Mining companies are ready for a second wave of COVID but fear long-term impacts of the pandemic: report

About one third of WA’s mining companies were unaffected by intrastate lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report found. The report, produced by the WA Chamber of Minerals and Energy, is the result of a series of interviews and survey with company executives during and after the height of the pandemic. It explored how the pandemic affective the sector and its preparedness for a second wave. Interstate border closures were identified as a main restriction for the industry with 90 per cent of respondents saying their company was impacted by the closure. By comparison only 63 per cent of respondents from the Pilbara said their companies were affected by intrastate travel restrictions – of those 45 per cent said that impact was minimal. “We were able to relocate most interstate employees to WA, however their mental health is a concern, specifically those with families that had not been home for months,” one contracting company said. Poor mental health was one of the key side effects of the pandemic with a strong focus nationally on increasing services for those in need. That focus extended to the minerals sector with 74 per cent of respondents implementing more mental health support for employees during the pandemic. “Our younger employees found it difficult working from home due to the limited social contact. Extra mental health support was made available such as weekend check-ins,” one iron ore company said. The minerals sector operated throughout the pandemic where other businesses had to shut down thanks to strict quarantine requirements and on-site testing. About half of the companies surveyed said they were minimally prepared or were taken by surprise when COVID-19 first hit Western Australia. Now 100 per cent of respondents say they are prepared should a second wave strike the State. But despite the increased optimism the industry still has concerns about the long-term ramifications of the pandemic. “Due to pressures in other parts of the business we had to deploy a redundancy program, however we are concerned when the market picks up again, where will the talent be?,” one contracting company said. As part of its report the CME has called on the government to support workforce mobility to help address skilled worker shortages throughout the sector. “The current skills shortage is placing pressure on the cost of labour in some sectors upwards,” the report reads. “Both from a cost and business continuity perspective, the filling of critical skills and experienced roles which are difficult to source in WA should be prioritised through a combination of training and skills relocation initiatives. “These measures will facilitate operational continuity and growth in the sector, protecting companies if travel restrictions limit interstate and international travel.”