The Buru Rehab Ellendale contract under the Ellendale-Bunuba Trainee Program has achieved 50 per cent Indigenous participation in the workforce across its roster.
Three Bunuba trainees who are part of the program are currently working towards being certified competent on a range of equipment and tasks under the contract.
“It is exciting to be part of a program which not only will improve environmental conditions at Ellendale, but through Buru Rehab’s innovative approach is creating tangible employment and training opportunities on Country,” Abandoned Mines Program general manager Tara Read said.
The Western Australian Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) partnered with Buru Rehab, an Indigenous business that specialises in mine site rehabilitation and Indigenous engagement, to deliver an Indigenous training program at the Ellendale mine in July.
The Ellendale project is located about 140km east of Derby in the West Kimberley region of WA. Mining activities ceased at the project in July 2015, when its owner Kimberley Diamond Company entered into administration, and then into liquidation.
It was declared an abandoned mine site in accordance with the Mining Rehabilitation Fund Act 2012 in December 2015.
Now, the WA Government plans to rehabilitate the former Ellendale diamond mining lease through its Mining Rehabilitation Fund, as part of the Abandoned Mines Program.
A way in which it has worked towards this is through the Ellendale-Bunuba Trainee Program, which has commenced rehabilitation earthworks at the project.
On September 19, DMIRS senior officers met with the Abandoned Mines team, Buru Rehab directors and the operational team met on Country. They were all accompanied by 12 representatives of the Bunuba Dawangarri Aboriginal Corporation (BDAC) to review the works progress.
In the meeting, Bunuba Elders said they were pleased to see the works underway to help restore Country.
Graduates from the Ellendale-Bunuba Trainee Program will be given employment pathway opportunities within the Ellendale rehabilitation team. Alernatively, they can choose to work for other Buru Rehab projects in the Pilbara, Goldfields and Great Southern regions of WA.