CMPA 12 MONTH ACTIVITIES

The CMPA have recently reviewed their accomplishments over the last 12 months. The following is a summary of the activities undertaken by the CMPA for members information. Sarah Kerr, CMPA Secretary

Establishment and Development of the CMPA Identity

• The CMPA has been invited to participate in ACE 2005 to which the association has agreed to. The stand is being coordinated by T. Bird.
• The CMPA has raised the concept of a Business Support Board. The Management Committee has approved this and appropriate board members are being sought by the Management Committee.
• A review of the CMPA website is being undertaken to ensure that it is more user friendly and can assist in the provision of information for our members by the Secretariat.

Policy and Special Issues Committee—Works Issued and Completed

It is a condition of works being undertaken by this committee that the required funds must be available before a special work can commence.

Policy and Special Issues – With Initiating Committee

• Capital Acquisition and Commissioning Reference Manual. The Associate Committee has commenced research into the development of a Capital Selection Acquisition and Commissioning Reference Manual. To date this has involved discussions with IPWEA, La Trobe University and the CMPA Patron.
• Blasting Reference Manual

A Drilling Workshop was conducted on March 26 with over 80 people associated with the industry attending. This day was able to draw out many of the hazards that the industry saw in the drilling process. As a direct result of the workshop, a “Drill Rig Pre Start and End Day Checklist” was released after being reviewed by many of those in the industry, including the regulators and drilling contractors.

A further three reference materials are to be developed by the CMPA for the use of those within the industry, including:

1. a list of all identified risks associated with drilling
2. Checklist for Drilling Rig Operations
3. Quarry Driller’s Blast Hole Report”

• Materials Reference Manual – A manual is to be developed that will detail the characteristics of 20 to 30 commonly requested materials detailing standard testing specifications, frequency of testing, sampling methods, as well as the purpose of use for such materials. Information is being collected through the Membership Datasheets.

General Issues Addressed by the CMPA

• The EPA has presented the industry with a draft Guidelines for Environmental Management for the Extractive Industries to which the CMPA is invited to contribute. There are several issues that the CMPA has with the document and it continues to be worked through with those involved.
• Employee Fatigue Study – This study was instigated by the DPI and AWU. The CMPA has passed comment on the questions being asked of participants and on the final report. The report has been completed and will be released in the near future.
• The CMPA has published an advertisement in the 2004 Yellow Pages highlighting the association’s ability to direct clients to relevant CMPA members. This has resulted in approximately 3 calls to the CMPA per week. An advertisement has been again approved for the 2005 Yellow Pages, with the added benefit of colour.
• The CMPA has provided comment on the draft Extractive Industry Interest Areas report taking into account the concerns of those members within the Interest Area.

Committee Appointments

• Management Committee positions voted upon including the election of G. Phillips as Chairperson, M. Thompson as Treasurer, B. McClure as Public Officer and remaining positions going to: R. Walsh; B. Ferguson; B. Natoli; D. Jeffrey; A. Lambing; B. Symons; T. Bird; A. Wilkins.
• D. Eldridge takes on the role of Southern Region Coordinator following the resignation of K. Porter.

Government Relations

• The Department of Natural Resources and Environment was split into the Department of Sustainability and the Department of Primary Industries, the later representing the extractive industry.

EMIAB Meetings

All EMIAB meetings were attended by the Honorary CEO or the Public Officer.

Meeting 4-2003

Training Funds: Due to the potential diversion of training funds away from the Extractive and Mining Industry in Victoria, it was proposed that the Minister ensures that the current levels of Government training funding is retained as a minimum.

QC Registered Training Organisations: In order to ensure quality control of RTS’s delivering competency training and assessment within the Victorian extractive industry, it is recommended that the DPI, CMPA, and EIA-V request for audits to be conducted to ensure consistency with the agreed industry standards for all levels of competency.

Meeting 5-2003

Recognition of Prior Learning: The CMPA recommended that the Minister facilitate communication between the Victorian Workcover Authority and the DPI to develop a protocol for RPL for extractive industry personnel who have completed recognised extractive industry training.

The CMPA expressed its sincere thanks to the Minister and the DPI for their support to date for the Work Safely Reference Manual and Work Safely Training.

Meeting 1-2004

Fitness for Work: The CMPA requested that the DPI develops a Guidance Note for employee’s health monitoring with the CMPA addressing the practical implementation of the Guidance Note through the development of support literature. The DPI put $5000 towards the publication of such literature.

Education Committee

• The CMPA raised concerns that government funding was being diverted away from the Extractive Industries Training Package (EITP) to other areas as data indicated all the industry had received training. Following investigations by the CMPA, it was established that these data were incorrect, and the appropriate adjustments were made including the maintaining of funding.
• The CMPA has requested that audits are conducted on RTO’s who train in the EITP to ensure that a high level of quality training is delivered. This issue has been presented to the Minister, raised with the Engineering Skills Training Board, and detailed to the Office of Training and Tertiary Education for their perusal. As a result, OTTE is presently arranging such audits to occur.
• Quarry Managers Advisory Panel – Due to changes in the Extractive Industries Development Act and its Regulation, the Quarry Managers Advisory Panel is to be disbanded. The CMPA is presently investing how best to address this issue. At this stage, the CMPA is looking into developing a series of documents to support members when employing or training a quarry manager.
• Industry Liaison Agent – CMPA commences investigations into the possibility of an Industry Liaison Agent in the extractive industry to assist members in directing their employees in their vocational pathways. Support was sought from the Minister for an ILA. The Minister has informed the CMPA that this will not be possible in the foreseeable future.
• Education Newsletter – The Chairperson of the Education Committee, T. Bird, suggested that the CMPA commence a newsletter that will aim to address the gap identified without the approval for an ILA. To date two such newsletters have been released.

