In a first for his office and a significant fillip for Australian-African relations, the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Stephen Smith, delivered the keynote address launching the 7th annual Paydirt Africa Downunder Conference, at the Sheraton Perth Hotel today. He heads a contingent of five African resources ministers, together with a “who’s who” of Australian miners operating on the continent, in a strong display of unity between two of the world’s mining powers.
The Foreign Minister has been a prominent presence at several Africa-focused events this year, including the African Union Summit in Ethiopia in January, but his address today is the first by an Australian Foreign Affairs Minister to what is now recognised as the largest African-focused mining conference outside of Africa.
While Australia gave A$115 million in development aid to Africa in the last financial year, its commercial investments in African mining ventures have been estimated at around A$15 billion – with considerable “hidden” investment in the form of technical and managerial expertise, as well as educational opportunities for young Africans entering the industry.
“The investment axis between Australia and Africa has been subject in recent times to the extraordinary pressures of the Global Financial Crisis and an unravelling range of unforseen consequences,” Paydirt Executive Chairman and Conference Convenor, Bill Repard, said.
“We expect these investment issues to be the primary focus of much of the discussion and negotiations at this week’s Conference. The fact that Mr Smith has agreed to deliver the keynote address is a vivid illustration of the importance of African minerals to Australian business and of Australian technologies and mining expertise to African nations.”
Presenters over the two days will include Ministers from Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Eritrea and South Africa, senior officials from Namibia and Uganda, and a welter of industry ‘heavyweights’ from Australian companies – notably those involved in gold and base metals, uranium and industrial minerals.
Session One Chair: Rick Yeates, Coffey Mining
08:15 Welcome: Bill Repard, Executive Chairman, Paydirt Media Pty Ltd (10)
08:25 Keynote address: Hon Stephen Smith, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government (25)
08:50 John Borshoff, Managing Director, Paladin Energy Ltd (25)
09:15 Craig Williams, President/Chief Executive Officer, Equinox Minerals Ltd “Ramping up Lumwana”(15)
09:30 Mark Calderwood, Managing Director, Perseus Mining Ltd “Finding elephants in Africa”(15)
09:45 Russell Loubser, Chief Executive Officer, JSE Ltd “An African value proposition” (15)
10:00 Questions (5)
10:05 Morning tea sponsored by FirstCity Partnership (30)
Session Two Chair: John Lewins, Platinum Australia Ltd10:35 Hon Susan Shabangu, Minister of Minerals and Energy, Department of Minerals and Energy, South Africa (20)10:55 Mark Wheatley, Chairman, Gold One International Ltd “Australia’s new low cost gold producer” (25)
11:20 Lindsay Reed, Chief Executive Officer, Aviva Corporation Ltd “Mmamantswe power” (15)
11:35 Len Jubber, Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director, Bannerman Resources Ltd (15)
11:50 Maredi Mphahlele, Managing Director, Nkwe Platinum Ltd (15)
12:05 Adrian Griffin, Chairman, Ferrum Crescent Ltd (15)
12:20 Mark Gubbins, Partner – Trade and Political Risk, FirstCity Partnership “Political risks insurance – briefing and market update” (15)
12:35 Questions (5)
12:40 Lunch sponsored by WestLB (70)
Session Three Chair: Liam Twigger, PCF Capital13:50 Hon Maxwell Mwale MP, Minister of Mines and Mineral Development, Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development, Zambia (20)14:10 Peter McIntyre, Managing Director, Extract Resources Ltd “Rossing South – A world-class, undeveloped resource” (15)
14:25 Wayne Bramwell, Managing Director, Kasbah Resources Ltd “Tin in Morocco – the Achmmach tin project” (15)
14:40 Rod Reeve, Chief Operating Officer, Coffey International Development “Local enterprise development in the mining industry in sub-Saharan Africa” (15)
14:55 David Young, Managing Director, Tiger Resources Ltd “Gearing up for copper production in 2010” (15)
