Underground Backfill Operators' Networker
28th International Conference on Paste, Thickened and Filtered Tailings
14–16 April 2026 InterContinental Lisbon | Lisbon, Portugal
Underground Backfill Operators’ Networker
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Facilitators
Venue: TBA
Date: TBA
Time: TBA
Dean Harty
Operations Specialist Paste
Northern Star Resources Limited, Australia
Dean is the technical and operational lead for Northern Star’s cemented paste backfill operations, supporting existing operations and leading the design and commissioning of new projects. With 14 years involvement in paste fill as a consultant, designer, project engineer, superintendent, contractor and operator, he has a wide breadth of experience from high level scoping to nut and bolt operational detail. He brings the operators’ perspective to the holistic paste fill system, specialising in the design and implementation of robust underground reticulation systems. He has an advanced diploma in mechanical engineering and is an associate member of the Institute of Engineers, Australia.
Dr Ryan Veenstra
Principal Specialist Backfill
Gold Fields Australia, Australia
Ryan is a principal backfill specialist, providing technical and operational expertise and leadership for Gold Fields underground operations and projects. Over the last 20 years, he has been involved in backfill as an academic, consultant, and industry engineer (both in operations and corporate spaces). His expertise and experience cover the entire backfill system with a particular speciality in backfill geomechanics. He has a geological engineering degree from the University of Waterloo and holds a PhD in civil engineering from the University of Toronto.