Steve Fordham hit rock bottom at the age of 25. He was an operator at a mine in Muswellbrook one day, the next he was contemplating ending his life.
Now if you’ve heard about Steve and his business ventures you know that he got up and went to work the next day.
It was that next day that he decided to take the opportunity of a new mine opening up in Muswellbrook and make the most of it for himself, his family and for anyone else who needed a leg up.
“I got home and said to my spouse, ‘I’ve spent every dollar we’ve got’.
“I put everything into my business and quit my full-time job. I told my partner I had quit because in life we go forward, we don’t go back and Blackrock Industries was born,” Steve said.
Blackrock Industries is a 100% Indigenous owned service company providing people and equipment to mining and civil projects across the Hunter Valley. From the success of Blackrock came the ‘Second Chance for Change’ program which provides incarcerated men the opportunity to engage in full-time employment and turn their lives around.
“I remember our first candidate who came through. He was walking down the main street of Muswellbrook on a Sunday afternoon wearing his orange work shirt, his blue jeans and workboots.
“I asked him why he was wearing work gear and he said that he doesn’t get followed around anymore, older people don’t hold onto their handbags tight, they instead look at him and smile. He said it was the first time he had purpose in his life.
“We’ve had over 250 boys that we’ve found employment for while they’re incarcerated. We’ve taken a lot of people that traditionally no one wants to employ in the job market because they’re stigmatised. We’ve pulled down that barrier because we’re all human and we all deserve a chance,” Steve explained.
After what he went through earlier in his life and what he’s seen in the mines, Steve is very passionate about mental health.
“I remember when I was working on a lot of mine sites at one in particular we talked about men’s mental health and at that site the first guy who turned around and actually started talking about his mental health was removed because management were worried about him operating a machine.
“That set the bar backwards. We can’t do that; we have to be there for each other. I have passed my number out a thousand times over and I tell people to just give me a call.
“People are really good at hiding; they have a good smile and seem happy. When I went through it I felt alone and terrified and I didn’t want to talk to anyone.
“My phone rang the other day during my little boys first birthday party, we were about to cut the cake but I knew who it was. I answered, got in my car and went to him. I hugged him, I cried with him. I’ll do that for anyone. We need to break this cycle of men’s mental health because we’re dying out there,” Steve said.
Steve has been putting the same energy he puts into his business, his loved ones and mental health into his fight to get what our mining communities deserve.
“People wonder why I wear my high vis everywhere, people think it’s a nice little prop but it’s not. This industry is a big supporter of the regions that it’s in.
“But we miss out. We don’t have a maternity ward at Muswellbrook, Gunnedah lost their maternity services and so did Cessnock. You hear the government say all the time that the royalties shouldn’t be spent in the community they come from, it should be spent where the need is.
“Well, we live in an area where billions of dollars comes out and yet I am worried that my third baby will drop any day and I don’t have a maternity ward to go to. Since the maternity ward closed in our town, there’s been $13.6 billion in royalties go to the NSW Government.
“Where do we sit as regional people? Because we don’t even have a seat at the table. If the government wants to wean itself off mining then it should wean itself off our royalties.”
Steve is taking his fight for a maternity ward to the government. He’s collecting work shirts that will be sewn together to create one long banner. Steve plans to take it to Sydney for his fight for services for mining regions – each shirt will tell a story of the people who live here, work here and keep not only the region ticking but the entire state.
“Our mining industry has been a cash cow for too long. Our industry needs to start stepping up. Our miners need to start stepping up and saying, we’re over it. We’re sick to death of being overtaxed and underrepresented and under given because I pay a ridiculous amount of tax on my salary so does every other person.
“And where’s our money going? It’s not going where it should go.”
Workshirts are still being sewn together so if you have some you’re happy to part with to be a part of his fight for what our mining regions deserve, reach out to Steve or drop them in at his business in Muswellbrook or the Blackroo Community Indigenous Corporation at the old Fire and Rescue NSW station in Muswellbrook.
| Steve is the next guest on our podcast, Digging Deeper with @ The Coalface. Episode 16 will be available to download from October 3 on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio and via our website www.thecoalface.net.au |
