GEMG Workshop Review

The Biennial Goldfields Environmental Management Group (GEMG) Workshop is the most anticipated event on the environmental calendar. The workshop sees environmental practitioners from a range of backgrounds converge on the delightful town of Kalgoorlie for three days of discussion and networking.

This year the GEMG was celebrating a milestone with its 30th anniversary. The Workshop was held from the 16th – 18th of May 2018.

As all good conferences should, the 2018 GEMG Workshop commenced with a sundowner on the Tuesday evening. A great opportunity to unwind from the day of travel or work with a drink and a chat about environmental management.

The workshop commenced its formal proceedings with a welcome from the Environment Minister Stephen Dawson. Day one had a theme of fauna, flora and vegetation research and management with topics covered such as Sandhill Dunnarts, Night Parrots, Acacia species on rocky outcrops, an overview of the history of the Helena-Aurora Range and an update on Wedge-Tailed Eagle tracking. Day one was followed by a sundowner in the noisiest room Kalgoorlie had to offer – but there were cupcakes, so it was all good.

The second day had a theme of environmental management within industry. Standout talks included a great morning discussion on rehabilitation, understanding how to communicate with a dozer operator and neat technology embedding seeds in pellets. To maximise topics covered there were a series of concurrent sessions focusing on environmental management, water management and drone technology. That night was the formal dinner with good food, lots of wine and a few laughs over the entertainment. As always, the party continued at Kalgoorlie’s infamous night venue, The Gold Bar.

Personally, I always feel sorry for those few who draw the short straw and present on the Friday morning to an audience suffering from the night before. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the number of people who arrived bright and early looking not nearly as hungover I as though they would. Presentations included an introduction to lithium mining, erosion modelling and landform design, closure planning and a Q & A session at the end.

A special thank you must go to the GEMG organising committee who yet again did a brilliant job to organise an exciting and well-planned workshop. Each day ran smoothly, and it was clear the amount of thought and care that had been considered for every aspect of the workshop. Of course, none of that would have been possible without the sponsors and attendees who make the GEMG Workshop such a fun and entertaining event.

CONGRATULATIONS to: