31 minute read
MANAGEMENT
MANAGEMENT INTELLIGENCE: A KEY TO SUCCESSFUL LEADERSHIP
For quarries to succeed in today’s competitive world, a unilateral way of doing business is invalid. To get the best out of an operation and a workforce requires effective two-way communication. Mike Cameron explains the importance of management intelligence in the modern environment.
Management Intelligence (MI) is the ability to lead “change” through effective communication and interpersonal awareness. It includes evaluating challenges, implementing strategies, empowering and developing team members, monitoring performance and constantly evaluating the situational relevance to future customer needs and business planning.
MI is guided by numerous tenets of wisdom: • Dwight D Eisenhower (1944), who stated that leadership “is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because that person wants to do it”. • Gareth R Jones, whose Organizational Theory (1995) defines management in terms of its functions and objectives, ie: “Management is the planning, organising, leading, and controlling of resources to achieve goals effectively and efficiently.” According to Jones, efficient organisations manage resources to maximise their utility in the process of producing goods or services. Effective organisations achieve qualitative goals and targets that are customer-centric, such as satisfaction. • Peter Drucker (1994) summed up efficiency and effectiveness as doing things right. In other words, it is not a question of how much but rather how well the organisation achieves its goals. • The Value Cycle model, which identifies six key management commitments, six key management responsibilities and the organisation’s need to interrelate with their customers’ ever-changing requirements. The key components of MI are: • Competency in effective communication and interpersonal awareness. • Proficiency in the four behavioural competencies of the Plan, Organise, Lead and Control (POLC) model: Conceptual and Strategic (Thinking and Evaluating), and Tactical and Operational (Doing and Adapting). • An understanding of how to apply the
Figure 1. The Plan, Organise, Lead and Control (POLC) model.
Value Cycle and utilise the process to transform and empower workplace teams, their interaction with the organisation’s management and others across the business, customers, suppliers, regulators and other important stakeholders.
POLC MODEL For the purposes of this article, the original POLC model (Figure 1) has been modified to suit the extractive industry’s prevailing management structure.
Planning This is all about questions - “Where are we now? Where do we need to be? How do we get there?” - that will obviously differ in complexity, depending upon the person’s level of management within the organisation.
The higher your status, the more the focus will be conceptual and strategic in nature, and at an operational level the more strategic and tactical it will be.
At the operational level, questions may be as basic as: “What’s to be done? Who’s going to do it? How will they complete the task?” It is a manager’s key responsibility to articulate the daily, weekly and even monthly plans associated with sales requirements, production output, blasted rock on ground or available raw material, the immediate steps in the quarry’s development, and any issues of importance to the safety, security and long-term wellbeing of employees and others associated with the operation’s success.
Great planning is the foundation for both efficiency and effectiveness.
At a higher level, management needs to regularly review its medium- to longer-term planning, while monitoring progress against expectations, as well as the business, social and governmental environments, to identify new opportunities for their organisation.
Organising An important management function is to organise the workplace in a way that enables groups of people to work together and achieve predetermined goals (established during the planning stage).
To succeed, when measured in terms of effectiveness and efficiency, the organisation must deploy its resources (human, equipment and materials) in a way that maximises its ability to produce the best possible outcome.
Leading Leadership is about behaviours and creating the conditions for success. Great achievements will not be accomplished without leadership, in some form or function. The key responsibility of leadership is to create a vision for the organisation, or to articulate that vision in language or terms that are easily understood by employees within their workplace. It is about setting the focus and direction that will encourage employees to work at their best and ensuring their activities are co-ordinated to achieve maximum results for the organisation. It is also about being seen by employees as a “walking the talk” leader, not a “do as I say, not as I do” manager!
Controlling Control cannot exist without plans, goals and objectives, which must be communicated, implemented and monitored across all levels of management within an organisation. From the perspective of executive management, creating exceptional plans,
Figure 2. The cropped value cycle model.
developing the perfect organisational matrix and finding the perfect leader is of little value unless “critical success factors” and “key performance indicators” are measured against agreed targets and predetermined goals.
