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oPInIon

CME awards reflect

35 years of progress

t’s always a thrill at this time of year to be able women in our sector has not been accept- As with everything WA mining and resourc-
Ito announce our finalists for the Women in able. es has done since the onset of the COVID-19
Resources Awards. CME and its member companies have par- pandemic, health and safety will be an abso-
This year’s cohort of finalists – 14 women, ticipated fully in the Parliamentary Inquiry Into lute first priority for our sector. That applies to
one man and three companies – showcase Sexual Harassment Against Women In The both our workforce and the communities in
so much of what is good about Western Aus- FIFO Mining Industry and are committed to which we operate.
tralia’s mining and resources sector. eliminating the types of behaviour that have CME and its member companies have
Many have overcome significant challeng- been identified. We will continue to educate had stringent COVID-19 protocols and proce-
es to not only find their way into our sector but our workforce on the importance of respect dures in place since the start of the pandemic
establish thriving and impactful careers. And for others and the benefits that diversity and and have been planning for the border re-
it’s not only their own careers which benefit, inclusivity bring to our sector. opening for months, in collaboration with the
with a desire to guide and mentor others com- Of course, one of the best avenues for WA Government and other key stakehold-
ing through the sector’s ranks being one of showcasing those benefits is through initia- ers.
the key traits I noticed among our finalists. tives like the Women In Resources Awards. We are committed not only to continu-
As a collective, they display talent, dedica- The stories behind our finalists are truly ing to operate safely and effectively through
tion, perseverance, courage, ingenuity, team- inspirational and demonstrate the calibre of this next phase of COVID-19 in WA but to
work, selflessness and a wide range of other people and companies we have in our sector, supporting communities around the State in
valuable characteristics you’d look for not only and the scope of opportunities that are avail- whatever way we can.
in employees but also in leaders. able to those who work in it.
It’s no great secret that mining and resourc- I’m very excited about the prospect of Paul Everingham is the chief executive
es in WA has traditionally been a male-domi- crowning our winners a little later in the year. of the Chamber of Minerals and Energy
nated environment. It’s only a little more than In the meantime, for a full rundown of the 22 of Western Australia
35 years ago that women were finally legally finalists please visit wira.net.au.
allowed to work underground in WA mines. I know it will be covered in detail elsewhere
We’ve come a long way since then. We also in this edition of Paydirt but it would be remiss
have a long way to go. CME’s last Diversity of me not to acknowledge the future reopen-
Report in 2019 found that female participation ing of WA’s borders. Alison Terry
in our sector was only 20.3%. Based on anec- It’s widely known that our industry – along
dotal evidence we’d expect that percentage to with many others – is experiencing a signifi-
increase when we next publish research but cant skills squeeze and the more talented
it’s still going to be quite some way off parity. people who can gain entry into WA from ei-
The past 12 months have highlighted that ther the Eastern States or overseas, the bet-
some of the behaviour demonstrated towards ter we can tackle that challenge.

2022 CMEWA Women in Resources finalists

Outstanding Young Woman in Resources Award Technological Innovation Award

Elle Farris (Newmont Australia) Kim Tan (BHP)
Nynne Rasmussen (South32) Sravani Mukkisa (RIG Technologies International)
Ting Gorman (Shell Australia) Virginie Hannah (Bis)
Outstanding Operator/Technician/Trade Award Women in Resources Champion Award

Madeline Deppeler (Shell Australia) Alison Terry (Fortescue Metals Group)
Samantha Ewe-Jones (Rio Tinto) Marie Bourgoin (BHP)
Sharon Pearce (Shell Australia) Steve Campbell (BHP)
Outstanding Woman in Resources Award Outstanding Company Initiative Award
Deanne Renting (Chevron Australia) BHP – Yandi Mining New to Industry Truck Operator
Program
Kathryn Lewi (Tianqi Lithium)
Compass Group – Respectful Behaviours Campaign:
Sharon Reynolds (Woodside Energy)
Addressing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
Lab61 – Robotics Skills Hub

Page 10 FeBRUaRY 2022 aUSTRaLIa’S PaYDIRT