Nyamal Traditional Owners land $18 million equipment contract with Fortescue

Giovanni Torre Published June 8, 2023 at 1.25pm (AWST)

business

Travis McPhee, Graham Howard, Martin Drage, Danny Brown, Fiona Hick, and Gavin Mitchell at the signing of the significant agreement. Image: Fortescue.

Nyamal Traditional Owners will provide mining equipment for Fortescue's Iron Bridge Magnetite Project under a major agreement announced Thursday.

The $18 million agreement, which builds on the $331 million in contracts already awarded to Nyamal businesses since 2019, will see Nyamal Holdings initially provide five contour drill rigs, one stemming loader and two platform rigs to Fortescue. This will grow to include six additional platform rigs over the next two years to meet the Iron Bridge mine plan.

Nyamal Aboriginal Corporation Chair Gavin Mitchell said Nyamal Holdings are "excited to secure this significant contract for the Nyamal people enabling us to own the fleet which will provide ongoing training and employment opportunities for Nyamal members".

"Nyamal Aboriginal Corporation have strong and ongoing engagement with Fortescue, and we are pleased that through this contract we are able to build on this longstanding relationship," he said.

Fortescue Metals chief executive Fiona Hick said the Drill and Blast program at Iron Bridge represents "one of the most crucial aspects to achieving maximum throughput in the processing plant".

"We are pleased that we have been able to partner with Nyamal to deliver this important capability.

"From the outset, Fortescue has been focused on practical initiatives that drive economic and employment opportunities for Indigenous Australians. Contracts like this support the growth of Indigenous businesses, enabling them to build capability which in turn provides ongoing economic benefits to communities."

Fortescue notes that a total of $3.6 billion in goods and services have been sourced within Western Australia for the Iron Bridge project and operations, and more more than $4.5 billion in contracts have been awarded to over 140 Indigenous Australian businesses through Fortescue's Billion Opportunities program since its inception in 2011.

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Photo:

Back row (left to right): Travis McPhee Director of Nyamal Aboriginal Corporation and Nyamal Holdings, Graham Howard, General Manager Iron Bridge, Martin Drage, Group Manager Aboriginal Business Development.

Front row (left to right): Danny Brown CEO Nyamal Aboriginal Corporation, Fiona Hick, CEO Fortescue Metals, Gavin Mitchell Chair Nyamal Aboriginal Corporation and Director Nyamal Holding.