Roc-Drill Pty Ltd

That's a wrap 🎁👏🎄

With the festive season in full swing, we've been reflecting on another successful year filled with positive stories and steps forward.

This is a time of year when the drills keep turning, no matter the calendar day. To all of our team out on sites across the country over the coming week, we see you. We appreciate the extra sacrifice you make being away from your loved ones during this time.

We're thankful for everyone who has done their bit for the shirt this year - our ambitions can't be achieved without your commitment, talent and drive

NB: Credit to our brilliant Townsville team for discovering that flipping our Roc-Drill icon reveals its true festive purpose as a Christmas tree 🎄🟠🎄🟠

Let's talk Men's Health 🧑‍⚕️

needs no introduction. Australian in origin, this global event sees Mo Bro 's and Sister's raising awareness and funds throughout November in aid of Men's Health

Several of our Roc team members throughout the business will be participating this year. Stefan and Nigel are engaged in a head-to-head battle to see who can come out top in the fundraising stakes, with the second-place winner receiving a shiny new scone as a consolation prize 🥚🪒

In defence of those good-looking roosters everywhere who rep the close-cut and do so in style, we're secretly hoping Nige is subject to the chop as he'd probably suit the Deputy Principal look best. Especially if he keeps a slug on that top lip.... 👀

Our team fundraising page lives here with any and all support appreciated https://ow.ly/ulfF50Q4NvU

Colleagues. They find a way to remind you of SPECIFIC details, even if you don't want them to.... 🎂🎁🎈

Pictured is Nic B, a vital cog in our continually growing HR and QHSET team, being gently reminded of exactly how many birthdays have preceded this special one by our cheeky office team

Our QHSET and HR teams are unsung stalwarts in our business, constantly keeping this show on the road by taking care of the tasks that the rest of us tend to avoid like the plague. They're valuable not because they pick up the slack we wilfully ignore, but because without them there is no show at all

Many happy returns Nic! Thank-you for everything you do for at Roc 🥳

Mastering skills, fixing drills ✅👏🎓

HUGE congrats to A. Combs for recently obtaining his plant mechanic trade qualification. We celebrated with a cheeky team BBQ and presentation to recognise this fantastic achievement 📣

We're always chuffed to see a Roc-Star reach their goal of getting their ticket, recognising the hours, weeks and years of unseen dedication that go into making it happen. This one gets a shoutout as a mature apprenticeship. These qualifications are vital to Australia's continued commitment to workforce flexibility and lies at the heard of the principle of a fair go - if you've got the will, there's always a way; no matter your background or current career position

Roc-Drill is proud to support and celebrate mature-age apprenticeships. As a business that is appreciative of what it has achieved and mindful of the learning in front of us to take us where we're headed - we know that the journey never ends

Neither should the opportunity. Congrats mate - we're all bloody proud of you 👊

DRILLS AND SKILLS 🙌💥

Over the last two years Kyle K, our onsite trainer at Ravenswood, has overseen a Trainee Program that has been a resounding success Pictured here with our resident HR guru Ange (successfully drilling for the first time we might add), Kyle has proven time and again that developing talent is rewarding on all levels ✅

This initiative was launched to provide opportunities for individuals with little to no experience - offering them a platform to learn and develop. With our first class of trainees now taking their place within the business as some of our most skilled and proficient operators, we're pleased as punch and ready to go again.

HR doesn't just happen in an office. From our dedicated HR team to our leaders in the field who are developing the next generation of drilling legends, we offer career pathways that aren't built around what you know - but what you're willing to have a go at. Our people are dedicated to developing talent

Learning isn't a cost-centre. It's a culture 👊

WANTED: A FINANCIAL CONTROLLER FOR AN ADORABLE BLAST-HOLE DRILLING COMPANY 🎶

If you want this choice position
Read this cheeky composition
The job's mostly stats , with some good perks
NB: NO JERKS

You must be sharp, you must be witty
Know your stuff, and build the kitty
Don’t question too hard our receipts
Sing songs, bring sweets.

You get the gist. You read one job ad; you’ve read ‘em all 😏

We’re on the hunt for a Financial Controller for an expansion position within our finance team. Beyond all of the usual Roc-Star qualities, its about fit and sense of humour.