However, from a quarry manager’s viewpoint, the performance monitoring may be: • To clearly define the delegated task(s) required to achieve the planned outcome that was communicated at the morning’s “toolbox meeting”. • To check on understanding of the requirements and the employee’s ability to satisfactorily complete the task(s). • To determine that the employee has accepted accountability for completing the delegated task(s) “in full and on time”. In my opinion, a quarry manager must adopt a leadership approach to the “controlling function” to ensure they empower the employee, build trust and improve the team’s skill levels.
VALUE CYCLE MODEL The hub, with the three rotatable components of the Value Cycle model (Figure 2), represents the core beliefs of an effective workplace team or business unit, particularly values and trust. Each of the “spokes” on the model’s inner component represent the six key management responsibilities, namely planning, productivity,
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quality, leadership, talent management, and communication . The blue disc represents the six key management accountabilities, namely performance and results, continuous improvement, innovation and change, learning and leadership, relationships and teamwork, and safety and security. The outer yellow ring represents the external focus of the business, namely: • Customers (external and new). Value has to be created, and new products or services developed, to keep existing external customers and attract new ones. Internal customers’ expectations must also be fulfilled. • Research and awareness. Organisations have to research their customers’ current and future needs, and scan internal and external environments to build awareness of trends, catalysts and changes. • Resources and providers. Raw materials and other resources are required from various internal and external providers. Employees can be seen as both a resource to assist in the achievement
of goals and as providers of expertise, innovation, loyalty, passion and commitment. • Structure and systems. These must be in place to convert the resources into one or more final end products or services. • Equipment and technology. Throughout the value creation cycle, equipment and technology are required to achieve the greatest performance. • Marketing and sales. Products and services have to be marketed and sold to existing and new external customers. • Delivery and service of products or services to customers. The manner in which the products or services are packaged, delivered and serviced impacts on the retention of existing customers and the attraction of new customers. To illustrate the power of the Value Cycle model, see the following “root cause” analysis.
ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS A customer has complained that crushed rock deliveries for his road construction project have been intermittent, creating much frustration on-site and difficulty in achieving the appropriate degree of compaction within a reasonable time frame.
To evaluate the potential “root cause” prior to a more formal team review: • Move the blue ring so that “Performance and Results” are directly below “Delivery and Service” on the outer yellow ring. Now move any of the inner spokes to align with “Performance and Results”. • Select “Communication”. This process quickly identifies that there may have been a poor level of communication between the weighbridge and the customer. • Select “Planning”. This process quickly identifies that there may have been too few trucks ordered or available to deliver the quantity of crushed rock ordered, as a continuous supply to the road-laying crew on-site, as expected by the customer and promised by the sales team. •
Mike Cameron is an IQA member and an executive coach for Strategically Yours. Email mike@ strategically.com.au or visit strategically.com.au
The Institute of Quarrying Australia
FROM THE CEO
THE VALUES OF MEMBERSHIP, EDUCATION INTO 2020 AND BEYOND
Institute membership has many benefits. Primarily, IQA membership is a formal recognition of an individual’s professional achievement and competency. As a corporate member, you will have access to broader networks, education and career advice. Members are updated with the latest technical, health and safety, environmental and commercial developments in the industry, through participation in Institute activities and by access to a broad range of information. Networking with other members gives rise to great friendships. Members meet regularly at a local, national or international level. As part of the IQA’s focus on The Future of Quarrying , it is now easier than ever to join or renew your membership. For new members it is as simple as a visit to our website: quarry.com.au/IQA/Membership/join_now/ For membership renewals, log into your member account at quarry.com.au and follow the easy steps to renew.
We welcome all feedback from members, expressing what being a member brings to them personally. In the words of some:
Dan Rensburg-Phillips |Territory sales manager, Hanson “I was fortunate enough to recently attend the Young Member Network’s tour of Hillgrove Copper Mine and Hanson Kanmantoo Quarry in South Australia. It was a fantastic day spent with a great bunch of young and enthusiastic Young Members. I truly value the opportunity to network and knowledge share with such an amazing group of the quarrying family. I am grateful for all the IQA does to increase the professionalism and knowledge of our industry!” Chris Prowse FIQ |Principal consultant, CK Prowse & Associates “As a member for over 25 years, I enjoy and feel privileged to be a part of the IQA, meeting and learning from a family of fantastic people. Certainly, the technical and networking opportunities keep me at the forefront of the industry as it develops.”
