Over the last 10 years we have grown with the resource sector to advocate for women, not just in the NT, we have a seat at WiMnet national forum, and also globally as a foundation member of the IWiM Alliance.
We felt that in order to continue to grow our representation we needed to ensure we found ways to increase our connection and services to our members.
As of 2022 you will notice a change to our logo. The logo expands on the original logo, in that its foundation takes on the form of a drill. You will notice that the shape increases in size demonstrating growth. This growth means: growth of the number of women in the sector, growth as an association, growth of an industry and growth towards in inclusion and diversity.
Growth however can not happen if we are not all aligned and working together, each individual is different, but works collaboratively to achieve growth.
As the WIRNA event is going virtual again this year we are hosting a reception at the Hilton Darwin for our NT finalists and members.
This is a great opportunity to celebrate all the national finalists and the achievements they have made over their careers to promote inclusion & Diversity within the industry.
We thank ERA for their kind sponsorship of this event.
There will be a live telecast of the event so we can celebrate with the rest of the resource community.
Date: Monday 15 November 2021
Time: 4.00pm – 6.00pm
Included: Refreshments and beverages
Location: Hilton Darwin, Mitchell Street
We require every attendee to register their attendance via the link below
It’s time to recognise you and your outstanding peers in the NT resource sector & get your nomination forms in for the WiR Exceptional Women in Resources Awards 2021 Awards.
We have had many exceptional NT resource women recognised at our awards over the years, some are absolute superstars, like Carrie Heaven (pictured below) Senior Geotechnical Engineer from McArthur River Mine.
As a young high school student in Tasmania, Carrie had a strong desire to work in the mining sector, it is sad to say that when she told a student councillor at a careers fair in Tasmania, Carrie recalls the response was “that it was more of a boys thing and probably wouldnât interest me.” A response many women in the industry (and outside of it) have heard at some stage during their career development.
Carrie didn’t take that advice lying down, she continued studying and entered university to pursue her dream of working in the mining sector. Initially enrolling in Geology, she then changed her studies to Engineering, majoring in Geotechnical.
After University Carrie completed a practical year hauling trucks, excavating and qualifying in & using explosives. This experience allowed her to garner an understanding of all aspects of mine operations and communication skills which she has endeavoured to use throughout her career.
Carrieâs career has taken her across Australia and the world and allows her to indulge in her passion for getting off the beaten track and exploring many of the worldâs natural wonders. However, she has always had a drive to encourage other young women (and men) to join her in the industry, and to ensure that the mine is part of the community, this includes, participating in the local rodeo and community Christmas event. Having never had a woman more senior than her within a mine site to mentor her, Carrie is strong advocate for having mentors both within the mining industry and in the community, she is currently a mentor to young women on the MRM site and in a community youth program in Borroloola.
These stories are just some of experiences Carrie shared in her nomination to becoming the WiR Exception Woman in Resources in 2020.
Her story doesnât end there, anyone who heard Carrie talk at our WiR IWD Cruisy conversations knows Carrie is an inspirational leader in our industry in the NT, and is a great ambassador for WiR!
Carrie isnât alone, there are many in our industry who deserve to be recognised and rewarded, so make sure you download a nomination form and share yours or a colleagueâs story before 5 April 2021.
In case you missed the notices on our social media posts over the last week.
WiR are hosting a small reception to celebrate the 2020 Women in Resources National Awards that are being held on Wednesday 16 September.
Six awards will be presented at this virtual event:
Dyno Nobel Exceptional Woman in Australian Resources
Gender Diversity Champion in Australian Resources
St Barbara Excellence in Company Programs and Performance
Outstanding Tradeswoman/Operator/Technician in Australia Resources
Exceptional Young Women in Australian Resources
Maptek Women in Resources Technological Innovation Award
Come along to watch the event on the big screen in a relaxed atmosphere while enjoying light refreshments and beverages.
Cost is only $10 per person (plus any booking fees charged by our ticketing site).
If you would like to join the WiR Committee and your fellow members in celebration, book your ticket via the link below. https://www.trybooking.com/BLJFE
The WiR committee is proud of all that our members and their organisations have done to progress diversity in their workplaces over the years.
We are especially impressed with the ingenuity shown by the industry during the conditions of COVID19 this year.
Many of our members, their families and communities have been greatly impacted by this global pandemic.
