the ausimm board of directors 2015€¦ · the ausimm board of directors 2015 rex berthelsen...

1The AusIMM Annual Report 2015

THE AUSIMM BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2015Rex Berthelsen FAusIMM(CP) – President 2015Rex Berthelsen is a geologist with more than 20 years’ AusIMM membership and industry experience in Australia and internationally. He holds a BAppSc (USQ) and PGDipSc (JCU) and is currently studying for a Master of Geostatistics at the University of Adelaide. Rex has held technical and leadership roles within the gold and base metal exploration and mining sectors with companies including Normandy, Nord Pacific, Pasminco, Rio Tinto and Goldcorp. He held the position of Principal Geologist with New Gold Inc from 2008-2013, working with the company’s mining and exploration

projects in Brazil, Mexico, USA and Canada. In September 2013, Rex joined MMG Limited as Principal Resource Geologist. He has served on the Cobar Branch committee as Chair and Treasurer and is currently involved in a number of AusIMM committees, including the Lachlan Branch, Emerging and Strategic Issues, Women in Mining Network, Branch Revitalisation and Sub-entity Merit Based Funding Program committees. Rex joined the AusIMM Board in 2011, and was elected AusIMM President for 2015 and 2016.

Geoff Sharrock FAusIMM(CP) – Immediate Past PresidentGeoff’s involvement with the Minerals Institute started in 1968 when he joined as a student member. Geoff has always had an active involvement in the Institute, including being a member of the Sydney, Southern Queensland and, most recently, the Hunter Region Branch, where he was Chair from 2002 to 2012. From 2000 to 2005, Geoff was Chair of the AusIMM’s OH&S Taskforce, which developed the Safety Beliefs and Principles and recommended the

creation of an Institute OH&S Award. Geoff Sharrock has a long career in the mining industry that started more than 40 years ago as a geologist working for Planet Oil then at Esso Australia. He then joined Caltex Australia and in 1984 was appointed chief executive of Bayswater Colliery Company in the Hunter Valley. Geoff has been a chief executive of four coal companies in NSW and was instrumental in the formation of the industry-funded Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP). Geoff has worked for DuPont Safety Resources as an independent consultant for seven years conducting safety evaluations at mines in Australia, Indonesia and India. Most recently, Geoff was the General Manager of Boggabri Coal in the Gunnedah Basin. Geoff was appointed to the Mining and Petroleum Gateway Panel by the NSW Minister of Planning in 2014. Geoff joined the AusIMM Board in 2011 and was elected President for 2013 and 2014.

Dave Clark FAusIMM(CP) – 1.2 year casual vacancy (beginning November 2015)Dave has over 22 years’ experience in the minerals sector, including 10 years site-based with Newcrest Mining and Rio Tinto, and the last 12 years in senior consulting/leadership roles. Dave is currently on the Mining Society committee (four years); chaired and led a reinvigoration of the NT Branch until the end of 2013, and prior to that was an active Melbourne Branch committee member.

Chris Davis FAusIMM(CP) – 1 year casual vacancyChris has been in the mining industry for 48 years. He worked as a miner, mining engineer and mine manager on sites from the Arctic to the Equator for 14 years, before taking corporate roles. Chris has worked extended FIFO rosters in Sulawesi, Mauritania, New Zealand and Meekatharra. Chris has a BSc (Min Eng) and ARSM, holds a First Class Manager’s Certificate of Competence (WA) and is a member of the AICD. Between 2005 and2011, Chris was the

Managing Director of Energy and Minerals Australia. He formed and floated the company and led the team that quantified a significant uranium resource. He was Chair of Perth Branch from 2008-2013 and a Director of the AusIMM from 2012-2015. Chris was a member of the Board Audit and Risk, Governance and Investment Committees. He is also a Councillor of the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) and a member of the Western Australian Government Mining Industry Advisory Committee. He served on the WA Department of Mines and Petroleum Board of Examiners for 20 years.

Steven de Kruijff MAusIMM – Year 1 of 3, 1st termSteve has worked for more than four decades in exploration and mining geology, business development and mine management, culminating in his most recent role as Chief Operating Officer for Mount Isa Mines. He is a past President of the Queensland Resources Council and chairs the ResourcesQ initiative to drive growth and jobs in the Queensland resources sector. In 2008, Steve was awarded the AusIMM Jim Torlach Health and Safety Award.

Diana Drinkwater MAusIMM – Year 1 of 3, 1st termDiana is a metallurgist who spent a decade in process plants and engineering offices before moving into the education and research sector. She is recognised globally as an authority on effective skills development for resource industry professionals. Diana currently directs accelerated development training programs for JKTech, the commercial arm of the Sustainable Minerals Institute (University of Queensland). Diana has held a variety of roles in Branch committees

and Societies and is currently chair of the Metallurgical Society. She serves on the International Mineral Processing Council and leads the IMPC Commission on Education.

Janine Herzig FAusIMM(CP) – Year 3 of 3, 1st termJanine has a Bachelor of Engineering (Mineral Processing) from the University of Queensland. She is currently a consulting metallurgist with over 20 years’ industry experience, encompassing executive management, consulting, technical and production roles. She has worked for majors, juniors and service providers in various locations, encompassing a number of senior and executive roles. Janine is the immediate Past Chair of the Adelaide Branch

Committee, having been involved with the Branch since 2005, and has served on several AusIMM conference and specialist committees.

Colin Moorhead FAusIMM(CP) – Year 2 of 3, 1st termColin holds a BSc(Hons) in Geology and has worked as an exploration and mining geologist at Newcrest in various roles since 1987, including as Chief Geologist at Telfer, Cadia and Gosowong. In 2006, he took on the role of General Manager Technical Services for the Newcrest Group. Colin was appointed Executive General Manager - Minerals in January 2008.

Pamela Naidoo-Ameglio MAusIMM – Year 1 of 3, 1st termPamela has worked for 20 years in the mining and exploration industry in operational and corporate roles. She is currently Manager Technical Services at Northparkes Mines and serves on the committees of the AusIMM Geoscience Society, Lachlan Branch and WIMNET NSW. Pamela is the immediate past President of the Geological Society of South Africa and was the founding Chair of Women in Mining South Africa.

Keren Paterson FAusIMM – Year 2 of 3, 1st term (resigned October 2015)Keren is a Senior Consultant with the Barrington Consulting Group, which specialises in Argenti Strategy and board governance. Her career has traversed all aspects of the mining industry, including operations management, mining finance, M&A, investor relations and strategy. Keren has led a multijurisdictional takeover, worked as an investment analyst for a private equity firm and was the mine manager at the Frog’s Leg gold mine and the founding Managing

Director of a uranium exploration company. Keren is a mining engineer from the WA School of Mines and holds an MBA, an Advanced Diploma in Corporate Governance and a WA First Class Mine Managers’ Certificate. She is a Fellow of the AusIMM and a Member of the AICD. In 2005, she was named the WA Young Business Woman of the Year.

Dale Sims FAusIMM(CP) – Year 3 of 3, 1st termDale is a consulting geologist with over 25 years’ experience internationally. He has been involved with Branch committees since 1989, served as a Young Professional Observer on Council and has helped to organise numerous technical conferences. Dale has been active with the Geoscience Society (and its precursors) since 2000, working as Chair and Deputy Chair in recent years.

NOTE: Board Directors are elected for three-year terms and are eligible to stand for election for two consecutive terms if they choose.


It was a great honour to be elected AusIMM President for 2015 and I am pleased to have been re-appointed as President for 2016. Given the challenges facing the minerals sector, with a rapid downturn in exploration, mine development activity and capital investment over the few preceding years, 2015 was an important time for minerals professionals to have the option of belonging to a strong and active professional institute.

With the strong support of the Board and other leaders within our Institute, the AusIMM has responded to the industry downturn in a deliberately counter-cyclical way by:

• continuing to deliver a strong program of conferences and technical presentations

• continuing to develop our high-quality technical publications

• building member support programs through enhancing the Member Assistance Program and introducing related new initiatives such as Graduates Engaged

• AusIMM Branches, Student Chapters and Societies continuing to deliver a strong program of technical and networking meetings for members.

