Speakers
Panel Presenters
Joint issues and opportunities in restoration across terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems to meet global targets
Tim Jarvis AM
Tim Jarvis AM is an environmental scientist, explorer and climate advocate whose leadership has led to transformative environmental outcomes. Tim founded The Forktree Project, restoring degraded farmland into thriving native habitat, enabling region-wide ecological restoration and educating thousands of young people in sustainability. Internationally, Tim led campaigns securing 750,000 km² of marine sanctuaries around Australia’s sub-Antarctic islands and helped shape South Australia’s ground-breaking 2025 Biodiversity Act. His award-winning expeditions, documentaries and books, spanning Antarctic re-enactments to climate-focused films such as Thin Ice VR, have elevated public understanding of climate change and biodiversity loss. He was named the 2024 South Australian of the Year.
Tim Jarvis AM
Panel MC
Founder & Environmental Scientist / Climate Advocate, The Forktree Project
CRC TiME Speakers
Michelle Adams
Michelle Adams is a member of the Wuthathi nation and leads Traditional Owner partnership development in site rehabilitation activities at BHPs Yandi Mine Site in Western Australia. She brings extensive experience across operations, policy development, and land rehabilitation, with a strong focus on stakeholder engagement and sustainable outcomes. Michelle's current role works in partnership with Traditional Owners, supporting Indigenous employment pathways and ensuring rehabilitation programs deliver long-term environmental and community value.
Michelle Adams
Principal, Site Rehabilitation (partnrships), BHP
Dr Guy Boggs
Guy has extensive experience providing leadership in innovation and actively working at the interface of industry and research. Guy has led the delivery of large Australian Government funded programs driving knowledge development and industry practice change.
An experienced research leader, Guy holds a PhD completed on post-mine landform design and has an extensive publication record authoring over 50 books, book chapters and journal articles on spatial science and natural resource management.
Guy is committed to enabling a new vision for mine closure and positive post-mine transitions through effective stakeholder engagement, research planning and innovative solutions.
Dr Guy Boggs
CEO, CRC TiME
Dr Lucy Commander
Alcoa’s Research Manager who oversees the Forest Research Centre, Lucy is a leader and restoration seed ecologist with more than two decades of experience advancing native plant conservation, mine rehabilitation and ecological restoration. Her career spans academia, government, industry, and the not-for-profit sector. Lucy has played a central role in shaping national best practice guidelines, and is committed to connecting people with nature and strengthening the science–practice interface.
Dr Lucy Commander
Research Manager, Alcoa of Australia Limited
Prof David Giless
Director: Future Industries Institute, Adelaide University, Future Industries Institute
Mr Zane Hughes
Academic Lead And Course Coordinator - Mine Closure And Transtion, Curtin University and CRC Timee
Prof. Sharon Mascher
Kathryn Linge is a Senior Scientist at ChemCentre, undertaking fundamental and applied research in environmental and public health, including mine pit lake water quality, dust source apportionment, and microplastic characterisation.
Prof. Sharon Mascher
Co-lead Program 1 / Dean Law School, UWA/CRC TiME
Prof. Bryan Maybee
Associate Professor/program Lead, WA School of Mines/CRC TiME
Prof. Eric Lilford
Dr Eric Lilford (Professor) is an engineer and a minerals and energy economist. As Deputy Head of School and integral to the Minerals and Energy Economics Masters degree programme at Curtin University, he has an engineering- economics-focussed interest covering minerals, energy, economic interpretation of government policies (fiscal policies) and applying derivative instruments to quantify unknown-unknowns (intangible uncertainties). Beyond a decade in academia, he has extensive international industry experience in senior management roles in the mining, energy and engineering industries, including as MD and CEO of listed and non-listed companies. His +30 years, non-academic resources experience includes mining exploration and production, project development, investment banking, Government negotiating and conference addresses across the world. He is well-versed in commodities within Sub-Sahara Africa and notably in gold, copper and cobalt where has managed and developed numerous mineral opportunities.
He remains on the panel of experts for the IMF (fiscal regimes), the World Bank and the IGF (OECD), and provides bespoke training programmes to governments and industry practitioners in the minerals and energy economics sectors predominantly around fiscal regime constructs as well as the economic interpretation of fiscal policies. He continues to guide resources companies strategically as a consultant or as a Board Director.
Dr Dominic McAfee
Vern Newton
Heidelberg Material’s National Property Manager, Vern Newton, plays a critical role in the organisations’ operations and involvement in key projects, as well as its focus on environmental sustainability.
Vern has extensive experience in quarrying, mining, and operations management across Australia. Vern is also heavily involved in key roles in aligning industry practices with environmental outcomes.
Vern’s areas of expertise include working for several construction material and mining companies in senior roles encompassing Operations, Logistics, Budgeting, Strategic Planning and Marketing within the Kimberley, Pilbara, South West, Goldfields and Metropolitan area of WA and Australia as a whole. He has been involved in driving sustainable policies within corporate organisations including developing Energy Management Policy for a large Australian construction materials company, which resulted in the company being the first of its industry type to sign up for the Australian Greenhouse Challenge with the Federal Government.
One of his significant achievements includes fostering partnerships between industry and scientific institutions to improve restoration outcomes, particularly in Banksia woodlands on the Swan Coastal Plain. His efforts have earned multiple environmental awards, including Golden Geckos, and have emphasised the importance of integrating restoration principles into governmental and industrial frameworks. In 2024 Vern was awarded the Institute of Quarrying (IQA) National Gold Environment and the United Nations Association (UNAAWA) UN Day Environment Award for his contribution to improving environmental outcomes.
Vern also engages in public policy advocacy and has been involved in publications supporting biodiversity and ecological restoration efforts
Vern also serves as Vice Chairperson Society for Ecological Restoration, Director at the WA Biodiversity Science Institute and Chair of the Dept of Mines, Petroleum, and Exploration- “Mine Rehabilitation Fund (MRF)”.
Vern Newton
National Property Manager, Heidelberg Materials
Dr Danielle Risbey
General Manager - Mine Closure & Environmental Services, Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration (DMPE)
Prof. Eric Lilford
Dr Eric Lilford (Professor) is an engineer and a minerals and energy economist. As Deputy Head of School and integral to the Minerals and Energy Economics Masters degree programme at Curtin University, he has an engineering- economics-focussed interest covering minerals, energy, economic interpretation of government policies (fiscal policies) and applying derivative instruments to quantify unknown-unknowns (intangible uncertainties). Beyond a decade in academia, he has extensive international industry experience in senior management roles in the mining, energy and engineering industries, including as MD and CEO of listed and non-listed companies. His +30 years, non-academic resources experience includes mining exploration and production, project development, investment banking, Government negotiating and conference addresses across the world. He is well-versed in commodities within Sub-Sahara Africa and notably in gold, copper and cobalt where has managed and developed numerous mineral opportunities.
He remains on the panel of experts for the IMF (fiscal regimes), the World Bank and the IGF (OECD), and provides bespoke training programmes to governments and industry practitioners in the minerals and energy economics sectors predominantly around fiscal regime constructs as well as the economic interpretation of fiscal policies. He continues to guide resources companies strategically as a consultant or as a Board Director.
Dr Agnes Samper
Program Leader, CRC TiME
