The event will be a leg of the annual Delprat Lecture. The lecture series celebrates the life of Guillaume Daniel Delprat, who was an engineer and metallurgist, and a pioneer of Australian mining industry. This year’s lecture is titled “The Truth Will Set You Free” presented by Peter Munro. In common with every other sector of the economy the mining industry, and in particular the minerals processing sector has to deal with multiple challenges. These include:
• Perceived shortage of skilled and experienced technical professionals
• Treatment of low grade and complex deposits
• Increasing energy costs
• Providing the materials required to meet national de-carbonisation goals
• Meeting higher standards for the disposal and containment of exit waste streams from mineral processing operations
• Minimising water usage.

It is a common human reaction for people to view the challenges in their sector of endeavour as a sui generis case of particular afflictions. However, every sector of economic and technical activity has its own problems that have to be mastered.

Focusing on the fundamental outcome drivers can be a truly "liberating experience" in resolving these issues. This lecture attempts to provide salutary examples of where neglecting
the basics led to misallocation of that scarcest of all resources “technically competent person hours”. There are also observations on current and emerging issues in minerals processing and suggestions for solutions.