Working With Us
Workers at Cannington
Location
Cannington is located approximately 800 km west south west of Townsville, and approximately 250 km south-south east of Mt Isa in Queensland, Australia. Access to the site is currently via an 83 km graded shire road from the small community of McKinlay. An all-weather, sealed airstrip was constructed on site which is capable of accommodating jet aircraft to enable Cannington employees to fly to work in just over an hour from Townsville.
The area surrounding the Cannington operation is semi-arid with an average yearly rainfall of 444 mm. The majority of rain falls in the "wet season", between November and March. Mean maximum and minimum temperatures are 35 degrees C and 25 degrees C in December and 25 degrees C and 10 degrees C in July.
Working With Us
Cannington is a fly-in/fly-out operation. Cannington provides all employees flights to and from site within the Mt Isa/Townsville corridor and has the combination of rosters of seven days on, seven days off; eight days on, six days off.
In addition to a base salary, employees can also receive a range of additional advantages depending upon their role in the company. These include:
- Relocation assistance
- Fly-in/fly-out allowance
- Annual performance incentive
- Salary sacrifice for flights if you reside outside the Mt Isa/Townsville corridor
- Salary sacrifice for novated car lease
- Salary sacrifice for laptops and superannuation
- Organisation and employee matched contribution superannuation
The Company runs an Approved Student Scheme where employees' efforts to advance their education are supported. Both monetary and leave assistance is available for employees to further their skills through education.
Graduate Program
Cannington’s graduate program runs over a two year period. We offer opportunities in:
- Engineering (Electrical, Geotechnical, Mechanical, Mining)
- Metallurgy
Graduates can expect to be involved in the day-to-day running of the mine from the beginning, with ongoing support and mentoring from our professionals on site. Graduates will also be given the opportunity to attend the BHP Billiton Group Graduate Program. This program is in addition to an individually-tailored development plan that will be managed on site. Graduates will have the opportunity to build a solid foundation of knowledge through mentoring, internal and external training programs, and possible post-graduate education.
Vacation Program
Each year students are selected to participate in our Vacation Student Program. Placements run from December through to February, coinciding with the University summer vacation period.
The positions are advertised in the local press and through BHP Billiton Jobs in September/October. We require talented, self-starting tertiary students, who are excited by the challenge of working in a unique environment and seek to put theory into practice.
For our 2007/2008 intake, applicants were recruited from the following disciplines:
- Chemistry
- Engineering (Geotechnical, Mining)
- Environmental Engineering/Science
- Metallurgy
- Mine Surveying
Students work in a dynamic team environment where they can apply their studies in a practical way. Enthusiastic, highly self motivated and goal oriented, students must be team players with a strong desire to work in the resources sector. Those performing well and enjoying the experience will be encouraged to return at the end of their studies to launch a career with us and participate in the graduate program.
Students will be based at Cannington on either a 7 days on, 7 days off or 8 days on, 6 off fly-in/fly-out roster, incorporating 12.5 hour shifts, from locations within the Townsville/Mt Isa corridor. The costs of flying into and out of Cannington, from locations within the Townsville/Mt Isa corridor, will be borne by Cannington. Uniforms, meals and accommodation are provided while on site.
Apprenticeships
Cannington, in partnership with MRAEL Ltd, offers a number of apprenticeships in Diesel Fitting, Mechanical Fitting and Electrical/Instrumentation.
The program allows our apprentices to work closely with talented mentors while receiving meaningful, realistic, productive work assignments and structured workplace training.
Under our program, apprentices benefit from a generous pay scale, which is well above standard apprentice wages. Apprentices are required to work 12.5 hour shifts on a 7 days on, 7 days off roster from fly-in/fly-out locations within the Townsville/Mt Isa corridor. Uniforms, meals and accommodation are provided while on site. On completion of four years training, (possibly five years for a dual-trade qualification), apprentices will have a recognised trade certificate.
Apprentices are recruited from the surrounding districts, including Townsville, Mt Isa and Cloncurry, where we focus predominantly on individuals who are currently completing or have completed Year 12. Our apprenticeship positions are advertised around the month of October.
Tertiary Scholarships
Through the Cannington Scholarship Program, two students from James Cook University (JCU) are awarded A$10,000 a year for the remainder of their study.
The program is open to all second year JCU students studying in the following disciplines:
- Engineering (Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Electronic, Mechanical)
- Environmental Engineering/Science
- Geology
Scholarship holders are also offered Vacation work at Cannington throughout the summer months. The two scholarship positions are advertised through local media at the start of the University year.
Accommodation & Facilities
Employees are accommodated in the Village while on site in air-conditioned self-contained rooms with an en-suite. Rooms are serviced once in a roster. Movie and sports channels are available in the rooms in addition to three free-to-air channels.
Facilities also include a dining area, a games area with a wide screen television, a gym, an internet café, combination courts, an oval, a walking/running track and a swimming pool.
Cannington also has a medical centre on site, staffed by Registered Nurses. The medical centre is open during nominated working hours and staff are on call for after-hours emergencies.
Contact Us
Cannington (Mine Site)
Via McKinlay
Queensland 4823
Phone: (61 7) 4769 2100
Fax: (61 7) 4769 2222
Cannington (Townsville office)
Level 6 Northtown Building
208 Flinders Street
PO Box 5874
Townsville Queensland 4810
Phone: (61 7) 4722 5885
Fax: (61 7) 4721 4896
