FIFO women in mining choosing Gold Coast as home base
She is the fly-in fly-out manager of 600 workers at one of the country’s most significant coal mines, a youthful mum who lives on the Gold Coastline who wants to be BHP manager just one day.
Crucial points:
- Considerably less than 20 per cent of Queensland’s useful resource sector workers are ladies
- There is an expanding quantity of feminine mineworkers basing by themselves on the Gold Coast
- One particular female says female-only mining awards are however required to boost job products and variety
30-7-12 months-old Lydia Light many thanks her Atherton Tablelands maths trainer for placing her on a skyrocketing job path.
She was flummoxed selecting a college training course and he stated: “You really should be an engineer, you’ve bought the fantastic maths brain for it”.
Now much more than 15 yrs in the field, she is the servicing manager at BHP/BMA Peak Downs mine.
“Each and every working day is completely various, especially right away when a thing breaks and you have got to ensure that the crew is assembled and completely ready to deal with any condition.”
Like so lots of in North Queensland, her parents ended up migrants who came to work on sugar cane farms.The spouse and children emigrated from Italy.
Already notching up an outstanding array of awards, Mrs Light is a finalist in the “Fantastic Women in Queensland Means” awards subsequent month.
Has becoming a woman been a barrier in a male-dominated marketplace?
“I do not know. Feminine and possibly also just remaining new to the market when I was a graduate. You’ve got got to acquire it with a perception of humour,” she reported.
Gold Coastline mining network
Not too long ago returned to Tugun from abroad, the communications director for QEM Confined, Joanne Bergamin, recognized a networking group for girls in the mining and useful resource industries on the Gold Coastline.
“In our organisation by yourself we are 50-for every-cent women so we are doing very very well,” Ms Bergamin claimed.
The tourism glitter strip features a mineral in its name but the town has a lengthy background with the mining industry.
Tania Constable is the first female chief govt officer of the Minerals Council of Australia team.
“Folks have missing sight of the truth that our industry has been a bedrock of many of the regional cities and metropolitan areas like the Gold Coastline,” she stated.
In 2021, just 18 per cent of the Australian mining workforce were women.
5 of their top 10 executives are ladies.
“Companies like St Barbara and Rio Tinto are champions of modify,” she stated.
