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After Jess sat down with Joe Clayton in Episode 18, Joe reached out with a hundred more stories. Stories about witch doctors, how he dealt with illegal miners, and run-ins with natives. Joe has worked in Australia and overseas in gold mines. You would be fooled into thinking Joe was retired now though, watching the coal ships go past in the Port of Newcastle from his verandah. But he's still very active in the mining space and the mining community. Don't forget to leave us a rating and a review!

Joe Clayton started working underground in the 1970s. He's been buried up to his neck, had his ear just about cut off, been in charge of mining operations in Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia, and hired mercenaries with semi-automatics to keep a strike at bay. He has about a thousand stories, so enjoy Part 1 of our chat with Joe. Don't forget to leave us a rating and a review, and if you've got a story or want to dob a mate in send Jess an email: [email protected]

Courtney Taylor spent more than ten years working as a geologist before moving into operations management and project delivery for major mining companies. Now Courtney is the Managing Director of Yari Resources, an emerging resources company exploring the Bowen Basin for coal resources that could support more than 70 years of mining. Courtney has had a hugely successful career, and she is a big believer in industry professionals giving their time to support the industry and promote it to younger generations, particularly in schools, to ensure young children know that there is a strong industry for them to strive towards, creating things we will need for many years to come. Enjoy this episode, don't forget to leave us a rating and a review! If you have an idea for an episode or have a mate you want to dob in, email: [email protected]

Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Minister for Manufacturing and Minister for Regional and Rural Development Dale Last joined Jess on this episode of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface. Dale joins Jess fresh after a Coal Industry Event in Brisbane, a report earlier this year from Future Coal showing the international demand for our coal, and Coal Australia releasing their very first annual Coal Report breaking down the data not only state by state, but region by region and town by town on how crucial coal is. Coal isn't the only topic on the agenda on this episode; there's plenty of chat about critical minerals, gas and oil. Don't forget to leave us a rating and a review, and if you have an idea for a podcast guest send Jess an email: [email protected]

The International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) is returning to the ICC in Sydney this October 27-29. IMARC brings together not only the mining sector here in Australia, but a huge international contingent as well. This year it's not just about the C-suite coming along, everyone is being encouraged to get to IMARC, including engineers, operators, students and more. Sherene Asnasyous and Paul Phelan are IMARC's Event Directors, and they've been putting this event together for years. Sherene and Paul sit down with Jess to chat the industry, the event and why you should come along. https://imarcglobal.com/

We are LIVE at the NSW Mining HSEC Conference for another year… HSEC is where people from across the industry come together to share ideas, challenge thinking and learn from each other. It’s one of the few opportunities each year were operators, contractors, regulators and experts are in the same room with a common goal – making our workplaces safer and healthier. For this episode of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface, we're talking about why mental wellbeing matters—not just outside of work, but on site as well. While we often think of safety in terms of physical hazards, one of the biggest conversations at this year's NSW Mining HSEC Conference is around psychosocial safety. As workplaces place greater focus on managing psychosocial hazards such as burnout, chronic stress and mental illness, it's increasingly recognised that how people are feeling can influence everything from safety and decision-making to teamwork and job satisfaction. Today, we'll explore why protecting workers' mental wellbeing has become such an important part of creating safer, healthier workplaces. Dr Jorian Kippax is going to bring the perspective from working on the front line with Ambulance Tasmania and being part of multiple rescue missions. Renata Roberts, Chief Corporate Services Officer with Bloomfield, will share her experience working in mining and developing wellbeing initiatives in the workplace and Craig Semple a former detective of 25 years will share some powerful insights drawn from his lived experience that he delivers in the mining industry.

Daniel Rockhouse was one of only two men to survive the fatal Pike River Mine disaster in New Zealand on November 19, 2010. He lost his brother and his crew. Daniel and Russell Smith were the only two to make it out alive that day, and to this day, their crew is still underground. The disaster and the months after the disaster have recently been played out in a film which delves into that fateful day and what happened afterwards. Jess sat down with Daniel, who detailed what happened on November 10, and how he is determined not to let anything scare him underground ever again.

Fishing has always been part of Ken Bayley's life, but it was during some of his toughest periods that he realised it was far more than just a hobby. Ken has worked in the mining industry for the last eight years after returning home from the military. Whatever job Ken as has had, or wherever he has lived, fishing has always remained a constant. Something he did to settle his mind and find peace in the craziness of the world. After years of fishing, one thing always stood out to Ken - people opened up when they were out on the water. It could be ten random people, but eventually everyone opens up and talks about what is happening in their lives. So, Ken has created 'Mental Fishing', a community built around fishing, the outdoors, and creating spaces where people feel comfortable connecting with others. Jess had a chat to Ken about his new venture on this episode of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface!

