Article by Glen Norris courtesy of the Courier Mail.
Mining billionaire Chris Ellison is laying out the red carpet to attract hundreds of new Queensland workers to the company’s far-flung mines in Western Australia with direct flights, six-figure salaries and resort-style accommodation on offer.
Ellison’s flagship company Mineral Resources (MinRes) has launched direct flights between Brisbane and the Pilbara, reducing travel time by more than a day. Once on the ground, workers will stay at accommodation featuring swimming pools, gyms and restaurants.
Workers previously had to pay for their own seat on a commercial flight to Perth and stay overnight in a hotel at their own expense before boarding another charter flight to the Pilbara.
Consulting firm McKinsey warns that Australian mining companies are experiencing a talent squeeze, with 71 per cent of executives saying it is holding them back from delivering on production targets and strategic objectives.
More than 86 per cent of mining executives say it is harder to recruit and retain the talent they need versus two years ago – particularly in specialised fields such as mine planning, process engineering, and digital.
MinRes has contracted local carrier Skytraders to operate weekly return flights between the AvCair terminal at Brisbane Airport and MinRes’ Ken’s Bore and Wodgina mine sites. The Ken’s Bore mine site is at the heart of Onslow Iron, one of the largest iron ore projects currently under construction in Australia.
Wodgina is a world-class lithium mine also located in the Pilbara. By reducing the number of seats from 150 to 110, MinRes has fitted out Skytraders’ A319 aircraft to ensure those on-board have more legroom.
About 1600 employees and contractors are working on Onslow Iron, with about 10 per cent of this workforce residing in the eastern states – the majority in Queensland.
It’s anticipated that will increase with the new direct flight offering as MinRes seeks to attract skilled workers nationwide in a tight labour market. MinRes is actively recruiting for hundreds of additional roles, including mobile plant operators, project engineers, earthworks supervisors, MC drivers and medics. MinRes boasts it is setting a new standard for the fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) experience, which includes new accommodation resorts and industry-leading food offerings.
Two resorts are currently under construction at Onslow Iron, featuring apartment-style rooms three times the size of traditional FIFO accommodation. Amenities will include Olympic-size swimming pools, restaurants, outdoor sports courts and fitness centres.
MinRes general manager people facilities Bethanie Ibrahim says the company has seen an increase in recruitment from Queensland in recent weeks, with hundreds more jobs set to be created in coming months.