Tucked away in WA’s West Pilbara is Pannawonica Primary School, a small regional school located in the heart of Rio Tinto’s Robe Valley Sustaining (RVS) Projects, where Primero has contracts at its Mesa K and Mesa J sites.
At the start of November 2020, Pannawonica Primary School reached out to Calibre’s RVS project team for assistance in restoring its playground, which at the time, was in disrepair. A major refurbishment that called for immense support, Calibre subsequently extended the initiative to Primero and other various contractors involved in the Robe Valley Sustaining Projects for Rio Tinto.
Since early 2020, Primero has been working onsite with Calibre, performing NPI works at the Mesa K ANFO facility and civil works at the Mesa J processing plants two (PP2) wet processing facility.
Pannawonica Primary School’s principal, staff, parents of students and volunteers had been trying for 18 months to gather the financial and volunteer support needed to bring the overhaul to fruition, which required old sand at the playground replaced with new sand.
Keen to help out in the local community, on Monday, 16 November, Primero volunteered an 8 tonne excavator, tipper truck and labour to remove the sandpit material and assist with the install of new sand. The sand, as well as other equipment needed to complete the job, was provided by the other various companies collaborating on the refurbishment of the school’s playground.
Upon completion, the level of gratitude expressed by those at Pannawonica Primary School was evident, whereby the students presented all companies involved with a ‘Helping Hero of Pannawonica Primary School’ travel mug as a thank you for their assistance.
Chris Emer, Mesa K Project Manager, said, “Primero is proud to have contributed to this outstanding joint effort enacted by all companies involved, and we’re pleased to have made a real impact on the surrounding community of which we are currently operating in.”
An excellent result and display of teamwork that will leave a lasting impression on Pannawonica Primary School!