Mining contractor wins right to advertise for female truck drivers because they 'improve a safety culture'

A COMPANY has been given permission to advertise a job for women only - and it's probably the last thing you'd expect.

Haylee Yarnold is a truck driver at Commodore open-cut mine. Picture: Hollie Sorensen

A MINING services contractor will be allowed to advertise 50 women-only truck driving jobs a year at Queensland open-cut mine sites without facing discrimination action.

Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal has granted Downer EDI Mining an exemption under the Anti-Discrimination Act to allow it to specifically recruit female entry-level operators.

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Downer EDI Mining, one of Australia's largest open-cut mining services contractors, says it wants to "break the stereotypes around gender and occupation''.

It will employ 10 females to start out driving trucks at each of five central and southeast Queensland open-cut sites each year, the tribunal heard.

The company sought an exemption because it was concerned that it could be liable for action for unlawful discrimination if it advertised women-only jobs.

It told the tribunal men were more susceptible to risk-taking and an increased female workforce at mine sites would help to create a better safety culture.

The tribunal heard that 14 per cent of the total company's workforce were women and the company wanted to reach a target of 25 per cent female workforce by 2020.

Downer EDI Mining told the tribunal skills shortages and the desire for a better gender balance were behind the initiative.

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The company will recruit female truck drivers who will live in townships surrounding open-cut sites or in central Queensland towns accessible by flight or car.

It said it also would develop site cultures and support mechanisms to "break female stereotyping at sites''.

Senior tribunal member Clare Endicott said that the company had made compelling submissions for a general exemption under the Anti-Discrimination Act.

Ms Endicott said as well as advertising female-only positions, the company would use other non-discriminatory ways of increasing the female workforce.

The company will recruit female truck drivers who will live in townships surrounding open-cut sites or in central Queensland towns accessible by flight or car.

It said it also would develop site cultures and support mechanisms to "break female stereotyping at sites''.

Former hairdresser Haylee Yarnold, 26, has been driving trucks for eight months at Commodore open-cut coal mine, southwest of Toowoomba.

"I'd always wanted to get into mining,'' Ms Yarnold, one of only two women driving 400 tonne trucks at the mine site, said.

"It was the change I'd been hoping for and I've loved every minute.''

Ms Yarnold who mostly works 10 and a half hour days for five days, with two days off, earning a six-figure wage in a year, says her male co-workers treat her like a sister or daughter.

She said she got her start in the industry when Downer EDI Mining recruited more female entry-level operators for a NSW mine site and says it was a great way to get into the male-dominated workforce and earn big money.

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