The Western Australian government has announced it will host the Mining Industry Summit 2026: Building Respect on 4 June at Optus Stadium in Perth, bringing together leaders from across Western Australia’s resources sector to strengthen workplace culture and safety.
The summit, the second of its kind, aims to reaffirm the government’s commitment to eliminating inappropriate behaviour in mining workplaces while advancing industry-wide cultural reform.
Building on the inaugural 2023 event, the 2026 summit will focus on embedding respectful, psychosocially safe environments across the sector.
The event will convene a wide range of stakeholders, including industry representatives, organisational behaviour experts and leadership specialists.
Keynote speakers include Kate Jenkins AO, former Sex Discrimination Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission and author of the landmark Respect@Work report, and Professor Sharon Parker, a Curtin University-based expert in organisational behaviour and leadership development.
Panel discussions will feature dozens of contributors from across the resources sector, reflecting a collaborative approach to addressing workplace challenges and sharing best practices.
The summit is part of the broader Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety Program, a whole-of-government initiative aimed at improving the health, safety and wellbeing of workers in Western Australia’s mining industry.
The WA government has positioned the summit as a key platform to consolidate progress made in recent years, particularly in response to national frameworks such as the Respect@Work report, and to mobilise industry leaders to take ongoing action.
Industrial Relations Minister Simone McGurk said the initiative underscores the government’s focus on ensuring safe and respectful workplaces for all Western Australians.
“The Cook Labor Government believes that every WA worker should be safe, respected, and supported.
“Safe and respectful workplaces are a moral imperative and a business necessity, critical to the mining industry’s ability to attract, retain and empower a diverse, high-performing workforce.
“Psychosocial safety is not a set and forget; it is an ongoing commitment. As is the case with physical safety across the resources sector, emerging risks and changing circumstances require us to continuously reinforce, adapt and improve our approach.”
The summit comes at a time when the resources sector continues to face heightened scrutiny over workplace culture, particularly in relation to issues such as harassment, discrimination and mental health.
Industry leaders are increasingly recognising that fostering respectful environments is essential not only for worker wellbeing but also for operational performance and long-term sustainability.
By offering free registration to participants from Western Australia’s resources sector, the government aims to encourage broad participation and ensure that organisations of all sizes can engage with the latest research, insights and practical strategies.
Registrations for the Mining Industry Summit 2026: Building Respect are now open, with further details available via the official event website.
The government has indicated that outcomes from the summit will help shape future policy and industry practices, reinforcing Western Australia’s position as a leader in workplace safety and cultural reform within the global resources sector.
