Rio Tinto Iron Ore may establish a fly-in fly-out roster from Busselton as it targets expansion into Western Australia’s regions to tap a new market of potential employees.
Rio Tinto Iron Ore may establish a fly-in fly-out roster from Busselton as it targets expansion into Western Australia’s regions to tap a new market of potential employees.
The mining giant wants to attract up to 6,000 people to its workforce during the next four years.
Rio currently employs about 6,000 staff and about 6,000 contractors in WA, and is aiming to recruit 1,500 a year for four years to help meet its increased iron ore output requirements in the Pilbara.
WA Business News understands that, while Rio is also assessing the potential to operate fly-in fly-out services in Carnarvon, Marble Bar and Port Hedland, Busselton, is the location under most serious consideration.
A spokesman for Rio would not speculate on when the miner could begin offering a fly-in fly-out service out of the South West town.
He said Busselton was being considered as a potential option and was viewed as an ideal location because of its relatively large population.
Growing its regional fly-in fly-out presence is expected to help Rio overcome accommodation shortages by tapping new markets where potential workers are already living.
Rick Briant, Rio’s HR general manager for its iron ore operations in the Pilbara, said providing fly-in fly-out services in regional townships could provide potential workers with more flexible work-life arrangements.
He said Rio was focused on creating a better “value proposition” for its employees, to give the company a competitive advantage in the current tight labour market.
Mr Briant added that operating fly-in fly-out in regional townships meant Rio could access many potential workforces, and also support regional communities.
“To do fly-in fly-out from Broome, for example, means that people living on that peninsula can go back to those communities,” Mr Briant told WA Business News.
Rio started a fly-in fly-out roster service out of Broome in April, which followed the launch of the service out of Geraldton early last year.
The number of workers flying in and out of Geraldton to Rio’s east Pilbara operations has increased from 25 to 70 people.
Rio’s Broome service is restricted to indigenous workers, with about 25 people taking on fly-in fly-out jobs from the town in April.
That number is expected to grow in line with its Geraldton operations.
WA Business News understands that Rio’s Broome fly-in fly-out service has been focused on the local indigenous population after consultation with local business and government representatives regarding the impact the mining giant's operation could have on the Kimberley town, which is suffering a skills shortage of its own.
Rio is in competition for skilled staff with other miners, which have also embarked on big expansion projects to meet increasing global demand for commodities.
Rio’s $1.13 billion Hope Downs project is expected to come on stream next year while its existing Pilbara mines, West Angelas and Yandicoogina, are also growing to accommodate the miner’s goal of lifting iron ore production by 46 per cent by early 2009.
