Jacqui Coombes is a highly experienced resource geologist and a PhD candiate at Edith Cowan University where her research is examining the learning experiences and requirements required to achieve competence as a geoscientist in Australia.
An outcome of Jacqui’s research is that there are significant weaknesses in the review of whether some Competent Persons are, in fact, competent to make public statements in compliance with the JORC Code, coupled with flaws in sanctioning members found to have breached the JORC Code and, consequently, the Code of Ethics of their respective professional institute.
The points raised in Jacqui’s article are particularly relevant to the current review of the JORC Code and ASX Listing Rules for exploration and mining companies, where proposed changes to both the JORC Code and Listing Rules are intended to promote greater accessibility to the technical basis for statements of exploration results, mineral resources and ore reserves. This will place increased focus on the ability of Competent Persons to meet the requirements of the JORC Code, particularly in relation to competency, and how companies use the information Competent Persons provide.
Jacqui’s paper on this subject is available here. You can join a discussion of the issues raised in Jacqui’s article on AIG’s Linkedin and Facebook pages.