This counter-cyclical strategy means that the AusIMM’s 2015 accounts show the Institute’s first operating deficit in many years. This reflects an investment by the Board of revenues gained during the boom years when the Institute’s conferences program didn’t have to fight so hard to demonstrate its value to exhibitors and delegates.

The old saying that you know who your real friends are in difficult times underpins the AusIMM’s intentions during this downturn in the fortunes of our industry. I have been astonished time and time again by the energy and enthusiasm that AusIMM members have put into their Institute, motivated by the fact that supporting their peers and lifting professional standards seems more important now than ever.

As a collective, AusIMM members have turned their attention to the role that minerals professionals can play in driving productivity improvements and innovation in the minerals sector, and to the importance of maintaining standards in times of austerity. The AusIMM has always been proud of its interdisciplinary focus and membership, and this seems especially important given the clear need for minerals

professionals to be working together to help the sector pull out of the current challenges.

My thanks to every AusIMM member who has made an active contribution to our Institute during 2015 – whether large or modest. We are blessed to have a large number of active office bearers playing leadership roles in the operations of the Institute’s Branches, Student Chapters, Societies, conference and publishing project committees and more.

My particular thanks to AusIMM Board members for their hard work and support of me and the membership during 2015. During the year, AusIMM Director Keren Paterson resigned from the AusIMM Board to pursue a career opportunity, and in accordance with the AusIMM By-Laws, David (Dave) Clark was appointed to fill the remainder of the term. I am very grateful to Keren for her energy, effort and participation in the work of the Board and I wish her well in her new role. I extend a warm welcome to Dave Clark who, as a stalwart AusIMM member, brings passion and enthusiasm to the role of Director of the AusIMM.

My thanks also to Chris Davis, whose term on the Board ended at the end of 2015. Chris has been (and will continue to be) an enormous contributor to the AusIMM. He has been a very active member of the Perth Branch and was the Board’s representative on the Community and Environment Society leadership committee since that Society’s creation, until the end of 2015.

Congratulations also to Dale Sims, Janine Herzig and Alexandra (Alex) Atkins, who have been elected to the AusIMM Board for the term 2016 to 2018. Dale and Janine were re-elected for a second term, and Alex’s appointment to the Board commences in January 2016.

I would personally like to thank and acknowledge the hard work, leadership and dedication of our CEO, Michael Catchpole and all his staff at AusIMM Services. Our Institute is in great hands with our CEO and his management. Working with them first hand in the role of President has only confirmed what I already knew. They have needed to deal with, at times, complex and diverse matters which support the delivery of services to our members.

Finally, thanks to every one of you who renewed your membership or joined the AusIMM family during 2015. I look forward to working with you in 2016.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2015


The AusIMM’s focus for 2015 has been on member support; it has been a year during which there has been a lot of hard work and achievement for the Institute. During difficult times for minerals professionals, the Institute’s service offering to members has grown. We have seen active engagement by members in Institute initiatives and increasing external recognition of the contributions that the Institute and individual AusIMM members make to the mining industry and the community at large.

The AusIMM’s 2015 Professional Employment Survey, released in October, showed that minerals professionals are facing unprecedented levels of unemployment across the professional disciplines. For many members, this has meant living with long-term unemployment and pressure to seek alternative career options. Despite this, AusIMM members have stayed extraordinarily loyal to the Institute: 88.1 per cent of members at the start of 2015 were still members at the end of the year. The majority of those who left the Institute through the year were student and graduate members who have been hard-hit by the change in employment opportunity. In a further indication of strength in the adverse conditions that prevail, 92.8 per cent of Members and 94.3 per cent of Fellows renewed their commitment to being part of the AusIMM community during 2015.

You might expect that the high levels of unemployment amongst minerals professionals would be driving an exodus from the industry and from AusIMM membership. While there is no doubt that the level of mining industry employment has fallen in recent years in many industries and regions, the AusIMM’s experience has been quite different. In fact, from December 2013 to December 2015, the AusIMM’s total membership grew modestly (0.9 per cent) to 13 462. Underlying this modest growth in total membership are some interesting patterns: a 4.0 per cent increase in the number of Member-grade AusIMM members and a 2.3 per cent increase in Graduate-grade members. At the same time, we experienced a reduction of 12.8 per cent in the number of Student-grade members (or in real terms, the number of student members fell from 1811 at the end of 2013 to 1579 at the end of 2015.

I am inspired by the actions of AusIMM members who have supported each other and the Institute as a whole. This is most evident in the active

contribution that many have made to the Institute’s Member Assistance Program (MAP). The Board initiated MAP in 2013 in the early stages of the downturn in industry conditions and investor sentiment and the associated change in employment opportunities for minerals professionals. In 2013, MAP offered members a reduced membership rate and support in accessing professional development services. By the end of 2015, active members of the AusIMM have substantially enhanced MAP into a network of peer support and advice that has been of enormous assistance to individuals and their families and friends, and the Board has taken decisions to increase the options available to members who are suffering ongoing financial impacts. These developments in MAP are just one example of how the AusIMM has grown in challenging times, and the program is one of many reasons why I see 2015 as a year of accomplishment for the Institute.

As Chief Executive, one of my key roles is to support the translation of the AusIMM Board’s vision into a strategic plan and then to work with the Board and all AusIMM groups and our dedicated staff to put that strategic plan into effect through the Institute’s operational plans.

The AusIMM Board annually reviews and updates a rolling three-year strategic plan for the Institute. The latest update of the AusIMM Strategic Plan for 2016–2018 underpins and directs the Institute’s activities for 2016 and our planning beyond 2016. The 2016–2018 Strategic Plan sets long-term goals to substantially increase the AusIMM’s relevance to members, as measured by the level of member participation in AusIMM activities and programs.

Thanks to my staff, who all work very hard to support members and provide them with a positive experience, especially the office bearers of the Institute. I would like to particularly acknowledge and thank Philip Colwell, Director of Business Services, who left the Institute in December after 11 years of dedicated service.

Thank you to all members who have been active participants in and contributors to the Institute’s activities during 2015. I look forward to working with you all again in 2016 and beyond.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT 2015

Figure 1 – Overview of the AusIMM’s organisational structure.


Audit and Risk ManagementColin Moorhead FAusIMM(CP)

RemunerationRex Berthelsen FAusIMM(CP)

InvestmentChris Carr FAusIMM(CP)

NominatingRex Berthelsen FAusIMM(CP)

Sub-entity Merit Based Funding ProgramJanine Herzig FAusIMM(CP)Pamela Naidoo-Ameglio MAusIMMDale Sims FAusIMM(CP)

GovernanceGeoff Sharrock FAusIMM(CP)

Policy and AdvocacyJanine Herzig FAusIMM(CP)

Awards CommitteeGreg Chalmers FAusIMM(CP)

EthicsEric Grimsey FAusIMM(CP)

ComplaintsEric Garner AM HonFAusIMM(CP)

Chartered ProfessionalsChris Carr FAusIMM(CP)

Membership ApplicationsRon Morland FAusIMM(CP)

AusIMM Governance Committees and their Chairpersons

AusIMM Societies, Committees and Task Forces and their Chairpersons

Asia TaskforceOwen Hegarty FAusIMMDale Sims FAusIMM(CP)

AusIMM Charter and By-Laws Review TaskforcePeter Lilly FAusIMM(CP)

Community and Environment SocietyCorinne Unger MAusIMM(CP)

Consultants SocietyMark Noppe FAusIMM(CP)

Geoscience SocietyPamela Naidoo-Ameglio MAusIMM

Health and Safety CommitteeAngus Robinson FAusIMM(CP)

Heritage CommitteeSandra Close HonFAusIMM(CP)

Metallurgical SocietyDiana Drinkwater MAusIMM

Mining SocietyAlex Trevisin MAusIMM

New Professionals NetworkRobyn Teet MAusIMM

Publications CommitteeDale Sims FAusIMM(CP)

