FIVE organisations and two rising stars were celebrated in Perth last Thursday evening at the 2016 AREEA Industry Awards recognising excellence in workforce management and development across the resource industry.

Perched atop Perth’s iconic Kings Park, Fraser’s Function Centre provided a glittering backdrop of city lights as 200 resource professionals gathered for the annual AREEA National Conference Gala Dinner.

AREEA hosts its Gala Dinner and Industry Awards every year to celebrate the pioneering people and practices behind Australia’s successful resource operations.

This year’s AREEA Industry Award winners are:

• Indigenous Employment & Retention Award: Fortescue Metals Group’s ‘Trade Up’ Program
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• Training & Development: The Mancala Group
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• Workforce Innovation Award: Compass Group’s ‘Village Life’ Program
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• Health & Wellbeing Award: New Hope Group’s ‘Live Well, Work Well’ Program
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• Australian Women in Resources Alliance (AWRA) Award: Australian Rail Track Corporation
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• Young Professional Award: Joint winners
  – Annie Martyn, Turnaround Execution Coordinator with Viva Energy Australia
  – Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls, Employment Program Manager with Wirrpanda Foundation
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AREEA chief executive Steve Knott said an AREEA Industry Award demonstrated a commitment to improving workplace practices for the benefit of the industry and the wider community.

“People are the backbone of the resource industry. The leadership and innovation displayed by resource employers across workforce areas such as training, diversity, and health and wellbeing is what underpins our industry as a pillar of the national economy,” Mr Knott said.

“This goes hand-in-hand with ensuring our industry is one that the brightest minds in this country gravitate to; where career opportunities are rewarding and where employee wellbeing is top priority.

“The record number of award nominations received this year is testament to the resource industry’s ongoing commitment to workforce and operational excellence in the face of challenging market conditions.”

Mr Knott also congratulated the joint winners of AREEA’s Young Professional Award: Viva Energy’s Annie Martyn and the Wirrpanda Foundation’s Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls.

“Annie and Jarrad exemplify the exceptional young talent rising within the resource industry. The leadership, ingenuity and professionalism they have displayed within a relatively short period of time makes them both very worthy of an AREEA Young Professional Award,” Mr Knott said.

Long Membership Awards

Gala Dinner attendees also applauded recipients of the AREEA Long Membership Awards.

These awards are presented every year to organisations that have held AREEA membership for a significant period of time and as such, played an integral role in AREEA’s work to achieve common goals and outcomes for the industry.

The 2016 AREEA Long Membership Award recipients are:

50 Years
P&O Maritime Services
Woodside Energy
Tidewater Marine Australia
International Association of Drilling Contractors
ExxonMobil Australia

40 Years
Bristow Helicopters Australia

30 Years
Sibelco
Downer EDI Mining
Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM)

20 Years
Heathgate Resources
Saipem

All Awards were sponsored and produced by AREEA Corporate Partner – H.W. Holdsworth Recognition and Rewards.  

Following the Awards presentations, guests were treated to a spectacular operatic performance by ‘The Three Waiters’ – professionally trained performers who had posed a waitstaff during the evening. See the below video for a taste of the entertainment.