Industry Q&A with Dave Mackay

Dave Mackay has worked in the Ravenswood area's gold mining operations for about 15 years and is now in a leading role as they enter what he sees as a bright new era under the Ravenswood Gold banner. The general manager operations at Ravenswood Gold joins iQ Industry Queensland for a Q&A update. Q: Tell us a bit about your career journey to this point and what has kept you at Ravenswood for so many years. DM: I commenced my career as a graduate mining engineer with Mount Isa Mines (MIM) in January 2001. In 2004 we relocated to Townsville and I worked a FIFO role at Osborne with Placer Dome and Barrick. I started at Mount Wright in September 2006 when the decline was only about 200m in from the portal. I’ve had five different roles at Ravenswood since then and each one has provided many challenges. Q: What is happening on site now as you advance the RDP? DM: There are five pillars of the RDP – the TSF (tailings storage facility), plant expansion, open pit mining, dredging of the Sarsfield pit and then all the ancillary infrastructure requirements to support the expansion. The dredging project is in the final stages of planning. The other four pillars are all progressing well. Q: And what are the next stages of work to be undertaken? DM: We need to commission the TSF so we can stop tailing into the Sarsfield pit and start the dredging work, complete the process plant expansion and ramp up the capacity of the open pit mining fleet, including progressing to 24-hour mining operations once all the noise mitigation measures are in place. Q: You’ve seen many changes at the Ravenswood operation, how does this latest development compare? DM: It’s a fantastic opportunity for both the site and the community. The capital investment being made is the beginning of a new era for the Ravenswood Gold mine. Q: What size workforce is on site now, and do you have further recruitment plans in the near future? DM: We have a total of 268 employees plus around 70 permanent contractors on site now. We’re looking to ramp that up to a total of about 400 people over the next 18 months. Q: Is it difficult to attract skilled workers to the region? What would you say to anyone considering a job in the area? DM: We’ve had around 4000 applications for about 150 positions we’ve filled and still recruiting for at the moment. We’ve had a slow uptake for some of the professional positions, but there’s been overwhelming interest in all the other positions. It’s a great region to live, with all necessary services available so why wouldn’t you want to live here? Q: Tell us a bit about the contracts rolling out as part of the RDP and how interested local businesses can become involved? DM: Most of the work packages for the expansion have been awarded, but we’ll have ongoing requirements for supply of goods and services. Anyone who wants to be considered should send through their capability statement to info@ravenswoodgold.com in the first instance. Q: And, just for something a little different, can you name one thing about your background or your interests that would surprise most of your co-workers? DM: I was a band geek for most of my school life – I played the alto saxophone from year 4 until I finished year 12. I still enjoy listening to some of the music we used to play. https://www.i-q.net.au/main/golden-growth-as-new-owners-mark-one-year-at-ravenswood https://www.i-q.net.au/main/more-jobs-flow-as-ravenswood-gold-ramps-up

Industry Q&A with Dave Mackay

Industry Queensland

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