The impact of the global recession and key Government policies on the minerals sector will be the focus of this year’s Minerals Week, the mining industry’s annual set piece program, to be held in Canberra on 26-28 May.
This year’s event will examine the proposed Emissions Trading Scheme, the state of Australia’s infrastructure, workplace relations, current and future fiscal settings and the outlook for global commodities demand.
Minerals Week, to be held at the Hyatt Hotel Canberra, includes a comprehensive program of public policy and political analysis.
This year’s program features a two-day seminar from Tuesday 26 May through to the afternoon of Wednesday 27 May, followed by a Full Council meeting of the Minerals Council of Australia on Thursday 28 May.
MCA Chief Executive Officer Mitchell Hooke said this year’s Minerals Week would be held in the midst of unprecedented global economic adversity, which is profoundly challenging the Australian minerals industry’s capacity to endure and grow.
“With the globe caught in a ‘perfect economic storm’, there has arguably never been a greater imperative to get the intersection between public policy, business and sustainable development right. Given the current economic turmoil and the potential impact of major Government policies on the industry, this year’s event will be the most significant Minerals Week since its inception in 1979,” Hooke said.
Keynote speakers for Minerals Week 2009 include:
The Hon Wayne Swan MP, Treasurer
The Hon Lindsay Tanner MP, Minister for Finance and Deregulation
Senator The Hon Penny Wong, Minister for Climate Change and Water
Mr Marius Kloppers, Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director, BHP Billiton
Mr Sam Walsh, Chief Executive, Rio Tinto Iron Ore
Mr Ian Smith, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Newcrest Mining Limited, MCA Chairman