Mitchell Jakeman

Mitch has been in the mining industry across the world for over 50 years working for big mining companies earlier in his career BP Coal, Rio Tinto, BHP, Shell Coal and Anglo American. He then worked for smaller companies and started his own consultancy SORR Services Pty Ltd and is also currently on the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy ESG and Mine Closure subcommittee.

The work has covered all aspects from operating large open cuts and undergrounds and working with communities and government. In addition , an opportunity to look and engage with the research areas with CSIRO, Sustainable Minerals Institute at University of Qld and Australian Coal Research Programs has added to his interest in improving many of the issues the industry has to look at around todays topic. Many of the international large mining companies understand that like politicians, car salesmen and lawyers the public perception has always been just tolerant to very negative to the industry as a whole. You only need 1 serious newspaper event on any issue and the industry perception from the public is that these issues occur all the time. Companies have and will continue to try and improve all aspects of what they do in the process to mine the minerals we need for the world to improve. There are many good examples of what can be done and what is being done in many areas around the world, but there are also many bad examples where regional issues will not allow this to occur.