- Collaborative resource projects deliver education and health outcomes across WA
- Environmental rehabilitation remains a Cook Government priority
Mines and Petroleum Minister David Michael has congratulated the winners of the Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration’s annual Resources Sector Awards for Excellence, held in Perth today.
The awards celebrate outstanding contributions to Western Australia’s resources industry.
Key categories include the Community Partnership Award for meaningful local engagement and the Golden Gecko Award, which recognises excellence in environmental management and innovation in resource development.
BHP and Child Australia took out top honours in the Community Partnership Award for their collaboration Thriving Futures: redefining regional childcare. The project supports educator training, mentoring, and access to housing, helping to build a sustainable workforce and increase access to early learning services.
The project has reduced childcare waitlists by 75 per cent in Newman and 52 per cent in Port Hedland, created 67 jobs, and provided 39 scholarships and training pathways for local women.
WA1 Resources and Tjamu Tjamu Aboriginal Corporation received the Emerging Community Partnership Award for their West Arunta Access and Community Outcomes project.
This initiative delivered essential maintenance to a 220-kilometre access track to Kiwirrkurra and Balgo, two of Australia’s most remote communities. The project created employment pathways for Indigenous participants and laid the foundations for future Indigenous-led enterprise.
BHP received the Golden Gecko Award for its native seed project at the Yandi mine site, which involved trialling a large-scale Seed Production Area (SPA) focused on three native grass species. Spinifex grasses are central to the Pilbara’s ecology and play a vital role in mine site rehabilitation.
The project supported employment opportunities for 29 Banjima Traditional Owners, and the first seed harvest delivered a yield of 26 million seeds per hectare.
A second Golden Gecko went to BiSN for its wel-lok technology. The wel-lock contributes to long-term environmental protection by delivering permanent gas-tight barriers during well abandonment. These barriers prevent future hydrocarbon migration, eliminate potential leak paths, and support full land and seabed rehabilitation.
BiSN’s tools have been deployed in more than 500 onshore and offshore wells globally, including hostile high-pressure and sour well environments. More information and a full list of winners are available online.
Comments attributed to Mines and Petroleum Minister David Michael:
“On behalf of the Cook Government, I congratulate this year’s winners and participants for their outstanding contributions to our State.
“WA continues to lead the way in responsible resource development, and these awards highlight exactly why this is one of the best places in the world to do business.
“These partnerships show what’s possible when industry and community come together with a shared vision and a commitment to long-term outcomes for Western Australians.”
Media contact: Stuart McKinnon 0498 371 597 or 6552 5100
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