{{image2-a:r-w:200}}Held at the Glen Hotel in Brisbane on 21 March, the industry event’s attendees included administration personnel, operations managers and suppliers from all states, including Western Australia.
The full day event kicked off with a video showcasing women in numerous roles. Various southeast Queensland quarry and concrete plant operators supported the making of the film by allowing access to their people and sites.
The conference also included speeches from keynote speakers, including Hanson employee relations manager Leanne Parker, Hy-Tec Industries operations manager Amanda Croker, business2one director Linda MacDonald, Groundwork Plus environmental consultant Megan Davis and Orica senior blast technician Karen Normanton.
The conference also included a presentation on gender diversity from IQA CEO Paul Sutton and Australian Institute of Quarrying Education Foundation (AIQEF) director Wayne Scott.
{{image3-a:r-w:200}}The panel session in the afternoon comprised of panel members Tegan Smith (Groundwork Plus), David Smith (Holcim), Carl Buckland (Boral), Paul Sutton (IQA) and Leanne Parker (Hanson).
Delegates throughout the day were encouraged to lodge questions to the panel. At the end of the session, attendees discussed ideas in how to engage people within the industry and attract the right people for the future.
The WIQ initiative promotes networking amongst women in the quarrying and extractive industry and encourages and creates opportunities for personal and professional development.
While the conference program is designed specifically with women in mind, the conference welcomes attendance from all industry colleagues.
More reading
New guide to help attract, retain female employees
Awards to celebrate industry’s social contribution
Extractive industries urged to do more on gender gap