Professional Development CommitteeSandra Close HonFAusIMM(CP)

Women in Mining NetworkLynn Olssen MAusIMM(CP)

Joint Ore Reserves CommitteePeter Stoker HonFAusIMM(CP) (JORC

Deputy Chair)

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

Adelaide Johann van Wijk FAusIMM(CP)Broken Hill . . . . . . . . . . . .Peter Lean MAusIMMCentral Queensland . . . . .Christopher Mills MAusIMM(CP)Central Victoria . . . . . . . . .Simon Hitchman FAusIMM(CP)Cobar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Christine Miles MAusIMMDarwin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Peter Waggitt FAusIMM(CP)Eyre Peninsula . . . . . . . . .Russell Hodges MAusIMM until May 2015;

Johannes Gerber MAusIMM from Jun 2015Far North Queensland . . . .Rob Ryan FAusIMM(CP)Hong Kong . . . . . . . . . . . .Garrick Mendham FAusIMMHunter Region. . . . . . . . . .Neville Sneddon MAusIMMIllawarra . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Roderick Haselden MAusIMMKalgoorlie . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tim Berryman FAusIMM(CP)Lachlan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Maya Secheny GAusIMMMelbourne . . . . . . . . . . . .Phil Clark MAusIMMNew Zealand . . . . . . . . . . .Les McCracken FAusIMM until Aug 2015;

Rene Sterk MAusIMM(CP) from Sept 2015

North Queensland . . . . . . .Kira Weidig GAusIMMNorth West Queensland . .Rhonda O’Sullivan MAusIMM(CP)Ok Tedi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mark Thompson FAusIMMPerth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ivy Chen MAusIMMRoxby Downs. . . . . . . . . .Matthew Welke GAusIMMSouthern Queensland . . . .Matthew Readford MAusIMM(CP) until Apr 2015;

Michael Creech MAusIMM(CP) from May 2015Sydney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dan Peel MAusIMMTasmania . . . . . . . . . . . . .Peter Hills FAusIMM(CP)

The following Branches did not have Chairs, but were active due to the efforts of key members:Mt Tom Price & Paraburdoo . . Leonard Rowe MAusIMMNewman Branch . . . . . . . . . Adam Foot MAusIMM(CP) and Bradley

Franklin GAusIMMPort Moresby . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Gunua MAusIMM

AusIMM Branches and 2015 Branch Chairpersons


VALMIN CommitteeLouis Rozman FAusIMM(CP) (VALMIN Chair)

Education Endowment Fund (EEF) Board of TrusteesDick Carter AM HonFAusIMM

EEF National Scholarship CommitteeMichael Catchpole MAusIMM

NZ Branch Education Endowment TrustJohn St George FAusIMM

Standards Australia Technical CommitteesMichael Fitjer FAusIMM, Various

International Transactions Editorial Board Chairs (each of whom lead extensive editorial boards)Section A, Mining Technology: Peter Dowd FAusIMM(CP)Section B, Applied Earth Science: Neil Phillips FAusIMM(CP)Section C, Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy: R V Kumar University of Cambridge

International RepresentativesRodrigo Mello FAusIMMAlbert Workman FAusIMMLindsay Bottomer FAusIMM(CP)Yang Yang Zhu FAusIMMThomas Abraham-James MAusIMM(CP)Ian Dreyer MAusIMM(CP)Shane Hunter MAusIMMJohn Lea FAusIMM(CP)Shawn Crispin FAusIMM(CP)Gerlee Bayanjargal MAusIMM(CP)Michael LePage MAusIMMMark Cutifani FAusIMMGeraint Harris MAusIMM(CP)Johnson Koh MAusIMM

Douglas Turnball MAusIMMShane Hunter MAusIMMJoseph Collins MAusIMMWilliam Reid MAusIMMTony Osman FAusIMM(CP)

Professions AustraliaMichael Catchpole MAusIMM

Australian Geoscience CouncilDale Sims FAusIMM(CP)Bob Smith FAusIMM(CP)

International Organisation of Materials, Metals and Minerals SocietiesMichael Catchpole MAusIMM

CSIRO Mineral Resources Sector Advisory CouncilIan Gould AM FAusIMM

Somerville CollectionMichael Catchpole MAusIMM

International Symposium of Application of Computers and Operations Research in the Minerals IndustryErnest Baafi MAusIMM

Eastern Australia Ground Control GroupAnthony De Veth MAusIMM(CP)Jacqueline Purcell MAusIMM(CP)Desmond Vliestra MAusIMMAlex Campbell MAusIMM(CP)Jeremy Doolan MAusIMM(CP)Peter Hills FAusIMM(CP)Ben Jones MAusIMMTony Meyers MAusIMMRobyn Teet MAusIMM

AusIMM Services Staff: Management and Executive Teams 2015

Chief Executive Officer: Michael Catchpole MAusIMMDeputy Chief Executive; Director, Member Services: Miriam Way MAusIMM

Executive Assistant: Kate LongleyDirector, Business Services: Philip Colwell (until 11 Dec 2015)Director, Policy and Communications: Wayne Robins Senior Manager, Finance: Brad ClementsSenior Manager, Events: Alison McKenzieManager, Member and Branch Services: Alexandra JohnstonManager, Professional Development: Xanthus Weber (until 20 Feb 2015)

Manager, Event Operations: Belinda Yasar (maternity leave from 15 Feb 2015)

Manager, Event Operations: Leon Clarke (from 10 Mar – 18 Dec 2015)Manager, Communications; Editor, AusIMM Bulletin: Richard StartariManager, Publishing: Kristy BurtManager, Professional Standards: Lucinda Mathieson (from 7 Dec 2015)

Manager, Policy and Research: Barney Milles

Number of employees at year end: 41 (includes both full-time and part-time personnel).

Affiliated Bodies and their Chairpersons or lead AusIMM representatives


The Institute MedalSam Walsh FAusIMM(CP)

President’s AwardPeter Stoker HonFAusIMM(CP)

Honorary FellowshipPeter McCarthy HonFAusIMM(CP)

Beryl Jacka AwardAlice Clark FAusIMM(CP)

Mineral Industry Technique Award (MITA)Not awarded

Jim Torlach Health and Safety AwardPhilipp Kirsch AAusIMM and team – RISKGATE

Branch and Society Service AwardsDave Clark FAusIMM(CP) – Darwin BranchJames Didovich MAusIMM – Kalgoorlie BranchKevin Marston MAusIMM(CP) – Illawarra BranchPaul Harper FAusIMM(CP) – Mining Society

AusIMM Service AwardChris Carr FAusIMM(CP)

New Professional AwardChris Rendall MAusIMMErica D’Silva GAusIMM

G B O’Malley MedalNot awarded

Best Paper Prize‘An update on the Sams Creek porphyry gold deposit, northwest Nelson, New Zealand’ – Paul Angus MAusIMM (included in the proceedings of the New Zealand Branch Conference).

Sir Frank Espie / Rio Tinto Leadership Awards 2015Michael Assman SAusIMMDaniel Travers GAusIMM

Atlas Copco Scholarship 2015Rahel Abebe SAusIMM

Also awarded in December 2015 was the Sir Willis Connolly Memorial Medal, which was presented to Dr Tim Napier-Munn FAusIMM(CP) at the 2015 St Barbara’s Day Luncheon held in Melbourne on 4 December 2015.

AUSIMM AWARD RECIPIENTS 2015The AusIMM Awards recognise excellence and significant contributions to the minerals industry and the AusIMM. We congratulate the recipients on their awards. The 2015 AusIMM Awards were presented at the Awards Dinner in Fremantle on Saturday 18 April 2015.

Figure 2 – AusIMM award recipients 2015.


After an extensive review process, the VALMIN Committee presented a revised code for approval by the AusIMM and AIG (the two VALMIN ‘Parent Bodies’) late in 2015. After approval was granted, the VALMIN Code (2015 Edition) was published. The Code takes effect from 30 January 2016 and becomes mandatory for AusIMM and AIG members from 1 July 2016.

