Download - Fortescue Metals Group Ltd

05
INSIDE
Danni Bancroft is
the People’s Choice
VTEC Graduates
shine at Thiess
Unlocking Potential
Fortescue
storms Wall
Street
A close shave for a
good cause

A message
from our
CEO, Nev
Welcome to the latest
issue of Breakthrough.
It’s hard to believe we’re
only four months into the
year given the number of
milestones we’ve already
accomplished.
It’s a big year for all of us as we
power ahead with our expansion to
155 million tonnes a year.
We may be a young company,
but the rapid expansion of our
operations in the Pilbara is one of
the biggest development projects
in the Australian resources sector.
Since the board approved the $US8.4
billion investment in late 2010, the
commitment of all of you to turn
our vision into reality has been
extraordinary.
It isn’t easy, with plenty of challenges
to overcome, including two cyclones
this year. But I’m proud to say that
as construction approaches the half
way mark, T155 remains on budget
and on schedule.
It’s a tremendous effort. But as we
strive to meet many more milestones
this year, let’s not forget the ongoing
commitment of our operations team.
The key to our growth is the world
class infrastructure established
by Fortescue in the Pilbara. Our
operations are now producing iron
ore at a rate of around 55 million
tonnes a year, providing us with the
cashflow to help fund an expansion
that will establish Fortescue as one of
the world’s major mining companies.
2
The strong performance of our
operations team underpinned
Fortescue’s profit for the six months
to December 31 of $US801 million
and enabled the Board to declare a
fully franked interim dividend of 4
cents a share.
Cashflow is a major component of
our funding of T155. But the scale of
the project means we also need to
borrow from overseas debt markets.
I want to take this opportunity
to congratulate the fantastic
performance of our finance team
led by our Chief Financial Officer
Stephen Pearce on their recent $US2
billion bond raising in the US.
Stephen and his team not only
secured us the funds to complete
T155 and acquire related mining
equipment, they provided certainty
for Fortescue as we move into the
second half of our expansion.
The positive response Stephen
and his team received in New
York – the offering was five times
oversubscribed - also reflects the
strength of Fortescue’s reputation in
financial markets.
As I already mentioned, we’ve
endured two cyclones this year,
Heidi in January and Lua last month.
Fortunately, we emerged from Lua
relatively unscathed, but I would like
to applaud the efforts of everyone
Nev presents VTEC trainee Brian
Enoch with his certificate during
a recent graduation celebration at
the Perth office
involved in preparing our people and
our operations for what could have
been a destructive storm.
As we focus on milestones,
our Indigenous Employee and
Engagement Strategy Committee
has achieved some amazing results
this year. I’m proud to say that at
the end of March, Aboriginal people
comprised more than 10 per cent of
Fortescue’s workforce. It’s a number
that is only going to get higher given
the inspiring trainees that continue
to graduate from our VTEC training
programs in Port Hedland and
Roebourne. I attended a graduation
ceremony in Roebourne in late
March and saw the life changing
impact VTEC is having on our new
recruits. It was a fantastic day and
we welcome all of you into the
Fortescue family.
I would also like to congratulate
Danni Bancroft for her People’s
Choice award at the recent Chamber
of Minerals and Energy’s Women in
Resources Awards. Fortescue people
are clearly kicking goals in all parts of
our organisation.
As I said earlier, we’re only four
months into the year and we’re off
to a flying start. Let’s keep up the
outstanding work as we hit all our
milestones in the months ahead.

