Event: Northland Girls in Infrastructure 2023
The fifth annual Girls In Infrastructure event was held at Whangarei’s Semenoff Stadium and was attended by around 100 girls from schools located across the Northland region
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A few of the girls taking the opportunity to get a group photo at Otaika Quarry
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Girls In Infrastructure aims to provide students with information on all aspects of the construction and infrastructure industries, beginning with the operation of equipment and progressing all the way up to academic degrees.
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Discussions about working in a quarry
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This year featured site visits, supported by activity rotations at Semonoff Stadium, with a number of education providers, infrastructure businesses, and heavy machinery on-site.
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Natalya beside the CAT 972 provided by Terra Cat
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One of the large machines on display was a brand-new CAT 972 wheel loader provided by Terra Cat and specifically brought in for the Winstone Aggregates outdoor stand.
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Some of the girls investigating the wheel loader
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On the Winstone Aggregates stand inside the stadium, the girls had a good time competing against one another to see who could load the most rock onto some scales while operating a remote-control loader.
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Winstone Aggregates’ remote controlled competition loader
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Off-site, many participants were eager to see the Winstone Aggregates Otaika Quarry. They rarely get the opportunity to see the workings of a real quarry or any of the machinery that’s used there.
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Learning about how things operate within the quarry
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During the site trip, participants spoke to Natalya Pussell, one of the women who work in quarry operations. She explained in detail what it was like to work in the quarry and operate a variety of heavy machinery, including articulated dump trucks and wheel loaders.
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Natalya Pussell, operator at Otaika Quarry
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Natalya started working for Winstone Aggregates when she was 20 years old and had no previous experience in driving heavy machinery or quarrying. She serves as living proof to the girls that a career in quarrying is attainable for them if that’s the path they wish to pursue.
During the time they spent visiting the quarry, the girls gained knowledge regarding the process used to produce aggregate, the various grades of aggregate that are available, the method used to process it, as well as the machinery and equipment utilised and operated on-site.
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