The core purpose and principles of the VALMIN Code remain unchanged, but this new edition includes some important changes, including:

• clearer structure and plain-English Code text

• alignment with the JORC Code (2012 Edition) and other relevant guidelines and laws

• clarity about the definitions for and roles of VALMIN Practitioners

• clarity about the types of Public Reports, their development and use

• guidance on valuation approaches and methodologies

• increased transparency requirements for Public Reports

• exclusion of petroleum from the mandatory provisions of the Code (however, the VALMIN Code (2015 Edition) provides guidance that can be applied for petroleum valuation reports).

To access the VALMIN Code (2015 Edition) and for more information about the changes it introduces, see www.valmin.org. Thanks to all members of the VALMIN Committee and the many others who supported the committee in the review of this important professional code.

Refer to the VALMIN article published in the Bulletin online at: https://www.ausimmbulletin.com/feature/the-valmin-code-2015-edition-what-has-changed-and-why/?

VALMIN Code 2015 released

Review of the AusIMM’s Charter and By-Laws

A key priority through the year has been a review of the AusIMM’s core governance documents – the (1955) ‘Royal’ Charter and the Institute’s By-Laws.

In October 2014, the AusIMM Board determined to establish a taskforce of senior AusIMM members to review the AusIMM Charter and By-Laws. The review taskforce members are:

• Peter Lilly (former President 2006) – Chair

• Alice Clark (former President 2011–2012) – Deputy Chair

• Peter McCarthy (former President 2007–2008)

• Keren Paterson (until October 2015) and Colin Moorhead (from November 2015) supported the taskforce as the AusIMM Board’s liaison.

During the year, the review taskforce conducted a significant workshop as part of Congress 2015 and then released a discussion paper to members to elicit ideas for reform of the current constitution documents. This project will be a priority focus for the AusIMM during 2016.

AUSIMM GOVERNANCECode of Ethics and Compliance

Central to the AusIMM’s reason for existence is ensuring professionalism in all aspects of the professional lives of AusIMM members. In joining the Institute, and as part of the annual renewal process, members commit to meeting the requirements of the AusIMM Code of Ethics and the professional Codes adopted by the AusIMM Board.

The AusIMM By-Laws establish the Complaints and Ethics Committees and a process for receiving and investigating complaints alleging that a member has failed to meet their obligation under the Code of Ethics, By-Laws or professional Codes adopted by the AusIMM Board. The 2015 annual report for the AusIMM’s compliance program has now been published.

Seventeen complaint matters were received in 2015. This represents an increase on the 14 complaints received in 2014 and is the largest number of complaints in a year to date.

Of the 17 complaints:

• ten included allegations that an AusIMM member had failed to properly apply the JORC Code

• seven included allegations that an AusIMM member had acted unethically

• three included elements of commercial dispute.

Complaints alleging unethical behaviour by AusIMM members included diverse allegations of matters such as falsified qualifications, working in a field the member was not competent in and deliberately undermining the reputation of another minerals professional.

For the full 2015 compliance report, go to https://www.ausimmbulletin.com/compliance2015.

THE VALMIN CODE2015 EDITION

30 January 2016Mandatory for AusIMM and AIG members from 1 July 2016

AUSTRALASIAN CODE FOR PUBLIC REPORTING OF TECHNICAL ASSESSMENTS AND VALUATIONS

OF MINERAL ASSETS

Prepared by The VALMIN Committee, a joint committee of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and the Australian Institute of Geoscientists


Chartered Professionals

The AusIMM’s Chartered Professional accreditation program continued to grow in 2015 there were:

• 1363 accredited Chartered Professionals as of 31 December 2015

• 188 applications for Chartered Professional accreditation were received in 2015

• 260 audits of currently accredited Chartered Professional members were conducted during 2015, representing the largest annual Chartered Professional audit program ever conducted.

The Chartered Professional program has outgrown its original structure, and work is underway to ensure that the program can be improved to meet the future needs of the Institute’s members.

42 39 39 41 41 40

305 368 366 396 406 396

92 98 142129

129123 124 126 113

98119

129141 146 169

232291

364408 428

503

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015MiningMetallurgy

ManagementGeotechnical

GeologyEnvironment

Figure 3 – Chartered professional members.


In the challenging conditions that have continued throughout 2015, the AusIMM focused on supporting members with relevant and well-targeted professional development services, increasing the accessibility and value of the AusIMM’s services via a growing webinar program and creating a new AusIMM Bulletin website.

During 2015, the Institute focused on increasing engagement with members. Many dedicated AusIMM members were busy through the year developing and delivering programs that reached out to more members through online and face-to-face events. The 2015 program highlights included:

• Continuation of the Member Assistance Program (MAP) for members experiencing disruption in their professional careers. This successful program saw a 31 per cent increase in participation in 2015 compared with 2014.

• Introduction of the new Graduates Engaged program (GEN), which offers young professionals who have been forced to take employment outside of the industry, or have had to return to study, the opportunity to stay engaged with the Institute.

• Student Chapters held activities including Students Meet Industry evenings, field trips, honours presentation functions and membership drives, as well as attending both the New Leaders’ Conference and the International Mining Games in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.

• Branches continued to support members via MAP technical talks, workshops, mine site visits and mentoring programs. The number

of Branch events increased by 15 per cent in 2015 (compared to the previous year) to 283 professional development presentations and networking events.

• Nine webinars were delivered during 2015, covering both technical skills and ‘soft’ skills (leadership and job seekers) development.

• The Institute delivered its first live stream of an AusIMM member event, the AusIMM Monograph 30 Roadshow, which was broadcast to Indonesia, Mongolia and Hong Kong.

• The AusIMM continued to grow its reputation and recognition in China, as well as the number of Chinese members of the Institute. A range of activities in China included a particular focus on supporting the growing interest in Resource and Reserve estimation and reporting via the JORC Code.

• The Institute signed a Memorandum of Understanding with our Mongolian kindred organisation, the Mongolian Professional Institute of Geosciences and Mining.

• International Representatives were appointed in key global locations, including the USA (Denver) and Singapore.

The Institute continued to increase services to Communities of Interest while supporting them with their activities and engagement with members.

The following figures provide an overview of membership demographics as of 31 December 2015.

1017

2801

4582

2122

5107

1202

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

Community & EnvironmentSociety

Consultants Society Geoscience Society Metallurgical Society Mining Society Health & Safety Society

Figure 4 – Membership of AusIMM Societies: 2015.

Engaging and supporting members in challenging times

MEMBER SERVICES


Societies delivered an exceptional program of events in 2015, with the highlights including:

• The Community and Environment Society focused on several key projects, including refinement of their strategic plan; participation in strategic stakeholder engagement – the Oxfam Mining & Communities Dialogue – an annual event; wrote and sought several C&E-related articles for the Bulletin and Society newsletter; and provided input to the AusIMM Advocacy Framework, Mine Closure Guideline 2015 and Abandoned Mine Policy 2015 (WA Government). The Society also co-hosted a speaking tour in Central Queensland in May on flood modelling and geotechnical design of environmental structures (Walton and Henderson), visiting Rockhampton, Blackwater and Moranbah.

• During 2015, the Consultants Society commenced planning for a consultant-specific seminar to be held in line with the International Mine Management conference in Brisbane in 2016. A total of 340 consultant profiles were recorded on The Register of Minerals Consultants, a 15 per cent increase compared to 2014. Consultant profiles on the register continue to be reviewed to ensure an accurate reflection of the quality of AusIMM accredited Chartered Professionals.

• The Geoscience Society organised and delivered a number of events, including two lecture tours to AusIMM Branches; a Minerals Industry Technical Education Day in conjunction with PACRIM 2015 in Hong Kong; Monograph 30 roadshow events in Sydney and Melbourne; and the Education Endowment Fund tour to Mount Isa.

