Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface

Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Minister for Manufacturing and Minister for Regional and Rural Development Dale Last joined Jess on this episode of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface. Dale joins Jess fresh after a Coal Industry Event in Brisbane, a report earlier this year from Future Coal showing the international demand for our coal, and Coal Australia releasing their very first annual Coal Report breaking down the data not only state by state, but region by region and town by town on how crucial coal is. Coal isn't the only topic on the agenda on this episode; there's plenty of chat about critical minerals, gas and oil. Don't forget to leave us a rating and a review, and if you have an idea for a podcast guest send Jess an email: jess@thecoalface.net.au

The International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) is returning to the ICC in Sydney this October 27-29. IMARC brings together not only the mining sector here in Australia, but a huge international contingent as well. This year it's not just about the C-suite coming along, everyone is being encouraged to get to IMARC, including engineers, operators, students and more. Sherene Asnasyous and Paul Phelan are IMARC's Event Directors, and they've been putting this event together for years. Sherene and Paul sit down with Jess to chat the industry, the event and why you should come along. https://imarcglobal.com/

We are LIVE at the NSW Mining HSEC Conference for another year… HSEC is where people from across the industry come together to share ideas, challenge thinking and learn from each other. It’s one of the few opportunities each year were operators, contractors, regulators and experts are in the same room with a common goal – making our workplaces safer and healthier. For this episode of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface, we're talking about why mental wellbeing matters—not just outside of work, but on site as well. While we often think of safety in terms of physical hazards, one of the biggest conversations at this year's NSW Mining HSEC Conference is around psychosocial safety. As workplaces place greater focus on managing psychosocial hazards such as burnout, chronic stress and mental illness, it's increasingly recognised that how people are feeling can influence everything from safety and decision-making to teamwork and job satisfaction. Today, we'll explore why protecting workers' mental wellbeing has become such an important part of creating safer, healthier workplaces. Dr Jorian Kippax is going to bring the perspective from working on the front line with Ambulance Tasmania and being part of multiple rescue missions. Renata Roberts, Chief Corporate Services Officer with Bloomfield, will share her experience working in mining and developing wellbeing initiatives in the workplace and Craig Semple a former detective of 25 years will share some powerful insights drawn from his lived experience that he delivers in the mining industry.

Daniel Rockhouse was one of only two men to survive the fatal Pike River Mine disaster in New Zealand on November 19, 2010. He lost his brother and his crew. Daniel and Russell Smith were the only two to make it out alive that day, and to this day, their crew is still underground. The disaster and the months after the disaster have recently been played out in a film which delves into that fateful day and what happened afterwards. Jess sat down with Daniel, who detailed what happened on November 10, and how he is determined not to let anything scare him underground ever again.

Fishing has always been part of Ken Bayley's life, but it was during some of his toughest periods that he realised it was far more than just a hobby. Ken has worked in the mining industry for the last eight years after returning home from the military. Whatever job Ken as has had, or wherever he has lived, fishing has always remained a constant. Something he did to settle his mind and find peace in the craziness of the world. After years of fishing, one thing always stood out to Ken - people opened up when they were out on the water. It could be ten random people, but eventually everyone opens up and talks about what is happening in their lives. So, Ken has created 'Mental Fishing', a community built around fishing, the outdoors, and creating spaces where people feel comfortable connecting with others. Jess had a chat to Ken about his new venture on this episode of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface!

Nick Jorss is the founder of Coal Australia, founder of Stanmore Coal, former Executive Chairman of Bowen Coking Coal and Non Executive Director of Ballymore Resources among many other things including QLD Beer Co. Jess sits down with Nick to talk all things Coal Australia, coal, mining, activists, and beer. Enjoy this episode! Let us know what you think, leave a rating and review!

