Claim OwnershipDigging Deeper with @ The Coalface
Subscribed: 0Played: 0
Subscribe
© @ The Coalface 2025
Description
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.
Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface, hosted by Jessica Rouse.
29 Episodes
Reverse
Jade Woodsen grew up in the thick of the Queensland mining industry at Mt Isa. She has spent 14 years in the mining industry herself and built her mining career across many roles at different sites including the QCoal Northern Hub.It was all that experience across various machines and in numerous roles that saw her offered the opportunity to undertake her OCE course. She has been successful in obtaining it this year and is already out in the field putting it into action. The process of obtaining your OCE ticket is no walk in the park so we had a chat to Jade about her experience, her time in mining and advice she has for anyone currently knee-deep in their OCE studies.This is the final episode for Season 1 of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface. Thank you to everyone who came along for the ride! We can't wait to get our shovels out again in 2026 and dig even deeper.
Brock Mendyk was born and raised in the Hunter Valley. He finished school and got his boilermaker trade and started working at Bulga near Singleton. Brock built some special bonds and made lifelong friends on site who helped him through the hardest time in his life: losing his father and his sister to suicide. Fast forward, Brock has left the Hunter Valley and completely changed careers. He's moving into life coaching so he can share his story and learnings with people who need someone to help them in their lives and guide them towards a better version of themselves. Enjoy this episode! Don't forget to leave us a rating and a review!
Kim Nguyen is the Director and Founder of Core Mine, a business created to make leaders better and equip them with what they need to become better leaders. Kim spent 23 years in open cut mining working his way up the leadership chain. Kim firmly believes that his parents and his upbringing helping shape him into the person he is today. His parents came to Australia with nothing, displaced by war in Vietnam. Kim's life took a tragic turn in 2021 when he lost his chosen brother. That moment became the catalyst for him to find what his life had been missing. Enjoy this episode of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface!
Katie Siemsen worked in the health and safety area of coal mining for about ten years. Earlier this year she decided it was time to step out on her own and take on being her own boss with 'Empower Business Solutions'.Without planning it, Katie has become something of a disrupter. Sharing her thoughts on LinkedIn about the harsh realities she experienced while she worked in the industry and what she believes needs to change, and be better. Through her business she hopes to empower leaders in the industry to make the workplace a better place for women, and men to be. From toilets to a fair share or work to having work uniforms that actually fit. Enjoy this episode! Leave us your thoughts in the comments below.
The @ The Coalface team are at the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) 2025 at the ICC in Sydney. IMARC brings together people in industry not just from down under but from right across the globe.11,000 people are expected to walk through the IMARC doors over the next three days and Jess has caught up with some of them on Digging Deeper, recorded live from the bustling floors of IMARC in their exclusive podcast zone called "OnAir @ IMARC".Jess sat down with Dale Last, the Queensland Minister for Resources and Mines, Minister for Manufacturing and Minister for Regional and Rural Development to talk all things mining, and find out a bit more about Dale and why he's so passionate about mining and our regional communities.Leave us a rating and a review!
The @ The Coalface team are at the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) 2025 at the ICC in Sydney. IMARC brings together people in industry not just from down under but from right across the globe.11,000 people are expected to walk through the IMARC doors over the next three days and Jess has caught up with some of them on Digging Deeper, recorded live from the bustling floors of IMARC in their exclusive podcast zone called "OnAir @ IMARC".Idemitsu Australia is certainly diversifying their coal business down under, expanding their portfolio to include critical minerals and building renewables like the country's largest vanadium battery on their coal sites. They are backing coal all the way, but see the benefit in doing more - Chief Executive Officer Steve Kovac sat down with Jess to explain.Leave us a rating and a review!
The @ The Coalface team are at the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) 2025 at the ICC in Sydney. IMARC brings together people in industry not just from down under but from right across the globe.11,000 people are expected to walk through the IMARC doors over the next three days and Jess has caught up with some of them on Digging Deeper, recorded live from the bustling floors of IMARC in their exclusive podcast zone called "OnAir @ IMARC".Jodie Currie started the Bowen Basin Mining Club (BBMC) 15 years ago, and this year expanded to NSW starting the Hunter Mining Club. The BBMC has helped guide it's members through many ups and downs and continues to do so in unsure times in the coal sector. Leave us a rating and a review!
The @ The Coalface team are at the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) 2025 at the ICC in Sydney. IMARC brings together people in industry not just from down under but from right across the globe.11,000 people are expected to walk through the IMARC doors over the next three days and Jess has caught up with some of them on Digging Deeper, recorded live from the bustling floors of IMARC in their exclusive podcast zone called "OnAir @ IMARC".Nick Jorss is the Executive Chairman of Bowen Coking Coal, a story in itself after sadly going into administration earlier this year, and also founded Coal Australia. He is loud and proud about coal and we couldn't agree with him more. Leave us a rating and a review!
