The Core Prospecting Team
Toby Houldsworth
Toby has over 20 years of industry experience in both Western Australia and in Victoria with open pit mining and underground mining experience in many different commodities including Gold, Nickel, Antimony, Feldspar and Granite.
Toby worked at a range of operations in Western Australia and Victoria including mining operations, Wattle Dam, South Kal New Celebration, Mt Magnet, Tindals, Mt Morgans, Costerfield, Fosterville, A1, Morning Start. Toby has also managed the contracting wing of core prospecting to complete successful mining contracts and Diamond drilling contracts.
Kenneth Bush
Kenneth Bush is a highly experienced geologist and mining industry leader with over 12 years of specialized expertise in exploration and mine geology. As Director of Vanning Resources and Core Prospecting since 2018, he manages multiple mining licenses and exploration tenements across Victoria, overseeing M&A activities, joint ventures, and feasibility studies.
Kenneth’s career spans diverse roles from underground mine geologist to exploration manager and senior research positions with high-profile clients including Agnico Eagle’s Fosterville Gold Mine, Southern Cross Gold Consolidated’s Sunday Creek Project, and Mandalay Resources’ Costerfield Mine, as well as international projects across the world. With particular expertise in narrow-vein, high-grade gold deposits and structural controls on mineralization, he has successfully transformed historical mines into producing operations and delivered comprehensive economic evaluations across brownfields and greenfields exploration programs.
With a Master of Economic Geology from UTAS and First Class Honours from Monash University, Kenneth combines academic rigor with practical industry experience, specializing in resource modeling, geochemical vectoring, and NI43-101 and JORC-compliant reporting across gold, antimony, and base metal projects throughout Australia and internationally.
Chris Toifl
Chris Toifl has over 30 years in the mining industry with a vast range of experience in underground hand-held and mechanised operations spanning many elements including gold, copper and Antimony. He had also owned and operated a very successful diamond drilling business that had add a combined 7.2 million ounces Au to his clients mineral reserves in his service. At his peak he had 11 Rigs operating and completed Diamond holes to a depth of over 1700m.
Chris completed Bachelor of Science Geology at Latrobe Bendigo in 1995. Chris was also instrumently in gaining the operating approvals for the A1 mine and reopening the Asset in 2009. Chris has been a key part of the growth and development of core prospecting and its operating assets.
Marcus Binks
A graduate from Ballarat University, Marcus Binks is an experienced metallurgist with +20 years of experience, both domestically and internationally in the design, commissioning and operation of predominantly gold and base metal processing plants.
For the past 6 years, he has been consulting to the mining industry for number clients including Fosterville Gold, Novo Resources, K92 Mining, Mining Plus, Mincore and Mineral Deposits.
Marcus is a long term member of the AusIMM and has written or contributed to serval issued papers for the institute. A notable achievement by Marcus is the identification and development of the world first Heated Leach Plant (HiTECC). He was also pivotal in the design and permitting for the first in pit tails storage facility in Victoria.
Marcus is very personable and maintains a high level of integrity with a focus on safety, systems and the delivery of quality, cost effective outcomes for clients.
Alex Kemp
Alex Kemp is an experienced geologist and mining engineer with a diverse background spanning mine operations and mineral exploration. His career includes roles as Mine Manager, Production Engineer, Exploration Geologist, and Mine Surveyor, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of the mining lifecycle from exploration through to production.
Alex has extensive experience in regulatory compliance, statutory approvals, and environmental reporting. He has also developed contract documentation, supervised tender processes, and managed site contractors. Combining technical expertise with strong project management skills, Alex is committed to safe, efficient, and sustainable resource development.
Louis Main
Louis Main is the Mill Operations Manager here at Core Prospecting, where he has overseen the efficient construction and operation of our processing facility. With a Trade Certificate in the Engineering industry, Louis brings a strong technical foundation supported by 15 years of hands-on experience in fabrication, plant construction, maintenance and operations across the processing and production industry. Louis has worked for numerous operations across the board including the Morning Star mining operation, Later owning and operating his own business contracting to larger companies such as Holcim Australia for all their construction, operational and maintenance needs throughout their quarry and concrete production facilities.
Throughout his career, Louis has built a reputation for his practical problem-solving skills, strong work ethic, and ability to lead teams in achieving operational excellence. His deep understanding of mechanical systems and production processes allows him to “turn a spanner to almost anything,” ensuring that projects run smoothly, safely, and to the highest standards of quality. Dedicated to continuous improvement, Louis remains passionate about innovation and efficiency in every aspect of the industry.
Shaun Haney
Shaun is a skilled exploration geologist with 8 years industry experience across all stages of the exploration process. He has spent many years working across the Victorian goldfields in narrow vein, high grade orogenic gold.
He has been working with Core Prospecting since 2021 and is currently finishing a Masters in Geology with the Mineral Deposit Research Unit at UBC in Vancouver, Canada.
Shaun specialises in structural geology, field mapping and 3D modelling with a particular focus on integrating structural, geochemical and geophysical data into robust exploration targeting.
Patrick Tucker
Pat is an exploration geologist with eight years of experience specializing in Victorian orogenic gold systems and structurally controlled polymetallic base metal deposits in Central New South Wales. Since joining Core Prospecting in 2023, he has developed expertise in 3D geological modeling, integrating observations across multiple scales—from microscopic analysis to ore-body-scale interpretation—combined with structural geology and geochemistry to advance exploration projects and unlock their potential.
Throughout his career, Pat has played a key role in re-interpreting and remodeling several advanced mining projects, contributing to resource growth, improved resource estimation accuracy, and optimized mine design. His technical approach combines detailed geological understanding with practical application to support project advancement.
Pat holds a Bachelor of Science with First-Class Honours from Monash University and continues to broaden his professional capabilities through ongoing development in resource estimation, mining economics, and project evaluation.