The 2026 Women in Industry Awards will be held on 18 June at Doltone House Darling Island Wharf in Sydney, bringing together senior leaders and technical specialists from construction, transport, mining, manufacturing and related industrial sectors. The event recognises women driving operational, engineering and project delivery outcomes across areas such as major road upgrades, heavy plant operations, asset maintenance and advanced manufacturing. For civil, geotechnical and mining firms, participation signals support for workforce diversity in site-based roles and technical leadership, which is increasingly scrutinised in government procurement and Tier 1 contractor supply chains.

Canada’s new C$25‑billion Canada Strong Fund, to be deployed over three years, will act as a sovereign equity investor alongside tools like the Canada Infrastructure Bank and Export Development Canada, targeting large critical minerals, infrastructure‑adjacent and advanced manufacturing projects. Mining proponents seeking Fund backing will need “Fund‑ready” projects, with disciplined capital plans, advanced permitting, robust Indigenous engagement and transparent supply chains, and should expect tighter scrutiny of foreign ownership. A parallel Defence Industrial Strategy elevates 10 NATO‑listed defence‑critical minerals produced in Canada to security assets, favouring Canadian or allied mine‑to‑processing supply chains and execution‑ready projects over speculative plays.

Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government plans a large legislative package this autumn to cut permitting timelines by up to half for early and advanced exploration, mine expansions and projects in its One Project, One Process stream, which already covers Frontier Lithium’s PAK, Canada Nickel’s C$2‑billion Crawford and Kinross’s Great Bear. Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce is tying the reforms to a new defence-focused minerals strategy for 2027 and Toronto’s bid to host Nato’s Defence, Security and Resilience Bank. The policy push emphasises domestic processing of nickel and other critical minerals, reduced federal–provincial duplication, and faster roads and transmission to the Ring of Fire.