Modern Quarrying Q1 2023

the tripartite forum of the Mine Health and Safety Council. There will be more collaboration with members including roadshows and visits - I like getting my boots dirty,” Van den Berg says. “Developing SMMEs and bringing up-and-coming youngsters will also be a focus. Plans are already being developed to package compliance and quality documents that will assist SMME’s to meet requirements. Simultaneously, the development of the next generation of surface miners is being planned with learnerships already being investigated and planned for the near future.” Challenging times She continues that there are many challenges that still need to be met and many opportunities that need to be covered and made available to ASPASA members. The safety of women in mining, one size fits all mines legislation and the tough economy spring to mind, as well as opportunities that exist in working with Government and industry to unlock upcoming con struction contracts. “I am bringing in a lot of energy and want to incorporate the expertise of every generation into our organisation to share information and build knowledge for the future. With the interaction of all role-players in the association we will grow from strength-to strength.” l

role players. “Having started my career on a small mine I

understand the challenges and how difficult it is to reach compliance with limited resources and being measured with the same legislation and processes. We need to find the small non ASPASA members and get them onboard. Cost is also a factor for these mines and we will relook at the levy model so that we can make it affordable at all levels. “Lobbying on behalf of the industry and ensuring we always compete on a level playing field still remains a priority. We will intensify our efforts in dealing with issues like illegal mining, technicalities regarding the payment of Royalties and other issues. Importantly, we want to ensure that legislation is written specifically for our mines rather than the current one size fits all approach as this has a direct impact on members abilities to comply. Team work “To do this ASPASA will work closely with state, tri partite structures nationally and regionally to make our voice heard. I also plan to work more closely with related industry bodies such as the Institute of Quarrying, Minerals Council, construction industry bodies and others. “Once we have reviewed our services and communications we will also look at regions including

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MODERN QUARRYING QUARTER 1 | 2023