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Longwall 2026

THE AUSTRALIAN LONGWALL & UNDERGROUND COAL MINING CONFERENCE

THE Meeting Place for Australia’s Underground Coal Mining Operators

10-11 March 2026 | Rydges Resort Hunter Valley

BUY A PASS Register Your Interest 2025 Post-Show Report

Record Number of Early Bookings for Longwall 2026

overview

Join us for the 24th Annual Australian Longwall & Underground Coal Mining Conference in 2026, the premier gathering for elite underground coal miners in Australia. Longwall 2026 continues the tradition of delivering unparalleled face-to-face networking opportunities, shared learning experiences, and cutting-edge technical insights that define this event.

Topics will include:

  • Outlook and updates from longwall operations
  • Automation, remote operations, and data science to deliver further safety in longwall operations
  • The latest safety initiatives in the industry and key learnings
  • Productivity improvements to enhance tonnage
  • Gas management for Longwall production and gas drainage advancements
  • Bord and pillar operation
  • Dust Control
  • Best practice longwall moves
  • Ventilation
  • Skilling the future
  • New technology and its application

2026 Speakers

Grant Summerville

Mining Superintendent, Delta Coal

Mitchell Royall

Officer, Ventilation, Whitehaven Coal Limited

Basil Beamish

Managing Director, B3 Mining Services Pty Ltd

Dave Stubbins

Longwall Production Superintendent, BHP

Louw Olivier

Maintenance Superintendent, BHP

Matthew Wakeford

Mining Automation Specialist

Mojtaba Ghaderi

Engineering Manager, NAUTITECH®

Valentin Woehling

Geosteering Service Coordinator, Lucas Drilling Pty Ltd

Dr David Meredith

Principal Medical Advisor, Coal Services

Drew Taylor

Business Line Manager - Mechanical Cutting Australia / New Zealand, Sandvik

Adam Foulstone

Senior Site Executive (SSE), Mammoth Underground

Toby Prince

Senior Asset Management Engineer, Ashton Coal Operations Pty Ltd

Dr Andrew Strange

Team Leader, CSIRO

Francisco Malta

ADERCO representative - Australia, ADERCO / Vm Industrial

Dr Liang Zhao

Chief Operating Officer, R&D Director, Azure Mining Technology – a member of CCTEG Group

Senior representative, Joy Global Australia Pty Ltd

Senior representative, Eickhoff Australia Pty Ltd

Tim Strong

Chief Executive Officer, Waterline Projects

John Boyd

Equipment Manager, UNITECH Industries Pty Ltd

Richard Grzanka

Vice President, Anguil Environmental Systems

Agenda

8:15 am

Registration and Coffee

9:00 am

OPENING | Opening remarks from the Chair

Richard Livingstone-Blevins, Director, Talisman Partners

9:10 am

A deep dive into the recovery of our current situation

Dave Stubbins, Longwall Production Superintendent, BHP

Louw Olivier, Maintenance Superintendent, BHP

9:40 am

  • The resumption of coal extraction at Chain Valley
  • The history of extraction at Chain Valley – Past, Present, and Future
  • The introduction of proximity detection for herringbone operations
  • Covering persons, miners, shuttle cars, and zones

10:10 am

KEYNOTE SPEAKER | Komatsu

10:30 am

Networking and refreshment break

11:10 am

KEYNOTE SPEAKER | Eickhoff Australia Pty Ltd

Senior representative, Eickhoff Australia Pty Ltd,

11:40 am

Narrabri: The Goaf gas and Spontaneous combustion management of our Longwall

Mitchell Royall, Officer, Ventilation, Whitehaven Coal Limited

Basil Beamish, Managing Director, B3 Mining Services Pty Ltd

12:10 pm

  • Today’s State of the A rt Bolter Miner Operation
  • Tomorrow’s State of the Art Bolter Miner Operation
  • Future Autonomous Bolter Miner Operation

12:40 pm

Sleep disorders in NSW coal workers

Dr David Meredith, Principal Medical Advisor, Coal Services

1:00 pm

Lunch and networking break

2:00 pm

CASE STUDY | HBT Group

2:20 pm

Mammoth Underground

Adam Foulstone, Senior Site Executive (SSE), Mammoth Underground

2:50 pm

Session to be advised

3:10 pm

In the rapidly evolving mining sector, the need for advanced technologies that drive efficiency, safety, and productivity has never been greater. A newly integrated coals eam drilling and boundary mapping service combines cutting-edge Boundary Mapping Resistivity (BMR)technology with geomodel and structural interpretation to deliver critical insights that support key industry priorities. This service is designed to optimize well delivery, enhance structural mapping, and provide earlier, data-driven decisions for proactive geotechnical support.

3:30 pm

Networking and refreshment break

4:00 pm

Automation, remote operations, and data science to deliver further safety in longwall operations

Dr Andrew Strange, Team Leader, CSIRO

4:20 pm

  • Emissions performance confirmed through laboratory and operational testing
  • Reduction in smoke and particulate matter with clear visual evidence
  • Industrial case study demonstrating efficiency and measurable results
  • Applicability of findings to underground mining with emission sensitive environments

4:40 pm

Skilling the future

5:00 pm

Closing remarks from the Chair

6:30 pm

Longwall Conference Dinner – Join us for one of the traditional highlights of this conference. Catch up with colleagues and friends in a relaxed environment.

9:00 am

OPENING | Opening remarks from the Chair

Matthew Wakeford, Mining Automation Specialist

9:10 am

  • Lifecycle management of longwall roof supports.
  • Value creation
  • Sustainable management
  • Balancing performance, cost and risk over time.
  • Developing maintenance strategies.