Jason Egan | Area manager, Quarry Solutions “For over 20 years I have been a member of the IQA across three states. Early on in my career the technical knowledge gained was extremely helpful in teaching a young bloke that literally started on a shovel digging spillage under a conveyor belt. Over the years I have been fortunate to have made many life-long relationships with some terrific quarry people with the guidance offered to me through those years being invaluable.”
IQA Awards 2019 Each year the IQA recognises the contribution of individuals and sites to the growth and improvement of the extractive industry through a number of awards. The awards process recognises the significant achievements across the industry that promote leadership and excellence. The awards profile the valuable contribution of our industry to our community and aim to further the discussion about quality improvement, environment and safety.
Nominations are now open for the 2019 Awards – the deadline is 6 August, 2019. The IQA’s industry awards will be announced at this year’s IQA national conference in Geelong, Victoria, from 1 to 3 October, 2019.
To submit applications or nominations for the awards, visit quarry.com.au/awards 2019 annual conference The 2019 conference in Geelong will support and invigorate the IQA’s vision of providing valuable educational, networking and promotional content to help businesses to make the most of opportunities in the industry.
New or emerging technologies, resource constraints, health and safety, community and regulatory requirements and more, combine to provide opportunity for the quarrying industry. How do we unlock these opportunities and what is best for businesses, people and customers? The 2019 conference will provide a great opportunity for members and their businesses to better understand changing customer requirements, network with key decision-makers and industry professionals, and discuss business products and services. To register as a delegate for the 2019 national conference, visit conference.quarry.com.au
The conference retains the successful format of previous meetings while implementing new initiatives. The IQA acknowledges the many companies involved in sponsoring this event: • Event platinum sponsors - Hitachi, Komatsu and Caterpillar. • Partner sponsor - Orica. • Other sponsors in Epiroc, Weir Minerals, Terex and Liebherr. • Trade exhibitors, including AEG, AVWeld, Carlson, Kinder, Lincom, Metso, Minprovise, Precisionscreen, Trimble, and Wirtgen Group. For inquiries about sponsorship or the trade exhibition, visit conference.quarry.com.au/sponsors/ Furthering education Are you looking to advance your skills further? The IQA offers programs for completion of Diploma Certificates 3 & 4 in Surface Extraction Operations, the Diploma of Surface Operations Management and Advanced Diploma of Extractive Industries Management, plus numerous Professional Development Programs (PDPs) and wPDPs. For more information, turn to page 50 or visit quarry.com.au/rii KYLIE FAHEY Chief Executive Officer Institute of Quarrying Australia
2019 IQA EVENTS2019 IQA EVENTS
ACT BRANCH 12 July Dinner meeting (Venue TBA) 15 Nov Dinner meeting (Venue TBA)
NSW CENTRAL WEST SUB-BRANCH 14 June Women in Quarrying seminar
NSW ILLAWARRA SUB-BRANCH 17 July AGM and dinner meeting (Venue TBA) 30 Nov Races day (Venue TBA)
QUEENSLAND BRANCH 14 June Quarrying Safety & Health Conference, Brisbane 7 Aug Dinner meeting & AGM, Brisbane Sept CMEMC 2019
CENTRAL QUEENSLAND SUB-BRANCH 19 July Annual golf day, Rockhampton
NORTH QUEENSLAND BRANCH 19 June Safety & Health Seminar, Townsville 26 July Annual Golf Day, Cairns 13 Aug AGM and dinner meeting, Townsville 13 Sept Annual golf day, Townsville 8 Oct Technical and dinner meeting, Townsville 30 Oct Technical and dinner meeting, Cairns 15 Nov Christmas Party, Townsville
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BRANCH 12 July Women in Quarrying Conference, Adelaide Pavilion 30 Aug AGM/dinner, National Wine Centre
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN BRANCH 21 June Brikmakers clay brickworks site visit and sundowner 7 Aug Breakfast meeting, Beaumonde on the Point, East Perth 3 Sept AGM and dinner meeting, Imperial Court Restaurant 22 Nov Annual golf day, Joondalup Resort
All dates and venues for the above branches are correct at time of press. Not all branches had confirmed their activities/ dates. For further information about IQA branch activities, contact your local branch representative (see IQA branch contacts on page 51) or visit quarry.com.au
VICTORIAN SUB-BRANCH 25 July Dinner meeting, Bendigo 12 Sept Dinner meeting, Ballarat 21 Nov Dinner meeting, Bendigo
PDP WORKSHOPS & EVENTS
To register for the events below and for further information, visit: quarry.com.au, click on link to ‘Education’, followed by ‘Upcoming Professional Development Programs’.
