In July I had the pleasure of attending the QuarryNZ Conference in Hamilton, New Zealand, to celebrate 50 years of the Institute of Quarrying New Zealand (IQNZ).
I was joined by the international presidents representing the IQ UK, IQNZ, IQ Southern Africa, IQ Malaysia and IQ Hong Kong.
Before the conference, the international presidents held their annual meeting to discuss global IQ issues and work collaboratively on a number of projects. I’m pleased to share that the Institutes have established an International Presidents’ Trust Fund that is designed to support the core purpose of the Institute of Quarrying around the world, as specified within the charitable objectives set down for the Institutes. That is, to advance the science and practice of quarrying internationally, in the interests of the public at large.
The presidents will be receiving and assessing applications for funding for projects in the coming years, to allow access to the funds generated by the contributing IQs. The fund is the Institute’s first global initiative, created over the past two years and agreed by all the affiliated institutes.
{{quote-A:R-W:215-Q:"The international presidents’ fund is the institute’s first global initiative"}}It is the hope of the international presidents that members will see value in the fund and what it represents – an opportunity to support projects that will improve the practice of quarrying, which may come in the form of a new training course, development of new guidance materials, research or even community education and awareness projects.
During the conference, all presidents had the opportunity to be part of a panel, which allowed discussion around current and emerging issues within our respective countries. While there were some differences, by and large we are all experiencing the same issues, eg an ageing workforce, skills development, safety performance and environmental management.
This was encouraging and provides further support for our global fund initiative, as projects undertaken will most likely have value not only in their country of origin but also in other IQs and within the industry at large around the world.
The presidents have also agreed to investigate the establishment of an e-branch, with Australia and the UK taking the lead on this project.
The idea is that, with the Millennial generation on the rise (as I’ve written about previously) and our aspirations to bring the benefits of the Institute of Quarrying to other parts of the world, this digital platform or e-branch will allow those within the industry who don’t have a physical IQ in their country to be part of the IQ, having access to professional development, technical forums and industry relevant information.
This month, the IQA and Cement Concrete and Aggregates Australia are jointly hosting CMIC 18 at the International Convention Centre in Sydney. With the theme of “Building tomorrow’s Australia”, I’m excited to see a great line-up of speakers and topics related to the vital role our industry plays in Australia’s physical growth and economy.
The speakers include financial journalist Michael Pascoe and Sky News presenter Janine Perrett. With topics such as 3D printing, renewables in mining, and future and emerging technologies, the conference is set to be of great interest and insight.
I look forward to seeing many of you at CMIC 18.
Have a safe and productive month!