Rocky road to success for quarry boss Greg Green was the sort of kid who couldn’t go anywhere without putting a rock or two in his pockets. He tells of being the boy with the sandpit that took four semi-loads to fill, it was so big. And he comes from a family of miners and quarry operators. “I just love rocks,” says Mr Green, who at 27 is senior site executive for CAMM Quarries, the Mendi Gr...
Experienced hand takes AusIMM helmNew AusIMM North Queensland branch chair Jeff Innes brings a breadth of industry experience to the post. The 61-year-old Townsville resident says he has worked in ‘just about every commodity you can imagine’ after starting his mining career at Broken Hill in the 1980s. “I’m more an operational leader than technical guy. I was usually in frontline operation...
Double duty for the CFMEU Fixing things is a motivating force for union leader Mitch Hughes. Mr Hughes was elected senior vice-president of the CFMEU Queensland district mining and energy division in 2012 at age 28 and, in addition to those duties, has been acting in the role of state secretary for the past year. His union position means the qualified diesel fitter no longer gets to work with his...
Multitasking in the North WestAs a boy growing up in India, Hari Boppudi had his sights on becoming either a doctor or a civil engineer. Circumstances propelled him towards the latter and he is now responsible for multimillion-dollar roadworks and a range of other projects that keep the Flinders Shire in North-West Queensland running smoothly.Mr Boppudi started work with the Flinders Shire Council...
Leader with an eye on innovationAlex Brown’s job title may be senior geologist, but his role has evolved into one of technical innovator for his team. From using a drone to capture high resolution images of the local terrain to tinkering with geographic information system (GIS) software, he is keen to explore new options. “I try and push the boundaries of the things we do and the way we look a...
Mayor with mining on her mindShe grew up on remote cattle properties and cut her teeth in retail and event management before turning her sights on local government. It is not the obvious grounding for someone taking the lead as an advocate for mining communities nationwide. But when that someone is Joyce McCulloch, mayor of one of Australia’s great mining cities, the picture fits.Cr McCulloch fo...
Project geologist goes with the flowErnest Henry Mining’s project geologist Daniel Ashton has not only found a profession that he loves, but has been able to develop an unexpected area of expertise through his work. Mr Ashton came to Ernest Henry Mining near Cloncurry as a graduate geologist and hit the ground running by assisting with a groundwater project as the mine transitioned from open-cut...
Public works role a balancing act As the man in charge of maintaining infrastructure for the Cairns Regional Council, Bruce Gardiner admits it can be quite a daunting task. The infrastructure services general manager looks after about 450 employees responsible for everything from parks, gardens and footpaths to traffic lights, roads and drains. Not surprisingly, every day can present a number of c...
Chemistry was right for ALS stalwart John Alexandrou spent 20 years of his working life in the automotive repair business and was a joint owner of a smash repair business he started with a mate in Currajong, Townsville. He may still have been there if not for a debilitating illness which forced him to look for a less physical way to earn a crust. “When I was ill I went through the CRS (Commonwea...
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