Fortescue storms
Wall Street
Fortescue’s Funding team
launched a US$1bn bond
offer on Tuesday 27th
March. The US, Australian,
Asian and European
markets leapt at the offer,
with orders recieved from
over 300 investors totalling
almost $US5bn.
The overwhelming response
enabled Fortescue to double the
initial offering size to US$2bn and
Danni lights the way for
Women in Resources
Congratulations to Danni Bancroft
- the 2012 People’s Choice at the
Chamber of Minerals and Energy’s
Women in Resources Awards in the
category Outstanding Technician/
Operator/Trade Woman.
Danni, or “Bangas” as her work mates
know her, has been with Fortescue
since late 2008. During a career
spanning 10 years so far she has
been a very strong advocate for
women in mining in many facets of
the WA resources industry.
Danni has set the highest of work
standards for her colleagues. In her
workplace and in the community
Danni’s family values, integrity,
enthusiasm and sheer determination
make her a great role model for
women in mining.
Danni is excited about the impact
the awards could have on our
reduce the interest rate to a very
competitive price. The final offering
was $US1bn of 5 year bonds at
our all time low interest rate of 6%
and US$1bn of 10 year bonds at an
interest rate of 6.875%.
Fortescue has now raised US$7bn in
high yield bonds since October 2010,
making us one of the largest issuers
of these types of bonds in the world.
The main purpose of the funds raised
is to fund our US$8.4bn expansion to
155mtpa.
Danni is thrilled to have been
recognised by her peers
industry. “It’s great to see that CME
are recognising the huge input
females are having on the resources
sector. I’m passionate about change
in mining, and accepting more
women in the workplace. We are
proving we are just as capable as
our male counterparts and that we
add balance to a FIFO and general
mining community,” she said.
3
L-R Grace Chan, Heather Wilson, Emma
Harris, Kourtney Dowling and Kelli-Anne
Beattie enjoy a cupcake in Perth
Connecting
women,
inspiring
futures
International Women’s Day has
been recognised since 1910,
two years after the courageous
suffragettes won the right
for women to vote. The day,
which historically was used to
campaign for women’s rights
to work, vote, be trained,
to hold public office and
end discrimination, is now a
reminder - of how far we have
come, and that there are still
things to be done to ensure
women’s equality is gained and
maintained in all aspects of life.
Annually on 8th March,
thousands of events are held
across the globe to celebrate
the achievements of women
and inspire them to continued
success. In the Perth office
we welcomed Linda Dawson,
Group Manager Human
Resources as our host for the
Tuesday morning meeting.
In a month where we recognise
Women in Resources via the
CME Awards, we’d like to take
this opportunity to salute the
amazing women who work on
all of our sites.

Turtle
Dreaming
Nick Sexton is thrilled to
have been the highest
bidder in the recent silent
auction for the artwork
Turtle Dreaming (Kuku
Yalanji).
Artist Brad Grogan generously
donated the work, which he worked
on in his spare time, taking about
nine months to complete. The
proceeds of the auction, more than
$2,500, went to the children of Kris
Dixon, a VTEC Services team member
who was tragically killed in Broome
on Christmas Day.
The Sky’s the limit
The competition was intense at the
Red Sky Ride bake-off organised by
the HR team on the 25th of January.
Donations poured in with more than
$300 raised and everyone enjoyed a
sumptuous morning tea in support
of our intrepid Red Sky riders.
Departing from Perth on Sunday,
February 26th, Ann-Louise Sargison,
Payroll Manager and Rob Solomon,
Manager Future State Mining
cycled 1000km for the fifth Red
Sky Ride, spending seven days
journeying through WA’s South West
to raise funds for the Solaris Care
Foundation.
“It has been a hard journey, I really
only started cycling in September,”
Ann-Louise said before the ride.
“One in three people are affected
by cancer and I really appreciate
the support from everyone at
Fortescue. This cause means a lot to
me because I lost a family member to
cancer.”
4
Nick and his wife have found
themselves reflecting on the
painting’s place in their lives. “Each
time we look at the painting it
reminds us of the fragility of life.
The tragic circumstances which led
to me being able to purchase the
Ann-Louise, whose sister Peta who
passed away in March 2009, signed
up for the ride as a recreational
cyclist. Her training took in more
than 450km of Perth scenery every
week, mainly in the daunting
territory of the hills as the team
prepared for the epic week long ride.
Rob’s motivation for the ride was
also derived from being personally
affected by cancer. “My paternal
grandfather died at 35 and my
father at 64; my brother and I have
also been diagnosed, but various
maintenance strategies have it under
control. The Red Sky Ride enables
me to support a program which is
significant whilst I do something
I enjoy with some good friends.
The training was tough - heat, hills
and headwinds a true trifecta of
pleasure,” he said.
The Solaris Care Foundation
provides remedial support to
cancer patients and their carers,
Brad Grogan (L) and Nick Sexton.
work should serve to remind us all
of this. Kris’ children will live with
the senseless death of their father
for the rest of their lives. Hopefully
this purchase can be a seed to
ensure that they are catered for in an
appropriate fashion,” he said.
Rob and Anne-Louise were well prepared for
their big ride.
with services ranging from massage
to counselling. The aim of the Red
Sky Ride is to raise funds which
enables the Foundation to increase
their support of cancer patients in
regional areas of Western Australia.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering,
Emily De Piazzi’s spinach and cheese
dip took top honours at the bake-off,
closely followed by Courtney Brown’s
lemon tarts and lemon slices.

