Rio Tinto will gift a mobile worker camp to the West Australian government as payment and penance for losing a minuscule radioactive capsule along an 1800-kilometre-long stretch of road through the state’s outback.
The mining company will deliver and then install the 40-person donga camp near Fitzroy Crossing, where it will be used in the town’s flood recovery efforts.
The camp will house tradespeople working on the rebuild of more than 100 houses damaged or destroyed in record flooding at the start of the year.
A final cost for the capsule search effort is still being calculated, but following its discovery WA’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services estimated costs to be more than $100,000.
The donga camp alone is valued at $4 million, but with delivery and installation Rio Tinto’s iron ore boss Simon Trott said the gift exceeded the anticipated cost of the capsule’s search mission.
“This camp satisfies the obligation to pay for the search,” he said.
Trott said the camp would be set up by the end of April and would remain a state government asset once delivered.
Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson said the government had discussed what support the company could offer the state government following Trott’s offer to pay for the search in early February.
“Very gratefully, Simon has indicated that they will provide a 40-person camp to be able to be brought to Fitzroy Crossing,” he said.
The McGowan government has demonstrated a deftness in convincing mining companies to part with their revenue for the greater public good.
In November 2022, he unveiled a $750 million fund made up of contributions from the state’s biggest resources companies such as BHP, Rio Tinto and Woodside that will be used exclusively for major community projects – the biggest of which is the Aboriginal cultural centre on the Perth foreshore.
Emergency Service Minister Stephen Dawson, Rio Tinto iron ore chief executive Simon Trott and WA Premier Mark McGowan stand around images of the 40-person donga camp being gifted to the WA government.Credit:Hamish Hastie
Mining companies were also clamouring to donate to the Lord Mayor’s Distress Relief Fund in the wake of the Kimberley flooding.
Dawson also revealed a new grants scheme for apprentices and businesses to encourage workers to head to the Kimberley.
Under the scheme employers can apply for grants of up to $3000 per annum and apprentices and trainees can apply for $1000 per annum to cover costs such as travel and accommodation if they head to Fitzroy Crossing.
In addition to the home rebuilds Main Roads recently awarded the contract to rebuild the destroyed Fitzroy Crossing bridge to Georgiou Group and BMD Constructions.
Despite WA’s already overheated construction market, Dawson said he was confident they would fill the positions needed in the recovery efforts.
“The call has been going out through the various chambers and the various industry bodies to get workers there, but certainly, I would urge people if you’re listening to this tonight, and you fancy a job in the Kimberley and you’ve got a trade, we’ll take you,” he said.
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