Strong Thiess team culture drives delivery with excellence at Anthill

Our Thiess team continues to deliver at the Anthill Copper Project, safely achieving production targets and delivering on-site innovations.

Since fully mobilising to site in February, Anthill Site Manager Glen McDonald said the team had focused on safe production, reaching material movement targets with no recordable injuries or serious incidents.

The team’s ability to overcome the various challenges associated with setting up a greenfield site and achieving the safety and production commitments made by Thiess to our client Austral Resources, is a result of a strong culture and leadership founded on the project motto – safely delivering with excellence.

“There is a strong safe production culture on site that’s being driven by our site leaders who are building a tight knit and supportive team behind our project motto,” Glen said.

“Our production teams have been extremely agile and responsive in responding to the changing environment, and working together with our client where required, to continue to achieve our production targets safely.

“Our maintenance teams since the initial mobilisation late last year, have been able to sustain high availabilities across our production fleets, despite the with minimal infrastructure in place during this time. In addition, the crews had to mobilise an additional truck fleet, also again without incident.”

“Everyone is putting in 100 per cent to achieve excellence in what we are delivering, and to ensure everyone remains safe every day.”

The team has already delivered several innovations, from fresh approaches to risk management tools such as the Take5 and Hazard Identification booklets, to designing go-line layouts that eliminate interactions between heavy mining fleet and light vehicles.

The site also hosted Plotlogic’s OreSense technology trial, which is expected to create environmental benefits through lower fuel usage and machinery consumables, and a more optimised heap leaching process.

Glen added the team has also been taking seriously its commitment to reconciliation as part of the mobilisation in the Mount Isa region.

“All of our crews have completed cultural awareness training with the traditional owners and custodians of the land where we operate,” Glen said.

“And we’re looking forward to launching Thiess’ fourth Reconciliation Action Plan, with planning well underway.”

Thiess Executive Chairman & CEO Michael Wright recently visited the team at Anthill to congratulate the team on their progress so far.

“We’re thrilled to be working with our client, Austral Resources, to help develop and make successful the Anthill Copper Project,” Michael said.

“I’m very proud of the commitment and innovation shown by our team to firstly win this important project, and then to mobilise Thiess back to Mt Isa after many years away. The leadership of Glen and the team is truly outstanding. They have been agile and focussed in their approach, with a strong focus on exceeding our client’s expectations, delivering strong mining outcomes with a genuine commitment to safety and sustainability.

An exceptional project thus far!”

The Anthill Copper Project is located in the Mt Isa region, Queensland, Australia.

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