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‘Raging’ mine worker accused of sexual harassment

Amber Lilley
Amber Lilley

Authorities are investigating whether a resources employee behaved inappropriately towards an industry commentator.

The Western Australia Police Force wants to know why a mine worker allegedly told a female reporter he was sexually aroused and wanted to be her father.

Amber Lilley claims she was inappropriately touched and “sexually propositioned” at a bar filled with delegates from the Diggers and Dealers Mining Forum at the Goldfields Arts Centre in downtown Kalgoorlie.

“[Men put] a hand on my lower back and [s]a[id] ‘Sorry honey’ as they tried to get past,” the Seven West Media deputy editor reported.

“Later on in the week at another sideline event a man in mining told me he had a ‘rager’ over me because I was wearing RM Williams boots, and made an inappropriate gesture. He then proceeded to tell me to ‘call him daddy’ before groping me as I walked away through the crowd and he followed.”

Lilley described the alleged incident as alarming, revolting and intimidating. She immediately informed her employer and the police.

“I was shocked and disgusted and felt vulnerable that this could happen in a room full of people, many of whom I knew or knew of,” she reported.

“My company has lodged an official complaint with the man’s employer and is waiting to see what action will be taken. I have made a complaint to the police.”

The 23-year-old believes she should have been “respected” as a human being and given “equal” treatment.

“We can start by supporting the women around us and giving them the boost they need because, right now, they are working 10 times harder to get half as far as their male counterparts,” she reported.

“Mining chiefs are responsible for change but we can all start by being better bystanders, educating ourselves and just being decent people. From my experience, misogyny will take more than a mission statement and a public relations campaign – it needs a relentless 24/7 effort to dig it out of the culture.”

The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA (CME) publicly apologised on behalf of its members.

“On behalf of the WA mining and resources sector, I would like to apologise to journalist Amber Lilley for the appalling behaviour she experienced and has reported,” acting CME chief executive Rob Carruthers said in a public statement.

“This type of behaviour has no place in any part of society, including extensions of the work environment. CME and its member companies condemn this behaviour in the strongest terms, and we again reiterate our commitment to ensuring it is not only eliminated from the workplace but from all work-related environments.”

Carruthers hopes every business represented at the forum will enforce professional conduct standards on delegates.

“Employers should ensure expectations on employee behaviour is clear prior to participation in events to ensure the safety of employees and others present. As an industry we must do better by continuing to educate our people about what is and is not appropriate, and by clearly calling out behaviour when it does not meet the required standards.”

State Mines, Petroleum, Energy, Corrective Services and Industrial Relations Minister Bill Johnston previously urged the sector to “step up” efforts against toxic fly-in fly-out cultures.

“This starts with culture, it starts with management accepting their responsibilities and we would love to see the mining companies step up – and fulfil their existing legal obligations – before we look at what we are going to do next,” he told the forum.

However, Johnston has no immediate plans for regulatory intervention.

“The committee did not recommend that government take any action in that space. They recommended that the industry take action,” he said at the event.

“It is much easier for the industry to do it themselves, because they are not bound by the same sets of obligations that governments are bound by.”

CME separately released a new industry alcohol guideline that limits serving four drinks within 24 hours, and the number of takeaway orders. It bans rapid-consumption shots, doubles, and being drunk at mine accommodation facilities. Varied low or medium strength drinks, snacks and hot meals are proposed to be made more widely available.

Click here to download the full guideline.

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