Craig Semple was a career detective in the New South Wales Police Force for twenty-five years, investigating homicides, outlaw motorcycle gangs and hundreds of other serious crimes. Medically retired from law enforcement in 2013 due to psychological injuries, Craig is now a sought-after keynote speaker and mental health advocate. Craig is the founding director of Mentality Plus delivering mental health, wellbeing and resilience education to tens of thousands of people all over Australia and internationally. Craig has written two books, and thrives on sharing his story in the hope it has a tangible impact, even if it's just one person. A lot of Craig's keynote speaking and mental health programs take him out to mine sites across NSW and Queensland. Jess sat down with Craig to talk all about it, let us know what you think in the comments! More info on Craig's programs: https://mentalityplus.com.au/ You'll find Craig's books here: https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Craig-Semple-Cop-Who-Fell-to-Earth-9781760687939

Sharon Bushby is the Policy Manager: Industry Skills and Education with NSW Mining. There are a few miners across the industry who would have come across Sharon during her six years at Zeal Futures, five in recruitment at Centennial, and now through the various outreach and school programs she's part of with NSW Mining. Jess sat down with Sharon to find out about all the programs and events NSW Mining is doing to encourage students to take up a trade or head to university to get their start in the mining industry. You can find out more about the NSW Mining Careers here: https://nswminingcareers.com.au/ You can contact the team here: https://nswminingcareers.com.au/contact/

You wouldn’t meet anyone more approachable and humble than Rae O’Brien. Starting out as a mining engineer, she has spent 30 years quietly lifting the sustainability standards of mine sites across NSW and Queensland, while breaking quite a few records along the way. Rae got engaged to a fellow mining engineer in the final year of her university degree, and they began their life together in Middlemount. Fast forward, and the pair have twin daughters, one of whom is now studying to be a mining engineer herself. Rae set the standard at every mine site she worked at, and then broke it each time, leaving mine sites in a better position every time. She was also the first woman in NSW to hold both first and second-class Mine Manager’s Certificates. Now the Group Executive, Australia East for Thiess, Rae sat down with Jess to talk about her incredible career. Let us know what you think in the comments!

Levi Grima grew up in Mackay on his family's sugarcane farm. He joined the army and was deployed overseas, thinking that was what he wanted. Turns out being deployed overseas made Levi miss Mackay and his home, so he came back and found himself a job in mining. Levi started as a coal technician and has climbed up the chain at SGS to become the Natural Resources Operations Manager. Levi is also part of the Australia Pacific Carbon Connect (APCC) leadership cohort for 2026 and is among some of the most passionate people we have met in the coal industry. Jess caught up with Levi on this episode of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface to learn about what a coal technician does, how that part of the coal chain works and why Levi is so passionate about coal.

Hannah Legg is the CEO and Founder of HER Engineering. She has three trade qualifications and a certificate to her name, all because she was curious, determined to know how everything worked and determined to be the best she could be. The 32-year-old from the Hunter Valley has a few firsts to her name, including being the first tradeswoman in more than 90 years to be employed at Kings Engineering, Hannah started HER Engineering in 2021 and since then has continued to thrive. Jess caught up with Hannah for this episode of Digging Deeper - let us know what you think!

Chris Uhlmann is a veteran Australian journalist. He's been a political reporter for many years and these days is a freelance political contributor for Sky News and The Australian. Chris presented at the recent Asia Pacific Carbon Connect conference in Newcastle, talking about the wealth generated by fossil fuels and the simple fact we wouldn't be where we are today without coal, gas and oil and without it we won't move much further forward. Chris is a no-nonsense reporter, telling the facts about how crucial coal is for our country's prosperity, energy security and wealth. Jess and Chris discuss coal, the current global economy, the "clown show" that is politics in Australia and what Chris thinks the world is coming to. Don't forget to leave a rating and a review wherever you're listening and if you have an idea for a story or a guest get in touch: jess@thecoalface.net.au

The Australian Coal Preparation Society is celebrating 60 years in 2026. 60 years of education and connection for the coal preparation part of the coal supply chain. Their annual conference was held in Pokolbin in March and Jess went along to chat to a few of the suppliers, innovators, and people working to get the best value and quality coal out to buyers. In the second episode Jess caught up with five of the businesses who were at the conference including: John Ballantyre the Sales Manager East Coast Mining for SNF Australia, Pat Caputo the CEO of Business Solutions at Elastomers Australia, Brad Anstess the Regional Sales Manager APAC for McLanahan, Mark Cartwright the General Manager HMA Flow Industrial Division and Peter Barnett the General Manager at Mincotech. Don't forget to leave us a rating and a review!

