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coVeR

Managing

COVID-19

or the second year running, pared for the worst, she was far from “Industry is going to have to work with gov-
Feastern states delegates comfortable with the looming threat of ernment to make it happen. If we don’t do
an outbreak in one of Fortescue camps.
that, we will not get the resources we need
were locked out from attending “If anyone had asked me recently to actually progress a lot of these projects we
Diggers in Kalgoorlie due to what keeps me awake at night, it’s all talk about.”
Several speakers echoed Veldsman’s
COVID-related travel restrictions. COVID and the potential for a signifi- sentiments that the industry had a support-
cant outbreak in our broader commu-
Seven presenters gave their nity,” she said. “One of the slight ben- ing role to play in ramping up vaccinations.
talks virtually, including Perth- efits of the mining industry is we can Northern Star’s Pogo mine in Alaska was
contact trace, we know exactly who’s
severely impacted by outbreaks last year, but
based Chalice Mining Ltd been sleeping in our villages, we know Tonkin (pictured above) said operations were
managing director Alex Dorsch, exactly who’s been on our flights. So, in beginning to return to normal after the com-
pany stepped in to ensure its workforce could
fact, we’ve got a lot of data that we can
who fell victim to quarantine now work through into that contact.” be vaccinated as quickly as possible.
Gaines’ fear of outbreaks of the virus
requirements upon return from running rampant through a mine site
a recent trip to Queensland. were shared by new Roy Hill Holdings
Pty Ltd chief executive Gerhard Velds- “ If we think
man, who said both the industry and COVID is gone,
positive case returned by a FIFO worker the broader Australian community would
A at Fortescue Metals Group Ltd’s Cloud- have to make some “tough decisions” or and we’ve managed
break mine threatened to bring an early close bring undone the resilience shown by the to actually get rid of it,
to the conference on the final day, however, sector during the past 18 months.
chief executive Elizabeth Gaines and her staff “If we think COVID is gone, and we’ve the last month was a
were quick to put minds at ease. managed to actually get rid of it, the last massive wake-up-call.
“I haven’t been to Cloudbreak in the last month was a massive wake-up-call,” Velds-
month, and neither have any of my col- man said.
leagues here today,” Gaines told delegates “As we seen, we’re going to have to learn “Vaccinations have been key to reduc-
upon stepping up to the lectern for the fo- how to live with it, we’re going to have to plot ing impacts for us… so absolutely we would
rum’s final presentation. our way out of it. We’re going to, especially encourage and support vaccination rollout,”
Cloudbreak is one of Western Australia’s over the next 12 months, have to actually Tonkin said. “It’s very difficult to mandate, but
most populous mine sites with up to 2,000 make some tough decisions. anything we can do to facilitate it, make it easy,
workers residing in the camp at any one time. “People are stranded because of lock- make it accessible, we would absolutely en-
While Gaines said the company was pre- down, and can’t go home. We as an industry courage.
need to start to think about what more we are “I think in 1-2 years we’re [Australia] going
going to do. Now we might be able to solve to be behind and everyone else is going to be
how we deal with COVID. With things in opened up. We can’t keep borders closed for-
place, we might be able to train a workforce. ever.”
But one of the biggest risks we’re facing is Gaines (pictured far right) said her company
if we don’t get a cultural change around our would willingly play its part in the vaccination
industry and government working together programme.
to streamline approvals, we’re really going to “We don’t want to be seen to be jumping the
miss this boat. Prices for iron ore, gold and queue but if there is a view that we now have
commodities aren’t going to stay up.” adequate supply of vaccines, then I think we
Veldsman recounted a recent conversa- have a role to play in actually administering
tion he had with a German-based counter- vaccines to the broader population,” she said.
part, suggesting the gaps Australia still had “If we can offer a way that we can get people
to close both in terms of its management of vaccinated under the rules that have been set
COVID-19 outbreaks and the stymied vac- for eligibility, and there is sufficient supply, then
cine rollout. we’re very willing to play that.”

Page 24 SePTeMBeR 2021 aUSTRaLIa’S PaYDIRT