The @ The Coalface team are at the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) 2025 at the ICC in Sydney. IMARC brings together people in industry not just from down under but from right across the globe.11,000 people are expected to walk through the IMARC doors over the next three days and Jess has caught up with some of them on Digging Deeper, recorded live from the bustling floors of IMARC in their exclusive podcast zone called "OnAir @ IMARC".Michelle Manook is the Chief Executive of Future Coal and sat down with Jess to talk all things coal here, and around the world. Leave us a rating and a review!
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service (WRHS) is celebrating 50 years of saving lives across northern NSW this year. David Gatwood isn't just a volunteer, he was rescued by the WRHS in 2021. It was on the October long weekend that he was riding with his mates in the Upper Hunter and rode over a cattle grid coming off his bicycle. David thought that was it. Until he heard the comforting sounds of the WRHS overhead. David is forever grateful to the Service for saving his life. Jess sat down with David in Scone to hear his story and believe us when we say you'd better have the tissues ready. Leave us a rating and review, we'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface wherever you're listening!
BHP's Mt Arthur Coal Mine is finishing up mining in 2030. Since the announcement was made, there has been plenty of planning happening behind the scenes and a lot of engagement with the employees, local businesses and the community. So, where is that planning up to?What is the sentiment on site?Is there any chance mining could continue post-BHP?Jess sat down with some of the BHP team including General Manager Darryl Messenger, Manager of Strategy and Closure Execution Georgia Manning, Amanda Walker the Manager of Corporate Affairs and Rob Kennelly Manager of Transition after the Muswellbrook Chamber of Commerce and Industry Breakfast.
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, fighting for what the community deserves. Jess sat down with Steve for this episode of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface!
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're sure you're pumped to hear about Martin's career!Please leave us a rating and review wherever you're listening.
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, working for the Service and supporting it. Air Crew Officer Alan Griffiths, Communications and Engagement Officer Kim Walters and Community Relations Coordinator Tracey Snedden join Jess for this episode. Don't forget to leave us a rating and a review!
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 mines rescue team. Not for recognition or competition trophies, but because he wanted to be ready.Mines rescue didn’t just give him skills. It gave him direction. Over the years, he’s become a training assessor, a safety rep and, more recently, took on a three-month stint as rescue coordinator.Jess sat down with Zoom to talk all about it. Peter also featured in the July edition of @ The Coalface: https://thecoalface.net.au/four-decades-of-calm-in-the-chaos/
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 Pleasant Operation which is where host Jess first met her.Ngaire has plenty of stories and she shared some of them with us at the NSW Mining HSEC Conference. Jess collected a tonne of content at the conference so we decided to share some with you as bonus content. Enjoy! And, don't forget to leave us a rating and a review wherever you're listening.
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 and Community Officer at the United Wambo JV. In front of an audience at the conference, this episode delves into the careers of these three young, passionate mine workers, they share some of the funny things that have happened to them on site, the technical advances they've seen in the industry and how important education is not only about the industry but to encourage people to be a part of it and choose mining as their career. Enjoy this episode of Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface!
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 life. TradeMutt is a social enterprise so the duo also started TIACS, a professional mental health counselling service for tradies, truckies, farmers, and blue collar workers that's completely free. 50 per cent of the profit from TradeMutt goes directly to TIACS making it free for anyone who needs it. On this episode Jess catches up with Dan Allen to talk about where TradeMutt started, how it's going and some of the incredible stories Dan has heard along the way.For more information on TradeMutt: https://trademutt.com/To reach out to TIACS: https://www.tiacs.org/ or call or text: 0488 846 988@ The Coalface story on TradeMutt and TIACS: https://thecoalface.net.au/this-is-a-conversation-starter/This could be the best episode Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface yet, so make sure you let us know what you think.
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 Australia to some pretty memorable tries.Kurt retired from professional NRL at the end of 2015 having made the second-most appearance for the Knights in the Club's history. He finished his professional career with the Warrington Wolves in the Super League.These days you'll find Kurt kicking goals in the mining industry as the National Manager - Partnerships and Growth at the Protech Group. Jess sat down with Kurt to talk all things footy and his time in one of the country's other big exporters... mining. Previous stories on the Protech Group and Dreampath Recruitment: https://thecoalface.net.au/proof-is-in-the-pudding/https://thecoalface.net.au/industry-superstars/
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States