11th AusIMM Underground Operators' Conference 2011

The Underground Operators Conference series is of particular importance as it promotes the sharing of core knowledge for mine operators. Importantly, this knowledge is documented and can assist in defining the contribution that mining operations are making to the improvement of operating practice.
The theme "Safe, Innovative and Sustainable" is explored in this proceedings. The first two themes in this title - safe and innovative - are not new and have featured in past conferences. The sustainability component reflects the evolution of strategic goals for businesses including mining practices in the early part of this century. What does sustainability mean for current and future underground mining practices and will it become part of the DNA of Australian mining in the same way as safety and innovation? By considering what sustainability means for mining, there is scope to understand how curiously, openness to change and a willingness to "have a go" have enabled some of our mining operations to rank amongst the best in the world in terms of commonly applied metrics for mining operations.