• The Metallurgical Society presented the G D Delprat Distinguished Lecture Series with Dr Bill Johnson from August to November and assisted with the Mill Operators’ and MetPlant conferences. The Society also continued to work on the Best Metallurgy Papers – Spectrum Series publication. An online survey of Society members

was conducted, with the responses guiding the strategic objectives for the Society.

• The Mining Society produced a formal strategy and five-year strategic plan early in the year and worked on a number of initiatives and projects relating directly to mining engineers and mine managers. These activities included the Society member survey; addressing the skills gap in geotechnical engineering; the distinguished lecture and travelling talk series; road-testing the ‘Guidelines for Technical Economic Evaluation of Minerals Industry Projects’; education and course recognition; and initiatives promoting the interests of students and new professionals, including the employment levels of graduates.

• The AusIMM Board approved the creation of the Health and Safety Society to support and deliver professional development relevant to all minerals professionals across all disciplines. An interim steering committee of six members was established to focus on engaging professionals in health and safety practice, initiate a series of health and safety seminars and to begin a process of electing a new Society committee in the first half of 2016.

Figure 5 shows AusIMM membership growth by gender from 2006–2015. Membership grew rapidly from 2006–2012, but has slowed in the last three years due to the minerals industry downturn.

There has been an increase in the proportion of female members from 2006–2015, although it is still very low. Women represented just 7.6 per cent of members in 2006, growing to 13.4 per cent of members in 2015.

In 2015, 1349 new members joined the AusIMM and an additional 195 people reinstated their lapsed membership. These figures were offset by 1525 members who were removed from the register (deceased, resignation, unfinancial).

7.5%

8.7% 8.8%

5.9%5.4%

8.4%

11.5%

6.1%

0.7%0.2%

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

14.0%

-

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Annu

al g

row

th in

tota

l mem

bers

hip

(%)

Num

ber o

f mem

bers

as

at 3

1 D

ecem

ber

each

yea

r

Female - LHS

Male - LHS

Annual Growth - RHS

Figure 5 – Membership growth: 2006–2015. NOTE: Demographic data excludes Company members.


The average AusIMM member is 45 years of age (Figure 6). The Institute has seen strong growth in younger members, with the number of student and graduate members increasing from 850 in 2006 to 2844 in 2015.

Figure 6 illustrates the progression of AusIMM members through the Institute’s membership grades during their lives. Student members dominate the under 20 cohort and represent the largest member grade in the 21–30 year age group. Fellow members represent a large proportion of members aged 61–70 and the majority of members aged 71 and over.

Approximately 41 per cent of AusIMM members reside in Western Australia and Queensland, while a further 15 per cent live in NSW and the ACT (Figure 7).

International members (those living outside Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea) represent almost 17 per cent of the AusIMM’s membership base (up from 16 per cent in 2014). The largest region of international members is in Asia, which now represents 5 per cent of the AusIMM membership base.

Members’ areas of interest, 31 December 2015AusIMM members nominate areas of interest each year through the membership renewal process and Figure 8 shows the percentage of members who have expressed an interest in each subject area. Mining engineering and geoscience continued to be the predominant areas of interest in 2015, with management being the third-largest area,

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

<20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 71-80 81-90 90+

Fellow

Member

Associate

Graduate

Student

Figure 6 – Membership by grade and age: 2015. NOTE: Demographic data excludes Company members.

WA, 3967, 30%

VIC, 1231, 9%

NSW & ACT, 2002, 15%

QLD, 2771, 21%

SA, 647, 5%

TAS, 202, 2%NT, 66, 0%

New Zealand, 321, 2%

PNG, 45, 0%

Asia, 669, 5%

Africa, 318, 2%

Europe383, 3%

North America437, 3%

South America379, 3%Overseas members,

2186, 16%

Includes Hong Kong Branch, 63 members

Figure 7 – Membership by geographic region: 2015.


followed closely by exploration resource development and metallurgy and mineral processing.

All interest areas have seen growth compared to 2014, with geotechnical/geological engineering and other engineering showing the highest increase in interest from members. The strong growth in many other areas reflects the increasing quality of the communications and professional development services being generated by AusIMM Societies.

AusIMM members are allocated to Branches based on their residential address. The Branches vary significantly in terms of their size, and all Branches focus on developing and delivering programs of activity that meet the particular needs of their members (Table 1).

The Perth Branch has the largest number of members followed by International regions and then Southern Queensland. When combined with Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and the Hunter Region, these branches make up 80 per cent of the AusIMM’s membership.

Hong Kong branch had the greatest increase in 2015 (37 per cent), followed by Far North Queensland (18 per cent) and North Queensland (14 per cent).

Despite an overall decline in Student members, there was an increase in student membership in North Queensland (55 per cent) and Hong Kong (64 per cent) due to the establishment of student representatives and student chapters.

6%

34%

8%

12%

14%

20%

30%

34%

42%

6%

23%

53%

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000

Human Resources

Management

Marketing/Communication

Law & Finance

Health & Safety

Community & Environment

Metallurgy & Mineral Processing

Exploration Resource Development

Geoscience

Other - Engineering

Geotechnical/Geological Engineering

Mining Engineering

Note, the % figures indicate the proportion of members expressing interest in each subject area. These figures add to more than 100% as members on average express interest in 2.8 subject areas.

Figure 8 – Members’ areas of interest: 2015.

AusIMM Branches Members AusIMM Branches Members AusIMM Branches MembersAdelaide 580 Hunter Region 551 North Queensland 223

Broken Hill 25 Illawarra 235 North West Queensland 104

Central Queensland 294 International 2273 OK Tedi 23

Central Victoria 270 Kalgoorlie 248 Perth 3647

Cobar 49 Lachlan 269 Port Moresby 22

Darwin 56 Melbourne 920 Roxby Downs 34

Eyre Peninsula (formerly Whyalla) 30 Mt Tom Price and Paraburdoo 11 Southern Queensland 2035

Far North Queensland 96 New Zealand 316 Sydney 822

Hong Kong 83 Newman Combined Group 17 Tasmania 229

Table 1 – Member breakdown by Branch, 2015.


Student ChaptersIn 2015, there were 13 Australian Student Chapters and two International Student Representatives. These groups take the lead on maximising opportunities for students studying a minerals-related degree. Run by an elected committee of students, Student Chapters play an important part in providing opportunities for networking and friendship and give students the chance to link with professionals already in the industry.

Students Meet Industry eventsStudent Chapters each host an annual Students Meet Industry event which is designed to provide networking opportunities for students studying a minerals-related degree. In 2015, local and national companies participated in each Chapter’s Students Meet Industry event, providing valuable insights into the minerals industry, vacation work options and information on gaining graduate employment.

Education Endowment FundThe Education Endowment Fund makes an enormous contribution to the development of future mineral professionals. In 2015, 73 applicants competed for the awards on offer. See the list of AusIMM Awards for the recipients of Education Endowment Fund awards under ‘Education’ on the AusIMM website.

Bicentennial Gold 88 Endowment FundThe Bicentennial Gold 88 Endowment Fund was established following a very successful geoscience conference in 1988. Income is made available to support university research projects in economic geology and mineral economics. During 2015, grants with a total value of $5500 were awarded. The winners of the Bicentennial Gold 88 Endowment Fund for 2015 were:

• Jessica Hamilton – Monash University, School of Earth, Atmosphere & Environment

• Mathias Egglseder – Monash University, School of Earth, Atmosphere & Environment

• Andrea Rielli – Monash University, School of Earth, Atmosphere & Environment

Course RecognitionCourse Recognition gives prospective students guidance that the recognised course is a viable pathway towards a career in the minerals sector, it is not an accreditation of the qualification and does not in any way endorse the quality of the course contents. In 2015 the AusIMM added 30 courses delivered by 25 Australian universities in the area of Environmental Engineering and Science to the list of Recognised Courses. Thanks to the AusIMM Community and Environment Society members who drove that work during the year.

