?The future of quarrying? ? it?s in your hands!

This year’s Institute of Quarrying Australia (IQA) national conference will be held in Geelong, Victoria, from Tuesday, 1 October to Thursday, 3 October. The conference theme – “The Future of Quarrying” – aims to support and supplement the IQA’s vision to educate and connect the extractive industry.

The conference will provide key information to assist quarries with reducing costs, making operations simpler and more efficient, and to enable personnel to be better informed about what is happening on their sites.

The speaker program will be the real draw card this year. The conference will put a range of tools in the hands of quarrying people to enhance their businesses.

Keynote speakers

The conference program has been designed to deliver valuable educational, networking and promotional content to support the extractive industry.

There are a number of high profile speakers presenting detailed sessions.

There will be keynote presentations from Robert Mellor, the executive chairman of BIS Oxford Economics, who will be talking about the national economic outlook for construction to 2024 and Sean Taylor, the CEO and managing director of Komatsu Australia, who will discuss inclusion and diversity in the extractive industry.

Join Taylor, Mellor and many other high profile speakers who will deliver innovative and educational expertise on important topics that relate to the extractive industry.

Events & site visits

The three evening events – the Hitachi welcome reception, the Komatsu dinner and the Caterpillar gala dinner – are always highlights of the IQA’s conference.

The networking and “working together” feel of the conference are a real drawcard for all suppliers and delegates that come together.

The conference will include site visits to the new crushing and screening plants at Boral Australia’s Deer Park Quarry, and Barro Group’s Point Wilson Quarry, near Geelong.

Trade exhibition

The exhibition hall located at GMHBA Stadium is the home of the Geelong Cats AFL club. This world-class venue has been designed to ensure exhibitors gain maximum exposure during the conference.

The IQA expects more than 400 delegates for this year’s conference, so exhibitors are encouraged to embrace the conference theme about the future of quarrying and showcase how their products and services can support the industry.

To register for the conference, to view the plenary program, and for further information about sponsorships and exhibiting, visit conference.quarry.com.au

Robert Mellor Executive Chairman BIS Oxford Economics Robert Mellor has more than 40 years’ experience in forecasting building activity. He joined BIS Shrapnel in 1984, was appointed a company director in 1987 and managing director in July 2007. In March 2017, Oxford Economics took majority control of BIS Shrapnel and it became BIS Oxford Economics. Mellor continued as managing director until August 2019 when he became executive chairman. His presentation will cover: • An economic overview of the Australian economy to 2024. • The demographic drivers of construction activity, with projections for net overseas migration and net interstate migration and the underlying demand for dwellings. • Forecasts for residential building construction to 2024 by state and activity. • Forecasts for non-residential building to 2024 by industry and state. • Forecasts for engineering construction to 2024 with a focus on roads and an outlook by state.

Sean Taylor CEO and MD Komatsu Australia Sean Taylor has more than 30 years’ experience in the earthmoving industry. He commenced with Komatsu Australia in 2004 as general manager of the company’s construction business. Since 2011, Taylor has been the managing director and CEO of Komatsu Australia Holdings and Komatsu Australia. He is a global officer of Komatsu Limited and a director of Komatsu Forklift Australia, Mineware and Immersive Technologies. Taylor’s vision is for Komatsu Australia to foster collaboration and inclusion and succeed through four critical areas: 1. Zero harm to people and the world. 2. Sustainable business growth. 3. Employer of choice. 4. Innovating customers’ operations through products and people. Taylor has a clear focus towards diversity and inclusion where individual differences are recognised, respected and embraced as an opportunity to learn and enhance capability.