Geoscience Society Chair Update May 2023
Welcome to the 2nd edition of the AusIMM Geoscience Society newsletter for 2023.
I would like to start by thanking Tony Wiggins for his time as Chair of the Geoscience Society Committee. Tony, like many current and former members of our society, has worked behind the scenes in helping our society to add value for our members, and to advocate for them to the wider AusIMM. This is a value to which we continue to strive. To that end, I hope that I can continue to Chair at Tony’s standard.
Secondly, thank you for finding the time to read this newsletter. In our current world, much of our effort is being spent on “future commodities”. Things like copper, nickel, lithium, and rare-earth elements come to mind. Though, I am sure we could add much of the periodic table to that short list (!). However, there are a few other commodities that many of us find ourselves a bit short on but that we need so that our future industry can flourish: Time and People.
There is a fair bit that can be asked of about Time, but the question I am thinking of is “How can we find the time to critically explore, study, plan, drill, interpret, learn, share?”. Investing in geoscience knowledge is not simply a budget spreadsheet. It’s an investment in thinking, testing, collaborating and communicating. It’s also about finding the time to develop ourselves and others. This takes me to that other commodity - People. Again, there is plenty already being said in this space; student numbers declining in geoscience (and mining), increased demand for geoscientists, the challenge of a cyclical industry and how to retain the staff, and in developing people with the current and future skills we need. It's a challenge!
So that’s why I wanted to thank-you for investing your valuable time in reading this newsletter.
Please reach out via geoscience@ausimm.com.au if you would like to contribute to the Society or would like to explore opportunities for the society to assist in local or Branch events.
Best Regards
Lachlan Macdonald
Chairperson AusIMM Geoscience Society 2023