New Professionals NetworkCurrently in their third year, the AusIMM New Professionals Network Committee is a collective of like-minded individuals working together to support the development of new professionals in the minerals industry. In 2015, the New Professionals Network:

• held professional development and networking events in Adelaide and Melbourne

• launched the AusIMM Develop Your Mining Career Program with Floreat Consulting Australia

• supported the successful development and delivery of the 2015 AusIMM New Leaders’ Conference

• ran webinars on technical writing skills and industry software

• supported events such as the WIMNet Coffee Club and the Melbourne Students and Young Professionals Speed Mentoring Evening

• developed a Barefoot Mentoring Scheme to be officially launched in 2016.

EDUCATION AND CAREERS


The 2015 calendar of 11 conferences offered an exciting program, including two new conferences: Africa Australia Technical Mining and Tailings and Waste Management for the 21st Century. In a challenging climate, conference delegate numbers held steady. The AusIMM owes a significant debt to all of the Conference Chairs, Orgainising Committee members, sponsors, exhibitors and presenters, who all contribute to the development of better professionals.

PACRIM 201518–21 March 2015, Hong Kong, China. Conference Chair: Dale Sims FAusIMM(CP)

The 2015 event program opened with PACRIM 2015. After a seven-year break, the PACRIM congress – which focuses on research, exploration and development of mineral deposits – was hosted in Hong Kong and attracted over 250 delegates. The congress offered 85 technical papers, 11 keynote addresses, four workshops and four technical tours visiting porphyry and epithermal deposits in remote parts of China.

The AusIMM New Leaders’ Conference 201523–24 March 2015, Kalgoorlie, WA. Conference Chair: Ashlee McKenna GAusIMM

The annual AusIMM New Leaders’ Conference was themed ‘Building your career, leading your community’. Practical and skill-based presentations were well received by over 200 delegates, particularly the keynote addresses from Norton Gold Fields, FMG, WASM, Northern Star Resources, Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines and major sponsor BHP Billiton.

The AusIMM International Uranium Conference 20159–10 June 2015, Adelaide, SA. Conference Chair: Mark Chalmers FAusIMM

The tenth annual AusIMM International Uranium Conference was attended by 160 delegates and involved 40 presentations covering all aspects of the uranium and nuclear industries. In a difficult climate, the AusIMM annual uranium event continues to hold its position as the leading uranium technical conference in the world.

Africa Australia Technical Mining Conference 201511–12 June 2015, Adelaide, SA. Conference Chair: Greg Cochran FAusIMM

The first of our inaugural 2015 events, this conference explored the technological gap in the relationship between the African and Australian mining industries. It provided mining and allied professionals from Africa and Australia with a forum that featured high-level technology knowledge transfer and collaboration. Over 100 delegates participated in the program, and international delegates took the opportunity to visit the Kanmantoo copper mine in the Adelaide Hills.

Iron Ore 201513–14 July 2015, Perth, WA. Conference Chair: Ralph Holmes FAusIMM(CP)

At Iron Ore 2015, a record number of papers were presented to more than 500 delegates attending from 17 countries. The conference theme ‘Optimising performance’ focused on the challenges for an industry dealing with low and volatile commodity prices after an unprecedented period of growth. A dedicated organising committee delivered a program that included optional workshops and tours of local laboratories in Perth

and a two-day Pilbara region tour. The industry showed strong and united support for the event, with major contributions from FLSmidth, the University of Newcastle (NIER) and WEIR Minerals.

Tailings and Mine Waste for the 21st Century27–28 July 2015, Sydney, NSW. Conference Chair: Farshad Rashidi-Nejad MAusIMM

Tailings and Mine Waste for the 21st Century was the second inaugural conference for 2015 and proved very successful, with 150 delegates from eight countries participating. UNSW Australia initiated the concept and Farshad led the organising committee to deliver a well-rounded, two-day program sharing ideas and innovation on how to effectively and sustainably manage the billions of tonnes of mine waste and mill tailings that is a legacy of the 20th century.

11th International Symposium on Rock Fragmentation by Blasting FRAGBLAST1124–26 August 2015, Sydney, NSW. Conference Co-Chairs: Alex Spathis MAusIMM and Trevor Little MAusIMM

The 11th International Symposium on Rock Fragmentation by Blasting FRAGBLAST11 was held in Sydney and presented a huge program of 93 papers and six keynote addresses. Supported by the International Society of Explosives Engineers and the European Federation of Explosive Engineers, the conference hosted 21 exhibitors, including platinum sponsor Orica and gold sponsor Davey Bickford.

The Australian Mine Ventilation Conference 201531 August – 2 September 2015, Sydney, NSW. Conference Chair: Duncan Chalmers MAusIMM

The Australian Mine Ventilation Conference 2015 was held at UNSW Australia. The third event in the series exceeded all expectations, with 205 delegates from Australia and overseas. The high quality of the papers and keynote speakers contributed to an excellent program that highlighted global developments in ventilation practice.

MetPlant 20157–8 September 2015, Perth, WA. Conference Convenors: Peter Cameron MAusIMM, Geoff Dunlop MAusIMM and David Pollard FAusIMM

MetPlant 2015 was the seventh edition of this important biennial conference series. Highlights included the opening keynote address from Peter McCarthy titled ‘Integrated mining and metallurgical planning and operation’. The popular event attracted 280 delegates, and a sell-out trade show provided valuable industry interaction.

Third International Future Mining Conference4–6 November 2015, Sydney, NSW. Conference Co-Chairs: Serkan Saydam MAusIMM and Rudra Mitra MAusIMM

The Third International Future Mining Conference addressed innovations and provided opportunities to transfer scientific and technological developments from other disciplines into the minerals industry. The conference was attended by 155 delegates and was strongly supported by gold sponsors Anglo American, Howden and Rio Tinto. The conference program featured 34 technical papers and seven keynote addresses.

CONFERENCES AND EVENTS2015 Conferences and Events


International Mining and Resources Conference – IMARC 20159–13 November 2015, Melbourne, Vic.

The second International Mining and Resources Conference – IMARC 2015 saw more than 2000 people participating in a program that included 200 speakers from around the world and more than 100 exhibitors. The AusIMM hosted the Excellence in Mining stream, which was championed by Paul Harper FAusIMM(CP), Ron Morland FAusIMM(CP), Peter Fairfield FAusIMM(CP), Chris Davis FAusIMM(CP) and Alex Trevisin MAusIMM. The AusIMM also coordinated the IMARC student poster program and presented the AusIMM Explorers’ Forum, which was hosted by the Geoscience Society.

2015 Professional Development ProgramAusIMM Monograph 30 RoadshowsGood Practice in Resource and Reserve Estimation Seminars• 2 March 2015, Sydney, NSW• 4 March 2015, Melbourne, Vic

Whittle Consulting Money Mining• 23–24 February 2015, Melbourne, Vic• 13–14 April 2015, Perth, WA• 13–14 July 2015, Brisbane, Qld• 28–29 October 2015, Perth, WA

Off Earth Mining ForumHosted in conjunction with the Future Mining 2015 Conference.• 5–6 November 2015, Sydney, NSW

Optiro Training CoursesOne- and two-day training and mentoring courses for the mining and associated industries were held throughout the year.


DECEMBER 2015The AusIMM

The AusIM

M B

ULLETIN

DEC

EMB

ER 20

15

Improving project value

Strategies to ensure success

Mental wellbeingNew approaches

Mining cyclesThe end of the bust?

Two new AusIMM Spectrum books were released in 2015:

• The Comminution Handbook (Spectrum 21) was released and launched in September at the MetPlant 2015 conference in Perth. Developed under the guidance of the esteemed Professor Alban Lynch HonFAusIMM as editor and with contributions from a range of industry experts, the Comminution Handbook presents an overview of all aspects of comminution.

• Towards Understanding the Lead Blast Furnace (Spectrum 22) by Denby Ward FAusIMM was released in November as the AusIMM’s first PDF eBook-only publication. This publication clarifies the how and why when it comes to the scientific and engineering endeavours of the lead blast furnace.

