The International Mining and Resources Conference + Expo (IMARC) will be delivering an expanded First Nations platform in resources projects, with Aboriginal Enterprises in Mining, Energy and Exploration (AEMEE) joining Indigenous Women in Mining and Resources Australia (IWIMRA).
IMARC, held from 21-23 October 2025 at ICC Sydney, will have AEMEE and IWIMRA as First Nations partners at this year’s event. Mining.com.au is a media partner for this year’s event.
Indigenous participation in Australia’s mining and resources sector is evolving and reaching new heights as the country learns to look beyond engagement – and instead, towards a collaborative approach.
As Mining.com.au previously reported, by protecting sacred sites, the sector is preserving Indigenous culture and their connection to land. From burial and ceremonial grounds to the hidden rock art sites, sacred sites are central to traditional ownership under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976.
IMARC reports a 2024 Sustainable Minerals Institute study that found 57.8% of critical mineral projects in Australia sat within formally recognised Indigenous lands – or more than 79% if land subject to native title claims was included – indicated the country’s Indigenous peoples had “not shared equitably in the wealth generated by mining Australia’s mineral endowment” in the past.
Beyond engagement
AEMEE Chief Executive Jyi Lawton signed up the organisation as a partner after attending the conference last year and participating in discussions about the mining industry and First Nations engagement across Australia, Canada, and other parts of the world.
Meanwhile, Karina Lynch, IWIMRA co-lead, says the organisation’s four-year partnership with IMARC will advance again this year with an expanded cultural and commercial partnership content program.
The program aims to enhance links between a growing indigenous women’s network and allies in the resources sector.
“The partnership has created opportunities for Indigenous women to connect with mentors, allies and peers across the sector,” Lynch says.
“By showcasing Indigenous women in leadership roles and being visible at IMARC, IWIMRA helps shift perceptions about who belongs in the industry and inspire younger Indigenous women to see themselves in the industry.”
This news comes after Bravus Mining and Resources revealed that youth First Nations people entering the mining industry has risen, with 9.7% of all mining apprentices and trainees identified as Indigenous in 2023 – almost doubling that of other industries.
In 2024, an ANZ Bank-commissioned report by Deloitte Access Economics reported that Indigenous businesses were being established at a rate four times higher than the national average.
Australia’s First Nations economy could generate $50 billion a year by 2035, according to IMARC.
Australia’s Critical Minerals Strategy 2023–2030 outlined a plan to diversify and grow the country’s already substantial minerals and metals sector.
IMARC attracts attendees from over 120 countries, with 50 nations represented at a government or ministerial level.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: IMARC & Mining.com.au
