Job opportunities in mining

Waanyi Mining Services Pty Ltd is a joint venture partnership with Exact Mining.

The company currently employs more than 40 people, with about 25 local Indigenous people working full-time.

The business goals of Waayni Mining Services are to provide employment and training opportunities for local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This project came out of negotiations with Zinifex (now OzMinerals) to supply road materials for the mine site and stemming material for blasting.

History of success

In 2005, Northern Project Crushing, one half of a joint venture company set up by Waanyi Mining Services Pty Ltd, received a $150,000 Indigenous Business Establishment grant. They used the grant to provide crushed aggregate to the Zinifex Century Mine, 250 kilometres north-west of Mt Isa. Century is the second largest zinc mine in the world (based on zinc production).

In 2007, Waanyi Mining Services won more contracts with Century Mine to provide Indigenous workers and hire out equipment. The company received a $500,000 Indigenous Business Development Program grant as a contribution towards buying a front end loader. The equipment has increased the company's income base significantly and brought forward the majority equity in the joint venture.

Waanyi Mining Services has expanded its services and its customer base to include the Queensland Department of Main Roads and local shire councils. It has established a labour hire pool service, contracts around mining rehabilitation and, recently, the buy-out of the joint venture company itself.

Waanyi Mining Services has pointed to its partnership with Exact Mining as providing the impetus to do well in business. “Exact Mining has been an excellent partner, providing skilled people to manage on-site works and training local Indigenous people in business as well as assisting with purchasing the right machinery and proved to be an effective business partnership case study”.

Waanyi Mining Services have also started a mobile mining school, which has 1 of only 4 mining operations simulators in Queensland.