Steady progress was made in 2015 on a major new Monograph publication: Australian Ore Deposits. This book will provide a comprehensive description of our great mineral resources and exploration successes of the last decade. Work is expected to continue throughout 2016 for a 2017 release. Thanks to Rio Tinto for generously supporting Australian Ore Deposits as Principal Foundation Sponsor.

The AusIMM collaboratively produces the Mining Technology, Applied Earth Science, Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy journals as part of the International Transactions series in partnership with IOM3 and Maney Publishing (acquired by Taylor and Francis during the year). These journals are a key resource for AusIMM members’ professional development and contribute to the collection of high-quality, peer reviewed technical literature for use by minerals professionals.

Ten conference publications were released in 2015 and are all available for purchase from the AusIMM at www.ausimm.com.au/shop.

Access to OneMine is a key benefit of AusIMM membership and is one that members are actively using. AusIMM members continue to be the second-largest users of the OneMine global library, emphasising the importance of OneMine as a benefit of AusIMM membership. Of the large and diverse range of technical mining and minerals papers available on OneMine in the last financial year (2014–2015):

• 12.4 per cent are papers published by the AusIMM

• 29.5 per cent of papers downloaded by users were AusIMM papers

• AusIMM members represented 24.5 per cent of the total use of OneMine papers.

In 2015, OneMine welcomed the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) as a major new partner organisation, further increasing the depth of quality technical papers available to AusIMM members.

The AusIMM reduced the release time for AusIMM conference papers becoming freely available to OneMine users (including all AusIMM members), with AusIMM conferences up to the end of 2014 made available via OneMine from the end of 2015.

The many authors, reviewers and committee members who contributed their time to publishing projects throughout 2015 have the thanks and gratitude of the Institute.

PUBLISHING AND COMMUNICATIONS

The AusIMM Bulletin continues to be the Institute’s flagship publication for member news and discussions about the changing expectations of minerals professionals.

The Bulletin magazine underwent a major transformation in 2015, with a new publishing partner (Citrus Media) working with the AusIMM to develop a vastly improved online Bulletin and significant improvements in the presentation of the print-edition magazine. Member feedback on the refreshed AusIMM Bulletin has been very positive, and we are very grateful to the many members who have contributed high-quality articles that have been fundamental to the renewed Bulletin’s success.

Social media activity levels continue to grow. The AusIMM has more than 3000 followers on Facebook; 2800 followers on Twitter and just over 2300 members in the LinkedIn Members Forum.

AusIMM Bulletin, online and social media

OneMine – the online global mining and minerals library


THE AUSIMM CONCISE FINANCIAL REPORT

Important information for MembersThe President’s Financial Report, Auditor’s Report, Directors’ Statement and condensed Financial Statements contained within this document represent a ‘Concise Financial Report’. This Concise Report has been derived from the full audited Financial Statements of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) for the 12-month financial period ended 31 December 2015. This Concise Report cannot be expected to provide as full an understanding of the financial performance, financial position, financing and investing activities of the AusIMM as the full Financial Statements.

References to ‘Notes’ within this Concise Financial Report are to those notes appearing in the audited full Financial Statements. A copy of the full 2015 Audited Financial Statements is available to Members on the AusIMM website (www.ausimm.com.au) or by contacting AusIMM Services to arrange delivery of a hard copy.

President’s Financial Report – 2015In 2015 the AusIMM continued to provide valued services to members in a challenging economic and industry environment. Net assets held on behalf of our Communities of Interest (Branches, Societies, Student Chapters, Committees and Taskforces) totalled $3.3m at 31 December 2015 (compared with $3.55m at the end of the previous year), and net assets held as a reserve for provision of services were $4.24m (compared with $4.91m for 2014). At year-end, cash and investments totalled $11.14m.

The consolidated operating deficit for the 12 months ending 31 December 2015 was $706,567, of which AusIMM Services incurred $454,899 and Communities of Interest $251,668. Additionally, an unrealised capital loss on investments of $217,886 has been recorded when bringing our investments to market value at 31 December 2015. While this is a non-cash item, the net deficit attributable to members for the 2015 year was $924,453.

With the mining boom now a distant memory, significant efforts have been made by the Institute to maintain and even increase services to members. Initiatives such as Professional Development and Member Assistance Programs are ensuring strong member engagement and helping members who are experiencing career disruption.

Board Members

The names of the Board members throughout the year and at 31 December 2015 were:

Rex Berthelsen FAusIMM(CP) (President 2015), Geoffrey Sharrock FAusIMM(CP) (Immediate Past President), Chris Davis FAusIMM(CP) (retiring 2015), Janine Herzig FAusIMM(CP), Dale Sims FAusIMM(CP), Colin Moorhead FAusIMM(CP), Diana Drinkwater MAusIMM, Steven de Kruijff MAusIMM, Pamela Naidoo-Ameglio MAusIMM, Keren Paterson FAusIMM (resigned Oct 2015); replaced by Dave Clark FAusIMM(CP).

Principal ActivitiesConsistent with the objects and purposes of our Royal Charter, the principal activities of the AusIMM during the financial year were undertaken to achieve our agreed strategic mission: to provide leadership and opportunities to minerals industry professionals.

These activities included:

• The promotion and advancement of science and professional best practice within the minerals industry and its many disciplines.

• Membership support and services by a voluntary Communities of Interest structure throughout Australasia and Hong Kong, and through our international representatives.

• Advocacy, research and representation on issues impacting professionals in the minerals sector.

• Encouraging employers to support professionals and, in particular, AusIMM members.

• Promoting career opportunities in the sector and supporting minerals tertiary education.

• Promoting standards of excellence, providing opportunities for continuing professional development through conferences, events and the provision of technical publications, promoting professionalism and enhanced recognition of continuing professional development.

• Ensuring that we run an efficient and transparent organisation with appropriate levels of governance and management of risk.

I gratefully acknowledge the efforts of all Office Bearers in Branches, Societies, Committees, Chapters and Taskforces operating at a national and international level, and thank all those involved for their time, which is freely given on an entirely voluntary basis. I thank all staff of AusIMM Services and my fellow Directors for their great contribution to a financially challenging but overall successful year for the AusIMM. The contribution of each to what is a commendable result in the current industry environment cannot be overstated. The AusIMM will continue to deliver the highest level of services to its members.

Rex Berthelsen FAusIMM(CP)

President 2015

The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy

Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cairns, Australia


INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE AUSTRALASIAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY

Report on the financial reportWe have audited the accompanying financial report, being a special purpose financial report, of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (the company), which comprises the statements of financial position as at 31 December 2015, the statements of comprehensive income , statements of changes in equity and statements of cash flows for the year ended on that date, a summary of significant accounting policies, other explanatory notes and the directors’ declaration for both The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) (the consolidated entity). The consolidated entity comprises the company and the entities it controlled at year’s end or from time to time during the financial year.

Director’s responsibility for the financial reportThe Board of the AusIMM are responsible for the preparation of the financial report that gives a true and fair view and have determined that the basis of preparation described in Note 1 to the financial report is appropriate to meet the requirements of the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 and is appropriate to meet the needs of the members.

The Boards’ responsibility also includes such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of the financial report that is free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

Auditor’s responsibilityOur responsibility is to express an opinion on the financial report based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards. Those standards require that we comply with relevant ethical requirements relating to audit engagements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance whether the financial report is free from material misstatement.

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial report. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgement, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial report, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial report in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates made by the directors, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial report.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinions.

Auditor’s OpinionIn our opinion, the financial report of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy gives a true and fair view of the financial position of the company and the consolidated entity as at 31 December 2015 and their financial performance for the year then ended in accordance with the

accounting policies described in Note 1 to the financial statements and complying with the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012.

Basis of accounting and restriction on distribution and useWithout modifying our opinion, we draw attention to Note 1 to the financial statements, which describes the basis of accounting. The financial report has been prepared to assist The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy to meet the requirements of the internal purpose.

