So much happened during October that it’s a bit hard to believe it has only been a month since I last penned a column for Discovery.
One of the more relevant recent developments for the WA mining and resources sector was the Federal Government’s announcement last week of its net zero emissions target by 2050. It’s pleasing to see not just the announcement of such a target, but one that aligns with the approach CME and its member companies have already adopted on climate change. Our sector has long advocated for a national framework on greenhouse gas emissions and the announcement provides more clarity as to how the government plans to manage emissions from a technology perspective.
The other major government announcement in October – this time at a State level – was around a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for our sector. We are still awaiting full directions around this mandate but we certainly support the government’s decision. Our sector’s focus throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been on the health and safety of our workers and the communities around the State in which they live and operate. Vaccinations play a key role in protecting the health and safety of the community and also, in the long run, in avoiding some of the restrictions that have followed incidences of public spread of the virus in WA. I’m pleased to say that member companies continue to strongly and proactively support the vaccination rollout, including the establishment of pop-up clinics in various communities around the Pilbara.
Staying on the government side of things, CME and a number of member companies recently appeared before the Parliamentary Inquiry into sexual harassment against women in the FIFO mining industry. We remain committed to participating and engaging with the Inquiry in any way that we are asked to, with more member companies set to make appearances in November. As I stated during the CME appearance, we are a sector that constantly looks to improve, and any recommendations for change arising from the Inquiry that are practical and which would achieve positive outcomes are ones that we would act upon.
From a CME perspective, we had a couple of exciting announcements in the space of two days in mid-October.
One was the launch of our Resourceful Mind program in partnership with Lifeline WA. This innovative peer support program uses Lifeline WA’s trained counsellors to help better equip a contingent of people on mine sites – Minders as they are known – to have sensitive and important conversations with colleagues around mental health and, if necessary, steer them towards additional help. Member companies Roy Hill, Mineral Resources, Woodside and Simcoa have been part of a pilot program for Resourceful Mind and the aim is to roll the program out more broadly across our sector in 2022.
I was also in the fortunate position last month to help launch the latest addition to the Royal Flying Doctors Service Western Operations fleet. The Pilatus PC-12 aeromedical aircraft will carry the CME logo as a result of a multi-million dollar fundraising effort by member companies as part of the COVID-19 Support Initiative that was established in early 2020. The RFDS performs an absolutely vital and lifesaving service around our State and I’d like to again thank those member companies for their very generous donations, which have not only facilitated the aircraft’s purchase but will also help meet its operating costs.
Finally, there’s now less than two months until Christmas. I’m sure it’s a by-product of COVID times but in some ways, the 10 elapsed months of 2021 seem to have taken forever while also flying by! I’d like to wish each and every member of our sector’s workforce all the best as they start to count down to the holiday period. I look forward to seeing quite a few of you in person at CME’s annual Christmas function in early December.
