grx 2026

At the upcoming Global Resources Innovation Expo (GRX26) being held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre on 5 - 7 May 2006, AMC's Dr Kate Rubins, Principal Consultant, will be taking part in the Industry Leadership session on 7 May 2026, and presenting on "The Productivity Gap: Why Australia’s Underground Mines Are Losing Ground".

Join her to gain a clearer understanding of where productivity is being lost — and what leading operations are doing differently to stay ahead.

Presentation details

Date: Thursday, 7 May 2026

Time: 12:30 - 13:10

Session: Industry Leadership

Drawing on 25 years of longitudinal data and global benchmarking, her analysis highlights a critical trend: while Australia has historically led in underground mining practices, other jurisdictions are rapidly closing the gap by strengthening operational discipline and execution.Despite decades of technological advancement, Australia’s underground hard rock mining sector is facing a quiet but significant challenge: productivity is declining.

Over the past 25 years, the industry has made substantial gains in technical capability. Yet, output per person has fallen by approximately one-third, while real unit costs have increased by around 90%. For a typical 2 Mtpa operation, this translates to an estimated A$35 million in additional labour costs each year — a figure that is becoming increasingly difficult for operators to ignore.

Dr Rubins identifies four structural levers that consistently differentiate top-quartile operations from the rest:

• Operating discipline – consistency in planning and execution
• Mine design – aligning layouts with practical, efficient extraction
• Workforce structure – optimising roles, skills and deployment
• Targeted automation – applying technology where it delivers measurable value

These aren’t new concepts — but the difference lies in how effectively they are applied, sustained and integrated across the operation.