IQA 62ND ANNUAL CONFERENCE Geelong Football Club, Kardinia Park Geelong, Victoria 1-3 October (Tuesday to Thursday), 2019
“The Future of Quarrying” will be the theme of the IQA’s annual conference which this year will be hosted at the home of the Geelong Cats AFL Football Club. The conference program will focus on numerous topics, including: the maximisation of limited natural resources through technology; the benefits of effective management of workplace diversity; new developments in emerging fixed and mobile plant technology; environmental and economic trends impacting on the industry; and much more. In a first, the conference program will be hosted on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. For more information, visit quarry.com.au
QUARRYING SAFETY & HEALTH CONFERENCE 14 June 2019 Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
The Quarrying Safety & Health Conference, which is co-hosted by the CCAA, the IQA and the Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy (DNRME), is now into its 17th year. This year’s day-long event will include thought provoking keynote speakers, a DNRME update and other presentations on practical issues affecting the quarrying industry. The conference will be held in the Boulevard Room at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. For more information and to register, contact Cassandra Koutouridis, CCAA, email cassandra.koutouridis@ccaa.com.au or Jennifer Milward, IQA, tel 0419 782 688 or email qld-admin@quarry.com.au
MANUFACTURED SAND WPDP 17 June 2019
Manufactured sand is increasingly used in the construction materials industry as the availability of natural sand deposits declines. This webinar outlines the uses and typical properties of manufactured sand, and briefly covers operational issues during production and use of the product. This webinar is suitable for managers, supervisors, testers and operational management employed or seeking employment in the industry.
CCAA CONCRETE PRACTICE COURSES & WORKSHOPS 19-20 June, Brisbane 2-3 July, Adelaide 24-25 September, Perth
This course - developed in consultation with the industry for the industry - has been designed to provide participants with a detailed understanding of concrete
The Institute of Quarrying Australia
material and behaviour in relation to physical properties, production, placing and associated on-site operations such as reinforcement and potential causes of failure. It comprises of two parts: (i) 14 eLearning modules that have been developed to enhance the industry’s knowledge of concrete and featuring embedded activities and assessments in a sequential, easy to follow, and easy to navigate format; and (ii) workshops held around the country that will feature presentations from industry experts, Q&A panel sessions with industry experts, group work and case studies, and a final assessment. Participants will be required to complete all modules prior to attending the workshop (as learnings will be referred to and enhanced during the two-day workshop) and should allow five to six weeks to complete all of the modules. Registrations will close five weeks prior to each workshop and attendance at the two-day workshop is a requirement to complete the course. A personalised certificate will be issued upon successful completion of parts 1 and 2 of the course. The cost of admission is $1800 (inc GST) for CCAA members and $2200 (inc GST) for non-CCAA members. For further information, contact the CCAA’s learning and development manager Ceridwen Jones, tel 02 9667 8319, email ccaaeducation@ccaa.com.au
ENERGY AND MINES AUSTRALIA SUMMIT Westin, Perth 19-20 June 2019
Now in its third year, the Energy and Mines Australia Summit enables miners to meet energy providers to develop affordable, reliable, low carbon energy projects for gridtied and remote mines. In Australia, in particular, the economics of renewable energy in mining is compelling and the mining sector is actively looking for experienced, and reputable partners to address their energy challenges and take advantage of the affordable, reliable power delivered by renewables and storage. Topics to be discussed at the event include: Australia’s hydrogen economy and mining sector opportunities; changing energy economics and options for mining operators; low cost electricity with solar and storage; the role of renewables to address cost and supply challenges; energy challenges and options for new and existing mines; global developments in hybrid power for mines; advancing remote power solutions for mines; and the decarbonisation of mine transport and the aspiration for zero emissions mine fleets. Key note speakers for the event include: Darren Miller, CEO of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency; Grant Nicholas, director of the ANZ Bank’s Natural Resources Group; Kevin Jamieson, the National Australia Bank’s natural resources director; Michael Dolan, hydrogen innovation and development lead for Fortescue Metals Group; Michael Scotton, Rio Tinto’s energy strategy senior manager; and Kirsten Rose, BHP’s head of low emissions technology. For more information, contact delegate director Olivia Mendoza, tel 08 6102 7568, email olivia.mendoza@ energyandmines.com
PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT WPDP 24 June 2019
This webinar doesn’t require an in-depth knowledge of statistics, pareto analysis, or six-sigma. It provides grassroots basic tools that will help participants to identify opportunities and manage the improvement cycle. It is suitable for managers, supervisors, operational employees, and operational management employed or seeking employment in the industry.
