SAEMC is an annual collaborative event that brings together both the exploration and mining industries in South Australia.
Speakers
2026 Welcoming speeches (TBA)
Marc Twining
Chair – SAEMC Organising Committee, AusIMM
Welcome
TBA
Welcome to Country
To be confirmed
Hon Tom Koutsantonis MP
South Australian Minister for Energy and Mining
Opening address
Tom was raised in the western suburbs. He attended Cowandilla and Netley Primary Schools before attending Adelaide High School and going on to study at Adelaide University.
The son of Greek migrants, Anthony and Dimitra, Tom joined the Australian Labor Party at a young age with the encouragement of Labor stalwart and former SA Deputy Premier, the late Jack Wright. Tom first volunteered in Jack Wright’s office when he was 14.
Tom was elected to the South Australian State Parliament on 11 October 1997, at age 26. Tom was elevated to the Ministry on 3 March 2009 and remained in Cabinet until the 2018 State election. Over this period, he served as Minister for Correctional Services, Youth and Volunteers, Gambling, Small Business, Transport, Planning and Infrastructure, Mining and Energy, State Development and as Treasurer.
He is SA Labor’s longest serving MP.
Dr Suzanne Hunt
Director, Geological Survey of South Australia (GSSA) –
Department for Energy and Mining
SA Exploration & Mining Review
TBA
2026 Session Speakers (to be confirmed)
Ian Garsed
Principal Geologist, Barton Gold
Session 1: TBA
Bio to come.
Caroline Tiddy
MinExCRC
Session 1: TBA
Bio to come.
Peter Reid
CEO – Petratherm
Session 2: The Muckanippie Titatium Project: A Significant Critical Mineral Discovery
Peter Reid is the founder and CEO of Petratherm Limited which was spun out from Minotaur Resources in 2004. With over 30 years experience in mineral and geothermal exploration he was part of the Prominent Hill discovery team.
Brendan Harris
Chief Executive Officer, Sandfire
Session 2: TBA
Bio to come.
Barbara Duggan
Head of Regional Exploration, Indiana Resources
Session 2: TBA
Bio to come.
Lachlan Wallace
Managing Director – Investigator Resources
Session 3: Australia’s only pure silver project
Bio to come.
Nick Jervis-Brady
Geoscience Lead, Alligator Energy
Session 3: TBA
Bio to come.
Travis Bienke
Chief Executive Officer, Australian Rare Earths
Session 3: TBA
Bio to come.
Andrew Alesci
Exploration Manager, Cobra
Session 3: TBA
Bio to come.
Lachlan Cole
Head of Geology, Rex Minerals
Session 4: TBA
Bio to come.
David Christensen
Managing Director, Renascor
Session 4: TBA
Bio to come.
Kathy Ehrig
Principal Geometallurgist, BHP
Session 4: TBA
Dr Kathy Ehrig is recognised internationally as a leader in geometallurgy, establishing Olympic Dam’s geometallurgy program 2006. She completed her Bachelor of Science in geology at California State University, Fresno in 1984 and earned a PhD in geology from the University of California at Berkeley in 1991.