Dec 6, 2007
Imagine working in 40+ degree heat all day, in a dusty, dry and
remote part of Western Australia’s North West. This is the
working life of tens of thousands of men and women employed in the
mining resources industry in WA. The work is mostly physical,
the heat relentless and the location so remote that most workers
live on site for weeks or months at a time, before flying home for
a break.
It’s no wonder they look forward to resting and rejuvenating in
their accommodation units at the end of each long shift.
These units or “dongas” as they are known in the industry, must be
reasonably appointed and well maintained to ensure maximum
comfort. In fact with the booming mining resources industry
and the ever increasing demand for mine site labour, workers can be
tempted to switch jobs and work at another mine site which may
offer a higher standard of accommodation and living quarters.
“With the tight labour market, now more than ever the quality of a
mine site’s amenities is critical to retaining the company’s most
precious resource—its employees,” said Robert Hewer, Director of
Sales and Marketing with The Airlec Group of Companies.
The Airlec Group has built a reputation over the years for
providing high quality, timely maintenance service for all types of
mine site accommodation in remote areas of WA. The Airlec
team regularly refurbish many of the old style dongas by adding new
or improved air conditioning units, upgrading the electrical system
so TVs and other equipment can be installed, providing general
carpentry and building services, and even adding ensuite
bathrooms.
Death of the old donga
An exciting new offering from the Airlec Group is Xpanda, which
has introduced of a new generation of accommodation units.
Unlike traditional units or dongas which are inflexible in design
and can take up to six months to be constructed and erected on
site, the Xpanda range of units are high quality, cost effective,
suit almost every location or situation and can be constructed,
transported and erected in remote locations in just 14-15
weeks. They are also very sturdy and cyclone-rated to
withstand even the harshest weather conditions.
With Xpanda, the Airlec team can custom design buildings and
facilities to suit specific requirements for mining clients, and
deliver and construct these much faster than traditional units,
resulting in huge time and cost benefits for the client as staff
can relocate to site and commence work much sooner. Airlec
also provide any ongoing maintenance and service for the Xpanda
buildings as well as older, existing units.
“The days of the mine site donga are over. Xpanda’s buildings
are modern, sleek and provide more comfortable and luxurious
living, working and recreational quarters for mine site
staff. This helps keep the workers happy, productive and
loyal, and that’s a win for everyone,” said Mr. Hewer.
Solutions for range of industries
While the booming mining industry has created a high demand for
quality and timely accommodation units, Xpanda’s accommodation
offerings extend to a wide range of industries. The units are
well suited to the hospitality and tourism industries such as
caravan parks, holiday camps, resorts and retreats.
Additionally there are numerous designs that work well for schools,
colleges and other educational operations. In fact, the Group
can design an Xpanda accommodation unit to suit virtually any need,
location or situation.
While the Airlec Group can’t do much about the remoteness of WA’s
mine site locations, or the 40+ degree, through the Xpanda range
and the ongoing servicing of existing and new accommodation units,
they are helping to ensure that mining workers are as comfortable
as possible in their home away from home.