A disagreement between Mincor Resources and the Coolgardie Shire Council over the location of a residential facility for mine workers in Kambalda has gone to the State Town Planning Appeal Tribunal.
Mincor appeals Kambalda ruling
A disagreement between Mincor Resources and the Coolgardie Shire Council over the location of a residential facility for mine workers in Kambalda has gone to the State Town Planning Appeal Tribunal.
WA-based nickel miner Mincor has appealed the Coolgardie shire’s decision to reject its application for a residential facility at its mine site, 65 kilometres south of Kambalda.
While Mincor says a facility built in the Kambalda township would pose safety, operational and economic issues for the company, the Coolgardie shire maintains that the facility needs to be built within the Kambalda township for it to comply with current Coolgardie Town Planning Scheme objectives.
The proposed residential facility would house fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) workers for Mincor’s new Redross and Mariners mines, which will operate on 12-hour shifts.
While both Mincor and Cool-gardie Shire Council said they were working towards a solution, Mincor managing director David Moore said the company had appealed the decision after failing to find a compromise.
Further, Mr Moore said Mincor believed its proposal was consistent with the Coolgardie Town Planning objectives.
“We regret having to take this action, however the shire’s decision puts us in a very difficult position in regard not only to our health and safety responsibilities, but also economic and operational matters,” he said. “We understand the shire’s concerns and have endeavoured to work with it over the past month to find viable solutions.”
Further, Mr Moore said that it was unsafe for workers to work long shifts and then drive the 65km back to the Kambalda township.
“The shire’s position imposes a significant additional safety risk in the context of worker fatigue and road travel; it will bring about a marked increase in heavy vehicle traffic on the roads and impact on our cost structure and operating activities,” he said.
Mincor’s mines, which will move to 12-hour shifts on July 1, had previously operated on eight-hour shifts, allowing workers to spend more time with their families and encouraging them to become more involved with community activities.
Mincor implemented the eight-hour shifts along with Donegal Resources, which held a 12 per cent stake in the mines with Clough Engineering until late last year.
Donegal co-founders Ian and Leigh Junk, who are residents of Kambalda, won a 2003 Ernst and Young ‘young entrepreneur of the year’ award for the implementation of the eight-hour shifts and other achievements.
Mr Moore said Wannaway mine would remain fully residential and Miitel would remain partly residential, while the two new mines would employ a solely FIFO workforce.
However, the company would give preference to local staff, provide a ‘residential bonus’ to local staff, maintain a ‘buy local’ policy and extend its existing community support program to mitigate any effects from the on-site proposal, he said.
Mr Moore said the company was already having difficulty finding skilled staff for its existing Miitel and Wannaway mines and that there was an accommodate shortage with-in Kambalda due to the nickel boom.
“We can no longer staff our mines on a residential basis. There is a boom going on,” he said.
“The town is absolutely booming and we can’t get enough workers for our operations.
“We are still hopeful that, although the appeal had been lodged, the shire will review its decision.”
Mr Moore said Mincor’s two new mines would result in the creation of 120 jobs, provide more than $10 million in State royalties, and generate additional business and service opportunities in Kambalda.
Shire of Coolgardie CEO Mal Osborne said the council had approached Mincor with alternative sites and that the two parties would continue to try to secure a compromise.
“Potentially there are four other sites,” Mr Osborne told WA Business News.
“There was a site that the council owned, the existing single men’s quarters, the caravan park, which has room for expansion, and some other LandCorp land, which the council is working with to have released.”
But Mr Osborne said some of the proposed shift cycles by Mincor would encourage workers to live away from Kambalda as they would mean longer hours allowing workers less time with their families.
Mr Osborne said Kambalda would benefit from an increased number of workers living within and contributing to the community.
“FIFO workers can at least make a contribution to the township, whether it be buying a Lotto slip or going to the local pub,” he said.
LODGING DISPUTE
- Mincor appeals to State Town Planning Appeal Tribunal over accommodation dispute with Coolgardie shire.
- Mincor to bring in 12-hour shifts from July 1.
- Mincor claims journey from its new Redross and Mariners mines to Kambalda after shift is a safety risk for workers.
- Talks continue as shire identifies four sites in town.