A warm
welcome
to our new
Director of
Operations
Jamie Frankcombe joined
Fortescue in January,
bringing with him more
than 20 years’ experience
in senior leadership roles in
the mining and resources
sector.
Immediately prior to commencing
with Fortescue, Jamie was the Chief
Operating Officer of the coal mining
operation of PT Adaro Indonesia,
overseeing the largest single open
cut coal mine in the southern
hemisphere. He spent seven years
with Xstrata Coal, too, as Executive
New Education
Assistance
Guidelines
Feeling a little stagnant?
Think your grey matter
could use some livening up?
At Fortescue we offer all employees
the opportunity for further
education and development so that
you can grow in your career. The
Education Assistance program is a
great way to keep up learning and
reap both personal and academic
rewards.
Covering courses of study such as
Certificate IV, Diplomas, Advanced
Jamie is pleased to be part of the Fortescue family
General Manager of the company’s
Americas coal interests and General
Manager of its open cut operations
in New South Wales.
Jamie and his wife Lynda are
enjoying life in Perth, particularly
the lifestyle which they find far more
relaxed than their bustling days in
Jakarta. When questioned about his
Fortescue experience so far, Jamie’s
Diplomas, Undergraduate Degrees
and Postgraduate Qualifications
including Masters’, the program has
something for everyone.
For more information please refer to
the Education Assistance Guidelines
on the Fortescue People intranet site,
under Forms, Policies, Procedures
and Guidelines.
response was extremely positive. “It’s
fantastic; the role is delivering on
everything I thought I’d get out of
this move. All of the things I was sold
on – engagement, empowerment,
the speed at which we move, the
level of involvement – are proving
to be true. I’m very pleased to have
been given the opportunity to join
such a company,” he said.
5
Fast
Learning
Facts
Fortescue will grant up to
5 paid days off in any one
calendar year to attend
lectures, other course
work and exams that occur
during working hours.
You’ll need to pay for the
course or unit up front –
using HECS/HELP has Fringe
Benefits Tax implications.
And you’ll need to study
hard – a satisfactory
level of academic or
course performance and
completion of the course
is required to receive
reimbursement.

Area of earthworks cleared by the
team for the warehouse expansion,
with the Maintenance workshop to the
left and Gulf workshop to the right.
Teamwork
saves millions
The earthworks for the
warehouse expansion at
Cloudbreak were completed
this month, thanks to
various departments on site
rallying to get the job done.
A combined team from Road, Gulf,
Surface Mining and Surveying
worked hard to level the ground,
creating a workable base on which
6
the warehouse can be built. By not
contracting the work, the teams
involved saved Fortescue $3.2 million.
The warehouse expansion to the east
of the Gulf workshop was a ‘cut to
fill’ process requiring a combination
of vermeers, surface miners, dozers,
loaders and Gulf trucks to move
material. With the January flooding
of the pits, the team was able to
effectively and efficiently utilise two
extra surface miners over a two week
period, allowing the job to move
along faster.
In all, approximately 69,000m 3 of rock
was cut and just less than 11,000m 3 of
material filled into the Valley to create
an area of nearly 5 hectares.
The utilisation of equipment wasn’t
the only financially viable benefit that
came from the job, but also a high
volume of road base material that
came from the earthworks. The road
base is quite costly and is constantly
needed for the sheeting of roads and
ramps.
“It is great to see all the different
crews working together - the team
turned a vision into reality,” said Mike
Duncan, Road Superintendent.
Wet plant construction
at Cloudbreak.

Christmas Creek convoy brings home the bacon
Heavy rains across the
Pilbara in January cut
off roads to and from
Christmas Creek, halting
transport of vital supplies
including food and steel
and impacting work
continuity.
Fortescue’s Christmas Creek Manager
of Construction Shane Byrne and
Acting Site Construction Manager Ian
Wilkinson, together with contracting
company CSI’s Construction Manager
Mick Soltwisch, worked with more
than 30 truck drivers, some of whom
had been held up at Capricorn
Roadhouse just south of Newman
for more than a week, to ensure
deliveries made it through.
Shane was very pleased with the
outcome of the operation.
“Initially the only trucks able to make
it through were those carrying the
steel supplies.
“With food supplies becoming tight
at Christmas Creek, we took a scraper
and some emergency services
vehicles back to some stranded
trucks and got them to site later that
Keeping it in the family
We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to welcome the
latest addition to the Fortescue family. Archie James
Spicer arrived on Friday 3rd February, much to the
delight of his parents, Con and Stu, who met on site.
7
The convoy overcame many
obstacles to get to site
day, just in time to deliver bacon
supplies for Friday’s breakfast!
“Our thanks goes out to all the
truckies (most of whom were owner
drivers), FMG Rail Projects, the Rail
infrastructure team, Department of
Main Roads (who were excellent in
their cooperation), the Cloudbreak
operations team, Christmas Creek
operations team, the Camp 195 team
and the CSI site construction team.
“Efforts like this are a great example
of how the extended Fortescue
family can work together to
overcome challenging situations.”