As a result, the financial report may not be suitable for another purpose. Our report is intended solely for the members of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and should not be distributed to or used by parties other than The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and the members.

Matters relating to the electronic presentation of the audited financial reportThis auditor’s report relates to the financial report of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) for the year ended 31 December 2015 included on The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy’s web site. The Board of the AusIMM are responsible for the integrity of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy’s web site. We have not been engaged to report on the integrity of this web site. The auditor’s report refers only to the financial report named above. It does not provide an opinion on any other information which may have been hyperlinked to/from the financial report. If users of this report are concerned with the inherent risks arising from electronic data communications they are advised to refer to the hard copy of the audited financial report to confirm the information included in the audited financial report presented on this web site.

PricewaterhouseCoopers

Megan Fitzgerald

Partner

Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Melbourne, Australia

Explanatory noteThe consolidated financial results of AusIMM Services and Groups reflect the overall performance of the AusIMM. These results will vary from those reported for AusIMM Services alone, due to the inclusion of income and expenditure realised by the Groups. Certain items that have been recognised as revenue by AusIMM Services and the Groups relate to internal activity that upon consolidation is eliminated to ensure that there is not a double counting effect, and that the financial report is compliant with Accounting Standards. The same principle is true for expenditure.


DIRECTORS’ STATEMENT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE AUSTRALASIAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGYIn the opinion of the Directors:

1. The financial report as set out on pages 7 to 27 presents a true and fair view of the financial position of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) as at 31 December 2015 and its performance for the year ended on that date in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards as per the accounting policies stated in Note 1, mandatory professional reporting requirements and other authoritative pronouncements of the Australian Accounting Standards Board.

2. At the date of this statement, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the AusIMM will be able to pay its debts as and when they fall due.

This statement is made in accordance with a resolution of the Board, and is signed for and on behalf of the Board by:

Rex Berthelsen FAusIMM(CP)

President 2015

Colin Moorhead FAusIMM

Director 2015


Statement of Comprehensive Income for the year ended 31 December 2015

Notes Services & Groups 2015

Services & Groups 2014 Services 2015 Services 2014

$ $ $ $

INCOMESubscriptions 4,028,908 3,950,601 4,144,847 4,038,473

Interest 577,792 524,355 574,771 520,667

Publications 693,948 580,810 956,844 868,458

Conferences 3,532,251 4,852,498 2,661,766 4,473,777

Professional Development 33,422 36,214 33,422 36,214

Service Fees 54,840 56,934 66,840 56,934

Sundry Income 121,456 131,415 56,522 47,718

Operating Income 9,042,617 10,132,827 8,495,012 10,042,241

EXPENDITUREAudit & Accounting Fees 3 76,022 57,578 50,156 54,864

Group Appropriations 0 0 232,893 340,796

Conferences/Functions 2,862,108 3,315,097 2,050,035 3,077,278

Group Conference Surplus Share 0 0 14,161 170,016

Depreciation 119,546 119,059 119,546 119,059

Donations, Awards & Prizes 69,013 91,294 5,284 9,441

Membership Assistance Program 0 0 200,076 122,461

Operating Lease Expenditure 461,520 421,738 461,520 421,738

Office Administration 891,708 917,801 856,291 859,223

Personnel Expenses 4,239,114 3,945,669 4,239,114 3,945,669

Printing and Publishing 346,449 279,467 329,876 255,351

Provision for Employee Benefits (99,110) 74,776 (99,110) 74,776

Travel Expenses 387,017 451,836 102,345 169,319

Utilities/Postage 264,673 261,330 262,542 255,810

Other Expenses 131,124 168,697 125,182 150,393

Total Operating Expenditure 9,749,184 10,104,342 8,949,911 10,026,194

OPERATING ACTIVITIES (706,567) 28,485 (454,899) 16,047

Unrealised Capital (Loss)/Gain on Investments 1(h) (217,886) 224,470 (217,886) 224,470

NET (DEFICIT)/SURPLUS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO MEMBERS (924,453) 252,955 (672,785) 240,517

* Notes are available in the full Financial Statements - available on the AusIMM website or upon request.

Income

Total subscription collections in 2015 represent 44.6% of total revenue (compared with 39.0% in 2014). Conference income represents 39.1% of total revenue (compared with 47.9% in 2014). All other activities combined represent 16.3% of total revenue (compared with 13.1% in 2014).

Expenditure

Conference expenditure remains broadly in line with the level of activity and revenue.


Statement of Financial Position as at 31 December 2015



$ $ $ $

CURRENT ASSETSCash / Investments 4 11,141,415 12,122,090 10,814,100 11,778,843

Receivables 5 2,779,532 2,976,455 2,758,943 2,858,911

Other 6 313,552 429,502 300,078 388,552

Total current assets 14,234,499 15,528,047 13,873,121 15,026,306

NON-CURRENT ASSETSFurniture and Equipment 7 471,141 450,408 471,141 450,408

Total non-current assets 471,141 450,408 471,141 450,408

TOTAL ASSETS 14,705,640 15,978,455 14,344,262 15,476,714

CURRENT LIABILITIESPayables 8 6,572,608 6,776,372 9,513,948 9,829,017

Provisions 9(a) 336,498 449,379 336,498 449,379

Total current liabilities 6,909,106 7,225,751 9,850,446 10,278,396

NON-CURRENT LIABILITIESProvisions 9(b) 253,583 285,300 253,583 285,300

Total non-current liabilities 253,583 285,300 253,583 285,300

TOTAL LIABILITIES 7,162,689 7,511,051 10,104,029 10,563,696

NET ASSETS 7,542,951 8,467,404 4,240,233 4,913,018

INSTITUTE FUNDSAccumulated Surplus/(Deficit) 2 7,542,951 8,467,404 4,240,233 4,913,018

Total institute funds 7,542,951 8,467,404 4,240,233 4,913,018


Total Institute Funds

Total Institute Funds decreased by $924,453 in the 2015 year (compared with an increase of $168,627 in 2014). This represents the net deficit incurred during the year. Refer Statement of Changes in Equity.

Assets

Total cash and investments represent 75.8% of total assets (compared with 75.9% in 2014).


Statement of Changes in Equity for the year ended 31 December 2015



$ $ $ $Balance at 1 January 8,467,404 8,298,777 4,913,018 4,756,829

(Deficit)/Surplus attributable to Members of the Institute (706,567) 28,485 (454,899) 16,047

Other comprehensive (loss)/income (217,886) 224,470 (217,886) 224,470

Prior Period Adjustment 2 0 (84,328) 0 (84,328)

Total comprehensive income for the year (924,453) 168,627 (672,785) 156,189

Balance at 31 December 7,542,951 8,467,404 4,240,233 4,913,018


Statement of Cash Flows for the year ended 31 December 2015



$ $ $ $

Cash flows from operating activities

Subscriptions, conferences and other receipts 9,182,165 9,840,487 8,547,822 9,851,263

Payments to suppliers and employees (10,657,634) (10,422,405) (9,605,222) (10,659,758)

Interest Received 577,792 524,355 574,771 520,667

Net cash flows from (used) in operating activities

14(a) (897,677) (57,563) (482,629) (287,828)

Cash flows from investing activities

Investment in furniture, fittings and equipment (140,279) (62,822) (140,279) (62,822)

Net cash derived (used) in investing activities

(140,279) (62,822) (140,279) (62,822)

Cash flows from financing activities

Proceeds from (reduction of) borrowings - intercompany loan accounts & publication projects

57,281 (60,257) (341,835) 77,635

Net financing cash flows 57,281 (60,257) (341,835) 77,635

Net increase (decrease) in cash held (980,675) (180,642) (964,743) (273,015)

Opening current cash / investments brought forward 12,122,090 12,302,732 11,778,843 12,051,858

Closing current cash / investments carried forward

4 11,141,415 12,122,090 10,814,100 11,778,843


the ausimm board of directors 2015€¦ · the ausimm board of directors 2015 rex berthelsen...

Documents