Each year WIRA celebrates outstanding individuals and organisations in mining and resources, and the work that is being done to provide attractive career opportunities for and enhance recognition and participation of women in our sector.

The stories of our WIRA finalists are as inspirational as they are impressive. I can’t wait to see all these role models recognised on March 5 at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Of course, the fact we are able to contemplate an event of almost 1000 people is a testament to how things can change in only a few short weeks.

Last time I penned a Discovery column in early February, Perth and the South West of WA were in lockdown. Now we’re back to the freedoms we’ve enjoyed for much of the past nine months. From a global perspective we’ve been exceptionally fortunate.

Many of you will have seen the news this week of the first COVID-19 vaccinations in WA. The Minerals Council of Australia this week released a position statement on the national vaccination rollout, and the CME Workplace Health and Safety Team will continue working with member companies to ensure workers in our sector considered to be vulnerable or who come in contact with vulnerable communities are vaccinated as soon as is practicable.

I’d like to finish off this column by announcing the exciting news that Susan Cull has been appointed to the position of State Manager (Regional) for CME.

Many of you will have worked with Susan in her current role as Manager – Workforce Capability and will be well aware of her in-depth knowledge of our sector’s challenges and opportunities and also her tremendous work ethic. Susan has been a driving force behind the creation and ongoing impact of WIRA.

I’d like to congratulate Susan on her new role, in which I know she’ll be extremely successful.

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This time last year, nobody could have foreseen the COVID-19 pandemic and the devastating consequences it would have around the world from both a health and economic perspective. 

It’s testament to the resilience, innovation and commitment to excellence of CME members and their employees that our sector has been able to perform as strongly as it has in 2020, making invaluable contributions to the WA and Federal economies. 

I’d also like to acknowledge the efforts of the CME team, who have been tireless this year in their efforts to advocate for key outcomes for our members, to keep the membership informed of the latest developments in a continually evolving environment and to communicate to the wider public the important work our sector has been doing. Against the backdrop of COVID-19, there have been several major pieces of legislation progressing at both State and Federal levels and the CME team’s work in relation to these has been exemplary. 

The evolving situation around the current NSW outbreak shows that COVID-19 continues to be a key concern for our sector. The latest advice about NSW is available here.

The festive period will hopefully give many of us a chance to recharge our batteries but the conclusion to 2020 has been extremely busy. 

The Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia released an interim report last week following the events at Juukan Gorge in May. While we acknowledge the committee’s work and the opportunity provided for CME and member companies to provide submissions, we remain steadfast in our view that the WA Government should be the primary regulator for matters of Aboriginal cultural heritage through the modernisation of WA’s Aboriginal Heritage Act. We have also made it clear that any proposed moratorium on Section 18 notices under the existing Act would have major adverse impacts on major projects around the State – many of which are unrelated to mining. 

On another matter, I’m delighted that the finalists for our Women In Resources Awards (WIRA) have now been announced – you can read more on that in the Featured section of this newsletter. WIRA is always a highlight of the mining and resources sector’s social calendar and next year’s event promises to be the best yet. 

Finally, it was extremely heartening to learn this week of a revised WA Government forecast operating surplus of more than $2 billion and also national data which suggests employment in the State now exceeds pre-COVID levels. When you consider the conditions in other parts of the world, that’s an extremely fortunate position for WA to be in and I’m extremely proud of our sector’s contribution to that. 

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish the entire mining and resources sector a safe and happy Christmas and New Year. I look forward to working with you all again in 2021.

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