750 tonnes of dirt donated to build up track
15 August 2024
SIMEC Mining Iron Ore has weighed in, literally, to help a local sporting club in Whyalla.
The GFG Alliance operation at Whyalla has come to the party with a massive 750 tonnes of dirt to help build and repair the Whyalla Motocross Club track. This sandy material came from a stemming campaign at the SIMEC Mining operations at the Empress Pit at Iron Baron and was destined for the dump.
Motocross club member, and supervisor with mine contractor Golding, Aaron Hewett saw the work going on and got together with SIMEC Mining leaders to discuss the possibility of some dirt going to the local track.
I’m proud that we have this sort of flexibility and this sort of positive relationship with our contractors to deliver support like this to a local community club”
SIMEC Mining Executive General Manager, Jacqui Higgins
Matt Vasey, Superintendent Mining at Southern Middleback Ranges (SMR), was one of those leaders and had no hesitation pitching in to make it happen.
“It was a great idea and huge win for the motocross club,” Matt said.
“It ended up being a collective effort to ask the local contractor (Rabig Bulk Haulage) to back-load the trucks with the sandy dirt back to the motocross track at the end of the shift as they drive past it anyway.
“This was the waste burden overlying the scree ore body, it had to be moved anyway and had no real purpose for us.
“Rabig had the capacity to deliver that material free of charge to the club so we safely planned and delivered it to give the club a real boost and some dirt that suddenly had some value to it.”
Aaron said the dirt was a big help for the club and would allow the motocross club to upgrade the jumps and re-design certain sections to make for a more challenging track.
“As a club we would like to thank SIMEC for allowing us to have the material that they provided and Rabig Bulk Haulage for supplying the trucks and side tippers,” Aaron said.
“This was more than generous and is very much appreciated.
“To get the kind of material that we have received is often hard and very expensive … a cost the club often cannot afford.”
SIMEC Mining Executive General Manager, Jacqui Higgins thanked her team leaders, the contractor and everyone involved in making this local community assistance happen.
“We had a local club needing assistance, dirt on this occasion, to improve their facility and we had the capacity to supply that material free of charge and without disruption to anyone,” Jacqui said.
“I’m proud that we have this sort of flexibility and this sort of positive relationship with our contractors to deliver support like this to a local community club.
“This is a non-for-profit club that might not have the capacity to buy or transport this volume of dirt, so it is a great example of big business like ours having a strong connection and commitment to community.”
It was a great idea and huge win for the motocross club
Superintendent Mining at Southern Middleback Ranges Matt Vasey
The Whyalla Motocross Club is situated on the Cowell highway approximately 20km from Whyalla. It holds ride days throughout the motocross season for anyone with any type of skill level to come out to the track and have a ride.
It also takes part in an Eyre Peninsula competition which consists of four separate rounds between four clubs (Whyalla, Kimba, Port Lincoln, Ceduna). These are big events for the club and attract a lot of interest from the motorbike community.
Main image, top right and below left: Matt Vasey and Aaron Hewitt at some of the new jumps made possible by the dirt donation at Whyalla Motocross Club. Above right and below: The donated dirt is moulded into place at the motocross club.
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