Has it been a year already? Well, yes it has, and a lot has happened. This time last year interest rates were not going anywhere until 2024, Russia was just a little annoying, and Diggers and Dealers was getting its sea legs back after a couple of years of COVID isolation.

Of course some things haven’t changed too much – the gold price has settled back into a similar range to where it was in August last year, thanks in part to a weaker Aussie dollar, and the airlines are still in chaos. Let’s hope we can all get home…

Diggers though, is powering on better than ever. Last week the organisers shut the gates after 2620 registered for the three-day conference.

This year, consolidation is likely to be the talk of the town – with WA’s Goldfields at the top of the list. There is plenty of informed – and not so informed – speculation about what next.

We are also on the cusp of reporting season. While gold has held steady in AUD terms, costs have not. Is there news coming that will contribute to an industry shake-out? Or will the cost environment keep predators and investors nervous about making too many moves? Probably not.

The lithium story rolls on, and on the menu this year is a healthy serving of rare earths and critical minerals players, all looking to cash in on the net zero by 2050 (or is it 2030 or 40?) buzz. This feeds into one of the dominant themes of last year – environmental and social governance. Get ready for slideshows saturated with leafy green trees, electric cars and smiling kiddies as the industry – quite rightly – puts its green credentials forward with gusto.

The action-packed, 70-speaker program (up from 55 last year) kicks off tomorrow from 9 am, with US PE investor and one of Time Magazine’s top 100 most influential people in the world – Dr Dambisa Moyo – as the keynote speaker.

Throughout the conference, stay tuned to Heard on Hannan Street for:

• News, views, major themes and talking points from the day’s events
• Conference and presentation highlights including thoughts and quotes from key executives and investment managers
• Memorable moments

We hope you find Heard on Hannan Street a useful way to stay up to date with all the action in Kalgoorlie. And, for those of you attending, the Citadel-MAGNUS team will see you there!

Cheers,

The Citadel-MAGNUS Team