Anyone quoting Mary Poppins or any other musical in their cover letters will go straight to the front of the queue.

More details available here 👉 https://ow.ly/j4jO50P05ei

RESPECT 💐👊👏

Pictured here celebrating a recent birthday, our hard-working and delightful Ange is a stalwart of the best HR team in blast hole drilling. Like many functions in every company, its vital work is often overlooked in the hectic drumbeat of modern business.

With Australia in the grips of a well-documented labour shortage, HR departments across the country have been under the pump - scrambling and scrounging to connect the dots that keep this show on the road

Across every site and function at Roc-Drill, we're privileged to have women and men who go about their business of doing our business without fanfare. We are a wheel of many cogs - different in shape and size but all valued ⚙️

We see you. Every one of you are bloody marvellous in our book.

That's all. Happy Friday ✅🍻

"Chuck us a smile Dyl. For the newsletter mate. "

Didn't he just...

Meet Dylan L, an aspiring leading hand from our ever-busy and growing maintenance team at Bald Hill. When he's not grafting away with shifter in hand covered in grease, Dylan is the self-appointed Head of Morale onsite, keeping everyone amused while throwing that beaming grin around. If you've got it, flaunt it 🙌😁

We grabbed a quick chat to go along with the snap. It's been lightly edited for length and flow.

Q. Favourite food?
Dylan - Pizza (EDITOR: safe start mate, safe start, no rocking the boat out of the gate...)

Q - Favourite Dad joke?
Dylan - Why do you never see elephants hiding in trees? Because they are too good at it.

😆

Q. Which way does your toilet paper hang on the wall - over or under?
Dylan - Over....(EDITOR: full points for the correct answer mate 👏)

Q. Which celebrity would you pick to exchange lives with?
Dylan - Elon Musk (EDITOR: I award you no points...)

Our sites have allsorts; from the pizza lovers to those who have yet to learn which way toilet paper should hang. We like to think they are all as happy as Dylan.

Keen to unlock a career that will make your smile as wide as this? Head on over to www.roc-drill.com.au/people-careers/ to check out our latest job opportunities. Do it. We have pizza.

And Dad jokes ✅✅

Our digital home has had a facelift 💥👀

It reflects our business - solid, reliable and does what it says on the tin. So how is our website different? The pictures 🎴

Over the last year, our staff have been snapping away in their spare time and between them have supplied (almost) the entire site with stunning images of our worksites, machinery and team 😍

This new website has been a collective effort from the women and men of Roc-Drill. Our business is a showcase for their talent in more ways than one. The website tells that story - made up in turn of over two hundred and fifty stories and counting

Go check it out 👉 http://ow.ly/j6Zu50OzguI

Time to learn is time to earn ✅🎓🙌

Resident drill fitter superstar Bailey, alongside apprentice Jaidyn and supported by our Wacol workshop team, have just wrapped up the rebuild of another rig

We operate in an industry where the transfer and sharing of knowledge are fundamental to success. The cycle of apprentice to master isn't self-fulfilling; it requires an open environment that fosters a learning culture. That culture is underpinned by those who know that taking the time to teach is a lesson all of its own. It's not rocket science.

It's attitude 👊

Hired in the classical North Queensland way, Nathan C. joined Roc-Drill in April 2021 via a pub interview with Founders Nigel and Kellie De Veth, alongside project manager Corey, who were all suitably impressed to give ‘the kid’ a go ✅

Two years later, their confidence has been repaid in spades ♠️ A quiet achiever known for his initiative and pursuit of efficiency, Nathan has been drilling his way steadily through the ranks without ever compromising on quality, moving from drill support to Level 2 driller and now training as a probe driller on D65's

We sat down with Nathan to discuss his thoughts on the industry and experience with Roc-Drill. It’s been lightly edited for length and flow.

Q. What was your first impression of working for Roc-Drill?
Nathan - Very professional and one that delivers on what they promise. Whether it’s mentoring all levels or getting a drill pattern away on time. There’s a time for a laugh and a time to get your ‘head down and bum up’ with the drills turning and earning.

Q. What have you found the most challenging in your first two years in the industry?
Nathan - Stepping up from drill support to learning the functions of the drill, and the impact of different ground conditions. In a support role the drillers all made it look so easy.

