Top prize winners at state resources awards

Fortescue Metals Group, Iluka Resources and Rio Tinto are among the five overall category winners in the 2017 state government’s Awards for Excellence.

Mineral sands miner Iluka took home the top prize in the systems and people category for its partnership with Dardanup farmers, representing an innovative approach to raising awareness on mental health issues within the workforce, resources industry and wider community.

Fortescue won the safety representatives category for creating a safety barometer that identifies the impact attitude and distraction can have on safety, while Rio Tinto won the top accolade in the engineering category for its rail-mounted working at heights platform.

The Kalgoorlie-Boulder Urban Landcare Group and Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines partnership won the community partnership resources sector award, while the golden gecko award went to Hanson Construction Materials and Kings Park and Botanic Gardens for the restoration work done at Banksia Woodlands.

Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety director general David Smith said the awards provided the department with the opportunity to recognise and celebrate the world-class work that resources companies are doing within the industry and broader community.

“One of our key goals in holding these awards is to raise awareness of the high standards in health, safety, environmental management and community partnerships the Western Australian resources sector achieves,” Mr Smith said.

“The finalists have demonstrated outstanding work in leading the industry with innovative excellence and they are a credit to the minerals and energy sector.”

Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston congratulated the winners, saying they had demonstrated innovative thinking and used new technologies to safeguard the state.

"Safety is one of our key priorities and the winners are a credit to the resources sector,” he said.

"Celebrating the advances made in the industry helps promote WA as a destination of choice for technological and service-based solutions in the resources sector."