THUMBS UP! L-R Stefanus Strydom (Worley Parsons), Gerhard Veldsman (GM, Port
Operations), Mark Shirley, (Commissioning and Operational Readiness Manager).
First ore on ship for
Fortescue’s third berth
1st February saw the first ore on ship at the newly completed AP3 ,
with a ship on the third berth being loaded by the second shiploader.
Port’s General Manager Gerhard Veldsman was thrilled with the
milestone. “This incredible milestone was a result of the combined
efforts of many dedicated and skilled people. Today is a major
milestone in Fortescue’s journey as we continue to achieve stretch
targets and expand production towards our 155mtpa goal,” he said.
8
All eyes on
the target at
Port
Port’s new General Manager
Gerhard Veldsman has
laid out a challenging
program for 2012. A rapidly
expanding workforce will
see many new starters
welcomed to the Fortescue
family this year.
The Port operations team is preparing
to bring the second outload circuit
into production and our people will
play a key role in enabling us to safely
meet our Q2 production targets.
Port will work closely with Rail, the
mines and Integrated Planning
to maximise the throughput of
the inload circuit and meet Q3
production targets.
A strong focus will be kept on
the move from Targeting 155 to
Being 155 – ensuring the team
maintains their high performance
culture and can-do attitude as the
operations triple in size and the
workforce doubles. The Operational
Improvement team will work with the
Port teams to ensure there are plans
in place to Be 155.
A 5S program has been implemented
as well, to organise workspaces
for efficiency and effectiveness by
identifying and storing the items
used, maintaining the area and items
and sustaining the new order. The
primary phases of 5S are sorting,
straightening, systematic cleaning,
standardizing and sustaining.
Gerhard believes safety will remain a
top priority in 2012. “We will only be
a successful operation when every
person goes home safely and with a
sense of achievement every day,” he
said.

Construction of
Fortescue’s second
reclaimer is nearing
completion.
Rail duplication
construction.
9
Herb Elliott Port - third berth
and second shiploader now
fully operational.

Drinking water breakthrough for Fortescue
Infrastructure Services’
Water Services department
was recently commended
by the WA Department
of Health for successfully
developing and
implementing a Drinking
Water Quality Management
Plan (DWQMP) under the
new Department Of Health
guidelines.
The Water Services Team has worked
over the past year to develop a
master plan that enables Fortescue’s
growth plans to marry individual
site modules to the master plan. The
current approved plan encompasses
Cloudbreak with future modules
that include Christmas Creek and
Karntama Village scheduled for
delivery to Department of Health
in early 2012. A generic Rail camp
module wil be rolled out by June
2012 and a Solomon Module by the
end of 2012.
As part of the DWQMP, Fortescue
provides quarterly compliance
reports on all aspects of water
testing and quality. The first of these
was submitted to the Department of
Health in late 2011 and received the
approval of the Department of
Take the
bite out of
summer
Summer is an active time for insects.
This year, the Health Department
of WA has reported an increase in
the occurrence of mosquito-borne
diseases such as Murray Valley
10
Left to right - Joel Serman (Tradesman) Stephen (Gonzo) Wendt (Supervisor) John Nazarov
(Plumber) Mark Botica (Supervisor) Angela Edwards (Operator) Jason Trewin (Coordinator)
Robyn Lee (Compliance Officer). Absent - William Macdougall (Coordinator) Glen Nielsen
(Tradesman) Tim Heley (Tradesman).
Health’s Senior Policy Officer Brian
Labza. Mr Labza said “I am
extremely pleased with Fortescue’s
commitment to the plan and their
reporting processes, and am looking
forward to working with the Water
Services team on the remaining and
future programs.”
In addition to the plan’s acceptance,
Infrastructure Services recently
assigned Robyn Lee to the role of
Compliance Officer, from which
she will champion the plan’s
development and implementation.
Encephalitis, Ross River virus and
Barmah Forest throughout WA.
Here are some simple steps to
prevent bites from mosquitoes and
other insects:
• Avoid outdoor exposure during
dawn and dusk (especially the first
few hours after dark)
• Wear protective (long, loosefitting)
clothing when outdoors
Infrastructure Services Manager
Mark Tazewell stated that the
implementation of the plan was
a culmination and acceptance of
the team’s efforts in conjunction
with consultants Emerson Stewart,
who provided technical resources
for the project. “The DWQMP has
placed Fortescue on the front foot
for drinking water management into
the future, and selecting Robyn into
the Compliance role reflects a shift
in the way the team looks to manage
compliance issues,” he said.
• Apply a personal repellent
containing DEET
• Check insect screens are installed
and maintained correctly
If you are on site, please see your
Supervisor to arrange a collection of
personal insect repellent. If you have
any health concerns, please contact
the Medical Administrator to arrange
a medical review.

