The day included a visit to MinRes’ Port of Ashburton facility, a transhipper, the project’s Truck Maintenance Facility and Yarri village, providing valuable insights into the unique supply chain delivered by CSI Mining Services - a wholly-owned subsidiary of MinRes - and the many career pathways available in the mining industry.
At the Port of Ashburton – 15km south of Onslow – students enjoyed the opportunity to see MinRes transhipper up close and spoke with the vessel's Master about life at sea and the crew’s responsibilities.
MinRes runs one of the largest and most sophisticated transhipping operations in Australia, with each vessel ferrying 20,000 tonnes of iron ore to awaiting ocean going vessels anchored 40km offshore.
At Onslow Iron's Truck Maintenance Facility, students learned about MinRes’ jumbo road trains and heard from team members working in automation, electrical trades and heavy vehicle mechanics.
MinRes road trains haul iron ore 150km on a private dedicated haul road from central processing facilities at the Ken's Bore mine site to the Port of Ashburton.
Students also enjoyed a tour of the Yarri accommodation village, followed by a meeting with the Administration and Village Operations teams to learn about non-operational roles essential to keeping a large mining operation running smoothly.
CSI Mining Services Port Operations Manager Paul Wheeler led the tour and said it was a pleasure to engage with students.
“Visits such as these highlight the industry’s responsibility in helping shape the next generation of the workforce,” he said.
“We’re proud to be able to provide local students with insights into the vast range of career opportunities available within the mining industry and the many different roles it takes to keep an operation like Onslow Iron running successfully.”
Onslow School Year 10 student Caydence Colum said she was surprised to learn about the diverse career opportunities available in the mining industry.
“It was incredible to see firsthand the scale of roles and understand how everything comes together,” she said.
“After spending time with the team on site, I felt genuinely excited about options after school. I’d love to secure an apprenticeship and build a career in the industry.”
Onslow School Deputy Principal Sharon McCawley thanked MinRes for hosting the students and said they thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
MinRes is proud to support community organisations in and around Onslow. At Onslow School, the company has provided financial and in-kind support for a range of initiatives including its Healthy Living Program, yarning circles and planned playground upgrades.
Onslow Iron is unlocking billions of tonnes of previously stranded iron ore deposits in the West Pilbara. The project achieved first ore on ship in May 2024 and just 15 months later reached nameplate capacity of 35 million tonnes per annum.
Learn more about Onslow Iron.
