Funding will target mental health, workplace culture, and substance issues
The Western Australian government had recently announced $6.5 million in additional funding for its second phase of the Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) Program, an initiative that is designed to “stamp out” sexual harassment and assault in the resources sector.
The extra funding, which would form part of the state’s budget 2022-23, is geared toward addressing mental health, workplace culture, and drug and alcohol use.
According to the WA’s government list of objectives, the multi-million sum would support “a range of projects,” including:
- The Respectful Relationships program, which will implement a pilot initiative in a number of small-to-medium companies to educate the workplace about gendered drivers of violence, implement a whole-of-organisation approach to violence prevention and work to embed respectful relationships across the organization;
- The Mining Life program, which focuses on mental health, respect and safety training and resources;
- Thrive at Work in Mining Masterclass Series, which is a ground-breaking workplace mental health and well-being initiative centred on designing work that supports employees, organisations and industry to thrive, where masterclass participants will be guided through the Thrive at Work framework to unpack how mining workplaces can support all employees; and
- Toolkit resources to provide mining workplaces with practical tools to tackle known health, mental health and safety risks in the resources industry.
The state’s projects expected to start in 2022 include a landmark research study focusing on the mining sector’s health, well-being, and safety. The state will also review the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety’s (DMIRS) capability and enforcement model for sexual harassment and assault incidents.
In addition, the MARS program would continue supporting the DMIRS, with a focus on reaching women in the mining sector through future high-profile education and awareness campaigns.
“The mental and physical health of WA workers is a priority for the McGowan Government and we remain committed to improving the well-being of resources sector workers and their families,” Mines and Petroleum and Industrial Relations Minister Bill Johnston said in the media release.
“Inappropriate behaviour in the workplace is unacceptable - all workers have the right to be respected and feel physically safe,” Johnston added. He also encouraged all resources sector operators to promote mental health initiatives in the workplace and provide suitable support to their employees.
Meanwhile, Women’s Interests Minister Simone McGurk said that the WA government has sent an “unequivocal message that women are important and valued members of our resources industry workforce” through the MARS program.
The WA government launched the said program in December 2021 to boost responses to mental health, workplace culture and safety in the state’s mining sector.
