Australian Mining: Flagship AusIMM conferences join forces
AusIMM’s 2025 conference unites mine lifecycle experts for innovation and collaboration
Two much-anticipated industry events are joining forces in 2025 to deliver a powerful platform for connection, innovation and progress.
AusIMM is set to deliver one of 2025’s most comprehensive mining events with the Life of Mine | Mine Waste and Tailings Conference.
For the first time, the two major conferences will run concurrently at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from July 29–30, offering delegates a chance to explore the full spectrum of mine lifecycle management under one roof.
This dual format is designed to broaden the event’s scope and amplify opportunities for technical knowledge sharing, industry collaboration and interdisciplinary dialogue.
The program will include multiple simultaneous streams, with presentations and panel discussions covering everything from mine development to waste management, rehabilitation and final closure.
Professor David Williams
Emeritus Professor David Williams, no stranger to the Mine Waste and Tailings event, will chair the rapidly growing conference for the third time. Recently retired from the University of Queensland, Williams been a driving force behind the conference since its inception.
As part of this year’s agenda, registered delegates will gain access to both events, along with live Q&A sessions, exhibition access, digital content, and post-conference materials including recorded presentations and proceedings.
Keynote presentations will be delivered by industry leaders such as Dr Emma Gagen from the International Council on Mining and Metals, Professor Deanna Kemp from Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, Christopher N. Hatton from WSP in Denver, US, and Williams himself.
In a joint keynote, Williams and Hatton plan to reflect on lessons learned over a combined 80 years of tailings practice, aiming to share hard-earned insights with a new generation of tailings professionals.
“We want to pass on some of the learnings we’ve gained to the next generation of tailings practitioners, and to some experienced practitioners,” Williams told Australian Mining.
“We’ll explain what kinds of things they should be focusing on and not just blindly accepting a number because it comes out of a computer – interrogate the input design parameters and the answers.”
The #LOMMWT2025 conference program
This year’s conference will also spotlight an expanded set of industry expert panels in an effort to draw out real-world insights from specialists who may not typically publish their work.
The panels will explore critical topics including the implementation of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM), tailings dewatering, topsoil challenges in mine rehabilitation, and integrated closure planning.
In addition to formal sessions, important networking opportunities will be embedded throughout the event, including scheduled breaks in the exhibition hall and several informal social functions designed to connect delegates across roles and disciplines.
“The key thing is the networking opportunities,” Williams said. “People also prioritise keynote presentations, but the networking is what makes conferences work.”
Combining the Life of Mine and Mine Waste and Tailings Conferences reflects a deeper shift in the industry toward cross-functional collaboration.
This year’s structure is designed to encourage cross-pollination, with shared access to keynotes, industry expert panels and plenary sessions, as well as a centralised exhibition space for both audiences.
According to Williams, this merging of perspectives also supports the aims of the GISTM, which calls for a more multidisciplinary approach to mining, mine waste management and mine closure.
With strong local and international interest already building, the conference is shaping up to be one of the industry’s most valuable knowledge-sharing events of the year.
“Life is a continuous learning process, and conferences can add to that experience,” Williams said. “Going to a conference allows you to share some of those things with others and, most importantly, to reconnect with and add to your network of colleagues.”
AusIMM’s Life of Mine | Mine Waste and Tailings Conference will be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from July 29–30, with workshops preceding and following the conference.
AusIMM’s Life of Mine and Mine Waste and Tailings conferences will be held in Brisbane from July 29–30.