QUALITY CONTROL & STATISTICS WPDP 8 July 2019
Effective quality control forms an essential part of professional quarry production processes. Conformance with specifications, predictability, and repeatability of product results helps quarry managers to control costs and ensure repeat business. This webinar is suitable for managers, quarry/ laboratory supervisors, testers, and operational management employed or seeking employment in the industry.
QUARRYNZ 2019 17-19 July 2019 ILT Stadium Southland Invercargill, New Zealand
Registrations for the annual joint conference of the Aggregate and Quarry Association of New Zealand and the Institute of Quarrying New Zealand are now open to delegates, partners, sponsors and distributors. The conference is an opportunity for all those involved in the industry to interact and exchange ideas, take the opportunity to hear the experiences of guest speakers and to socialise with old friends and colleagues and to make new contacts. The theme of the conference will focus on the region’s contribution to the New Zealand economy: Southern Rock anchoring NZ. The social program will include three functions, tickets for which will be included in delegate and partner registration packages. For more information, visit quarrynz.com
COST MANAGEMENT FOR QUARRIES WPDP 22 July 2019
With increased pressure on productivity, profitability, efficiency and asset utilisation, the focus on cost control has never been more important. Quarry managers are the front line in cost management. Daily decisions directly influence monthly profit outcomes. This webinar defines the various cost terms used in the industry, discusses how they are influenced, and provides potential system solutions to increase cost and performance visibility. It is suitable for managers, supervisors, operational employees, and operational management employed or seeking employment in the industry.
SPECIFICATIONS WPDP 5 August 2019
Specifications provide the basis for conformance of most construction materials. This webinar will take the participant through the various documents that affect and influence quarry products. It will cover specifications as dictated by Australian Standards and state road authorities, and how to read and interpret specification documents. It is suitable for sales managers, technical/laboratory managers, quarry supervisors, testers and operational managers.
TEST METHODS WPDP 19 August 2019
Many product issues encountered by quarry operators can be traced back to having a good understanding of the material and its properties. Having an understanding of how each test is performed and corresponding results determined can assist quarry personnel in recommending products to customers, as well as limiting future product technical claims or issues. It is suitable for sales managers, quarry managers, quarry supervisors, testers, and operational management employed or seeking employment in the industry.
IQA NEWS
Fiona Robertson spoke about leadership in the resources sector.
NSW WOMEN IN QUARRYING CONFERENCE The New South Wales Women in Quarrying (WIQ) conference was attended by 170 persons throughout the NSW quarrying industry. It was held on the 8th of February 2019 at the Hyatt Regency Sydney.
The conference acknowledged and celebrated the contributions of women to the extractive industry and created a platform to further encourage their involvement in the industry. It also provided an opportunity for people across the industry to connect, network and share their experiences. While the program is designed specifically with women in mind, the conference welcomed attendance from all industry colleagues. IQA CEO Kylie Fahey opened the conference, followed by the national WIQ coordinator Tegan Smith, who gave an overview of the WIQ’s work in 2018 and discussed its national strategy for this year.