Nick Jorss is the founder of Coal Australia, founder of Stanmore Coal, former Executive Chairman of Bowen Coking Coal and Non Executive Director of Ballymore Resources among many other things including QLD Beer Co. Jess sits down with Nick to talk all things Coal Australia, coal, mining, activists, and beer. Enjoy this episode! Let us know what you think, leave a rating and review!

Craig Semple was a career detective in the New South Wales Police Force for twenty-five years, investigating homicides, outlaw motorcycle gangs and hundreds of other serious crimes. Medically retired from law enforcement in 2013 due to psychological injuries, Craig is now a sought-after keynote speaker and mental health advocate. Craig is the founding director of Mentality Plus delivering mental health, wellbeing and resilience education to tens of thousands of people all over Australia and internationally. Craig has written two books, and thrives on sharing his story in the hope it has a tangible impact, even if it's just one person. A lot of Craig's keynote speaking and mental health programs take him out to mine sites across NSW and Queensland. Jess sat down with Craig to talk all about it, let us know what you think in the comments! More info on Craig's programs: https://mentalityplus.com.au/ You'll find Craig's books here: https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Craig-Semple-Cop-Who-Fell-to-Earth-9781760687939

Sharon Bushby is the Policy Manager: Industry Skills and Education with NSW Mining. There are a few miners across the industry who would have come across Sharon during her six years at Zeal Futures, five in recruitment at Centennial, and now through the various outreach and school programs she's part of with NSW Mining. Jess sat down with Sharon to find out about all the programs and events NSW Mining is doing to encourage students to take up a trade or head to university to get their start in the mining industry. You can find out more about the NSW Mining Careers here: https://nswminingcareers.com.au/ You can contact the team here: https://nswminingcareers.com.au/contact/

You wouldn’t meet anyone more approachable and humble than Rae O’Brien. Starting out as a mining engineer, she has spent 30 years quietly lifting the sustainability standards of mine sites across NSW and Queensland, while breaking quite a few records along the way. Rae got engaged to a fellow mining engineer in the final year of her university degree, and they began their life together in Middlemount. Fast forward, and the pair have twin daughters, one of whom is now studying to be a mining engineer herself. Rae set the standard at every mine site she worked at, and then broke it each time, leaving mine sites in a better position every time. She was also the first woman in NSW to hold both first and second-class Mine Manager’s Certificates. Now the Group Executive, Australia East for Thiess, Rae sat down with Jess to talk about her incredible career. Let us know what you think in the comments!

Levi Grima grew up in Mackay on his family's sugarcane farm. He joined the army and was deployed overseas, thinking that was what he wanted. Turns out being deployed overseas made Levi miss Mackay and his home, so he came back and found himself a job in mining. Levi started as a coal technician and has climbed up the chain at SGS to become the Natural Resources Operations Manager. Levi is also part of the Australia Pacific Carbon Connect (APCC) leadership cohort for 2026 and is among some of the most passionate people we have met in the coal industry. Jess caught up with Levi on this episode of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface to learn about what a coal technician does, how that part of the coal chain works and why Levi is so passionate about coal.

Hannah Legg is the CEO and Founder of HER Engineering. She has three trade qualifications and a certificate to her name, all because she was curious, determined to know how everything worked and determined to be the best she could be. The 32-year-old from the Hunter Valley has a few firsts to her name, including being the first tradeswoman in more than 90 years to be employed at Kings Engineering, Hannah started HER Engineering in 2021 and since then has continued to thrive. Jess caught up with Hannah for this episode of Digging Deeper - let us know what you think!

Chris Uhlmann is a veteran Australian journalist. He's been a political reporter for many years and these days is a freelance political contributor for Sky News and The Australian. Chris presented at the recent Asia Pacific Carbon Connect conference in Newcastle, talking about the wealth generated by fossil fuels and the simple fact we wouldn't be where we are today without coal, gas and oil and without it we won't move much further forward. Chris is a no-nonsense reporter, telling the facts about how crucial coal is for our country's prosperity, energy security and wealth. Jess and Chris discuss coal, the current global economy, the "clown show" that is politics in Australia and what Chris thinks the world is coming to. Don't forget to leave a rating and a review wherever you're listening and if you have an idea for a story or a guest get in touch: [email protected]