Q. What advice would you have for other people who are considering mining, or just starting out?
Nathan - Just give it a go, you have nothing to lose and so much to gain. It’s given me a career and direction - I can see myself doing this for years.

Nathan's passion for drilling and dedication to improving in his trade are inspiring. As our company grows, we constantly find ourselves passing the baton to the next generation. We’re chuffed to see how they are running with it. Before you know it, they’ll be running it all 👊

📢 NEWS ALERT 📢

Ravenswood Gold is now the largest gold mine in Queensland, with its three-year expansion officially reaching completion recently 👏👏

Roc-Drill has played an integral role at Ravenswood throughout its journey and we are as excited about the future as we are proud of all of our team who have ever worn the shirt at Ravenswood. This expansion, like many of the mine's accomplishments, has been achieved through the cumulative efforts of many parties, of which we have been chuffed to be one

Our CEO Charlie Massarella, accompanied by Founders Kellie De Veth and Nigel De Veth, inspected the new expansion along with our fleet on-site, and are pictured in front of a Roc-Drill / Epiroc designed T45. Ravenswood is not only Queensland's largest mine, but is also home to the world's largest silenced drill fleet 😮

Presenting Ravenswood Gold with a photo and a handmade brass miners lamp to mark the auspicious occasion are;

🔸James Kirkpatrick (Orica Area Business Manager Metals East Australia, Pacific & New Zealand)
🔸Nigel De Veth (Founder of the Roc-Drill Group)
🔸Dave Mackay (General Manager Operations Ravenswood Gold)
🔸Brett Fletcher (Chief Executive Officer Ravenswood Gold

We’re on the lookout for a QHSE / HR Admin superstar! 🤩

The role will see you work as an integral part of the team. Assisting in; document creation and control, compiling data and assisting in the onboarding of new employees.

What’s on offer;

🔶 12-month full-time fixed term (with possible extension)
🔶 $55,000 – $70,000 per year (dependent on experience)
🔶 Flexible working arrangements & negotiable hours
🔶 Excellent team culture with long-term career opportunities
🔶 Be part of Australia’s most advanced blast hole drilling company

Apply 👉 https://bit.ly/3TWbBRg

Or, email [email protected] to find out more!

Palm down on the blast button, then thumbs up for Ash 💥 👍

Ashleigh S. started with us six months ago on the Bald Hill Blast Crew and was as green as they come. Fast forward, and Ash has just completed (pictured inset) her first supervised blast from start to finish 🙌

We sat down with this next-generation Roc-Star for a quickfire Q&A to unpack her first six months in mining and learn more about her exciting plans for the future. It’s been lightly edited for length and flow.

Q. What attracted you to mining?
Ash - I’d be lying if I didn’t say one of the reasons I got into mining was for the money. But I also got into mining as both my parents were in mining and they absolutely loved it, even started their own exploration business.

Q. How have you found the team at Roc-Drill?
Ash - The Roc- Drill team have been amazing. From day one I’ve felt welcome and supported. Our tight knit group makes Bald Hill feel like a home away from home.

Q. What have you found the most difficult in your first six months in the industry?
Ash - The most difficult part for me was entering a male dominated industry as a young female.

Q. What do you find most fulfilling about your role and the work you do here?
Ash - I honestly love blast crew, it’s so much fun and I’m constantly learning and developing new skills. It’s pretty cool to be able to say that I blow stuff up for a living! The personal touch of Roc-Drill management makes me feel proud and lucky to have ended up at such a great company.

Q. Where do you want to go with your mining career?
Ash - The next step is definitely shotfiring and then I’m excited to just see where it takes me!

A story worth celebrating. A future worth watching. A woman in mining - dominating and detonating 👊✅

Awww maaaaaate 🤦‍♂️

If it's flooded, forget it....

Australian mining gives you photo opportunities by the boatload (see what we did there 😏). Mostly of big machines, in wide open spaces, blowing things up or moving things about. There always seems to be lots of people in mighty clean hi-vis in these photos. Not that we'd ever mention that

We live in a beautiful country. When it's not hot enough to fry an egg on the bonnet, it's often belting it down. La Nina. Followed by El Nino. Followed by La Nina. Beauty. The price we pay for the paradise in which we live is the need to call upon ingenuity a lot of the time to get things done.

