Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface

In 2016 Steve Fordham started a business with Glen Finnan providing manpower and equipment to support mining and civil projects across the Hunter Valley. Blackrock Industries was born and from that came Dreampath Recruitment and then 'Second Chance for Change' helping incarcerated men find full time work and many other community projects. Steve has become a leader for the mining community, fightin...

In this episode of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface, Jess chats with Martin Richardson, the National Sales Manager for Truflo Pumps. Martin has been around the industry for many years, jumping in the deep end from the moment he joined the team. He's had the opportunity to travel overseas and solve pumping problems at mines across Australia and overseas. Enjoy this episode of Digging Deeper, we'r...

Jess is still sifting through all of the awesome content she collected at the NSW Mining HSEC Conference back in August. In this episode of bonus content you'll hear from Thiess Environmental Graduate Ashlee Cox and Thiess Health, Safety and Training Manager at Mt Arthur South Beth Conliffe. Don't forget to leave us a rating and a review wherever you're listening!

If you live in Central Queensland you know exactly who CapRescue is. The Service provides lifesaving, around-the-clock aeromedical care — at no cost to patients — where and when it’s needed most. The mining industry, like us, are big supporters of CapRescue and on Episode 14 of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface we take a deep dive into what it's like to be in the helicopter providing the care, wo...

Peter “Zoom” Oram never imagined he’d become the bloke people looked to when everything was on the line, when the smoke was thick, alarms were sounding, and there wasn’t time to think twice. Back in 1985, he was just a teenager trying to figure out what came next after school. He didn’t have a plan, just a name to follow and a pair of steel-capped boots to fill. In 1995, he joined the Capcoal mine...

Ngaire Baker has been in the mining industry for years. Right now she is the External Relations Manager for Develop, at their Woodlawn Underground Operations. Ngaire has inspired many women over her years in the industry, has been a mentor and experienced the highs and lows and everything the mining industry has to offer. Ngaire spent a few years in the Upper Hunter with MACH Energy at their Mt Pl...

Episode 12 of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface was recorded LIVE at the NSW Mining Health Safety Environment and Community Conference in Pokolbin. The 'Future Leaders Lunch' saw host Jess sit down with Sienna Linforth an Underground Mechanical Engineer at Dartbrook Mine, Julius Harris-Payne a Graduate Environment Officer at Bloomfield's Rix's Creek Mine and Georgia O'Neill who is an Environment...

Whether you're on a mine site in the workshop, in the office, in the corporate office, at a hospital, on a construction site, whether you are just about anywhere you've seen the TradeMutt shirts. They're bright and colourful and they have a very simple message emblazoned on the back: This Is A Conversation Starter. Dan and his mate Ed started TradeMutt after one of Dan's good mate's took his own l...

If you're a true Newcastle Knights fan, or even just an NRL junkie you'll know this guest. Newcastle Knights old boy Kurt Gidley made his debut with the NRL club in 2001, captained the side between 2007 and 2015, was the captain of the NSW Blues in 2009 and 2010 and was inducted into the Newcastle Knights Hall of Fame in 2022. There are plenty of other stories in between, from playing for Australi...

Vicky Pellowe started the FIFO Family Project after moving to Perth, becoming a mum and discovering there was next to no support available for FIFO parents staying at home with the children while their other half went away to work for days at a time. The FIFO Family Project is a community and a support network for families who are trying to navigate that lifestyle. While there are meet ups in pers...

Dave Foster's career in mining has come full circle. He started in 2005 as the Operations Engineer at Hunter Valley Operations (HVO) when the site was owned by Rio Tinto, stayed for five years before leaving to work at some other mine operations. Dave made his way back to Singleton's HVO 20 years later as the General Manager. It was always a goal of Dave's to make his way back to HVO, and he did....

Danny McCarthy credits his success in the mining industry to his late father who always instilled in him to "do what's right". Danny is the Managing Director of TerraCom who run the Blair Athol mine in Queensland. He's been with the company for a few years now which has included some unforgettable travel overseas to their other assets, but now he's fully focussed on running the Blair Athol mine to...

If it wasn't for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service (WRHS), Noel Kelly wouldn't be here today. He was working 700 metres underground at Cumnock No.1 Colliery near Singleton on March 26, 1992 when his life changed forever. Dublin-born Noel was crushed by two 15-tonne trucks, his leg torn off in an instant. The call went from underground to above ground calling for reinforcements including the WR...

Matt Clarke was behind the wheel of "Debbie" the Bushmaster in 2012 in Afghanistan when he and his crew went over an IED. Everyone survived, but Matt suffered some gnarly injuries to both of his feet and ankles. The accident marked the end of his time in the Australian Defence Force as part of the Afghanistan Mentoring Task Force-5 Deployment, and the start of his time in the mining industry. The...

This episode of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface is coming to you from Black Rock Motor Resort Park at Lake Macquarie! Why? This site was once Rhondda Colliery, with an output of 1500 tonnes of coal per day, the mine opened in 1900 and mining ceased in 1971. Rehabilitation was finished in 2008, which included site remediation and revegetation. Yancoal had control of the former colliery site unti...

Here it is, Episode 3 of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface! Coal Australia was born out of the Bowen Basin in Queensland as an organisation to promote the wonderful coal mining industry. Fast forward to now and there are more than 50,000 'Friends of Coal Australia' and the not-for-profit has been celebrating and sharing the wonderful stories of our industry right across NSW and Queensland. Stuart...

Welcome to Episode 2 of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface! International Women's Day is on March 8 and to celebrate women in mining Jess caught up with Sienna Mallon. Sienna is a mining manager in Central Queensland, and she's only 28 years old. Mining wasn't her first industry, she took a chance at a job moving up to Queensland from an agronomist role in Victoria. Sienna gained popularity on soc...

Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface, the podcast that shares the incredible stories of the talented and passionate people in our industry who not only shine on site but are doing incredible things in their local communities, on the national stage, and sometimes even making a global impact. We often interview people and would love to share the WHOLE story with you, so here it is. Welcome to Episode...