Comitis, the Latin word for “Associate,” represents our commitment to building a stronger, more connected WASMA community. A WASMA Comitis Partnership signifies a company’s commitment to supporting WASMA’s programs and activities, while encouraging its people to stay engaged, connected, and involved within the alumni network.
We spoke with Go Engineering Managing Director, Cornelius Hattingh about his journey with Go Engineering and what led them to become a WASMA Comitis Partner.
Tell us about your career path to becoming owner and MD of Go Engineering.
I graduated from the Western Australian School of Mines in 2012 and began my career as a graduate mining engineer in Kalgoorlie. From there, I progressed through drill and blast, production engineering, mine planning, project engineering and senior engineering roles across several underground operations. Those roles gave me experience across both the technical and operational sides of mining, including scheduling, ventilation, infrastructure, statutory responsibilities and engineering team leadership. I later worked as an Alternate Underground Manager, which helped shape my approach to accountability, practical decision-making and supporting the people responsible for delivering a mine plan. I started Go Engineering in 2021 through direct contracting. As the business and its reputation grew, I transitioned from working primarily as a contract mining engineer into a director and strategic leadership role, becoming Managing Director in 2025. Today, my role is focused on the direction of the company, technical and corporate governance, client relationships, service delivery and developing our team.
What is the most rewarding project you have ever been involved in?
Helping bring an underground mine into production. It required much more than producing a mine plan. We had to work through the operational start-up, establish ventilation and dewatering systems, develop schedules, build the engineering team and put the systems in place to support safe and sustainable production. What made it particularly rewarding was seeing the work progress from designs and schedules into a functioning operation. It reinforced for me that the best engineering is practical, collaborative and grounded in what can actually be delivered underground.
Go Engineering recently completed a desktop study testing whether an established underground gold operation could move from an Avoca-style method to longhole open stoping (LHOS) with pillars. Read more here.
What is the best business decision you have ever made?
Investing in the right people rather than trying to build Go Engineering around one person. The company began with me providing mining engineering support directly to operations, but its real growth came from bringing together experienced engineers with complementary operational, statutory and technical capabilities. That allowed Go Engineering to develop from a contracting business into a broader mining engineering firm offering Contracting, Consulting and Training. It has also allowed us to create opportunities for engineers to develop their careers while giving clients access to a deeper, more capable team.
What is the number one thing you want people to know about Go Engineering?
Go Engineering is built around quality and developing good mining engineers. We operate across three areas: Contracting, Consulting and Training. Whether we are placing an engineer into an operation, delivering a technical study or helping develop a client’s team, we apply the same standard to the work. Our Q-PRIO values, Quality First, Professional Growth, Respect, Integrity and Ownership, guide how we work and what our clients can expect from us. We want to deliver sound engineering outcomes, but we also want the people involved to be stronger and more capable at the end of the engagement. That is what “Setting the Benchmark” means to us.
What is a distinct memory you have from your time at WASM?
One of my strongest memories is the sense of community at WASM. I served as WASM Guild President in 2011 and WASM Wombats President in 2012, so I became closely involved in student life and in bringing people together. WASM was not only about the technical qualification. It was also where many of us first learned how to lead, take responsibility and build relationships with people who would later become colleagues, clients and industry leaders. That close-knit environment is something I still associate strongly with my time in Kalgoorlie.
What led Go Engineering to become a WASMA Comitis partner?
We wanted to make a meaningful contribution to the community that helped many of us establish our careers. WASM gave me a strong technical foundation, but it also provided friendships, professional relationships and opportunities that continued well beyond graduation. As Go Engineering has grown, it felt important to give something back by supporting the connections, mentoring, professional development and industry engagement that WASMA provides. The partnership also aligns strongly with our focus on professional growth. We want emerging mining professionals to have access to the networks and opportunities that help turn a qualification into a long-term career.
If your company had a theme song, what would it be?
“Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac. Apart from the obvious connection to our name, it reflects the decision to build Go Engineering differently and create our own path. We have grown from one mining engineer providing direct contracting support into a broader team delivering contracting, consulting and training services. We have always been prepared to back our people, develop new capabilities and move the business forward in our own way.
Thanks again to Go Engineering and Cornelius for being a valued WASMA Comitis Partner! Your support helps us bring our community together, create valuable opportunities for students and alumni, and strengthen connections across the resources sector.
To learn more about Go Engineering, visit: goengineering.net.au or contact Cornelius Hattingh at admin@goengineering.net.au