South Australian Chamber of Mines & Energy Appoints Catherine Mooney as CEO
[Click image to enlarge]
Catherine Mooney
[Click image to enlarge]
The council of the South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy (SACOME) has appointed Catherine Mooney as its new chief executive officer. Mooney takes the reigns from Nicola McFarlane who served as SACOME’s interim chief executive officer since August 2025.
“We are delighted to welcome Catherine to this role. She brings deep industry experience, strong advocacy skills and a focus on building collaborative partnerships, which will deliver increased benefits for our members across the State,” said SACOME President Carl Kavina.
“The SACOME council thanks interim chief executive officer Nicola McFarlane for ensuring a smooth transition, having provided stability and continuity in the delivery of the South Australian resources sector’s pre-election priorities for 2026, following collaborative consultation with SACOME’s members and bipartisan dialogue with government,” added Kavina.
Catherine Mooney 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 ten 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.
Mooney 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.
“South Australia’s resources sector is a powerhouse of growth, contributing significantly to the state’s economy and employing tens of thousands of South Australians. We are uniquely positioned to meet surging global demand for copper, which is essential for electrification, renewable energy, and electric vehicles. Gas remains a vital part of Australia’s energy transition, ensuring reliability, affordability and sustaining the competitiveness of heavy industry and manufacturing in the state,” said Catherine Mooney.
“Exploration, discovery, and development of new deposits is equally important. By supporting mineral explorers, we can accelerate the pipeline of future projects, strengthen the industry’s competitiveness, and deliver long-term value for all South Australians,” added Mooney.
“I look forward to meeting with all our members and working together to advocate for the advancement of the sector. Their success underpins our local economy and is critical to realizing South Australia’s full potential as a global leader in the shift to sustainable energy and resources,” concluded Mooney.
The South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy is the leading industry association representing companies with interests and connections to the South Australian resources and energy sector.
Be in-the-know when you’re on-the-go!
FREE eNews delivery service to your email twice-weekly. With a focus on lead-driven news, our news service will help you develop new business contacts on an on-going basis.
CLICK HERE to register your email address.
Copyright © 2026 Mining Connection LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.
For licensing permission, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
