WA Mining Conference: A platform for mental health

WA Mining 2025 is prioritising mental health discussion through its partnership with Lifeline WA.

The WA Mining Conference & Exhibition (WA Mining) continues to position itself as a key platform for driving innovation and leadership across the state’s booming resources sector.

To be held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre from October 8–9, WA Mining 2025 will foster safer, supportive workplaces through its partnership with Lifeline WA.

The mental health organisation is the official charity partner for WA Mining, allowing Lifeline WA to start conversations in the sector and embed it as a core element of worker safety and wellbeing.

“Being part of WA Mining allows Lifeline WA to connect directly with the people and organisations shaping the resources sector,” Lifeline WA chief executive officer Lorna MacGregor told Australian Mining.

“Our goal is to embed mental health into the fabric of these conversations, not as a side issue but as a core part of safety, leadership and culture.”

Lifeline WA believes visibility is paramount, especially in the case of workers operating in high-pressure, remote environments. Through its presence at WA Mining, the organisation aims to make support visible and accessible to those who need it most.

WA Mining brings together a broad cross-section of the industry – including frontline workers, decision-makers and innovators – making it an ideal platform to raise awareness and initiate meaningful change.

“It’s a critical platform to challenge stigma, normalise conversations about mental health and equip the industry with the tools it needs to support its people,” MacGregor said.

“Events like this show that mental health is not just a personal issue but an operational and leadership priority.”

While mental health challenges impact many industries, the pressures of mining are unique. Long rosters and time spent away from family can contribute to a working environment that can affect mental wellbeing.

Lifeline WA is responding to these challenges with a dual approach: a 24-hour crisis support network and on-the-ground programs such as Resourceful Mind.

Known as Lifeline WA’s flagship mining initiative, Resourceful Mind recognises that workers are often more comfortable speaking with a trusted colleague instead of a professional.

“Resourceful Mind trains peer supporters to look out for signs that a colleague is struggling, use active listening skills, and link them up to further support,” MacGregor said. “It’s about bridging the gap between recognising a problem and getting help.

“We train trusted workers, known as ‘minders’, to offer peer support and connect colleagues to help when they need it.”

Beyond Resourceful Mind, Lifeline WA is delivering tailored training sessions across the state, including regional locations where many operations are located.

These sessions cover key mental health topics designed to build a more resilient and aware workforce, including vicarious trauma, psychological safety, and general mental health discussion in the workplace.

“Our training team regularly delivers workshops across regional WA, aimed at reducing stigma and equipping people with the skills to support themselves and others,” MacGregor said.

“These sessions are attended by a range of frontline workers, including those in refuge accommodation, transitional housing, drug and alcohol support, trauma counselling, and emergency services.”

As conversations around health and safety evolve in the mining sector, Lifeline WA’s message is clear: mental health deserves the same priority as physical safety.

“Mental health and psychosocial safety need to be treated with the same seriousness as physical safety, and providing training and awareness to build workforce capability is critical,” MacGregor said.

“Support doesn’t always look like a formal intervention. Often, it starts with one person asking another how they’re doing.

“By building cultures where those conversations are encouraged and providing the right tools and resources, businesses can make a real difference.”

Lifeline WA’s involvement in WA Mining serves as a reminder that the sector’s future is more than machinery, efficiency and productivity – it’s about people.

This year’s conference will build on strong engagement seen in 2024, with Lifeline WA having a dedicated presence on the exhibition floor to connect with attendees and support companies ready to make mental health a workplace priority. 

The WA Mining Conference and Exhibition will be held in Perth from October 8–9. To get tickets, visit waminingexpo.com.au/getinvolved

This feature appeared in the August 2025 issue of Australian Mining.