CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT

For 102 years AMMA has supported Australian employers through periods of growth and recession; times of success and times of great challenges.

A key purpose of AMMA’s formation in 1918 was to assist resources employers through the period of immense social and industry change following The Great War. Our industry’s role, as a key growth sector, included placing repatriated soldiers back into meaningful employment and kick-starting the recovery of the Australian economy.

More than a century on from AMMA’s beginnings, our industry and indeed the nation is facing another significant crisis in the COVID-19 global health pandemic.

Once again AMMA has supported its members every step of the way, ensuring they overcome the many and varied challenges to remain operational, keep people in employment and continue delivering for the Australian economy, with many other sectors unable to do so.

AMMA is uniquely placed to deliver such support through times of crisis, with a diverse national membership network, practical expertise in employee relations and workforce management, and strong relationships at all levels of government including the Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers and other key state and federal stakeholders.

Critical assistance has been provided not only in response to government pandemic measures, as states shut their borders and rosters and people movement required immediate overhaul, but also through ongoing industry collaboration forums, information webinars and regular podcasts, all utilising the latest communication technology to keep the AMMA community connected and together.

Whilst COVID-19 presents a unique set of challenges, it has again highlighted that effectively supporting members through periods of great uncertainty is not only within AMMA’s remit, but where the Group’s capabilities and networks are of greatest value.

So too will AMMA’s influence and support be key to the nation’s postCOVID recovery. Our industry also has more than $100 billion in new major projects in its

investment pipeline, which AMMA’s modelling forecasts would create around 60,000 construction phase jobs and almost 30,000 new production phase jobs.

In recent months there has been great collaboration regarding the types of structural reforms Australia requires to aid its post-COVID recovery, of which securing this potential new project investment is a key ingredient.

Industrial relations reform has featured heavily in this, with recurring themes including addressing inflexibility, red tape, complexity and considerations for productivity, investment and competitiveness.

AMMA has played a key role in this process, advising the Australian Government and collaborating with various employer and employee representative groups on working towards long overdue and increasingly urgent changes.

Just as important will be both maintaining and advancing the resources and energy industry’s social licence to operate, another area in which AMMA has innovated and excelled over the past 12 months with a range of new projects and campaigns.

Under the “Bright Future” banner AMMA is delivering success and value in the areas of community messaging, employee engagement and inspiring thousands of school children to discover Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) through AMMA’s Bright Future STEM Primary School program.

AMMA’s initiative, the Australian Women in Resources Alliance, guided by a passionate member-based advisory board, is driving the continual improvement of our industry’s gender diversity and inclusion performance through new programs, resources and employer support.

This year AMMA also proudly launched an industry-first mental health training program to assist members across the sector to look after the overall health and wellbeing of their employees – the biggest priority for every resources and energy employer. This exciting initiative was also delivered under the guidance of a dedicated member-based mental health advisory group.

A national advertising campaign was undertaken in 2020 to support these industry objectives and encourage policymakers to “work with us” as we collectively deliver significant value to the Australian community.

The platform for AMMA to provide this vital support to members and the industry, and roll-out innovative new projects and campaigns, is borne from the organisation’s strong membership support. I thank each and every AMMA member for their continued support and engagement, and thank all of AMMA’s dedicated and passionate staff for an outstanding year. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, AMMA remains strongly positioned to continually improve value and service to members for the remainder of 2020 and beyond.

We look forward to working closely with each of you in delivering national prosperity and a brighter future for all Australians.

Steve Knott AM

AMMA CHIEF EXECUTIVE