Other speakers on the day included: • Clarity and perspective coach, speaker and teacher Vashti Whitfield, who conducted workshops on the impact of unconscious bias on sustainable long-term success, and the mitigation of unconscious bias through legacy leadership. Participants responded that “Vashti was great and held the whole event together” and “Vashti is a superstar”. Vashti successfully weaved a narrative throughout the day that highlighted the importance of diversity and how all people can be agents of change. The sessions were geared towards personal accountability and her workshops throughout the day were designed to be challenging and stimulating. • Fiona Robertson, the non-executive director for mining and energy at Whitehaven Coal, who spoke about leadership in the resources sector. Fiona has 40 years’ experience in corporate
52 Quarry June 2019 (l-r) Dallas Wilkinson, Tegan Smith, Kylie Fahey, Ali Burston, Fiona Robertson, Chloe Quinn, Peter Lawlor and Vashti Whitfield.
finance, including 30 years working with emerging and mid-tier resource companies as a banker, chief financial officer (CFO) and non-executive director. After graduating with a degree in geology, she joined The Chase Manhattan Bank in London. Her early career included corporate banking, risk management and resource industry financing roles with Chase in London, New York and Sydney, before moving into CFO roles with various ASX-listed mining and oil and gas companies. Currently, she is a non-executive director of three companies - ASX-listed Whitehaven Coal and Heron Resources, and private equity-backed MPC Kinetic. Fiona has played an active role in the the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Women in Mining Network (WIMnet), sitting on the national WIMnet committee from 2012 to 2017 and chairing WIMnet NSW, the state-based networking and mentoring arm, from 2012 to 2015. She continues her involvement in co-ordinating WIMnet’s very successful mentoring program in NSW. Fiona was named the gender diversity champion in Australian resources at the 2017 Women in Mining and Resources National Awards, and the gender diversity champion in NSW mining at the 2017 NSW Minerals Council’s Women in Mining Awards. • Dr Dallas Wilkinson, the Asia-Pacific managing director of the Dennemeyer Group, who discussed mentoring programs for diversity and inclusion. • Chloe Quinn, Orica’s NSW and ACT territory manager for quarries and construction, who outlined business strategies for improving diversity. • Dr Ali Burston, who spoke about the WIQ’s NSW mentoring program for 2019 and called for registrations for both mentors and mentees. The NSW WIQ co-ordinator Natalie Hansen said that the key messages that members should have taken from the day were that: • Diversity and inclusion play a significant part in the ongoing success of the business. • All people are capable of being agents of positive change. • Challenge is an access point for growth. Work is underway to finalise the WIQ mentoring initiative aimed to support women in the industry to align with senior mentors to assist and support their development.
The conference was sponsored by Orica, Hy-Tec, Holcim, Boral, Hanson, Groundwork Plus, VGT, Komatsu, 888 Crushing & Screening Equipment, Cement Concrete and Aggregates Australia and the Australian Institute of Quarrying Education Foundation.
Simon Kuestenmacher will speak at the Quarrying Safety & Health Conference in Brisbane.
QUEENSLAND BRANCH NEWS Quarrying Safety & Health Conference The annual Quarrying Safety & Health Conference is on again at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre on Friday, 14 June. With the support of the conference’s gold sponsors - Komatsu, Astec Australia, and Evolution Mining – the conference planning committee has ensured this year’s program provides the latest in case studies and information relevant to safety and health in the extractive industry.
This year’s technical program includes: • Case studies by Andrew Macqueen, the head of safety, environment and quality for Wagners; Kristin Devlin, risk manager for Hanson; and Rakeev Ramankutty, the general manager of Sunstate Cement. • Crucial behaviours safety program, featuring Greg Scanlan, the general manager of safety and sustainability at Oceana Gold.
The Institute of Quarrying Australia
• Skills for Australia update – skills required in the extractive industry – presented by Juliet Kwang, of PwC Australia. • Current status and future of critical control management in the quarrying industry, presented by Sharyn Cobbin, the education and training manager of the Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre at the University of Queensland. • Inspectorate updates, legislation and competencies, featuring Lucha Rocchi, the Queensland Chief Inspector of Mines and Herman Fasching, the Deputy Chief Inspector of Mines. • Findings of crystalline silica/improvements, with Greg Manthey, the Inspector of Mines specialising in occupational hygiene. • Education for the extractive industry, presented by IQA CEO Kylie Fahey. • Collision management risk evaluation for mobile equipment, with Chris Doran, the managing director of Mitacom. • Drone technology, with Dave Arnott, resource manager for Holcim. The closing address will be made by Simon Kuestenmacher, from The Demographics Group. Simon will outline how new technologies, new generations and new skills are changing the workplace.
