Christmas Party

Maybe I should have taken pics at the start, not the end. I'm lucky that I'm doing engineering and not photography. The party was great. Portside was fantastic, and after the sun went down the view was amazing. There was plenty of food, and even a magician (although I think he was more of a comedian). The best part was the absence of kareoke.

Vac Work

Another reason that engineering is awesome. Opposed to nursing and med where they have to do unpaid placements, or other degrees where you don't get experience until you graduate, we get to go and work for engineering companies during the uni break. I'm with Downer EDI Mining at the Southbank office. As much as I would love to be out on site, I am enjoying the opportunity to see my friends in all my spare time. Having a view from my desk of the city and out to Mt Cootha is great as well. Downer has been great - they are incredibly friendly and it seems there is always a party or morning tea. It is so relaxed as well, just a great atmosphere to work in. Not to mention the pay is so much better than working at maccas. Downer is brilliant with the work they have given me - I am yet to make a single coffee, and have been doing a lot of work in Vulcan (similar to CAD but for mining). It's so good to get related work to do - I feel like I've already learnt more relvant stuff than at uni in the last year. Even though I've only been there a few weeks, they invited me to the Christmas Party at Hamilton, so I can't wait until Saturday. Hopefully I'll get a few pics to upload. :)

QRC Annual Lunch

Yesterday I went to the QRC Annual Lunch and State of the Sector Forum. Although the forum was quite interesting, it was irritating at times to watch the panel skirt around questions, so they could talk about something else. It was well organised, and the forum included many people of diverse backgrounds. They covered topics from the economic decline to the environmental effects of mining.

Clearly when the media gives mining a bad reputation for environmental responsibility, they do not take into account the position of the mining industry. The forum covered the topic, asking for incentives, rather than taxes (newly appointed QRC President Nicole Hollows), as well as stating the fact that many environmental improvements are introduced voluntarily before it is mandatory. Following the forum, at the QRC Annual Lunch I was seated at the Peabody table, where I was asked my view on sustainability, and whether it affected my choice of company. I think that it is not what the company is currently doing that affects my decision, but whether or not they are open to change in the interests of sustainability. So with sustainability underlying the entire day I wonder how the media is able to portray such a poor image of environmental concern by the mining industry? The forum touched on this issue briefly, stating that perhaps the lack of communication is caused by this information not getting to the public. Although it is known within the industry, public awareness is minimal.

Also, congrats to Nicole Hollows (who is already CEO and managing director of Macarthur Coal) on being appointed President of QRC. This shows females can be successful in the industry. The outgoing President, John Pegler, was honoured with a strange tall green glass award. Judging by the look on his face, he didn't really know what it was meant to be either. The guys on my table from Peabody were some of the friendliest people I've ever met, and I hope I get to see them again sometime in the future, as there was some talk of a site visit.

End of Exams

Realised I haven't been on much. Finally, exams are over. Now there's three months of no uni, no 8am starts and no studying. The only reason it's not perfect is that it's too cold and rainy for the coast :(
I'm looking forward to surfing (hoping and hinting for a new surfboard for xmas), barbecues, southbank and music gigs. Love summer!! :D
Hopefully I'll even find time over three months to head back up to tville and catch up with old friends. At the moment, I'm just glad it's over for a while.

2008 Queensland Mining Industry Health & Safety Conference

In August, I was lucky enough to be chosen for an all expenses paid "holiday" to the 2008 Queensland Mining Industry Health & Safety Conference. Although the Conference was held during the mid semester assessment period and added to my already high stress levels, if I had the chance to go again, I definitely would. It was an amazing experience that I recommend to anyone who will listen. I know that safety may not be the most interesting thing on your mind, but the conference is hardly someone preaching about safety. There were heaps of different break-out groups, so if you didn't find one session interesting, you could have your choice of three different programs running at the same time. The worst part would be having to choose between the different sessions.

I found it really interesting because each speaker explained in detail how their job is done, or how the mine operates, instead of just assuming common knowledge. The conference focussed a lot more on the changes happening in mining, which were brought about by safety concerns. For example, automation was discussed on many occasions, which shows that there is still quite a push towards remote controlled mines. There was even an innovations session, where ordinary people (not CEO's or management bodies) working at mine sites had come up with new concepts to prevent injuries. This was done like the New Inventors on TV, and even had the same host. It was great to see that the companies were supporting the new ideas, even if they did cost more money.

The social events were even better, as everyone there wanted to have fun and meet new people. I got to talk to people that I never would have dreamed of meeting, especially in my first year of uni. Add to this the fact that there was free food and drinks (and yes, it was unlimited) and it was pretty much heaven for poor students.

I am extremely grateful for the sponsorship to attend the conference. Without the sponsorship, I wouldn't have been able to go for at least another few years. So to anyone who thinks safety is boring, this is definitely a conference that will change your mind.