Austmine coordinated and ran the conference beautifully and enabled some insightful and powerful messages to be delivered to our industry. One key message message of the Conference was that Australia has the second largest reserves of copper in the World but is only the 8th largest producer. To ensure continued global prosperity, it is essential that Australia speed up its exploration and discoveries, and build its copper production to take advantage of the strong demand growth for Copper over the next 25 years
The Austmine team, ably led by Chair, Dallas Wilkinson and CEO Tony Davis are to be congratulated along with the Austmine team who worked so hard throughout the event
We were delighted to welcome the ICA global president, Juan Igancio Diaz, who represents members producing 50% of the global copper today and many other distinguished guests including Vitaliano Gallardo, the Peruvian Ambassador to Australia; Anna Wiley, Asset President, BHP Copper SA; Brendan Harris, CEO and MD Sandfire and the Hon. Tom Koutsantonis MP, Treasurer, Minister for Energy and Mining and Minister for Public Sector
ICAA was very happy to moderate a panel on Technology and Transformation in Underground Mining with Pat Boniwell of Byrnecut Australia, Richard Doyle of Maptek , Andrea Ash of Cohda Wireless and Mick Radi of Barminco. A key message from this panel was that risk and non-fit of new technologies slows adoption, so it is important to start the process to accommodate new technologies right at the start of the project
The last panel of the Conference covered the topic of the Future of the Copper Industry , chaired by Dallas Wilkinson and panelled by Katie Hulmes of BHP, Ana Mello of Rockwell and Eduardo Coloma of Mapteck , and we were able to contribute the views of the International Copper Association Australia
There were over 600 delegates attending this years’ event and by the comments made after the Conference it is evident most of them will return next year
Perhaps anyone who did not make it, should think about it for 2027
Well done Copper to the World 2026