The conference will also feature a trade exhibition comprising suppliers such as Komatsu, Groundwork Plus, Cotral Australia, the MinRes Training Institute, Coolfog ( Access Environmental Systems), Breathe Safe, GroundProbe, Kinder Australia, Global Road Technology, Astec Australia, Hammersley Australia, Clean Space Technology, OHMS Hygiene and Evolution Mining.
Registrations for the conference are now open. Visit the IQA website – quarry.com.au – or contact the Queensland branch secretariat, tel 0419 782 688 or email qld-admin@quarry.com.au By Jennifer Milward
competencies, featuring Lucha Rocchi, the Queensland Chief Inspector of Mines and Herman Fasching, the Deputy Chief Inspector of Mines. • Findings of crystalline silica/ improvements, with Greg Manthey, the Inspector of Mines specialising in occupational hygiene. • Education for the extractive industry, presented by IQA CEO Kylie Fahey. • Current status and future of critical control management in the quarrying industry, with Assoc Prof Carmel Bofinger, of the Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre at the University of Queensland. • Drone technology, with Dave Arnott, resource manager for Holcim. • Mental health in young Australians, presented by Nicole Thomas, the community development leader of Headspace. The seminar will conclude at 4.00pm, followed by informal drinks and snacks through to 6.00pm.
To register, visit the IQA website – quarry. com.au – or contact the Queensland branch secretariat, tel 0419 782 688 or email qld-admin@quarry.com.au By Jennifer Milward
Richard Sellers (right), with WA branch chairman Phil Harris.
NORTH QUEENSLAND BRANCH NEWS
Safety & Health Seminar, Townsville The annual Quarrying Safety & Health Seminar, co-hosted by the IQA and the Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, will be held in Townsville on Wednesday, 19 June, commencing at 9.30am at Rydges South Bank.
The topics of the seminar program will include: • Inspectorate updates, legislation and
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN BRANCH NEWS About 55 members attended the WA branch’s breakfast function on 8 May to listen to Richard Sellers, the director general of Transport WA discuss the state’s transport priorities, including Metronet and the Westport Strategy.
The branch’s next function, on 21 June, is a site visit to Brikmakers clay brick works, where members will have the opportunity to see the modern brick-making process from clay preparation through to final packaging.
Be sure to keep the evening of Tuesday, 3 September free. The branch will be holding its AGM at the Imperial Court Restaurant and – drum roll – coming back to perform for us is Freddie (Mercury), aka Thomas Crane, the front man for Queen tribute band Bohemian Rhapsody. He last entertained the branch in 2013.
For information about these events, or any of the activities of the WA branch, contact the branch secretariat, tel 0417 027 928 or email wa-admin@quarry.com.au
By Celia Pavri
IQA NEW MEMBERS
GRADE NAME BRANCH T/Member Gene Joseph Howard NSW Student Stephanie Kriznjak NSW Associate Mark Arnold NSW Member Hendrik Lourens NSW Associate Greg Burnett QLD Member Michael Greelish QLD Member Nicholas James Bamford QLD Associate Adrian Parkin SA Associate Megan Coles SA Associate Jake Samuel Schmidt SA Associate Zachary John Sims SA Associate Dominic Carl Barro VIC Member Elizabeth Gibson VIC Member Daniel Zanin VIC Associate Jan Averhaus WA Associate Jesse Sullivan WA Member Edoardo Sommacal WA
IQA BRANCH CONTACTS
ACT Peter Hewson: 0429 001 476 NSW Gemma Thursfield: 0402 431 090 Northern Gemma Thursfield: 0402 431 090 Hunter Gemma Thursfield: 0402 431 090 Illawarra Dylan Treadwell: 0418 632 057 Central West Mitchell Bland: 0428 462 987 NT Darren McKenna: 08 8988 4520 QLD Jennifer Milward: 0419 782 688 Gladstone Jennifer Milward: 0419 782 688 Townsville Jennifer Milward: 0419 782 688 Cairns Chris Wilson: 0438 134 752 SA Marie Cunningham: 08 8243 2505 Tasmania Nicholas Palmer: 0418 126 253 Victoria Eli Carbone: 03 8637 4723 Vic Sub-branch Craig Staggard: 0407 509 424 WA Celia Pavri: 0417 027 928
GEOLOGY TALK
POOP SAND HAPPENS!