The Australian Coal Preparation Society (ACPS) is celebrating 60 years of connection and education this year. In March the ACPD get together for their conference, an opportunity to network, meet new people, learn about the innovation going on in the industry and get some insight into what is happening on the ground at various sites. Jess had the opportunity to catch up with a few people at the conference. In this episode she sits down with Chairman of the LOC for the APCS Conference in the Hunter Valley Rafael Brymora, a veteran of the industry Andrew Swanson to find out some of the history, for a producer side of the conversation Jason Schumacher the Coal Quality Engineer for Yancoal joins the chat and two young process engineers, Sebastian Lewandowski and Samantha Parkinson jump on the podcast. Enjoy! Don't forget to leave us a rating and a review.

It was an accident that Richard Campbell ended up in mining over in New Zealand. He was enrolled to become a mechanial engineer, went to an open day at university and came out signed up for geology instead. From that accident, some mining work in New Zealand, and then working in mines over the ditch in Australia, he was sitting in Bunbury WA with a couple of mates having a beer, and they came up with the name Blackrock, and the rest is history. Blackrock Mining Solutions has now grown to more than 100 employees and is a very successful business in the mining industry. Jess sat down with Richard to talk about his career, starting Blackrock and the coal mining industry. Don't forget to leave a rating and a review!

NSW Mining has some of the best social media content around, promoting the critical mineral and coal mining industry across NSW. Everything from 'day in the life' videos, to underground, open cut, the lesser known jobs, and tips from everyone you can think of about how to get into the industry or how it works. That positive messaging is making a real impact on social media and spreading the word that not only is mining here to stay, but it has a huge impact on everyone's day-to-day, even if you don't think it does. Scott Keenan is the Director of Public Affairs at the NSW Minerals Council, and on this episode, he takes us behind the scenes of what he and his team do and the difference it is making to public perception of the industry. Don't forget to leave us a rating and a review!

We first met Emily-Jane "EJ" Schutte at the IMARC Conference in Sydney last year. EJ is the President of the Hunter Student Chapter of AusIMM at the University of Newcastle (UoN). She's passionate about getting young people excited about the mining industry and all the different career paths it offers to students. UoN doesn't offer a mining-specific Engineering degree, with students having to complete the mining portion at UNSW or the University of Wollongong. EJ firmly believes the AusIMM is filling that missing link in the Hunter, introducing students to mining and giving them an insight and expereince into the industry right on Newcastle's doorstep. Don't forget to leave us a rating and a review, and we'd love to hear your thoughts on Jess' chat with EJ.

@ The Coalface first met Jai, Lachlan and Jim just after they started their business Night Work Nutrition. All three had been working in the mining industry, doing their fair share of shift work at mines in the Hunter Valley for years. If you've met these three, you know they get along like a house on fire and as soon as Jim mentioned they should start a business to help their fellow shift workers, it was all systems go! Night Work Nutrition is for shift workers, by shift workers. A meal replacement shake that actually tastes good and has everything in it that you need to get through your shift. They also have shakers and sleep masks and they tell us on this episode of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface that there are even more exciting things to come... Enjoy the first episode of season 2 of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface! Don't forget to leave us a rating and review.

Jade Woodsen grew up in the thick of the Queensland mining industry at Mt Isa. She has spent 14 years in the mining industry herself and built her mining career across many roles at different sites including the QCoal Northern Hub. It was all that experience across various machines and in numerous roles that saw her offered the opportunity to undertake her OCE course. She has been successful in obtaining it this year and is already out in the field putting it into action. The process of obtaining your OCE ticket is no walk in the park so we had a chat to Jade about her experience, her time in mining and advice she has for anyone currently knee-deep in their OCE studies. This is the final episode for Season 1 of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface. Thank you to everyone who came along for the ride! We can't wait to get our shovels out again in 2026 and dig even deeper.

Brock Mendyk was born and raised in the Hunter Valley. He finished school and got his boilermaker trade and started working at Bulga near Singleton. Brock built some special bonds and made lifelong friends on site who helped him through the hardest time in his life: losing his father and his sister to suicide. Fast forward, Brock has left the Hunter Valley and completely changed careers. He's moving into life coaching so he can share his story and learnings with people who need someone to help them in their lives and guide them towards a better version of themselves. Enjoy this episode! Don't forget to leave us a rating and a review!