Certificate II in Extractive Industries Training Programs

• Work Safely – WELL funding was sought and received for Work Safely in 2003 with 209 participants trained WELL funding was again sought and received in 2004 for Work Safely with over 60 persons trained to date. The CMPA is seeking an RPL for the Red Card for those who have completed this course. This issue has been presented to the Minister and meetings held with Work Cover, VECCI and other parties on the matter. At this stage it is looking promising, however a final result will not be known until later in the new financial year.
• Conduct Local Risk Control & Communicate in the Work Place – WELL funding was sought and received for 2004 for the above mentioned courses which are due to commence in the near future following the finalisation of course materials.
• Basic Cutting and Welding – Initial discussions have commenced with the Associate Member, Quantec Solutions, in relation to the provision of the above mentioned unit in 2005/06. Training materials are to be adjusted to specifically suit the extractive industries and a pilot course is to be conducted in October with other courses commencing in the new calendar year.
• Service and Handover Machinery Units – Initial discussions have commenced with several Associate Members in relation to the provision of the above mentioned units in 2005. Quotations are to be presented to the CMPA from NMIT and the Caterpillar Institute.
• Quarry Managers Prerequisite Program – Initial discussions have commenced with Box Hill TAFE with the intention of running a pilot program for those persons interested in commencing Certificate IV in the Extractive Industries Training Package. This will assist in preparing new students for the course and ensuring a high retention rate as students have a greater degree of confidence.
• Explosive Licence Renewal – Following the sun setting on all old explosive licences and the introduction of licences managed by the DPI on behalf of WorkCover, the CMPA in conjunction with the DPI are conducting a series of one day workshops to train in and conduct the required tests in October and November of this year.

Education Newsletters

• Issue 1 CMPA Education Newsletter
  • Section 1 – To What Level Do I Train To?
• Issue 2 CMPA Education Newsletter
  • Section 1 – Certificate II Units of Competency
  • Section 2 – Certificate II Sales Loader Operator

Vic Roads Committee

• Generic Conditions of Contract – Following the non-payment of monies to a CMPA member subcontracting to a Vic Roads project, the CMPA employs Lindsay Coombs to develop a standard terms arrangement. This will be ratified by CMPA members, EIA-V, CCF, VicRoads, & ACCC to ensure it is issued throughout the industry.
• Operating Criteria for Front End Loaders – A submission regarding a report presented by Vic Roads on the above topic has been presented in March by the CMPA, with no further information being received from Vic Roads to date.

Regulatory Guideline Reviews

• CMPA holds discussions with DPI and EPA regarding Tailings Storage Guidelines.
• ATO review of the effective life of quarry asssets – The CMPA received notification of this process by Jaques after which time many meetings, several site visits, and data collection occurred, culminating in the presentation of a submission to the ATO. The issue was considered concluded upon the presentation of the information to members. There were several concessions made by the ATO as a direct result of the CMPA’s efforts.
• Angahook Lorne Investigation Community Reference Group – M. Halliday sat on this board on behalf of the CMPA until his resignation following which D.Eldridge has taken on this position. To date, two formal submissions have been made in December 2003 and July 2004. A final report for government is expected to be released later in the year following which parliament will consider the future actions.
• Revision of National Exposure Standards for Crystalline Silica – Notification was received by the CMPA that NOHSC was reviewing the OES for silica to which the association presented a submission on the Regulatory Impact Statement. Following this the CMPA held many discussions with NOHSC and ACCI resulting in the CMPA’s concerns being highlighted in the final RIS. The final decision on this process will be made in September.
• Diesel Fuel Rebate – The Federal Government has addressed the abnormalities existing in the Diesel Fuel Rebate scheme with changes to take effect from 2006.
• Occupational Health and Safety Act Review – The CMPA has presented two submissions to date on this issue in December and June, with no resolution from government to date. The aim of the review was to establish how to better the OHSA in Victoria and how it is being utilised at present.
• Amendments to the OHS(Asbestos) Regulations – The changes proposed by WorkCover have been presented to the CMPA with concerns being raised regarding the potential for businesses operating within Victoria’s greenbelts encountering naturally occurring asbestos.
• ENRC Inquiry into Sustainable Communities – A submission on behalf of the CMPA has been made with the Government report being waited upon.

Financial Projects

Initial planning discussions are underway in relation to the issue of banks being able to accurately assessing the worth of Commercial Leases.

A “Banking Road Show” is presently being established in order to present to banks with a crash course in the extractive industries that they can refer to
when dealing with CMPA members.

Generic Document Development

• Work Safely Reference Manual, Version 1, 2001
• General Information Reference Manual Version 3, 2003
• General Industry Guidelines Reference Manual Version 1, 2003
• Employee Wage Book Version 1, 2004
• Mobile Plant Operators Daily Safety Checklist Version 3, 2004
• Fixed Plant Operators Daily Safety Checklist Version 1, 2003
• Drill Rig Pre Start and End Day Checklist Version 1, 2004
• Act Pack Version 2, 2004
• CMPA Financial Year calendar – Due to poor sales, this venture will not be repeated.

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