A mining industry summit is set to highlight the Western Australian (WA) Government‘s continuous commitment to driving cultural change in the mining sector and eliminating inappropriate behaviour in WA mining workplaces.
Scheduled for 1 August, the Mining Industry Summit: Driving Respect will bring together company boards, mine management, health and safety officials, supervisors, and safety specialists to educate and empower leaders to take effective action on safe and respectful workplaces.
The summit is part of the State Government’s response to the Enough is Enough (EIE) report released in June 2022.
“The Mining Industry Summit: Driving Respect is one of the important steps we are taking to help tackle workplace harassment and discrimination in the mining sector,” Industrial Relations Minister Bill Johnston said.
According to Minister Johnston, while the resources industry has made tremendous progress in changing workplace culture, the State Government recognises that more work needs to be done.
Former Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins AO, international workplace culture specialist Dr Dean Laplonge, and Australian organisational behaviour and leadership development expert Professor Sharon Parker are among the keynote speakers.
Parker will share exclusive insights into the preliminary findings of the Mental Awareness, Respect, and Safety (MARS) Program study.
Following consultation with industry bodies, unions, academics, and community groups, the mining industry summit will provide attendees with case studies from WA mining organisations, expert panel discussions, and exhibits from existing MARS Program activities.
Other State Government responses to EIE Report recommendations have either been completed or are in the works, including several MARS Program initiatives.
“We welcome the mining industry’s commitment to work alongside the State Government in driving cultural and legislative change to better educate WA’s existing and future workforce,” Minister Johnston added.
