23 June 2026 17:30 - 18:30 Various venues and online (see details on event page)
23 June 2026 | 17:30 - 18:30 | Various venues and online (see details on event page)
Join the inaugural technical meeting of the Australian Regional Group of the Geological Society.
This first gathering marks an exciting opportunity to connect geoscience professionals across Australia, share insights, and build a strong collaborative network within our community.
The session will provide an opportunity for informal networking, discussion, following the technical discussion of The geology of Springponds Creek (Bungonia, NSW) through the lens of a quarry resource investigation
Whether you attend in person or remotely, your participation will help shape the future of this group.
This free event is kindly and proudly sponsored by Macquarie Geotechnical and will be hosted in real time across multiple locations to maximise accessibility. (Note: In-person places are limited).
The Australian Regional Group look forward to welcoming you to this first meeting and building a vibrant Australian geoscience network together.
Springponds Creek flows around the village of Bungonia, NSW, weaving through some 50 Million years of the Lachlan Orogen over its modest 8 km length. The Spring Ponds property will be introduced in the context of the regional geology and its economic significance for construction materials, before moving on to the site geology encountered during a detailed quarry resource investigation. The results are presented in the context of the wider geological evolution of the area and how well it corresponds to published geological mapping. The presentation will then outline the process of estimating resources and reserves in the context of quarries, briefly introducing the principles of the JORC Code for the benefit of non-economic geologists. Otto will highlight some of the considerations and complexities generally associated with estimating and reporting mineral resources and reserves in a quarry context, before closing with reflections on the multidisciplinary role of the “Quarry Geologist”.
Sydney (in-person)
Hosted by KBR
Address: Level 13 201 Kent St, Sydney NSW 2000
Time: 17:30hrs
Book nowBrisbane (in-person)
Hosted by SLR
Address: Level 16,175 Eagle Street, Brisbane QLD
Time: 17:30hrs
Book nowPerth (in-person)
Hosted by Worley
Address: Level 14 240 St Georges Terrace Perth WA
Time: 15:30hrs
Book nowPlease note Level 13 201 Kent St is secure contact details of the host will be available on the day to convey attendees to L13.
Looking to attend online?
If you wish to attend online, please register by clicking on the Book Now button on the top right of this page.
Otto Karhunen CGeol FGS Quarry Geotechnical Manager, Macquarie Geotechnical
Otto is a Chartered Geologist with 11 years of experience in the quarrying and construction industry. He is a Fellow of the Geological Society of London and Member of the Institute of Quarrying Australia. He previously worked across Wales and southern England with a major quarry producer before relocating to Australia where he provides geological services to quarry and engineering projects of all sizes. His work bridges the gap between geoscience and operational needs to design effective investigation campaigns, create geological models and quarry development plans, advise on material quality and provide JORC compliant resource reporting for the quarrying sector. He specializes in communicating geological and geotechnical risks with operational teams and non-technical stakeholders and is passionate about promoting geoscience through public engagement outreach.
