The face of remote worksites in Australia are slowly but surely changing to look forward to the needs of the future. Where once the majority of new sites being mobilised were traditional fossil fuel or resource mines, there’s been an increasing shift towards new deployments being renewable energy worksites – radically different styles of worksite with different rosters, systems, demographics, and work forces. There’s more of a difference in catering and preparing for facilities management between the two categories than there might seem at a glance, too – meaning a successful operation requires a catering and facilities management partner with an intimate understanding of all the industry’s unique idiosyncrasies.
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The rostering structure between conventional mine sites and renewable energy construction sites tends to vary drastically. Oftentimes, mine sites are 24/7 operations, based around longer schedules that keep residents on site and on the clock for weeks at a time. Comparatively, renewable energy construction sites are restricted in their working hours; for the majority of their work, residents need daylight, placing sites on comparatively restrictive daylight working hour schedules. Workers usually operate on an all-in all-out roster, wherein the camp’s entire population will come and go within the same short period of time. The rostering differences result in fairly significant operational implications, as both catering and facility management solutions need to be able to perform a larger amount of work, often on a tighter timeframe with limited notice and without complicated access to facilities.
The makeup of these workforces may also be considerably different to the composition of your average minesite crew. Mine workforces are often composed of a wide variety of roles; engineers, metallurgists, and administrators in addition to labourers. Comparatively, energy construction sites usually have a few lead engineers, and a large number of construction workers, working long shifts with high nutritional requirements. Newer remote worksites may prioritise health-conscious and nutritionally balanced meals in an effort to support this, as the caloric intake for construction workers will routinely be dramatically higher than other kinds of labourer – and it’s important to be certain that your catering partner can provide a sufficiently large quantity of nutritious and energy-dense food on short notice.
Unique Systems & Compliance Policies
In addition to the practical differences between renewable energy work and conventional remote mine sites, they’re legally distinct as well – mandating their own compliance work within their own unique company policies. Site policies regarding health and safety checks, working with machinery requirements, and any other certifying paperwork that the employer might require is almost certain to be different from an equivalent site working within the mining industry. Cater Care also maintains compliance with a number of up-to-date ISO certifications to ensure that we conduct ourselves to the absolute highest standards of health and safety, and our catering and facility services are all wholly compliant with relevant state and territory regulations.
Beyond the practical and legislative differences the two industries face, there’s also a greater element of cultural differences that can be much harder to quantify. As industries involving remote workforces face increasing scrutiny around the environmental impact of their operations, they may begin initiatives such as requiring a lower usage of plastics or a demonstrated record of sustainability – a requirement that not all remote catering companies can meet, but that’s where our unique experience in delivering plastic-free catering solutions can make a significant difference.
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Making a Mark in the Energy Sector
There’s something to be said about working with a provider who understands the trajectory of the renewable energy industry.
The face of remote worksites in Australia are changing, and changing quickly. Although renewable energy construction camps are often temporary in nature, the steadily increasing level of investment in Australian sources of renewable energy has caused a greater and greater focus to be placed on developing renewable energy installations in regional Australia (RBA, 2020). In order to service this demand, greater numbers of renewable energy construction camps are steadily cropping up across the country – presenting a clear and present trend in the market that catering and facility management service providers cannot afford to ignore.
The differences between energy construction and traditional remote worksite camps are too great for the same service model to be universally applied; attempting to do so may result in improper facilities management due to the unique rostering, difficulties in providing appropriate and plentiful catering, and overall dissatisfaction from worksite residents who feel their specific needs are being neglected.
While some remote catering companies implement the same general operational processes as they do for mining and other remote worksites this will never be able to properly replicate the results of a strategic partner flexible enough to suit the exact unique needs of any given construction camp. As the renewable energy construction industry continues to expand across the nation, it’s key to ensure that energy providers choose to partner with providers able to build them a service delivery system wholly dedicated to the unique needs of the energy sector.
The Way Forward
Renewable energy is the way of the future, but the process of mobilising and preparing an energy worksite for connection to the grid can present some truly unique challenges. Between the radically different schedules, industry specific compliance and system requirements, and the other unique quirks of renewable energy work, it isn’t enough to settle for a larger contractor who is inflexible about addressing your specific needs. Cater Care’s position as the single largest catering and services provider for remote renewable energy sites on the Eastern Coast makes us uniquely qualified to provide the exact tailored care and support needed for renewable energy providers looking to find their feet when mobilising construction camps.
If you’re planning the catering and accommodation for your first energy worksite, or just have some questions surrounding the catering and facilities process, get in touch with the Cater Care remote experts below to learn more and have a chat about your options.
For Western Australia:
Brad Walther
Client Development Manager
bradley.walther@catercare.com.au
T. 08 9241 2824 M. 0488 745 357
For all other regions:
Hayley Steyn
Senior Client Development Manager
hayley.steyn@catercare.com.au
T. 07 3851 8425 M 0429 542 682
