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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

DON'T MISS OUT ➡️ LESS THAN A MONTH TO GO

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

Martin Mackinnon

Manager, Technical Services, Whitehaven Coal Limited

Basil Beamish

Managing Director, B3 Mining Services Pty Ltd

Erich Hofmann

CEO and Managing Director, Hofmann Engineering

Marc Kirsten

Site Senior Executive, Carborough Down Mine, Fitzroy Mining Operations

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

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

Tim Strong

Chief Executive Officer, Waterline Projects

John Boyd

Equipment Manager, UNITECH Industries Pty Ltd

Richard Grzanka

Vice President, Anguil Environmental Systems

Richard Livingstone-Blevins

Director, Talisman Partners

Robert Goldspink

Founder & CEO, Macsafe

Dr Johannes Krings

Senior Vice President, Region E4A (Europe, Asia, Australia, Americas, Africa), Eickhoff Mining Technology GmbH

Mr Ian van den Brink

Vice President – Eickhoff Continuous Miners

Helen Gibson

Vice President Underground Soft Rock Australasia, Komatsu

Phill Breese

General Manager, Quarry Mining & Construction Equipment Pty Ltd

Dominic Foley

Managing Director, Particular Engineering

Tony Napier

Chief Operating Officer, Managing Director APAC, Strata Worldwide

Lyndsay Jobin

GM for APAC, MST Global

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

  • 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

9:40 am

  • The market is changing as we some of the legacy mine owners exit the coal market and new investors and operators enter
  • As a key industry partner, we also need to innovate both products and methods to meet the new market dynamics
  • We are committed to remaining as the leading underground coal equipment manufacturer by providing
  • Unmatched service and support, that evolves with the changing market needs
  • World class products for all budgets
  • We are evolving as a business to be more lean and more efficient
  • We are evolving our product offering to meet the needs of the industry into the future

10:00 am

  • US Market Re-entry: A focus on customer support and long-term service following recent North American shearer deployments
  • The CM Portfolio: Exploring Eickhoff’s continuous miner solutions and their application within the Australian coal mining landscape

10:30 am

Networking and refreshment break - SPONSORED BY Quantum

11:10 am

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

Martin Mackinnon, Manager, Technical Services, Whitehaven Coal Limited

Basil Beamish, Managing Director, B3 Mining Services Pty Ltd

11:40 am

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

12:10 pm

Sleep disorders in NSW coal workers

Dr David Meredith, Principal Medical Advisor, Coal Services

12:40 pm

CASE STUDY | HBT Group

1:00 pm

Lunch and networking break - SPONSORED BY: Australian Conveyor Technologies

2:00 pm

The transition from LW to BP – Our Journey

Marc Kirsten, Site Senior Executive, Carborough Down Mine, Fitzroy Mining Operations

2:30 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.

2:45 pm

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

Dr Andrew Strange, Team Leader, CSIRO

3:15 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

3:30 pm

Networking and refreshment break – SPONSORED BY: Quantum

4:00 pm

INNOVATION SHOWCASE | Macsafe

Robert Goldspink, Founder & CEO, Macsafe

4:20 pm

  • Strata’ Link n Lock timber roof support system has been an industry standard for almost 30 years and enhancements continue to be introduced and developed.
  • HazardAVERT Proximity system – our latest innovation being a joint development effort with NLT Digital to include the PAD (Personal Alarm Device) in their new Vigilance caplamp, the first section at Anglo Aquila commenced using this in recent weeks. Additionally, having recently completed the largest Prox deployment (900 vehicles and almost 2,000 miners) at BHP’s Olympic Dam we are now bringing some of those advancements to the Coal industry.
  • Bulk Stone Dust delivery systems – can pump bulk dry Stonedust up to 4 km at a rate up to 750 kg per hour from surface to the face or to strategically located underground pods. Bulk Stone dusting systems improve safety, achieve consistent dust delivery rates and financial paybacks potentially measured in 3 to 4 years when compared to alternative approaches.

4:40 pm

  • The Longwall Mantis Sprag (LWMS) is a purpose‑designed WHS engineering control developed to significantly reduce worker exposure to unsupported mine roof during longwall pick change out activities
  • Benefit- The LWMS replaces the previous requirement for overhead bolting during pick changeouts, removing a high‑risk task and embedding a permanent, engineered safety solution delivering significant time and cost savings.
  • Design – Present and discuss design parameters and performance requirements to ensure it delivered measurable safety and operational value prior to full rollout

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

9:15 am

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

10:00 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.

10:15 am

  • Why “more suppression” is not a defensible strategy on its own: aligning dust programs to exposure drivers, verification, and compliance expectations for respirable dust and respirable crystalline silica.
  • The Dust Forensic Audit method: structured field inspection plus targeted measurement to identify dominant sources, pathways, and where people are actually exposed.
  • Hotspot-style visualisation and threshold-based reporting: how to translate time-series dust data into location-tagged insights that prioritise action.
  • Case study example (board-and-pillar style audit): isolating key contributors, structuring rapid follow-up actions (for example, targeted ventilation and spray system investigation), and re-auditing to confirm improvement.
  • Converting findings into an engineered controls plan and verification program: prioritised upgrades, fit-for-purpose controls, and repeatable performance checks to confirm controls are genuinely working in the field.

10:40 am

Networking and refreshment break - SPONSORED BY: Quantum

11:20 am

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

11:30 am

  • Project Background
  • Key Technologies and Uses
  • Design and Performance Improvements
  • Application Cases and Results

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

12:50 pm

Why are we waiting for regulations

Lyndsay Jobin, GM for APAC, MST Global

12:10 pm

  • Selection of material & Heat Treatment
  • Optimisation of components to international standards.
  • Australian Quality and Traceability

12:20 pm

Closing remarks from the Chair

12:30 pm

END OF CONFERENCE & LUNCH – SPONSORED BY: Australian Conveyor Technologies

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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