Graeme Deane, Managing Director of Deane Earthmoving, said that the company had won the contract awarded through the Internet to help rehabilitate nearly 500 hectares of land for Alcoa.

“This represents two important ‘firsts’ for our family based company which employs around 20 people in the Pinjarra area.

“It is the first time we have won a contract through an on-line tendering system and it is also the first time our company has undertaken rehabilitation work for Alcoa.

“The fact that we won this tender through Alcoa’s online bidding system underlines the fact that local companies have to be Internet proficient to compete in today’s technological market place.

The contract will involve screening top soil from 400 hectares of land at from the Huntly mine site and some 97 hectares of top soil from the Willowdale mine site. This screened top soil will then be moved to around 28 locations in both mine sites which are being rehabilitated by Alcoa following the completion of mining activities.

“Everyone at Deane Earthmoving is excited about winning this contract because it means that our staff and equipment can work locally rather than having to travel outside the Pinjarra area to complete earth moving contracts.

“The fact that Alcoa is now one of the world leaders in mine site rehabilitation also means that our company has the potential to win further important contracts in this area.

“We have been operating in Pinjarra since 1982 and major contracts such as this help to secure the long term future of our company and employment prospects of our employees,” he said.

Deane Contracting is the latest locally based company that has been awarded contracts at Alcoa’s operations in the Pinjarra area.

In addition, Spiers Earthworks & Plant Hire in Pinjarra, were recently awarded the significant subcontract work for the Pinjarra Efficiency Upgrade. Harvey based Dwyer Engineering and Construction was also recently awarded a supply contract by Alcoa for fabricated fittings which will be used for the Pinjarra Efficiency Upgrade.

More local businesses are winning significant contracts for work with Alcoa because of its local content policy which has been heavily promoted by Alcoa in recent months to local industry groups at a number of presentations related to the Pinjarra Efficiency Upgrade.

David Lunn, Alcoa’s Procurement Manager for the Efficiency Upgrade, said that Alcoa was committed to implementing its local content policy so that the local community benefited economically and socially from Alcoa’s presence in the Pinjarra area.

“Deane Contracting is a very good example of how a local business can take advantage of Alcoa’s local content policy and the large number of business opportunities that are being created through the Pinjarra Efficiency Upgrade as well as other projects being undertaken by Alcoa.

“Alcoa local content policy is based on the principle of endeavouring to add value to the local economy through the use of local suppliers, by helping local suppliers do business with Alcoa, and by encouraging suppliers to employ local labour,” he said.