2025 in Review
As we approach the end of the year, the Health and Safety Society (HSS) Committee would like to extend our very best wishes to all our members for a safe and enjoyable festive season. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to improving our industry’s culture, systems, and everyday practices to promote the wellbeing of our people and communities.
This year has seen meaningful steps forward across our programs, discussions, and industry engagement. While we have much more to do, the momentum is strong and the contributions from members across the Society continue to shape the direction of health and safety leadership in the resources sector.
Reflecting on 2025: A year of collaboration and shared learning
Our Society has been visible and active across a range of major AusIMM and industry events. Our members contributed presentations, chaired sessions, facilitated panels, and connected practitioners across professional boundaries.
Conferences and events we were involved in:
- Underground Operators Conference
- Life of Mine Conference and Mine Waste and Tailings
- Mineral Resource Estimation Conference
- Critical Minerals Conference
- AusIMM Congress (Brisbane) – with a notably strong representation from HSS members
- Joint Society and Perth Branch networking event
These gatherings reinforced the value of sharing lessons across operations, disciplines, and regions. We thank all who participated, presented, volunteered, and supported these sessions.
Doing the work: developing practical resources for members
This year, progress continued across the Society’s sub-committees. Five focus areas guide our efforts to build capability and thought leadership across the sector:
- Strengthening governance
- Safety leadership
- Human factors
- Safety-in-design
- Industry collaboration
Activity has been concentrated particularly in strengthening governance, safety leadership, and industry collaboration, with additional resources and materials now in development. Further outputs will be released incrementally in 2026.
Contributions to regulators
Our committee also provided feedback to the NSW Resources Regulator on their Technical Reference Guide for Roads and Other Vehicle Operating Areas (TRG for ROVOA). This was well received and many of our suggestions were reflected in the final version of the TRG.
The reflections we provided were drawn from the Committee members’ experience in supporting Vehicle Interaction Control Effectiveness initiatives developed by their companies and clients – with particular acknowledgement of BHP’s Olympic Dam and Saraji operations, Freeport McMoran’s West Papuan Operations, Anglo American’s South African Operations and Gold Fields’ Ghanaian mines.
A Thank You to Our Committee
The Society is entirely volunteer-driven. We sincerely acknowledge the time, effort, and commitment from our committee members:
- Darren Head (Treasurer) (retiring at the end of 2025)
- Scott Wotherspoon (retiring at the end of 2025)
- Johanna Cowell
- Jonathan Stokes
- Samantha Fielder
- Tom Lucas (resigned in June)
- Leonnie Taylor
- David Scutt
- Peter Burton
- Naveen Kinthada
- Libby Humphries
- And with special acknowledgement of Mark James (AusIMM AMT) for his professionalism and support throughout 2025.
Your dedication is appreciated – particularly the contributions of Darren and Scott over their 6-year involvement in the committee.
I also want to acknowledge Nikky LaBranche our immediate past Chair – who left the committee in a very tidy and high functioning state.