IQA national women in quarrying coordinator Carly Monaghan discusses her career so far and why she’s excited for the future of quarrying.
Carly Monaghan has been named as the national coordinator for the Institute of Quarrying Australia’s (IQA) Women in Quarrying (WIQ) initiative.
Monaghan takes over the role from her colleague Tegan Smith, who founded the WIQ initiative in Queensland.
Monaghan told Quarry that she did not take the honour lightly.
“To be stepping into the role after Tegan Smith, who is just an absolute inspiration to everyone in our sector, is incredibly humbling. Tegan is so passionate, and I just hope I can continue that passion and drive,” she said.
“I think the role is about inclusion and engagement, and motivating people to be involved with our network and our sector, and I want to show up for all the women and people of diverse backgrounds in our sector.”
The national role continues a rapid rise for Monaghan. She began her career in the quarrying sector as a graduate environmental consultant with Groundwork Plus (recently acquired by SLR Consulting) in 2021 after studying a degree in chemistry and soil science, as well as an honours degree in soil science and contaminated land.
Being from the Barossa Valley, a chance conversation while teaching swimming lessons created an opportunity to work in the quarrying sector in South Australia, and since then, she has not looked back.
The diverse nature of Monaghan’s responsibilities means no two days are ever the same. She has been responsible for environmental compliance, monitoring and reporting, as well as quarry approvals and audits.
“This is the furthest thing from what I thought I would be doing,” Monaghan said.
“I had never really considered the sector, and I didn’t know what it was really, but I thought, ‘why not?’ The office was based in Nuriootpa, so it was a five-minute commute for me, and it’s been fantastic. The team at Groundwork was so welcoming and so was the wider sector.”
Recently, Monaghan has expanded her role at SLR Consulting and relocated to Victoria, where she now works as an associate consultant for the company’s construction materials and services team.
“I get to do something different each day, and I enjoy the fact that we deliver real solutions to our clients,” she said.
“You can really see the outcomes. It is cool to go through the approval process with a quarry manager and then come back to the site, and it has been implemented. The clients we work with are so genuine and fast thinking, while I am there to support them with their approvals, I find I learn so much from them.”
From the early days of her career in quarrying, Monaghan has been an active member of the IQA community. During her time in South Australia, she held roles with the South Australian branch, including being the state’s women in quarrying coordinator.
Last year, she was named as one of the IQA Ambassadors for 2025 alongside SLR Consulting colleagues James Rowe, Clayton Hill, and Smith. Monaghan was also part of the Australian contingent that took part in the IQA’s study tour to the UK, which visited several active quarries as well as the Hillhead 2024 trade show. Monaghan said the WIQ network at both the state and national levels was incredibly important.
“Being a male-dominated sector, the women in quarrying network can help foster connections with other women in our sector,” she said.
“For those working in isolated areas, where they might be the only woman on site or lacking the opportunity to connect with other women, the women in quarrying network is their main way to do so. When you see women more engaged in their roles, they want to stay, and that creates more diverse workplaces.
“Having people of more diverse backgrounds connected to your workplace and passionate about what they do helps you create the best work environment possible.”
One of Monaghan’s first major initiatives as national WIQ coordinator will be to organise the IQA’s Building Inclusive Futures day in late October. The event aims to showcase practical actions for the next-generation workforce and position quarrying as a truly inclusive sector.
“We’re finalising the details, but it’s going to be an exciting opportunity to bring the sector together around diversity and inclusion,” she said.
Monaghan hopes the WIQ network can play a role in making the quarrying sector more diverse moving forward.
“I’ve always been passionate about women being in our sector. To me, it seems like a no-brainer to shift towards a model where we can further support diversity and encourage all kinds of people to work in our sector,” she said.
“As our sector changes, there are so many roles beyond just operating roles, and we can help showcase that. It is something I am passionate about, doing the role for South Australia was a good step, but I am excited about taking that on at a national level.” •