15:10 David Sumich, Managing Director, DMC Mining Ltd “Developing the Mayoko iron ore project in West Africa” (15)
15:25 Questions (5)
15:30 Afternoon tea (30)
Session Four Chair: Christiaan Ndoro, MSA Group Services16:00 David Hutchins, Chief Geophysicist, Ministry of Mines and Energy, Namibia (20)16:20 John Lewins, Managing Director, Platinum Australia Ltd (25)
16:45 Steve Parsons, Managing Director, Gryphon Minerals Ltd “Racing to one million ounces and beyond” (15)
17:00 Questions (5)
17:05 Australian Heads of Mission Panel Session, Convenor: Col Roberts, Geo-strategy International Pty Ltd; Ann Harrap, South Africa; Lisa Filipetto, Kenya; John Courtney, Zimbabwe; Jeff Hart, Nigeria; Billy Williams, Ghana; Jon Richardson, DFAT Canberra and Greg Hull; AUSTRADE South Africa (45)
17:50 Cocktails in the exhibition area
Day Two Friday 4 September 2008
Session Five Chair: Mark Thomas, Newedge Broker Ltd08:30 Brad Sampson, Managing Director, Discovery Metals Ltd “Developing the Boseto copper project” (15)08:45 Leon Pretorius, Managing Director, Deep Yellow Ltd “Deep Yellow’s uranium exploration in Namibia” (15)
09:00 Mark Sumich, Managing Director, Globe Metals and Mining Ltd “Investor update” (15)
09:15 Stephen Stone, Executive Chairman, Azumah Resources Ltd “Moving up a division” (15)
09:30 Bill Turner, President/Chief Executive Officer, Anvil Mining Ltd “Building a mining company in an emerging country environment – the trials and tribulations” (15)
09:45 Mike Griffiths, Director, Chalice Gold Mines Ltd “Koka Gold – The handle of the golden chalice” (15)
10:00 Hon Ahmed Haj Ali, Minister of Energy and Mines Eritrea, Eritrea (10)
10:10 Questions (5)
10:15 Morning tea (30)
Session Six Chair: Steve Parsons, Gryphon Minerals Ltd10:45 John Odida, Assistant Commissioner, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, Uganda (20)11:05 Ian Willis, Vice President Exploration, Anglo American Plc “Discovery and development in Africa” (25)
11:30 Jan Fuchter, Director, Export Finance Insurance Corporation “EFIC: Supporting Australian involvement in Africa” (15)
11:45 Mark Bojanjac, Managing Director, Adamus Resources Ltd “Building the mine”(25)
12:10 Paul Kitto, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Ampella Mining Ltd “A new gold province” (15)
12:25 Michael Blakiston, Partner, Blakiston & Crabb Lawyers “Tackling Africa; it’s not just about the law” (15)
12:40 Questions (5)
12:45 Lunch sponsored by PCF Capital Group (60)
Session Seven Chair: Gary Gray, Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development and Northern Australia13:45 Hon Deziami Allison-Medueke, Minister for Mines and Steel Development, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Nigeria (20)14:05 David Frances, Managing Director, Mawson West Ltd “Discovering and developing high-grade resources in Central Africa” (15)
14:20 Damon Rhodes, Senior Analyst – African Funds, African Lion “Into the new cycle.” (15)
14:35 Peter Landau, Executive Director, Continental Coal Ltd (15)
14:50 Andrew Drummond, Managing Director, Minemakers Ltd and Mike Woodborne, General Manager – Marine, Minemakers Ltd “Phosphate for a food and energy hungry world” (15)
15:05 Stephen Blackman, Managing Director, International Base Metals Ltd “Building regional copper projects in Namibia” (15)
15:20 Questions (5)
15:25 Afternoon tea (25)
Session Eight Chair: Craig Williams, Equinox Minerals Ltd15:50 Hon Collins Dauda, Minister of Land, Mines & Forestry, Ministry of Land, Mines and Forestry, Ghana (20)16:10 Frazer Tabeart, Managing Director, African Energy Resources Ltd “An emerging uranium business in Southern Africa” (15)
16:25 Don Lewis, Managing Director, Sundance Resources Ltd “Developing a new iron ore province for world markets” (15)
16:40 Mike Sperinck, President/Chief Executive Officer, Luiri Gold Ltd “Luiri Gold is Zambian gold” (15)
16:55 Questions (5)
17:00 Panel: Convenor: Rick Yeates, Coffey Mining; John Borshoff, Paladin Energy Ltd; Hon Susan Shabangu, Department of Minerals and Energy, South Africa; Craig Williams, Equinox Minerals Ltd; Rod Reeve, Coffey International Development; Mark Gubbins, FirstCity Partnership; Bill Turner, Anvil Mining Ltd; Mark Calderwood, Perseus Mining Ltd; Ann Harrap, DFAT (40)
17:40 Closing drinks sponsored by Paladin Energy Ltd
