Journalist groped at Goldfields mining event

A 23 year-old journalist was allegedly groped at a Goldfields mining event, and the company said they have a zero tolerance policy towards such behaviour.

Kalgoorlie Miner deputy editor Amber Lilley claimed she was propositioned, groped, and followed after attending a Diggers and Dealers Mining Forum event last week.

Forum chairman Jim Walker said that the organisation was disappointed to learn of the incident that occurred during the week at a sideline function.

He said there was an expectation that people who attended the forum, including sideline events, behaved in a respectful and inclusive manner. His expectations of delegates' behaviour also extended to unaffiliated events and private functions that take place around the city during this period.

The alleged incident took place at the Graduates Hall at the West Australian School of Mines, with school alumni hosting a networking event the same week as the conference.

A joint statement by the West Australian School of Mines Alumni and Curtin University said they were extremely disappointed by the behaviour of one of the attendees.

The organisations are working to address issues of sexism and misogyny and improve opportunities for women in the mining sector, according to the statement.

The statement said that we are committed to providing a safe and inclusive learning environment.

We believe strongly in the value that education and awareness can play in change, and we have recently appointed a director of equity and diversity at the WA School of Mines. Kalgoorlie-Boulder Mayor John Bowler said the Diggers and Dealers Forum shouldn't be made responsible for the actions of one man, but conceded it was unlikely the incident was isolated.

We get idiots who get a few beers under their belt and misbehave, but he said that it was only in Kalgoorlie-Boulder or just at the Diggers and Dealers conference.

Bowler said he was pleased with the incident and would like to see the man in question banned from future forums.

They assured me that will be the case. The incident has been condemned by the mining sector and state politicians, including premier Mark McGowan, who said he was disappointed and urged the industry to do the right thing. Greens resources spokesperson Senator Dorinda Cox said Ms Lilley's allegations highlighted a continuing trend of harassment towards women in mining.

She said the industry's action on harassment was lacking despite the release of a scathing report on sexual assault and harassment within WA's fly-in, fly-out mining industry.

The WA mining sector has been called out in the report, and its recommendations are clear, Senator Cox said.

Advocates for women in mining saw the incident as a new opportunity for the industry to step up and show action on the issue of harassment.

Former FIFO worker Becky Felstead works as a consultant to the resource sector on sexual harassment, workplace culture and assault, and said the industry had an opportunity to target harassment at its core.

Mining has an opportunity because they can be front runners, and they can be the innovators in making sure they are creating active bystanders, that they are changing the culture. There are so many things that need to be changed.