More than 200 safety leaders, supervisors, business owners and industry professionals from across the Mackay Isaac Whitsunday region came together at the Resource Industry Network Safety Conference on Friday 29 May 2026, at the Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre. The one-day conference brought together people working across the resources, energy, manufacturing and mining equipment, technology and services sectors to share knowledge, build connections and explore practical ways to strengthen safety in local workplaces.
The conference combined keynote presentations, plenary sessions, breakout discussions and networking opportunities across a full day program. Attendees heard from leading safety experts and local industry voices on current workplace issues, with a strong focus on both physical and psychosocial safety. Sessions explored how businesses can continue to improve safety leadership, respond to changing workplace expectations, support workforce wellbeing and build safety cultures that are practical, consistent and understood by people at every level of an organisation.
For attendees, the value was in leaving with more than information. The conference created an opportunity to step away from day-to-day demands, think deeply about safety performance and take practical ideas back to their teams. Delegates were able to hear different perspectives, ask questions, connect with peers and consider how the lessons shared could be applied in their own workplaces. For many local businesses, this type of access to high calibre speakers and industry discussion is an important part of keeping safety knowledge current and relevant.
Through practical action, open conversation and stronger professional networks, the conference helped build shared responsibility for safer workplaces across region. Local leaders and teams left better equipped to identify risks, support workers and make informed decisions, with benefits reaching beyond individual businesses to employees, families and the wider community.