Or even get anywhere at all 😉 We will get there if we can. But if it's flooded, forget it....

Good as new Boss ✔️

This DML rig has millions of metres under the belt, but she is good as new post a rebuild and ready for a million more 👊

Maintenance is a dirty word in many industries - but when it comes to blasthole drilling it literally makes the world (and rod) go round. Reliable, professional maintenance can be the difference between a modern mining fleet capable of rapid mobilisation and flexible deployment, and needless delays resulting in unnecessary downtime ❌

Mining maintenance is done WITH machines but BY people. Ably lead by Swanny, Scott and Simon - our team of fitters, rebuilders and all-round-rig-gurus give our drillers the confidence to know the machine underneath them is in tip-top shape. It gives us the confidence to tell clients we can do the job with less downtime than anyone else

At Roc-Drill our capability is driven by reliability. That's down to our maintenance women and men, who we know are the best in the biz 👏👏👏

Chop's back...👀

A few months ago we were chuffed to do a small piece on Bonnie Adams, an aspiring and talented young driller working for Roc-Drill in Queensland. Bonnie's Dad Chop was a side note (rightly) in that feature.

Not in this one. Pictured here recently receiving a recognition of his many years service at Roc-Drill, Andrew 'Chop' Adams is a drilling legend.

Before Roc-Drill was ever Roc-Drill, Chop was here. For over twenty years he has worked alongside the founder of our business. He was the first employee of DeVeth Drilling, eventually transitioning to Roc as the company grew. Without him, our nationwide company simply wouldn't be here in the way that it is. He's a link to our early days, was here for the years growing the business and today is THE example to which each and every new driller should aspire to emulate.

The best Australian companies have people like Chop. You know the ones. The people who seem to have always been there. Always turned up. Constantly proven themselves and made those around them better. Those who have seen it all and know what they've seen. The legends. The stalwarts. Those without whom you're a lesser business. In the heart of any good, honest, aussie business, you'll find people like Andrew.

He's our legend. Our mate. The best driller you'll ever meet.

Thanks Chop 👊

The bloke. The myth. The Townsville legend. G'Day Les 👋

Last year we opened our North-West Training and Rebuild Facility - another key milestone along our growth journey. But a facility is an empty shed until you put some proper, old-fashioned Townsville know-how in it. Then it transforms into an asset

By rebuilding and resealing drifters, we extend the life of our drills and minimise downtime. It's a vital element of our resource planning and risk management, providing clients with surety and confidence that when we say we can get the job done, it's because we know we've got the kit to go the distance ✅

Les is to drifters what Yoda is to Star Wars. The master. We're lucky to have him. In corners of our business around the country, in offices, facilities and on-site, are people like Les; subject-matter experts, without whom this show can't go on.

Legends all 👊

TEAMSHOUTOUT 📢

Early last year, we started out at Bald Hill with three drills and a team of twenty-five. Fast forward to today and there are six drills on site supported by over fifty personnel - including a dedicated on-site maintenance crew of eight fitters. This is testament to all the brilliant Roc-Drill women and men working there and reflects a great vote of confidence from the client👏👏👏

How'd that growth in bums on seats actually happen? Not the increase in scope - the actual fulfillment of doubling a workforce on-site during a nation-wide shortage of skilled labour?

Our HR team are magicians; hard-working, unflappable professionals who treat every task as a challenge and every challenge as a chance to show their own skills. To Adam, Ange and our great team of hiring managers - thankyou for everything you do to keep this show on the rig 👊

Special nod to Stix, our Area Manager, without whom this recruitment drive wouldn't have been needed or have been able to be achieved 🙌

A CAREER WITH A VIEW TO THE TOP 👆✨

Drilling is everything it's cracked up to be. The office views are something else 🎴

Our team comes from all backgrounds and walks of life. It's rewarding, hard and dynamic work. Our rosters are family-friendly because we pride ourselves on being a family business. Roc-Drill is an equal opportunity employer

We're constantly on the lookout for the next generation of drillers, fitters, blast crew, office occupying climate-controlled preferring latte types and all-round 'want to have a crack at mining' right-minded people. Our strategic expansion continues at a steady pace - providing ongoing opportunities to find out what all the fuss is about 💰💥

Check out our current job opportunities here 👇http://ow.ly/we1L50LMMmB

Well, hello again Izzy 👋

Every month we run a cheeky photo contest across the business, encouraging the team to snap and share some stories. You'll have seen a lot of these make their way onto our social media channels, because they're our social media channels and we do what we want with them 👀😉

One of this month's snaps was this candid shot, snaffled with Izzy mid-chuckle. It's the perfect pic for any newsfeed

That's it. That's the photo. That's the story. A person being happy.

