscience at KCB and Honorary Professor at the University of Queensland, reflects on her journey from environmental geology to becoming one of Australia's leading voices in mine waste characterisation and resource recovery. 

Anita shares how attitudes towards mine waste have evolved over the past two decades, driven by improvements in tailings management, advances in mineralogical technologies and growing demand for critical minerals needed to support the energy transition. She explores the emerging view of mine waste not as a liability, but as a potential asset containing valuable metals such as cobalt, tungsten and rare earth elements. 

The conversation also looks at the technologies shaping the future of mine waste reprocessing, including hyperspectral mineralogy, AI, machine learning and advanced processing methods, and why the next generation of geoscientists and engineers will play a crucial role in unlocking these opportunities. 

Ahead of her presentation at the AusIMM's Critical Minerals Conference 2026, Anita discusses what comes next following Australia's landmark mine waste mapping initiatives and how the industry can turn research and data into practical projects that recover critical minerals while reducing environmental footprints. Watch the full interview below.