Profile:
Heath
Nelson
I was born and bred in
Fremantle which of course
makes me a loyal Dockers
supporter!
After attending Hamilton Senior
High School I followed my older my
brother to UWA to study computer
science. Two years in to my degree
I decided to branch out and I
graduated in 1993 with a double
degree in computer science and
economics.
After graduating from uni I took
the obligatory Contiki tour around
Europe and then journeyed to South
Africa, just in time to see Nelson
Mandela elected as president. Cape
Town was incredible and the surf
was up, so I canned plans to work
in the UK and stayed in South Africa
for 6 months, using Cape Town as a
base from which to explore Namibia,
Tanzania and Botswana.
A year had passed by the time I
lobbed back at my folk’s house in
Freo – long haired, unemployed and
broke. They took one look at me and
decided that my free lodging would
come with a time limit; I had to have a
haircut and a job within three months.
Unable to shake the travel bug, I
looked for a job where I would get
paid to travel. I managed to secure
a role with the Aboriginal Economic
Development Office (AEDO). The job
had everything I wanted. I travelled
to remote Aboriginal communities
throughout WA installing point
of sale machines (computerised
cash registers with scanners) in
Community Stores. The challenge
was to install the machines, train
the local Aboriginal people to use
them and employ store managers
that were accountable to AEDO.
Over a two year period, the number
of stores increased from three to 12.
This created another opportunity
as the collective buying power of
these stores was in excess of $20M.
The Office of Aboriginal Economic
Development (OAED – after a change
in State Government) established
a bulk buying cooperative that I
managed for the next two years.
With Aboriginal economic
development gaining strength in the
90’s, I saw an opportunity to relocate
to Broome and manage a regional
office. I found paradise – not with the
town but with the job! My role was to
generate economic opportunities for
Aboriginal people and communities
across the Kimberley. The key to
the role was to ask the Aboriginal
people what they wanted to do.
And it wasn’t a surprise that they
enjoyed doing what they were good
at and interested in. For the next four
years I predominantly developed
businesses that evolved around
regional art centres and tourism
businesses.
An Aboriginal Cross Cultural course
in Perth in 2001 changed my life.
I met my wife Paula and relocated
back to Fremantle. We have two
Heath is passionate about Aboriginal
economic development.
children, Ashlee and Todd. But still no
Docker’s flag!
This was also a time to do something
completely different. I secured a
job with Edith Cowan University
as Director of their International
English Centre. Having experience in
the tertiary sector, I moved to UWA
as Business Manager of the Centre
for Exploration Targeting. After two
years I took on another Centre – the
Centre for Marine Futures and a
year later another role in the Centre
for Petroleum Geoscience CO2
Sequestration. It’s less complicated
than it sounds....
A phone call earlier this year and a
desire to get back into the area of
Aboriginal economic development
brought me to Fortescue as the
Principal Aboriginal Advisor. I view
my role as a very simple one.....I
am here to improve the economic
circumstances of Aboriginal people.
So, after a Christmas break with
Paula and the kids at Moore River,
where we taught the kids how to
fish, I’ve launched back into work.
2012 will see total contracts awarded
to aboriginal contractors reach $600k
– the majority to native title groups
– well on the way to achieving $1
billion by the end of 2013.
11

