Finalists announced for BHP 2020 Women in Resources National Awards

women in resources

The finalists for the prestigious BHP 2020 Women in Resources National Awards have been announced, featuring 37 inspiring people across six categories including the inaugural Maptek Women in Resources Technological Innovation Award.

Winners will be announced in an online award ceremony to be broadcast on YouTube at 3.30 pm (AEST) on Wednesday, September 16, hosted by TV news anchor and journalist Chris Bath.

The finalists of the awards, except those in the Maptek Women in Resources Technological Innovation Award (who were selected from the 25 nominations submitted directly to the national judging panel), are the winners of the state and territory Women in Resources awards, highlighting the extraordinary skills and talent in mining operations across regional Australia.

The MCA is hosting and presenting the awards in partnership with the state chambers to promote the Australian resources sector as an industry of choice for women to pursue diverse highly-paid, highly-skilled career opportunities.

The awards identify and promote a wide array of ambassadors, mentors and role models for women within the sector and for girls considering resource sector careers.

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In 2019, Australian mining directly employed 243,000 people–including 40,000 women, up from fewer than 9000 who worked in the industry in 2001. While women in mining represent only 16 per cent of the workforce, the industry continues to take encouraging steps in recent years to attract more women.

In the past five years, the mining industry has narrowed the gender pay gap in mining from 17.6 per cent to 13.8 percent. There has also been an increase in the number of organisations with flexible working policies and paid parental leave.

The proportion of women in management has increased to 17.7 per cent–which means that representation of women in management roles is keeping pace with the growth in the number of women in our workforce.

The awards also recognise and promote resource company policies and achievements in attracting, training, encouraging and promoting women. 

This year the awards include the inaugural Maptek Women in Resources Technological Innovation Award.

The award finalists include women who have developed and applied inspiring innovative solutions to improve safety, boost efficiency and enhance productivity across the Australian resources sector.

See the full list of finalists below.

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Thiess Outstanding Australian Tradeswoman, Operator or Technician Award

The award recognises achievement in breaking new ground for women in non-traditional roles as well as resilience, achievement of goals and support for gender diversity.

  • Alison Altree from BHP’s Olympic Dam in South Australia
  • Kim Burton from MMG’s Rosebery mine in Tasmania
  • Phillipa Dhagapan from Rio Tinto Gove Operations in the Northern Territory
  • Conal Hearps from Peabody’s Moorvale Mine in Queensland
  • Peita Heffernan from Glencore’s Bulga Coal in New South Wales
  • Carmel Jenkinson from EnergyAustralia’s Yallourn Open Cut Coal Mine in Victoria
  • Jennifer Ward from Newmont’s Boddington mine in Western Australia.

The inaugural Maptek Women in Resources Technological Innovation Award

This award highlights the innovative solutions that are being developed and applied to improve safety, boost efficiency and enhance productivity across the Australian resources sector.

  • Ellie Barnes from Hastings Deering in Queensland for her project Digital Transformation Accelerator
  • Priya Gore from BHP in Queensland for her project 4G Long Term Evolution
  • Ellie Hawkins from CMOC-Northparkes Mines near Parkes in New South Wales for her project WebGen100
  • Genéne Kleppe from Digital Twinning Australia in Adelaide for building a Dynamic Digital Twin
  • Larnie Mackay from Anglo American’s Moranbah North mine in Queensland for pioneering digitisation of underground coal mining.

St Barbara Excellence in Company Programs and Performance Award

This award recognises excellence and innovation in gender diversity programs and outstanding performance in increasing the proportion of women in the workplace.

  • Linda Butterly from Energy Resources Australia for the ‘Ranger Women’s Network’
  • Vanessa Davies from Compass Group for the ‘Launch into Work program’
  • Leah Donovan from Santos for the ‘Working Parents Support Program’
  • Michelle Lawson from WIMNet NSW for its ‘Mentoring Program’
  • Suzannah D’Juliet from Hastings Deering for ‘Together as One’

Rio Tinto Gender Diversity Champion in Australian Resources Award

This award recognises excellence in the encouragement, promotion and advocacy for the attraction, retention and promotion of women within their company and/or the Australian resources sector.

  • Shannon Bakes from Protech Group in Tasmania
  • Adam Dunstan from South32 GEMCO in the Northern Territory
  • Elizabeth Gaines from Fortescue Metals Group in Western Australia
  • Brett Robins from Bell Bay Aluminium in Tasmania
  • Jayson Smeeton from BHP in Brisbane
  • Kate Swain from McCullough Robertson Lawyers in New South Wales.

Newcrest Exceptional Young Woman in Australian Resources Award

This award recognises an outstanding young woman who has shown significant promise and achieved significant milestones in her career to date. It also recognises her contribution to promoting the Australian resources industry’s social licence to operate and increasing gender diversity in the sector.

  • Vanessa Bullock from Woodside Energy’s Karratha Gas Plant, in Western Australia
  • Sarah Gilmour from GHD’s Engineering office in Launceston, Tasmania
  • Maddy Grochowski from Syrah Resources in Victoria
  • Ying Lou from Santos in South Australia
  • Leah Miller from Yancoal Australia’s Mount Thorley Warkworth mine in New South Wales
  • Emma Williams from McArthur River Mine in the Northern Territory
  • Kathryn Young from BHP’s Peak Downs Mine in Moranbah.

Dyno Nobel Exceptional Woman in Australian Resources Award

This award recognises exceptional achievement in any occupation, noting leadership skills, resilience, methods of overcoming barriers and seeking out and accepting new responsibilities and challenges. It also recognises work to promote the industry’s social licence to operate.

  • Kathryn Amos from The University of Adelaide
  • Jo Best from Hastings Deering in Brisbane
  • Estrelia Diaz from MMG’s Rosebery Mine in Tasmania
  • Carrie Heaven from McArthur River Mining in the Northern Territory
  • Rishelle Hume from Chevron Australia in Perth
  • Sue Mills from Kirkland Lake Gold mine in Fosterville, Victoria
  • Renata Roberts from The Bloomfield Group in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales.
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