It's a good story

SH*TBOX RALLY 2022 📢🚗🙏

Melinda H from our Ravenswood Gold team recently participated in the Spring 2022 Sh*tbox Rally to raise funds for cancer research throughout Australia

Melinda's team successfully raised over $7,000 to support vital cancer research across the country 👏👊

Roc-Drill was proud to sponsor Melinda and do our bit for this worthy cause. The rally saw them driving this beauty from Mackay to Darwin via the Gulf of Carpentaria with over 550 other participants.

These events are some of the largest community-led fundraisers for Cancer Council Australia. Several are run across the year, with participation open to all

Got a beat-up clunker in the garage? A canary-wearing bogan-mobile that is past its prime? Some annual leave that is sitting there getting a bit dusty? Then you've got everything you need to take part in a rally like this and help move the needle in the fight against cancer

For more information on how you can participate or support others, head over to 👉 http://ow.ly/wGuL50LFfmu

SITE SHOUT-OUT 📢

On a rig and a prayer ⛪🙏

Next month marks two years since Roc-Drill first commenced at Ravenswood Gold. We've achieved 2 MILLION metres in those two years, a credit to the steady consistency of our well-drilled (stop it) team

October saw another record smashed with 138,727m achieved, and a further record of 10,346 in RC drilling. We sound like a broken record about how we're breaking records (stop it), but the Ravenswood Gold team post numbers worthy of shouting out about

Corey, Craig, Josh and Casey are leading from the front and it shows. Kyle is all over training like a boss and Brett is keeping rigs at a cracking 93% availability. Brilliant numbers. Professional operators. A team that is worthy of that name 👊

And a beautiful, rural Australian community that it is a privilege to work right alongside. Where else but Ravenswood would you capture a cracker of a photo like this? 📷

Modern mining requires quick thinking, a can-do attitude and subject matter expertise ✅✅✅

This rig took a cheeky road trip last month from Chinova 222 to Mount Moss where it undertook grade control drilling to sure up the geology. 45-degree angle drilling is trickier than our experienced drillers make it look

Michael W nailed the grade control drilling, converted the drill and then Daniel D delivered the blast hole pattern. Job done, pattern complete and the rig's been shuffled back to its usual home 👏

We call our team legends. Our clients call them reliable and professional. The Roc fleet is dynamic, capable of multiple configurations to get the job sorted. Our maintenance team are the best in the country, keeping our kit in top-notch condition which allows us to shift and twist it as needs must.

This is drilling 👊

Hi Bonnie 👋

A trainee driller on our Ravenswood site, it's quickly become apparent that Bonnie is an exceptional talent with a bright future in the industry.

Bonnie's the better half (sorry Chop) of one of Australia's first daughter and father drilling teams. Having multiple generations of one family be a part of ours is something we pinch ourselves about Trained in-house, Bonnie is a standard bearer for the development programs we've built

Drilling is a rewarding career open to all. The young and ambitious. The old (sorry Chop) and wise. The women and men of Roc-Drill are helping us build a company that reflects our country - diverse, talented and hard-working.

👀😍💦

Go on then internet. Caption this cracker....

Shout-out to Danny P for snapping another Epiroc beauty.

Just LOOK at that determination, Danny Ric would be proud 😏

Winners are grinners though and post-race Corey switched gears from fierce focus to happy camper when receiving 1st prize in the Drill and Blast Cup, a feature race at the 2022 Billy Cart Derby Day for Ravenswood State School.

Ravenswood State School is a small rural school in Queensland where community and learning come together to give kids the right start in life. Next year it celebrates its 150-year anniversary. That tells you everything you need to know. Throughout our big, beautiful country are tight-knit communities that rely on schools like Ravenswood. Days like this put a smile on everyone's face.