Indigenous Employee and Engagement focus
Last year the Fortescue Indigenous Employee and Engagement Strategy commenced,
which kicked off the Committee’s regular meetings to drive Indigenous employment at
Fortescue. Since the committee, Chaired by Cloudbreak General Manager Kevin McLean,
was established numerous milestones have been achieved. Here are examples of our
success stories to date:
Aboriginal JV
wins waste
management
contract
In a great step forward for
our Billion Opportunities
program, Fortescue
recently announced
the awarding of a three
year multi-million dollar
Waste Management
Services contract to PLWA
Group (formerly Pilbara
Logistics), an Aboriginal
owned company based in
the Pilbara, and its Joint
Venture Partner ToxFree
Solutions Limited.
The contract includes the
management of all waste generated
from Fortescue’s operations,
including the operation and
maintenance of Fortescue’s landfill
at Cloudbreak and design, operation
and maintenance of a waste
and recycling transfer station at
Christmas Creek.
PLWA Group has provided waste
management and civil and
earthworks services to remote
mining locations for nearly 10 years.
“We are very proud of our history in
the mining sector and very excited
about the success we are having with
our diversified business,” said PLWA
Group Chairman Geoff Stocker.
12
Getting ahead
on the Hedland
housing list
For the first time since
Hedland residents started
work at Cloudbreak, the
housing waiting list of
Cloudbreak employees has
been cleared.
Finding adequate housing for all
Fortescue employees in Hedland
has always been a challenge.
However, with support from the
Fortescue Indigenous Employment
and Engagement committee, the
challenge of having no Cloudbreak
employee on the waiting list was
achieved.
Housing Coordinator Clorinda
Boekhorst said the housing market
in Hedland was tight and as the
business grew so too did the need
for employee housing.
“When we cleared the list for
Cloudbreak, we had to shuffle
people around and make sure we
met our employees’ needs,” she said.
“Some of our employees were also
moving into properties which they
purchased themselves, so fortunately
that freed up more properties as
well.
“Since the list was originally cleared,
names have accumulated and
cleared again. It will continue to be
ongoing, but at the moment we are
able to manage it.”
New Indigenous
Positions in
Perth HR
In support of the business
achieving its Indigenous
employment targets two
new positions have been
created in the Perth Human
Resources team.
A new Manager Aboriginal
Engagement, reporting to the Group
Manager HR, has been created and
filled - read more about Brendon Ah
Chee on the next page. The focus of
this role is to develop employment,
scholarships, graduate strategies
and programs to ensure we have
sustainable programs in place for
our Indigenous employees. They will
work closely with the Heritage group
and determine how entry points
from VTEC can be maximised.
Reporting to the Manager Aboriginal
Engagement, a new position assigned
to the recruitment of Indigenous
employees has also been created. The
Aboriginal Sourcing Officer will work
closely with the recruitment team
while sitting in the HR’s Indigenous
Employment team. Recruitment for
this position is under way.

Brendon Ah Chee
Providing
Indigenous
Support
Fortescue has always
been a leader in creating
opportunities to increase
its Indigenous workforce.
Last financial year, the
Summit 300 target was
not only met, but well
exceeded.
To continue developing
strategies to increase our
Indigenous Employee
numbers a Manager -
Aboriginal Engagement
position has been created
in the HR team and new
employee Brendon
Ah Chee was recently
appointed.
Originally a Derby boy,
Brendon and his family
moved to Perth about
10 years ago to improve
schooling opportunities
for his children. However,
regardless of where he
has resided, Brendon’s
career has always been
around working with and
influencing Aboriginal
people. His resume
boasts positions held in
local councils working in
Aboriginal Environmental
Health, Indigenous
Education through the
Education Department, and
most recently mining and
construction companies in
mentoring roles.
At Fortescue, Brendon is
responsible for identifying
programs and pathways for
our Aboriginal workforce’s
career development, and
opportunities for sourcing
funding to support aspects
of these programs.
Working with our Traditional Owners
Brendon said he was
excited about his new
position and looked
forward to the many
challenges that lay ahead.
“I have spent a lot of time
getting to know the people
and the business to fully
understand where the gaps
lie,” he said.
“There is a lot going on
within Fortescue when
it comes to Aboriginal
employment attraction
strategies, but I am keen
to start improving our
retention strategies as
there is a lot of opportunity
there to really work
together and provide
a holistic approach to
addressing the issues.”
Brendon has also started
work on preparing a
Cultural Leave Policy for
the company, researching
secondary and tertiary
education scholarships and
cadetships.
Fortescue is currently working closely with 99 traditional land owners. It is through these relationships that both parties
are able to develop Native Title agreements under the Native Title Act that allow the company to grow and the owners to
be involved in the future management of their land.
The Fortescue Indigenous Employment and Engagement Strategy has highlighted the importance of these relationships
and the need for continual engagement.
13

