Shining a light on women in the resources sector

The 2026 Victorian Women in Resources Awards were bestowed on five high-performing industry figures this week.

The 2026 Victorian Women in Resources Awards were bestowed on five high-performing industry figures this week.

Organised by the Minerals Council of Australia the awards aim to boost female participation in Victoria’s growing resources sector.

• The Exceptional Woman in Victorian Resources is Ms Jody Altmann, Principal and Resources Manager at GHD. For over 25 years, Jody has worked in geotechnical engineering within the mining sector. She is known for combining her technical expertise with strategic, commercial and people-focused leadership to deliver complex projects. Alongside her professional achievements, Jody has been an advocate for inclusion and diversity. She has held leadership positions at the Women in Mining Network and led the Victorian Women in Mining Mentoring Program. She is also a founding leader of Australian Women in Mining and Resources.
• The Outstanding Trade Operator or Technician is Sarah Berkin, Core Shed Manager at Southern Cross Gold in Kilmore. Sarah is a role model for women working in the sector and she is passionate about a creating positive workplace where everyone feels safe, respected and supported while doing their job.
• The Gender Diversity Champion is Narelle Burns, Technical and IT Manager at Alcoa Portland Aluminium.  Narelle has more than 20 years’ experience in the industry and a record of leadership in complex, high-risk environments. She has delivered safety improvements through cultural change and critical risk management.
• The Technological Innovation Award winner is Man Ching (Christy) Tse, AI and Machine Learning Analyst at Newmont. Christy has pioneered Newmont's first production-ready machine learning operation on a cloud-based platform. Her work spans predictive maintenance, generative AI and data engineering.
• The Exceptional Young Woman in Victorian Resources is Stevie Child, Undergraduate Mining Engineer at Alkane Resources. Studying toward a Bachelor of Mining Engineering, Stevie is passionate about encouraging women to enter the sector and is involved in networking and student engagement raise awareness amongst young women.

Each of the five category winners will now go forward to the Women in Resources National Awards in September.