The mining industry has been home to Grant Wechsel for 20 years. He’s gone from working in it, building businesses around it, to championing all the good mining delivers for regional communities and the wider economy. So, when Coal Australia came onto his radar, getting involved was a no-brainer.
After spending many years on the labor hire side of the mining industry, Grant drew on his extensive experience to establish MWG Mining, which now incorporates Mining Pro and AltraX Services.
“We were seeing people wanting more supervision and accountability,” Grant said.
“There was an opportunity to supervise our own workforce bringing in all the KPI’s and structure you’d get with a contractor but still allowing the mine owner to stay in control of their own destiny so to speak.”
That idea became Mining Pro in 2021 and was the foundation for further growth. AltraX Services followed, providing equipment and maintenance support through its workshop in Blackwater, Queensland. The business now handles everything from full truck rebuilds to on-site servicing of light vehicles.
“Long story short, all of that led us to the point where we could run a full mine site,” Grant explained.
“So last year we started Aura Mining, with Jason Economidis as Managing Director. I do have my fingers in a few pies, but it all works together. We love the coal industry and there’s a huge opportunity to partner with people and run sites more efficiently to get better results.”
Grant’s passion for mining extended into the Queensland State Election, launching ‘Jobs for Mining’ – a campaign advocating for the industry and the thousands of jobs it support. Coal Australia was born around the same time and it was a no brainer for Grant to be involved in.
“When it came to the state election, we were very active in promoting what the industry does – not just for the people working in it, but for the supply chain and the regional towns that rely on it.
“At the time, there was a real lack of understanding about how important coal is and how long it’s going to be around for.
“I always say mining did a really poor job of speaking up for itself for a long time. There was all this negative opinion, banks turned on the industry, and everyone just accepted it and looked for an alternative solution. Coal Australia has been doing such a good job of changing that conversation.
“It wasn’t until the industry found its own voice that those perceptions started to shift. The public still has a limited understanding of what our coal is used for, the difference between metallurgical and thermal coal, and the stringent standards we operate to compared to many other places around the world.”
Grant said changing perceptions of coal is a long game, and Coal Australia needs to keep doing what it’s doing.
“They’ve made a real impact, but there are still big issues out there. Queensland royalties are still a challenge and there’s plenty of pressure on coal miners across the country. We all know how cyclical this industry is. Even when prices lift and things settle for a while, the same challenges come around year in, year out.
“We just have to keep speaking up for ourselves, keep doing a good job where we can, and control our own destiny as much as possible.
“I’ll keep supporting Coal Australia wherever I can and flying the flag – and depending on how the year shapes up, Jobs for Mining will be right there again too.”
| Grant’s story isn’t unusual, it’s a story that we hear from so many people living and working in coal mining communities right across Australia. Reach out if you want to share your story or join the coal community and help forge Australia’s future at www.coalaustralia.com |