Thiess trainees Kevin Stevens, Kamarl Daulbin and Travis Mills with Fortescue’s Ralph Mogridge
and Dave Peacock from Thiess
VTEC graduates
shine at Thiess
Following the completion of
the Roebourne 10 week VTEC
program late last year, three
trainees were mobilised to
Solomon on 7th February
2012 and have commenced
further plant operator
and safety training with
contracting company Thiess.
Thiess Trainer Dave Peacock
is extremely happy with
the calibre of the trainees
and believes that this latest
group has demonstrated
excellent leadership skills.
He is keen to progress their
14
training to include dump
truck, graders, loaders, rollers
and excavators.
VTEC Development
Superintendent Ralph
Mogridge said, “All trainees
are in very high spirits and
are thoroughly enjoying their
new digs (pardon the pun)
and have been busy meeting
new and old friends in their
spare time.”
Congratulations to the
trainees and the Roebourne
VTEC team.
New
Manager
for VTEC
Grant has hit the ground running
The VTEC crew celebrated
Christmas early last year with
the appointment of their new
manager Grant Bobongie in
early December.
Grant joins VTEC from Downer
EDI where he was employed as
the National Manager based
in Perth. He worked on a joint
initiative with VTEC placing
trainees from Fitzroy Crossing
at Christmas Creek.
Although originally from
Queensland, Grant has spent
the majority of his life in
Western Australia and most
of his career working with
Indigenous people in the
resources sector.
“Grant’s appointment signals
the start of an exciting time
for the company as he will
help develop and expand
Indigenous pre-employment
training programs in the
Pilbara,” said Group Manager
Land Access Alexa Morcombe.

From vision to reality
Fortescue signed a $3 million contract with Nyiyaparli Engineering
Mine & Maintenance Pty Ltd (NEMM) in March 2012 for the Hire of
Heavy Mobile Equipment at Cloudbreak Mine.
$1 billion in contracts to be
awarded to Aboriginal contractors by
the end of 2013.
For more information contact Heath Nelson
hnelson@fmgl.com.au
15
December 2013
$350m
Mar 2012
Contracts Awarded

A close shave,
for a good
cause
Every year the Fortescue
family throws its
considerable fundraising
abilities behind the
Leukaemia Foundation
by raising funds for the
World’s Greatest Shave, via
the Mining Challenge.
This year was no exception, with
events at our sites proving once
again that we’re a giving group of
people with deep pockets.
Events at Port Hedland had to be
postponed because of Cyclone
Lua, but ultimately went ahead.
Fundraisers across all of our sites
ranged from BBQ’s and quiz nights
to chest waxing, with support for the
Leukaemia Foundation eclipsing all
of our past efforts.
Several Fortescue family members
took up the challenge for 2012,
collectively raising over $80,000 for
the Foundation.
Cloudbreak mining operator Carina
Skipworth and Perth’s Peter Thomas
raised more than $25,000 each
through various events.
Several Perth based team members
gave up their locks as well. Crispin
Harris from IT, Matt Sinclair from
Purchasing, Jonathan Davies from
Environment, Clint Hounsham from
Planning, Colin Dowson from Safety
all agreed to a quick clip from Alana
Kongras.
A very special mention has to go
to Damien Grainger from Morris at
Castle Camp who agreed to have his
chest and arms waxed after $2,700
was raised in just four days. Based
on the images, it looks like Damien’s
pain was shared by his colleagues.
17

Site
Travel
New World of Work
With desk space at the Fortescue Centre now at a premium,
Fortescue’s New World of Work will become an integral part of our
day to day operations. We’ll keep you posted on the progress of this
exciting project.
Find out more: http://intranet/nwow
18
Flexibility
Office
Home

