This year’s winners, selected from a shortlist of 48 entries, have been announced at the NSW Minerals Council Health, Safety, Environment and Community Awards in front of over 400 mining industry peers in the Hunter last night.
The 2015 Health, Safety, Environment and Community Awards dinner was an opportunity to acknowledge some of the best new examples of leading practices and systems from across NSW, that help ensure the industry retains its world leading position.
“These awards encourage NSW miners to identify where health, safety and environmental aspects of mining operations can be improved, and then design and implement solutions that can be adopted across the industry more broadly,” NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee said .
Mark Jacobs, General Manager – Environment and Community from Yancoal—who sponsored each of the four excellence awards— joined Minister for Industry, Resources and Energy, Anthony Roberts MP, on stage to present the awards to winners across six categories: Health Excellence, Safety Excellence, Environment Excellence, Community Excellence and two individual awards for Health and Safety Leadership, and Environment and Community Leadership.
Mike Sutherland, General Manager at Alkane Resources has particular reason to celebrate, winning two separate awards for his dedication to leading practice. He was awarded for his commitment to preserving the Pink-tailed Worm-lizard (PTWL)—an endangered species at Alkane’s Dubbo Zirconia mine—and for his demonstration of Environment and Community Leadership throughout his successful career at the mining and exploration company, over the past two decades.
McCullough Robertson Lawyers, sponsor of the individual awards, presented the winners of the Health and Safety Leadership, and Environment & Community Leadership awards a $500 travel voucher in addition to their trophies.
NSW Minerals Council CEO, Stephen Galilee praised the high standard of entries in the awards, and the achievements each of the finalists has demonstrated in their respective areas.
“All award entries were of a very high standard and the winners have had to demonstrate significant achievement to succeed,” he said.
THE WINNERS:
Health Excellence
Boggabri’s Healthy Lifestyle Program (winner)
Shaun Smith
Downer Mining
In 2009, Downer Mining in conjunction with QUT (Queensland University of Technology) commenced a progressive health management program to raise the profile of workforce health issues and implement a range of interventions and initiatives to improve the health status of this workgroup. This entry showcases the most recent innovative health campaign and intervention where the project employed a full-time Lifestyle Coordinator (Accredited Exercise Physiologist) to deliver a range of innovative health promotion activities to the workforce and
their families.
Safety Excellence
Component Review of Primary Support System (winner)
Kara Newbury
Centennial Coal – Clarence Colliery
Clarence Colliery underwent a review of components of their primary support system in order to reduce the potential for manual handling injuries sustained during the roof-bolting process. The initiative reduced injuries, reduces manual handling, and reduces the cycle-time for each bolt installed without compromising strength properties associated with the strata support system.
Environment Excellence
Leaving No Stone Unturned to Conserve the Pink-Tailed Worm-Lizard (winner)
Mike Sutherland
Alkane Resources
Alkane Resources, Dubbo Zirconia Project is a greenfields project being developed at Toongi, NSW. The Pink-tailed Worm-lizard (PTWL), a species listed as Vulnerable in the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 and the commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. A new approach involving an experienced and diverse ecological team engaging local community volunteers was used to ensure that this threatened species was protected beyond the life of the project.
Community Excellence
Mudgee 4 Doctors (winner)
Craig Strudwick
Glencore
Mudgee 4 Doctors is a program dedicated to attracting and retaining doctors to the Mudgee and Gulgong (Cudgegong) region. Commencing in December 2011 it has, and continues to address access constraints to GPs and physicians e.g. obstetricians to the region. Waiting times to see a GP in 2011 were up to 4 weeks with many patients needing to travel 1.5 hours to Dubbo for an appointment.
INDIVIDUAL CATEGORIES:
Health & Safety Leadership
Paul Healey, Technical Advisor (joint winner)
Coal Services
Having spent the last seven years in the role of General Manager of Mines Rescue & Regulation and Compliance, on announcement of his retirement Paul agreed to return in a part-time capacity as a Technical Advisor with Coal Services. Coal Services has some crucial projects required to deliver on their 2020 Strategy. It was recognised that Paul could provide invaluable technical guidance, industry knowledge and insight to these projects. Paul also holds the position of Chairman of the Standing Dust Committee.
Peter Corbett, Principal Technical Services Manager (joint winner)
Centennial Coal
As Principal Technical Services Manager at Centennial Coal, Peter’s role involves: leadership in Research and Development projects, mentoring of technical services team members in Centennial’s Western Region, management of Concept, Pre-Feasibility and Feasibility studies, preparation of regional and corporate technical reports, development of strata management systems, JORC competent person Western Region, ACARP Underground Strata Committee member and project mentor, NSW Underground Geotechnical Society (NUGS) Executive Committee member.
Environment & Community Leadership
Mike Sutherland, General Manager NSW (winner)
Alkane Resources
Mike Sutherland, is the General Manager, NSW and part of the senior management team, having been employed by Alkane Resources Ltd for 20 years. He is even known by Dubbo locals as the “Face of Alkane”. Mike was the first person employed at the Peak Hill Gold Mine as an Environment Supervisor in 1995 and was one of two people from that operation kept on post closure in 2005. Mike is a former farmer, long-time local, passionate environmentalist and supporter of indigenous cultural heritage and employment.
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