The sand on Rainbow Beach, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, features a myriad of colours. Image courtesy of S Newrick, Wikimedia Commons.
As winter sets in down under, Bill Langer and his wife are visiting east coast beaches in the US, where (to quote Lewis Carroll) there are “such quantities of sand, indeed” – and also lots of poop!
This northern summer my wife Pam and I are going to be visiting some sandy beaches on islands in New England. Beach sand originates from many sources and environments. In New England, most of the sand comes from rocks that were eroded into small pieces by the glaciers during the Ice Age. The different colours of the sand come from the different types of rocks that the glaciers eroded.
Outside of glaciated areas, many beaches are made of sand that forms over millions of years as bedrock erodes through slow but persistent weathering. Once freed from the bedrock, the small rock fragments travel down rivers and streams. Softer minerals decompose, while hard minerals such as quartz and feldspars remain behind.
Once they make it to the ocean, the more resistant mineral fragments further erode from the constant action of waves and tides. Eventually, the resulting sand grains are thrown up on the beach by the waves. Because quartz and feldspar are the most resistant minerals, beaches commonly are white (from the quartz) or tan (from the feldspar).
In contrast, there are some really beautiful black sand beaches in places with nearby volcanoes such as in Alaska, the Canary Islands, Hawaii, Iceland, Martinique, New Zealand, Puerto Rico and Tahiti. Hawaii also has green beaches made of a green volcanic mineral called olivine. Moreover, for a multitude of coloured sands, you should try Rainbow Beach on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
Instead of forming from grains eroded from rocks, oolitic sand (made from oolites) is unusual sediment that “grows” in shallow, very saline waters. An oolite resembles a tiny onion consisting of concentric layers of calcium carbonate that precipitated around a nucleus, or central core.
The nucleus is usually a mineral fragment, or could even be a tiny shrimp faecal pellet. Oolites form in warm tropical waters surrounding the Bahamas, the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the Persian Gulf and even in the Great Salt Lake of Utah.
Some sands are biological in origin, as they are formed from single-celled organisms called foraminifera (forams for short). Forams have a shell or “test”, usually made of calcium carbonate, that mostly encloses their cytoplasmic body. When the critters die, the shells fall to the sea floor and eventually wash up onto the beaches.
In some places, such as Hoshizuna-noHama in Japan, the forams have star-shaped
54 Quarry June 2019 Figure 1. ‘Star sand’ forams have star-shaped shells.
Figure 2. Some foram tests have a reddish-pink colour when they collect on the beach.
foram tests (Figure 1), hence the name “Star Sand Beach”. In some other areas, such as Bermuda, the foram tests have a red tinge to them, so when they collect on the beach they give it a reddish-pink colour (Figure 2).
To top things off, some sand is made of poop – fish poop, to be a little more technical. A major poop sand specialist is the parrotfish, those blue and yellow fish that populate tropical coral reefs.
Parrotfish eat the hard calcium carbonate skeleton of the coral, the soft-bodied coral organisms (called polyps) that cover the skeleton, the zooxanthellae (algae) that live inside them, and the bacteria living inside the coral skeleton. The soft organisms, algae and bacteria are absorbed, but the chewed-up dead coral shoots straight through the parrotfish pretty much unchanged. It comes out as sand-sized pieces of coral – and a lot of it. One large parrotfish can produce upwards of 453kg (or 1000 pounds) of poop sand a year! However, don’t worry, you don’t necessarily need to abandon your coral reef island. Poop sand is not unsanitary or dangerous in any way. As they say: “Poop sand happens!” •
Bill Langer is a consultant geologist. Email bill_langer@hotmail.com or visit researchgeologist.com
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