Through it all many of us have felt the pressures of being high achievers in the workplace while taking on additional roles, as home teachers, caregivers or attentive colleagues to your four legged ‘business associates’.
With all this in mind, it is definitely time to celebrate the amazing and talented women (& men) who have championed the development of gender diversity in the NT’s resource sector.
We encourage you to dust off you Formal Wear and join us on Friday 28 August 2020.
It is a belated welcome to our latest committee members:
Melissa Mentiplay – South32/GEMCO
Giovanna Webb – Minerals Council NT
As usual we did a little Q&A for you to get to know your committee better.
Melissa Mentiplay – Manager Human Resources, South32/GEMCO
Q: What do you currently do in the resource sector?
I am the Manager Human Resources for South32/GEMCO on Groote Eylandt. Our team looks after the end-to-end life cycle processes for our employees, as well as supporting leaders with professional development and performance management activities for their teams, coordinating the apprentice and graduate programs, and the facilitation of diversity and employee wellbeing initiatives.
Q: What made you join WiR and the committee?
Iâve been a member of Women in Resources for several years, and have always appreciated the work that they do to support, mentor and celebrate women working in this non-traditional industry. It felt like the right time in my career to join the committee and be able to contribute to that.
Q: What do you think we can do to increase diversity in the resources sector?
I donât think there is any one answer. Ensuring workplaces are inclusive and accepting of differences, that we are aware of, call out and address biases where we identify them, and that we actively work to overcome those barriers that prevent more women or people from non-traditional backgrounds from entering the industry are all important steps. I also believe we have more work to do in promoting the resources sector as an attractive option for people who may not have considered this career path previously.
Giovanna Webb – Assistant Manager â Events for the Minerals Council of Australia Northern Territory Division
Q: What do you currently do in the resource sector?
I am Assistant Manager â Events for the Minerals Council of Australia Northern Territory Division (MCA NT). The MCA is the peak industry body representing companies that produce more than 85 per cent of Australiaâs minerals, representing and promoting the benefits of the minerals industry to Australian communities and the national economy.
Q: What made you join WiR and the committee?
The MCA and WiR have a strong and long-standing relationship sharing information and promoting gender diversity, creating more opportunities and encouraging women to join the world-leading Australian resources sector.
Q: What do you think we can do to increase diversity in the resources sector?
Raise awareness of career opportunities and develop professional skill sets to attract more women in the mining sector. The focus should not only on attracting women, but also retaining and developing their careers.
Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the resource sector at the moment?
Over-regulation and red tape delaying new projects and new jobs. With only a handful of operational sites in the NT, mining still contributes 14 per cent of gross state product and will generate $350 million in royalties for the NT in this financial year alone.
Mining is the largest contributor to NT self-generated funds, yet for these projects to even get to this point there has still been a massive cost to the companies to meet assessment and approval processes. These projects will underpin long-term jobs and local economic activity for years, including valuable NT Government royalty revenue.
Q: Who is/are your greatest influences in life?
The most influential people in my life have always been the people closest to me – my family. We support each other to aim high, work hard, value relationships and support others every time we can.
Our thoughts are with all our members, their families and communities during this unusual time.
We understand that many of you are members of small communities and are located in remote/regional areas of the NT, we hope that you know that we at WiR are thinking of you all.
Although the thought of awards is not top of mind at the moment, we know that when things return to ânormalâ we still want to recognise the amazing women in our industry.
Therefore, we have taken the decision to postpone the WiR South32 Exceptional Women in Resources Awards Gala Dinner from June to August at this stage.
We work in an industry that is known for its strong women who support each other and our communities in tough times, we are hoping that you are able to continue to be. If things are getting a little too much, please make sure you call upon your support team/services.
We also know there are a lot of mixed messages appearing across all medias, therefore we have included links to the NTG secure NT site and the World Health Organisation site.
We encourage all our members and associates to join us in celebrating the women and gender champions who strive to promote gender diversity in our industry.
The nominations are open until Monday 6 April 2020.
This is a great opportunity to continue supporting our association which strives to bring awareness to the community on the development our industry organisations/businesses are making towards creating more inclusive workplaces.
Many of our previous awardees have also demonstrated how the improvements in workplace diversity have had positive impacts on their communities as a whole.
The awards are the highlight of then WiR calendar, and have grown in participation since their inception. We want to see them to continue to grow and further recognise as many members of our industry as possible.
Nomination forms can be downloaded from the events page
