Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface

Penny Woodward is the Infrastructure Manager at Malabar Resources' Maxwell Underground mine at Muswellbrook.

She has been working in mining in the Hunter Valley for a while, from her graduate job to spending nine years at Bengalla before moving over to kickstart the CHPP at the Maxwell mine in 2022. To restart a CHPP and a mine was an opportunity Penny couldn't pass up.

Penny has been recognised for her incredible career so far by the NSW Minerals Council, receiving the Exceptional Woman in Mining Award at this year's NSW Women In Mining awards.

Jess sat down with Penny on site to chat about her career, the journey with Malabar and her advice for young women in the industry.

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Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface is recording from the bustling floors of the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Sydney at the ICC.

With thousands of delegates, over 100 countries and many, many mining companies and businesses represented, as well as government, there is plenty to talk about and plenty of people to chat to.

Jess sat down with some of the suppliers on the floor of IMARC, including Lead Customer Relationship Manager Frank Oldfield with Geographe, Managing Director of First Principals Consulting Alex Franklin, Cassowary Group's Richard Kirkpatrick, and one of IMARC's Event Directors, Sherene Asnasyous.

Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface is recording from the bustling floors of the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Sydney at the ICC.

With thousands of delegates, over 100 countries and many, many mining companies and businesses represented, as well as government, there is plenty to talk about and plenty of people to chat to.

Miners' Promise provides compassionate care and specialist support for families during times of crisis and bereavement. The charity is also the charity partner for IMARCH 2026 - Debbie Morrow is the Executive Director and dropped by to chat to Jess live from On Air @ IMARC.

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Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface is recording from the bustling floors of the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Sydney at the ICC.

With thousands of delegates, over 100 countries and many, many mining companies and businesses represented, as well as government, there is plenty to talk about and plenty of people to chat to.

Minister for Finance and Natural Resources Courtney Houssos sat down with Jess for a brief chat with Jess about what's happening in mining in terms of legislation and how great it is to see so many people at IMARC this year!

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Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface is recording from the bustling floors of the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Sydney at the ICC.

With thousands of delegates, over 100 countries and many, many mining companies and businesses represented, as well as government, there is plenty to talk about and plenty of people to chat to.

Jess sat down with Misha Fazen, Whitehaven's Group Manager - Systems, Performance Data Analytics HSE to chat all things Artificial Intelligence (AI) and her role in mentoring young women in the industry.

Don't forget to leave us a rating and a review!

Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface is recording from the bustling floors of the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Sydney at the ICC.

With thousands of delegates, over 100 countries and many, many mining companies and businesses represented, as well as government, there is plenty to talk about and plenty of people to chat to.

Jodie Currie is the Director of both the Bowen Basin Mining Club and the Hunter Mining Club. She has been in her role in Queensland for 16 years and certainly has her finger on the pulse with what is happening on the ground in mining and how both the industry and investors are feeling.

Don't forget to leave us a rating and a review!

Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface is recording from the bustling floors of the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Sydney at the ICC.

With thousands of delegates, over 100 countries and many, many mining companies and businesses represented, as well as government, there is plenty to talk about and plenty of people to chat to.

First up, Simon Troeth, the General Manager - External Affairs with the Minerals Council of Australia talking about confirmation bias, how crucial mining is and the extraordinary demand for our coal overseas.

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Steve Galilee has been the CEO of the NSW Minerals Council since 2012, so he's seen a lot.

Steve is no stranger to the Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface podcast, he was one of our first guests. We thought it was timely to sit down with Steve again and talk about everything that's happening in mining in NSW. BEtween the Hunter Valley Operations Continuation project approval from the IPC, the Hight Court decision on MACH Energy's Mount Pleasant operation, and what it all means for the future of our industry.

We also chat about activists, Steve's optimistic outlook for the future of mining, and whether he's rather be stuck in an elevator with an activist or a politician.

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After Jess sat down with Joe Clayton in Episode 18, Joe reached out with a hundred more stories. Stories about witch doctors, how he dealt with illegal miners, and run-ins with natives.

Joe has worked in Australia and overseas in gold mines. You would be fooled into thinking Joe was retired now though, watching the coal ships go past in the Port of Newcastle from his verandah.

But he's still very active in the mining space and the mining community.

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Joe Clayton started working underground in the 1970s. He's been buried up to his neck, had his ear just about cut off, been in charge of mining operations in Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia, and hired mercenaries with semi-automatics to keep a strike at bay.

He has about a thousand stories, so enjoy Part 1 of our chat with Joe.

Don't forget to leave us a rating and a review, and if you've got a story or want to dob a mate in send Jess an email: [email protected]