The sensitive approach

Not every part of a quarry operation calls for heavy machinery, blasting sticks and calloused hands. These days it also requires soft hands and a sensitive approach.  BY ALAN TITCHALL.

Environmental concerns and rehabilitation are now synonymous with the quarrying and mining industries and, typically, the long-term view at Winstone Aggregates is ‘look after today and you look after tomorrow’.

Each company quarry site has a land management plan which includes replanting native bush, re-shaping the land or backfilling it to create ponds and pasture and one person up to her gumboot tops in this operation is Winstone’s environmental coordinator – operations, Andrea Sprosen (pictured right).

“As a business with large land holdings, we are able to make a net positive contribution to the environment - fencing, pest and weed control, and a biodiversity action plan, are key parts of this initiative. With the right sort of encouragement, trees, birds, bees and aquatic life can be sustained, improving our human footprint for the future,” she says.

Her role is relatively new, created to close the gap between Winstone’s operational and resource and environment team in October 2007. Because of the scale of the operation and the complexity of the environmental issues, Winstone has site-based environmental coordinators at Hunua, Puketutu and Three Kings (the last two in Auckland’s city centre).  Sprosen works with site managers from the company’s remaining operations and, while based at its head office in Auckland, undertakes regular site visits.

“While Winstone Aggregates is primarily a quarrying company, we are also involved in transportation and cleanfills. These operations add another unique dimension to this role,” she says.

“I enjoyed geography at school so decided to pursue this interest at the University of Auckland. This led to an undergraduate degree majoring in geography and management and employment relations. From here, I had to make the decision whether to undertake a postgraduate planning qualification or do my masters in geography and environmental science.  I enjoyed the field-based component that the latter provided and chose to follow this course of study.”

With university qualifications under her belt, Sprosen got a job as a compliance and monitoring officer within local government for several years before travelling to the UK where she worked in a number of planning roles. 

“On returning to New Zealand, I wanted to move into the private sector to explore new opportunities in environmental management and, fortunately for me, Winstone Aggregates were currently advertising for such a position.”

Sprosen says she enjoys the mix of field and office based work and is given autonomy in her responsibility.

There are numerous opportunities for professional development, she adds. “At the end of May I am off to the Outward Bound Navigator programme in the Marlborough Sounds.  While it is going to be a bit nippy and the prospect of spending a few nights in the bush on my own is a bit daunting, I am really looking forward to the experience.”

Part of her job is the development of positive community relations and she has helped organise several site open days last year, from the posters to the BBQ catering.

“All of the open days were well patronized and it was great to work alongside the people on site and to assist them in showcasing their workplace to the local community.”

Given the potential for mining and quarrying to create environmental effects, it is not surprising that communities now expect all operators (large and small) to put in place effective environmental management programmes, says Sprosen.

“Many people are unaware of the important contribution that aggregate makes to everyday life and therefore do not understand the need for our operations. Once people have a better understanding of the need for quarrying operations they are more likely to be accepting of the operation and its effects. Good work is already being undertaken to remedy this issue but there is still a lot more to be done.”

Because of transport costs and the relatively low value per tonne of construction materials, many quarrying operations tend to be close to urban centres where community pressures are high. This presents a challenge in terms of creating a balance between the economics of quarrying, preserving the environment and preserving an enjoyable lifestyle for people that live near quarries, she says.

“The continued development by the quarrying industry of our aggregate resource increasingly depends upon our demonstratable capacity to effectively rehabilitate quarried areas and manage the disposal of overburden. One of the challenges when it comes to quarry rehabilitation is that the end use is location specific and the surrounding land uses can change over time.”

Today’s concerns over human impact on the environment, the depletion of natural resources and increasing pollution, coupled with the demand to create a sustainable future has put environmental studies in the spotlight and increased employment prospects for its students. The quarry and mining industry adds another dimension, says Sprosen.

“As a woman, working in a male-dominated field can be extremely rewarding. Many industry-driven companies are seeking to increase diversity in their workforce.  Opportunities abound to both gain initial employment and to advance within such companies. This is good news, considering that these industries typically offer higher pay and greater benefits than traditionally female industries.”

Senior management at Winstone encourage women to join them in a variety of roles, she adds. “And I hope that more females will take up the opportunities on offer.” 

On a personal level, Sprosen says she found it very easy to fit in at the company. “I have found the guys on site to be both friendly and respectful. I have never felt as though I was an outsider despite being the only female on a site. I think that the organisational culture of this company is very forward thinking and this makes it a great place for females to work.”

Overall, it’s a vibrant, high tech and environmentally responsible industry that offers a host of exciting and rewarding challenges, says Sprosen.

“From a professional perspective, I would encourage all interested parties to get in touch with a quarrying and mining company in their area. For example, at Winstone Aggregates we have both a summer internship programme and a graduate programme. At the internship level students work on real time projects that contribute significantly to our business as well as meeting the professional work requirements of a student’s degree.  Upon graduation, summer interns are given the opportunity to apply for selection into our graduate programme.”

Nor is recruitment into the quarry and mining industry restricted to graduates, she says.  “There are many opportunities for people who would like to undertake a career change at any age, from quarry apprenticeships through to plant operators and mobile plant operators, lab technicians and weighbridge and dispatch roles all around the country.”