SACOME Leadership
SACOME is governed by an elected Council that comprises many leaders from within the South Australian mining and energy industry.
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Carl Kavina
SACOME President The past year has brought sweeping shifts—geopolitical instability, rising global uncertainty, and a tightening State Budget environment. These changes have not only shaped the operating context for South Australia’s resources and energy sector, but they have also underscored the importance of disciplined advocacy, clear policy leadership, and strong, strategic partnerships. While 2024 began with cautious optimism, the reality is more complex as we venture into 2025. While the State Budget was largely silent on the resources sector, there is a clear opportunity for South Australia to re-energise investment. Other jurisdictions such as Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales are accelerating their investment, underscoring the importance of renewed focus and commitment here at home. Despite these setbacks, the South Australian Chamber of Mines & Energy (SACOME) has remained focused. Our 2030Vision Strategic Planning Day reaffirmed our role as a strong, solutions-driven voice for the sector. We have continued to advocate clearly for enabling infrastructure, efficient approvals processes, and meaningful investment in skills development—critical factors for realising the full potential of South Australia’s mineral and energy resources. The ResourcefulSA campaign has continued to play a key role in strengthening public understanding of our sector’s contribution to health, housing, technology and the broader economy. In parallel, our 2025 Policy Priorities continue to guide our advocacy with clarity and conviction. However, there are real challenges that cannot be ignored. The increasing complexity of project approvals, rising costs of doing business, social licence pressures, and fragmented energy policy all weigh heavily on investor confidence. The state’s declining standing in the Fraser Institute Annual Survey of Mining Companies 2024 highlights these concerns. It is a warning signal that demands coordinated policy attention and reform. Yet, there are always emerging opportunities. The Government’s proactive intervention in Whyalla and the Premier’s announcements around Northern Water, Green Iron, and Magnetite Ore reaffirm South Australia’s long-term potential. The bipartisan response to disruptive protests also signals that government understands the need to protect the integrity of the business environment. As SACOME members know well, ours is a sector that deliver —through revenue, employment, innovation, and resilience. In challenging times, our role is not only to navigate uncertainty, but to assist in actively shaping South Australia’s economic future. I extend my sincere thanks to SACOME Councillors, Vice Presidents, and our outstanding SACOME team. Your continued dedication ensures SACOME remains a trusted and respected voice—inside government, across industry, and throughout the broader community. |
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Catherine Mooney
SACOME Chief Executive Officer Working with SACOME members to advocate for the advancement of the sector. Their success underpins our local economy and is critical to realising South Australia’s full potential as a global leader in the shift to sustainable energy and resources. Catherine is an experienced ASX resources leader with more than twenty-five years’ experience shaping corporate reputation across energy, mining and local government sectors, and is known for her deep industry knowledge and building collaborative partnerships. She worked in the highly regulated energy sector at AGL for more than 10 years, leveraging knowledge of the market forces affecting the National Energy Market (NEM), policy settings, government and stakeholder engagement to support development projects and issues affecting legacy operational sites. Catherine spent more than six years at BHP, supporting the Olympic Dam expansion, and advocating for major infrastructure projects in water, road, rail, and energy with key stakeholders nationally. |
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SACOME Council
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Back Row: Cr. Bill Ovenden Beach Energy, Cr. Andrew Dyda (Vice President) Finlaysons Lawyers, Cr. Eric Bardy (Vice President) SEA Gas,
Cr. Andrew Hackwood Tri-Star Group Front Row: , Cr. Carl Kavina (President) Flinders Port Holdings, Catherine Mooney SACOME CEO, Cr. Alice Trethewey Santos, Cr. Joe De Gennaro Heathgate Absent: Cr. Andrew Harris BHP, Cr. Nicola Buley Electranet, Cr. Joanne Jones Cavpower |