IT Service
Desk -
working
around the
clock
Your Perth IT Service Desk has
recently moved to a new 4 day on,
4 day off, 24 hour roster. Working
twelve hour shifts, the team are now
providing 7 day a week support to all
of you, wherever you are working for
Fortescue.
The change in roster meant there
were fewer people on duty during
the day and the change has created
an initial backlog. Service Desk
Lead Stephen Watts is confident the
backlog won’t last long, “We initially
started with our 6 team roster and
soon identified that we needed more
people on the desk during the day.”
“Recruitment was expedited and we
will soon be working with our 8 team
roster,” he said.
The team receives more than
400 calls and emails every day, in
addition to ‘walk-ups’, or people
who approach the desk. They are
investigating several new processes
to enhance their service – we’ll keep
you posted on new developments.
In the meantime, check out these
Handy IT Hints.
If you’ve requested new software to
be installed, please log out, but leave
your PC turned on when you leave
for the day. Software installations are
now done overnight.
Hardware deployments are also
processed overnight, so the right
desk number on your request form is
extremely important.
Chasing up a request? It’s best
to give the Service Desk a call on
8877 - with several hundred emails
being received every day, duplicate
requests are inefficient.
Perth’s Level
3 – Open for
Business
The offices on Level 3 at
the Hyatt Centre are now
fully operational. The 560
desks are already reserved
or occupied, according to
Perth’s office management
team. The floor also boasts
eight kitchens, touchdown
pods, 30 meeting rooms
and many happy residents.
Level 3 houses teams such
as Engineering & Reliability,
Environment, Exploration,
Engineering, Evaluation Studies
and Business Development, GIS
Land Heritage, Resource Strategy,
Strategic Planning and Solomon.
On 29 March the new staircase
between Levels 2 and 3 was unveiled
at a special Thursday morning
meeting and dubbed the ‘Change
the World Stairs’. The staircase is
already proving popular, with many
of the Fortescue family popping
between floors to consult with
colleagues.
The opening between the floors will
connect our workforce and reinstate a
transparency and flow of information
between our various teams.
Flying the
flag for
Fortescue on
Australia Day
First place in the inaugural
Tom Price Pool Boat
Regatta was taken out
by a team from Solomon
on Australia Day. The
Fortescue team donated
the $200 prize money back
to the organisers for redistribution
amongst the
other entrants.
Emily Wells, Andrew Cook, and
Keighley and Hayley Bremner won
a tight race in a boat made of duct
tape, inner tubes, PVC pipe and a
temporary bund. “The pressure was
on us from the beginning after we
were deemed race favourites but we
pulled through with a very narrow
victory,” said Keighley. “We would like
to thank the community of Tom Price
for putting on such a good day and
we look forward to defending our
title at next year’s event.”
Fortescue’s Community
Superintendent Scott Hansen said,
“Australia Day in Tom Price was a real
community day, driven by Ashburton
Shire, with much help from the
Defence’s Pilbara Regiment, the Tom
Price Police and lots of volunteers.
We are part of the community
here now, so it’s important to get
involved in these events. Thanks to
the Solomon crew for taking up the
opportunity.”
A special mention to Jerome Paddon
and Solomon Grade Control team for
building the boat, and to the other
Fortescue people who supported the
effort: Braam Weber, Michael Clark,
Carrie Ward and Clint Hare.
19

The Rowley
Foundation
Scholarship
The University of Western
Australia is WA offering a
generous new scholarship
for an Indigenous student
studying anthropology and
sociology.
Have you got a good
news story, has your
team achieved a
significant milestone
or do you have an
example of the
Fortescue values in our
workplace?
Send your story
to Fortescue
Communications:
E: communications@
fmgl.com.au
www.fmgl.com.au
2
The scholarship, to be known as the
Rowley Foundation Scholarship in
Cultural Studies, will enable a highachieving
Indigenous student to
undertake a Bachelor of Arts degree
at UWA majoring in Anthropology
and Sociology.
Home-made
infrastructure
It’s great to know that
we can source essential
infrastructure without
leaving home.
Some large pieces of kit bound for
Solomon have been constructed
right here in WA or sourced from
within Australia – a great boost to
the local economy.
Graeme Rowley is one of Fortescue’s
founding Directors. He and his
family are excited to contribute to
the advancement of WA’s young
Indigenous community. “We want to
ensure that our State’s rich history of
Indigenous culture is acknowledged,
applauded and valued by future
generations of both Indigenous and
non-Indigenous members of our
modern society. This scholarship will
help to develop young Indigenous
champions who will provide valuable
ongoing contributions to the
community,” he said.
Local companies such as RCR, Aussie
Modular Solutions, Vinidex, Mcnally,
Fenner Dunlop, Delkor, Wilson,
Schenck and Nepean are providing
products such as apron and belt
feeders, dongas, piping, switch
rooms, transformers and conveyor
belts for Solomon.
In addition to the Solomon
equipment, on 5th March four new
train unloader cells will leave AGC’s
facility at Henderson Wharf, bound
for the Port expansion project in Port
Hedland after being constructed in
Henderson by Metso.