Panel Presentation - Safe Mine Closure
Mine Waste and Tailings
Mine Waste and Tailings
Wednesday, July 30, 2025 |
11:25 AM - 12:05 PM |
Plaza Auditorium |
Speaker
Fernanda Maluly Kemeid
Manager Sme Major Hazards
Rio Tinto
Facilitator
Biography
Mrs Ina Prinsloo
Principal Tailings Governance
South32
Facilitator
Biography
Dr Tim Rohde
Ceo
SGME Pty Limited
Panellist
Biography
Tim has over 23 years of experience and has led more than 600 closure and rehabilitation projects across various mining commodities. He is a Certified Professional Soil Scientist, a Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland, and a Chartered Professional in Mining. Tim's visionary leadership and innovative approach have made him a sought-after expert in transforming complex environmental challenges into sustainable solutions. With over 25 published technical papers, his contributions to mine rehabilitation are widely recognised.
Theo Gerritsen
BGC Engineering
Panellist
Biography
Theo Gerritsen, M.Eng., [include other affiliations/certifications], is a Principal Engineer with nearly 30 years of experience in mining and civil engineering, specializing in the design and management of mine waste, tailings storage facilities (TSFs), and water storage facilities. His expertise spans the full lifecycle of TSFs, from greenfield site selection and initial design to operational management, water balance strategies, and closure planning, across commodities such as gold, copper, uranium, and alumina.
Theo’s career includes senior leadership roles as Principal Engineer, Engineer of Record (EOR), and Global Practice Lead, and he has delivered projects on five continents, including Asia, South America, Australia, and Europe. Prior to joining BGC, Theo served as Principal Tailings Engineer (SME) for Rio Tinto Copper, where he oversaw tailings risk management, governance, and Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) compliance for major global assets.
Mrs Kate Beard
Principal Engineer - Waste & Resource Recovery
SMEC Australia Pty Limited
Panellist
Biography
Kate is the Principal Engineer in SMEC's Waste and Resource Recovery Team. She is a civil engineer with almost 20 years' experience. She has worked in a broad range of civil disciplines: subdivisions, stormwater, water and sewer infrastructure and most recently in engineering in the waste and landfill discipline; and in projects from preliminary business case through detailed design and construction.
She has been invited to speak on the Safe Mine Closure Panel, to discuss her similar experience in capping and closure of landfills.
Dr Ingrid Meek
Principal Rehabilitation & Reclamation
Okane Consultants
Panellist
Biography
Ingrid Meek is a PhD qualified environmental scientist with over 20 years in the mining industry as a closure and rehabilitation specialist. Ingrid has held roles at RTA Weipa, McArthur River Mine, ERA Ranger Mine and most recently lead the implementation of the GISTM at Rio Tinto’s Closure sites. Ingrid is currently the principal technical lead for Rehabilitation and Reclamation with Okane Consulting, based here in in Brisbane.
Rebecca Anderson
Communities & Social Performance Specialist
Rio Tinto
Panellist
Biography
Rebecca Anderson is a highly experienced social performance professional with over 12 years in community development and social planning. As Specialist Communities and Social Performance at Rio Tinto’s Winu Project, she plays a key role in fostering meaningful engagement with Traditional Owners and local communities across Western Australia. Rebecca has a strong track record in tri-sector collaboration, working across industry, government, and community to co-design sustainable outcomes. Her work is grounded in building respectful partnerships, she is passionate about embedding community voices in decision-making processes and committed to fostering shared ownership of post-mining futures that are culturally meaningful, environmentally responsible, and socially enduring.
