Enough is Enough progress report

On 23 June 2022, the Community Development and Justice Standing Committee Report 2 ‘Enough is Enough’ Sexual harassment against women in the FIFO mining industry (Enough is Enough) was tabled in Parliament providing 79 findings and 24 recommendations.
Of the 24 recommendations, the Western Australian Government (the Government) supports in total or in principle the 15 recommendations within its responsibility to implement. The Government has outlined additional actions to work collaboratively to meet the intent of the nine recommendations directed towards industry.
The Government responded to the report on 21 September 2022 and the first progress report was tabled in Parliament on 29 November 2022.
Key commitments include the provision of funding for support services, strengthening of the regulatory framework, and supporting industry to improve workplace culture and outcomes:

Supporting women

• Circle Green Community Legal has received funding to provide a triage and non-legal social work support service to those who have experienced workplace sexual harassment in the mining sector. Circle Green can be contacted on 1800 929 250 and can provide free and confidential support with navigating legal and practical options if you have experienced sexual assault and sexual harassment on a mine site.
• The Sexual Assault Resource Centre has received funding to develop accessible and sustainable specialist training for health responders if responding to sexual assaults on mine sites.
• A communication campaign will be launched to ensure increased awareness of WorkSafe’s 24/7 reporting line.

Regulatory Framework

• Work health and safety (WHS) regulations which formally impose the requirement to manage the risks of psychosocial hazards, including sexual harassment, in the workplace are now in place. 
• The Minister for Industrial Relations has requested the Mining and Petroleum Advisory Committee (MAPAC) in consultation with the Work Health and Safety Committee to:
  • develop a code of practice for mining and construction accommodation
  • review the Mentally healthy workplaces for fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workers in the resources and construction sector: Code of practice.

Better Regulation

• The Government has published PwC Australia’s review into WorkSafe Mines Safety’s regulatory capability to respond to incidents of sexual harassment and sexual assault.
• Psychosocial training for all WorkSafe Mines Safety inspectors has been completed.
• The new triage model and after hours response following the introduction of the WHS Act has been refined.
• The Government has funded the development of a comprehensive data management system for WorkSafe which will include systems for the monitoring and reporting on sexual harassment.

Upskilling industry

• The Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety Program (MARS Program) is publishing key information such as the Landmark Study reports.
• The MARS Program has funded FIFO Focus to develop and deliver “Response, Investigation and Management of sexual harassment in the workplace” trauma-informed training available to the mining industry in April 2023.
• In collaboration with the Department of Communities, funding has been provided for the Respect in Mining program. This program will implement a pilot initiative in a number of small-to-medium mining companies to engage workers in discussion around the drivers of gendered violence, implement a whole-of-organisation approach to violence prevention, and work to embed respectful relationships in the workplace.

Collaboration

• On 1 August 2023 the Government will host the Mining Industry Summit: Driving Respect which aims to educate, inspire and empower industry to drive respect and take meaningful action towards preventing and responding to sexual harassment. It will bring together company boards, senior executives, mine management, supervisors, health and safety representatives and safety professionals.
• The Respect@Work memorandum of understanding (MOU) and the MOU between WA Police, the Department and WorkSafe are likely to be executed shortly.

Future progress on the Government’s implementation of the recommendations will be reported in the Department’s annual report.

Industry will engage with the Government through MAPAC, including providing updates on progress on recommendations.