AUSTRALIAN Resources and Energy Group AREEA has today reached another milestone in its Centenary Year – the employer group’s 100th Annual General Meeting.
AREEA’s first AGM was held in Melbourne a century ago in 1918. Its first President of the Board was Mr G.C. Klug, a highly respected mining identity who forged his career in Kalgoorlie and Broken Hill.
Mr Klug was General Manager of mining firm Bewick, Moreing and Company when he delivered the following wisdom on improving workplace relations in AREEA’s first-ever President’s Address:
“The world must bend its energies to the reweaving of the industrial fabric, and the readjustment and improvement of the relations between employer and employed, involving a careful and complete survey of the industrial position, and compelling a united and general effort to re-establish our industries on such a footing as will conduce to their preservation and expansion, the promotion of a better spirit between capital and labour, and contentment amongst the workers.”
Over the next 100 years the development of Australia’s resources industry would be intrinsically linked to the development of the Australian economy and communities. So too would AREEA remain at the core of mutually-beneficial workplace outcomes for employers and employees.
While Melbourne in 2018 is unrecognisable to that of 1918, today’s AGM Address of AREEA’s current President, ExxonMobil Australia Chairman Richard Owen, had strong parallels to that of his earliest predecessor.
“There is no doubt that as we celebrate this significant milestone Australia’s resources and energy employers are experiencing a time of transformative change,” Mr Owen said in today’s AREEA AGM.
“Within this backdrop, the consistent themes among companies that make up AREEA’s membership have been resilience, transformation and cautious optimism. Uniting communities and ensuring Australians understand the integral contributions resources and energy employers make to the country’s wellbeing has been a key focus for AREEA over the past 12 months.
“AREEA celebrates its 2018 Centennial Year at a time when some membership organisations are struggling for relevance due to hyper-connectivity, political concerns and cost pressures.
“However, AREEA is getting on with the job and remains in an exceptionally strong position to continually improve value and service to members in 2018 and beyond. “The AREEA team is honoured to provide support to members and be the conduit of the wonderful community of interest we bring together to engage and collaborate.”
AREEA is Australia’s largest and most diversified employer representative body for the resources and energy industries. It exists to support the industry in delivering employment, national prosperity and creating a brighter future for all Australians.
Learn more about AREEA’s Centenary Year Celebrations, including the 2018 Gala Dinner.
Click here for a PDF of this release.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brad Thompson, 0409 781 580, or [email protected]
List of AREEA presidents (1976 – present)
| Sir Arvi Parbo | Western Mining | 1976-1978 |
| Mr George Mackay | Electrolytic Zinc Company of Aust. | 1978-1982 |
| Mr Charles Copeman | Consolidated Gold Fields Group | 1982-1985 |
| Mr Tom Barlow | Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd | 1985-1987 |
| Dr Stuart McGill | Esso Australia | 1987 |
| Mr Campbell Anderson | Renison Goldfields Consolidated Ltd | 1988-1989 |
| Mr Charles Allen | Woodside | 1989-1991 |
| Mr Karl Stewart | Comalco Smelting | 1991-1994 |
| Mr John Quinn | Newcrest Mining Limited | 1994-1997 |
| Mr Terry Palmer | Comalco | 1997-2001 |
| Mr Ross Brewer | P&O Maritime Services Pty Ltd | 2001- 2002 |
| Mr Graeme Hunt | BHP Billiton Iron Ore | 2002 – 2004 |
| Mr Tony Palmer | Newcrest Mining Limited | 2004 – 2006 |
| Mr Charlie Lenegan | Rio Tinto Australia | 2006 – 2007 |
| Ms Eve Howell | Woodside Energy Ltd. | 2008 – 2010 |
| Mr Ian Smith | Newcrest Mining / Orica Limited | 2010- 2015 |
| Mr Graeme Hunt | Broadspectrum Limited | 2015- 2017 |
| Mr Richard Owen | ExxonMobil Australia | 2017- current |