9:55 am

At this event, Waterline will be outlining its journey in adopting AI within its engineering consultancy, demonstrating how these advancements are directly addressing challenges faced by our industry. Waterline will detail, through real-world applications, how AI is streamlining workflows, reducing reliance on manual effort, and improving business continuity in mining operations.

10:10 am

Session to be advised

10:30 am

Networking and refreshment break

11:10 am

INNOVATION SHOWCASE | MACSAFE GLOBAL

11:20 am

  • Experience & Case History – RTO Technology for VAM
  • Meeting New Australian Regulations
  • Achieving Carbon Credits
  • Safety Considerations

11:30 am

  • Beam Stage Loader System (BSL)
  • Maingate Drive System
  • Cast Scraper Conveyor and Associated Equipment (AFC)
  • Tailgate Drive System

11:40 am

  • Why intrinsically safe (IS) thermal cameras are critical in longwall operations, including key operational and safety-driven use cases
  • How thermal imaging complements visible-light cameras to enhance situational awareness and hazard detection
  • Practical, real-world system architecture for integrating thermal cameras into longwall monitoring and control systems

11:50 am

CASE STUDY | Komatsu

12:00 pm

Session to be advised

12:20 pm

Closing remarks from the Chair

12:25 pm

END OF CONFERENCE & LUNCH

Pricing

Packages Price
Package(Two Days)$3550+GST
Extras Price
Dinner $200+GST

Sponsorship & Exhibition Opportunities

Connect with your industry colleagues at the 24th Australian Longwall & Underground Coal Mining Conference. This well-established industry conference is the key meeting place for underground coal professionals from Qld and NSW to come together to share learnings, network with their peers, exchange experiences, and catch up with colleagues old and new.

This event is a great occasion to get together as an industry and share essential learnings. The conference dinner is a fantastic opportunity for the industry to converge in the Hunter Valley, in addition to arranging meetings, attending the conference, and enjoying the many other networking opportunities.

To see what is on offer please contact:

Megan Rogulski
Sponsorship Manager
E: [email protected]
T: 02 9080 4334 or 0421 048 191

Testimonials

“I try to attend every year and have for many years. Always excellent value with a great team running it. Thanks so much” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“This is a great annual event covering many relevant and industry common challenges and how solutions have been approached and implemented across various mine sites nationally.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“It was encouraging to see a great attendance this year again from all Longwall players. The speakers presented very relevant topics, and this relevance is demonstrated when these topics are discussed during the networking opportunities. In all, a successful Conference.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I must say, it was an incredible experience. it was a fantastic opportunity to learn about new developments and to share my own insights and experiences. It was great to see that this commitment was shared by many of the other mining companies and suppliers in attendance, and I left feeling inspired and energized about the future of our industry. Overall, I can say without hesitation that was an incredible conference, and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend and present. I came away with a deeper understanding of the issues facing our industry, as well as a renewed sense of optimism about the future. I would highly recommend this conference to anyone who is passionate about mining and interested in staying up to date on the latest developments in the field.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“The topics & level of engagement of the speakers was very impressive, and the chairmen of both days did an outstanding job.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Thank you for the information received during this event.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“The coal industry in Hunter Region is still strong and allows suppliers to keep the motivation to do business.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“It was a great mix of vendors & operators, and the venue was top shelf.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“As far as an engaging conference, this was the best I’ve attended in the last 12 months. Was well organised, a great cross-section of industry professionals presented.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Good turn out, good displays, dinner was excellent, speakers very good. Megan and her team are incredible!! Her and her team delivered another great conference.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Awesome event – great speakers and relevant exhibitors” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Everything was well planned and it made it easy for people to meet great upbeat conference with lots of content and interactions” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A very high level of presentations” ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Megan and her team pull together an incredible event every year that is tailored to the bespoke nature of our industry.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A well-organized conference with all speakers and presenters offering, informative presentations.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“The information was wide enough to give an overview of what the industry is seeing, with the ability to follow up after with the speaker.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Always delivers, a good event” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Unique event in the Longwall Country.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Excellent value and catch up with industry experts” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Good to hear what other sites/organisations are doing. Share their knowledge so everyone can benefit.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Anyone supplying the Australian Longwall industry should attend” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Event Photos

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ConnectMe

ConnectMe • Networking enhanced

All of our events utilise a bespoke dynamic smartphone app, ConnectMe – which guarantees attendees a premium event experience. Logins are sent prior to the conference commencement allowing you to check who’s attending, schedule in meetings and catch ups, participate in live Q+A and interactive polls, and much more. ConnectMe ensures you never miss a beat prior, during and post event.

Event Code of Conduct

We want everyone who comes to our events to have a great experience. This code explains our expectations and rules, which includes general good practice behaviour, and how to report anything witnessed or experienced that goes against them. Read our Event Code of Conduct here.

when & where

10 - 11 Mar 2026

Rydges Resort Hunter Valley
430 Wine Country Dr,
Lovedale NSW 2325
(02) 4991 0000


SPECIAL ACCOMMODATION RATE

We have special conference rates* available at the venue for delegates to book accommodation for stays between 9-11 March 2026.

To book your stay, please follow the below steps:

We have special conference rates* available at the venue for delegates to book accommodation for stays between 9-11 March 2026.

To book your stay, please follow the below steps:

  1.  Visit the conference website:
    www.rydges.com/accommodation/regional-nsw/hunter-valley
  2. Select your date range and guest numbers
  3. Click “I have a code”
  4. Enter code LGW090326 in the “Corporate ID” field
  5. Click “Check Rooms” and your special rates will appear on the rates screen

*Subject to availability

contact

Still have a question?

Aya Mersal
Conference Manager
[email protected]
(02) 9080 4338

Megan Rogulski
Sponsorship Manager
[email protected]
(02) 9080 4334

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