Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a day when we have discussed education matters, I am pleased to bring before the Senate a program of excellence that I had the occasion to observe in the Pilbara some two weeks ago during a visit examining mining operations: the Mining Academy Program in place at Newman Senior High School. It is a partnership between Newman Senior High School, BHP Billiton and the local TAFE. The Mining Academy Program has been funded by BHP Billiton as part of a $1 million program for education throughout the Pilbara region. This program has been allocated $100,000 per annum. It has been directed at students who are likely to go into mining as part of their projected careers and is designed to encourage not only their interest but their future employment prospects. I am pleased to say that the program also aims to pick up Indigenous students.

In the Pilbara, in Western Australia, it has been difficult to attract quality teachers. The program is being used as a catalyst to attract and retain quality teachers at Newman Senior High School, and it is having that effect. The other tremendous benefit that has more recently been reported is the fact that potential employees and families are making inquiries about working at Newman for BHP Billiton because they know that this program exists and their children will have the opportunity to participate in it. This is a program that is very keenly sought by the students at the school. We met several of them. We also met staff members and the principal. Students do not automatically enrol; they must apply. They must show evidence of diligence in their programs, regular attendance, a desire to achieve and a desire to conclude the course.

By way of background, for those who are not familiar, Mount Newman was developed some 40 years ago. In fact, only recently it had its 40th anniversary. The largest of the operations there, the iron ore operation, is Mount Whaleback, which is the largest open-cut iron ore mine in the world. To give you some idea of the scope and extent of that particular operation, when it was developed some 40 years ago the objective was to export five million tonnes of iron ore a year. In its first year it exceeded that by exporting six million tonnes through the port of Port Hedland, some 250 kilometres to the north. This year, 40 years later, it has exported some 130 million tonnes of iron ore through Port Hedland BHP Billiton and is looking to increase that tonnage to some 300 million tonnes a year of iron ore. That figure, of course, does not include the other companies: Rio Tinto, at its operations at Tom Price, Fortescue Metals and others.

What is most pleasing and satisfying about this program is the fact that it is so sought after by the students and so strongly supported by the staff and by BHP itself. I drew attention earlier to the Indigenous education outcomes for the program. There is enormous hope that this will make it an attraction to Aboriginal people. Probably the most significant curriculum component of this course—and it is unique certainly in Western Australia and, I believe, in Australia—is that part of the program actually involves presence at the mine site itself. There are many existing programs in the mining communities in Australia where there is a liaison between industry and the school sector, but this is the only one where the students spend half a day each week on a one-to-one basis with the staff of BHP on site at Mount Whaleback. The students rotate through a number of programs to enhance their understanding of mining operations.

It was put to us by two or three of the students that what they thought most fascinating was the fact that, at long last, they actually got to see where their parents worked and what their parents did in their workplaces. I have no doubt it was with a high degree of pride that the parents were able to have their children on site—obviously in an occupationally safe environment. Whilst I am sure the students are only supposed to observe, I have no doubt at all that, such would be their enthusiasm, they probably do get the odd opportunity to get their hands dirty. It is a program that I commend to the Senate. It is one that I think could be adopted in other mining communities. It is certainly working towards the retention of those students and, ultimately, towards people going into this industry much better skilled.

I will conclude my comments with some observations about the activities of some of the mining companies, and I refer now both to Newman and to Port Hedland. Obviously BHP Billiton is the dominant player in that particular area, but it was pleasing to visit the brand-new childcare centre in Newman, funded by BHP Billiton to the tune of some $4½ million dollars. My Victorian colleagues will be interested to know that the facility was actually constructed in Bendigo and was transported across Australia to Newman and reconstructed on site. As of last Wednesday, it is actually operating. An equivalent facility, again being constructed in Bendigo, will arrive in Port Hedland fairly soon to help address what is a very, very severe shortfall of childminding facilities.

I mentioned Aboriginal education, but I also want to mention Aboriginal employment. Rio Tinto employs some 610 Indigenous people in its programmes in the Pilbara and I know that BHP Billiton is also very, very proud of its Indigenous employment programs. Most of those employed are local residents and some, as with other employees, are fly-in fly-out. There is tremendous scope over time for significantly increasing employment opportunities—long-term, meaningful employment opportunities—and prospects for Indigenous people.

I conclude by mentioning two people. The first is Mr Fred Stojic, who actually commenced working at Newman for the company when operations first started. He has the rather unusual distinction of being able to claim that he has moved more of Australia than any other single person, having worked for 40 years on the steam shovels, the trucks and the trains. In addition to that, he is recorded as holding a world record of 66,000 tonnes of iron ore moved in one 12-hour shift. I can assure you that record and his presence were widely celebrated by everybody in the community earlier this year.

The other person, by way of conclusion, is Mr Roger Richardson, who has spent 32 years with BHP Billiton and is now shipping superintendent at Port Hedland. He is, uniquely, a third generation Port Hedland resident. That would take his grandfather back to the late 1860s. You need to understand the tonnage that goes out of Port Hedland in a year; it has the highest exporting tonnage of any port in Australia. All of that comes under the responsibility of Roger Richardson—not just for BHP Billiton’s exports but also for those of Fortescue Metals and others as they come on stream. I commend the Mining Academy Program to the Senate and would be very pleased to provide further information on it to my colleagues should the need arise.