Commiserations to the 2nd (and last) place-getters in the Cup, our humble mates at Orica. We're proud to work together and to be involved in supporting a fantastic community alongside you. We will see you next year - double or nothing....

Big is beautiful 😍

We recently took delivery of the first of three new Epiroc PV231's for one of our Queensland sites. This big, beautiful rig was commissioned at the end of last month and is now steadily drilling away

We've built one of Australia's largest and most diverse drilling fleets. The PV231 is a marvelous feat of engineering that significantly reduces rod changing time, allowing for increased drill-time while perfectly straddling the balance where efficiency meets reliability. The PV in the name denotes 'Pit Viper' - which, the more we look at it, the more we can see it 🐍

Shout out to our good mates Epiroc for continuously coming up trumps with quality gear that smashes the job and stands the test of time 👊🙌

Our story of growth at Roc-Drill is nuanced.

General Manager, Stefan Bassi, has offered some unfiltered thoughts on how we've managed risk while delivering growth, placing people and culture as the fixed points of our commercial expansion strategy.

"In 2016 we all knew each other by name. It’s easy to be across it all when there’s less to be across. A tight-knit unit, lines of communication and reporting were easily understood and managed. We were great at what we did. We knew it. We had the confidence that came from being a small, dynamic team with a nascent yet strong reputation for delivering.

Maintaining and evolving our powerful Roc culture, nurturing its unique elements while embedding its mentality in newly expanded operations was to be fundamental to ensuring our planned growth was sustainable."

Read more from Stefan on how the Roc culture was key to supporting and sustaining the journey of Roc-Drill to where it is today.

How our culture helped us ride the growth curve - Stefan Bassi A growing business has an easy narrative. ‘We’re growing’, ‘We plan to grow’, ‘The story of our growth’ – I personally believe we’ve all read these headlines about many different businesses in various industries.

We deliver Drill and Blast, Grade Control Drilling contract services right across this beautiful country.

In the last six years, we have grown from 40 staff to over 250 employees and contractors. 9 drills to 55. 2 projects to 10. We have fixed resources strategically located in Perth, Townsville, Adelaide and Brisbane supporting our team on these projects throughout Australia.

Our growth is a remarkable story. It's built off the back of the 256 stories of our employees and sub-contractors, and all of those who have ever proudly pulled on the Roc-Drill jumper. The women and men of Roc-Drill have taken our company values of Integrity, Safety and Expertise and turned it into a thriving, national business known for delivering.

Legends, all 👊

Check it 👇👇👏👏

Juggling study with work? No dramas mate. Graduation celebration for this Roc Star 🎓🍾

Resident safety legend Rebekah received her Bachelor of Occupational Health and Safety, AND Diploma of Work Health and Safety, from CQUniversity last week. In between keeping our team on their toes, SOMEHOW she snuck this in and smashed out not just one, but two qualifications. I mean, way to make the rest of us look a bit slack....👀😂

Congrats Rebekah on this brilliant achievement - we're as chuffed that you're Roc-Drill as you should be with your qualifications, which we know are the result of so much hard work, dedication and sacrifice 👊

It's people who make Roc-Drill the benchmark in blast-hole drilling.

Meet Isiah - one of our resident Roc-Drill legends who specialises in making things go boom 💥🤙 We sat down with one of our favourites for a quick Q&A and to unpack his love of a good Parmi.

He's based on our 222 / 254 site for Chinova in Queensland.

EDITORS NOTE: We don't control the names of our sites 😏 What we can control is how we shorten chicken parmigiana, which to the uninitiated is correctly termed 'Parmi'

POSITION: Blast Crew
FAVOURITE FOOD: Chicken Parmi 👊
ANY OTHER FAVOURITES: Different versions of a Parmi.
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WATCHING ON TV: Vikings
FAVOURITE DAD JOKE: My wife wants me to blow air on her whenever she is overheating, but honestly I'm not a fan.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO: Professional growth, development, family and financial stability.
WHICH HISTORICAL FIGURE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO MEET: Albert Einstein, because he is one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time.

Cheers Isiah. Stay real. Stay Roc 👏