Hon Bill Marmion BE MBA MLA — Nation’s young mining leaders in Perth-first battle

Australia’s next generation of geologists, engineers and resource industry leaders have descended on Perth for two major mining industry events.

Launching the 2014 National Collegiate Mining Games, at The University of Western Australia (UWA), Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Marmion said about 200 competitors would compete over two days in events from traditional air drilling and gold panning to laying railway track and hand-chiselling concrete.

He wished the competitors good luck.

“Whether you are a dirt screeder or an ore mucker, handy with a swede saw or aiming to set the perfect firing sequence, I wish you all the best,” Mr Marmion said.

“These games are an important reminder of WA’s rich mining heritage and the enormous contribution the industry makes to our State’s wealth. The games keep traditional mining techniques alive, while strengthening the camaraderie among our future mining leaders.”

The games are part of the International Collegiate Mining Games, developed in memory of 91 people killed in America’s Sunshine Mine disaster in 1972.

“That tragedy had a global impact on industry standards that have since been pivotal in protecting the lives of thousands of mine workers,” the Minister said.

This is the first time Perth has hosted the games, which are being held in conjunction with the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) New Leaders’ Conference which was held on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

The events are co-hosted by AusIMM student chapters from UWA, Curtin University and Murdoch University.

The two-day conference is about the future of mining and petroleum in Australia, with a thought-provoking program for students and graduates from the minerals sector.