Mine to Market November-December 2012 - Mount Isa Mines

Johannes
Grobler’s
Story
Sixteen years ago, as a South African
based high-school maths and science
teacher, Johannes ‘JJ’ Grobler, Technical
Services Manager, George Fisher Mine
(GFM), never imagined he would end up
playing a vital role at one of the largest
integrated zinc producers in the world.
“When I was a teacher, I was
approached by a South African explosives
company who were interested in me due
to my background in chemistry. Although
I was never employed with the company
due to the potential closure of the plant,
a friend of mine convinced me to give
underground mining a go. After one
underground trip I was hooked.
Since then, I have worked in South
African gold and diamond mines and just
before moving to Australia I was employed
as Technical Director at mining consultancy
Africon Engineering Consulting, currently
known as AURECON.
Six years ago, I made the decision
to leave South Africa and move to the
other side of the world as I felt Australia
offered a safer environment for my family.
In December 2006, I arrived in Mount Isa
with my wife and two boys and we were
instantly greeted by the sunbaked, vast red
landscape and the overwhelming northwest
Queensland summer heat.
On 18 December, 2006 I started
at George Fisher as a Senior Mining
Engineer at GFM South and from there I
became Planning Superintendant before
taking on the position of Feasibility
Team Leader. In this position I had the
opportunity to contribute to the future
of the mine by doing the mine design
for the George Fisher Mine Expansion
Project Feasibility Study. I am very proud
of this study and can’t wait to experience
increased production at lower costs
when the infrastructure is commissioned
and operational.
In March 2011, I was promoted to
Technical Services Manager. What I love
about this job is you can add value to the
company with improved processes and
we have experienced significant progress
this year with improvements in safety,
planning systems, tonnes delivery and
grades achieved.
The constant challenges and the
dynamic of the current environment make
it a very exciting time to be working at
George Fisher and I feel fortunate that I
have the opportunity to work in such an
exhilarating setting.
Since arriving, I have been lucky enough
to experience much of what this beautiful
country has to offer and have added one
new member to my family. Visiting Uluru in
June was a definite highlight for me, even
if my fear of heights prevented me from
making it all the way to the top!
Looking forward, I am excited about
playing a part in the continued growth of
GFM. When I started at George Fisher
the mine was producing 2.6 million
tonnes per year. This year we will reach
3.5 million tonnes and next year we
will ramp up to 4.3 million tonnes. I am
really looking forward to reaching these
milestones and being part of the mine’s
continued success.”
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