Rio Tinto Coal Australia’s NSW regional manager for resource development, Heather Bell, won the top prize.

Brisbane-based Bell's career spans 11 years across sites in Queensland and New South Wales, in technical, corporate and managerial roles. She is currently Rio Tinto Coal Australia’s NSW regional manager for resource development.

Bell was the first woman open cut examiner and shift boss at NSW’s largest open cut coal mine.

At just 33, she is the youngest manager and only woman in her team to work across two states.

The award recognises exceptional achievement by a woman working in the Queensland resources sector, not only in their own career, but in helping the advancement of women in the sector.

“I believe that to continue changing attitudes towards women in the workforce it is important to focus on educating the men in our industry and this involves building strong, trusting and respectful relationships with men in everyday work,” Bell said.

“It’s also about being active and visible in the workplace, and accepting opportunities that raise the profile of women.”

Other winners include:

Overall

Winner: Heather Bell, Rio Tinto Coal Australia (Brisbane)

Runner up: Andrea Rutley, Anglo American (Brisbane)

Rising Star

Winner: Lucya Yunus, Xstrata Copper (Mount Isa)

Runner Up: Kate Brand (Brisbane)

Trade

Winner: Tamara Bellinger, Xstrata Copper (Mount Isa)

Highly Commended: Karla Draper, Thiess (Inglewood); Nikita Mason, BMA (Moranbah); Sandii Rixon, BHP Billiton (Poitrel Mine/Brisbane – FIFO)

Operator

Winner: Myf Szepanowski, Anglo American (Moura)

Runner up: Elisha Wesser, BMA (Mount Julian)

Gender Diversity Champion

Joint Winners: Rebecca Capper, Anglo American (Brisbane); Tash Fee, TNT Training Solutions (Calliope)

Best Company Initiative

Winner: Xstrata Mount Isa Mines

Highly Commended: Parsons Brinkerhoff

The awards were presented at the eighth annual International Women's Day breakfast in front of 800 guests at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

It was also streamed live and podcast around the state.

The awards come on the back of QRC data showing an increase in the number of women within the industry.

The 2011-12 survey shows the proportion of women in 'non-traditional' roles, such as engineers, geologists, trades, operators and senior management, had risen to just under 12%, up from 11% the previous year.

“The proportion of women across all occupations is 12%, up from 13% in 2010-11,” said QRC chief executive Michael Roche.

“While our statistics continue to trend upwards, we know that we need to keep a sharp focus on measures to ensure that the resources sector is attractive to women, and provides a working environment that encourages them to stay,” he said.

While most of the statistics were encouraging, the proportion of women in executive management roles fell slightly to 7%, off a high the previous year of 9%. There were also decreases in the number of female project managers and superintendents.

Jules Blunt is the chair of the Women in Mining and Resources Queensland Committee and presented some of the awards this morning. A senior engineer at Xstrata Copper, Blunt has been in the resources industry for nearly 14 years.

“I’ve been in the industry since I graduated as an engineer in 1999, and each year we see more and more women join the industry.”

“I think a lot of it is to do with the support provided by companies, as well as the support of groups like WIMARQ. Sectors and companies setting targets, sponsoring events and conferences, it really shows that they are willing to provide the time and money to encourage the employment of women.”

Blunt said that the important role of women within the industry could often be overlooked.

“There is a skills shortage within the industry. Females make up around 51% of the population but only 14% of the Queensland resources industry. That’s an obvious imbalance and so one reason why women are important to the resources industry is that they can help fill this skills shortage.”

“I went to an all-girls school and of 120 girls there, I was the only one to go into engineering.”

“Women really do inherently provide a different perspective and having that alternate view or idea is a really valuable thing.”

But Blunt said it was different now to when she began as a student engineer.

“I definitely feel attitudes have change compared to when I started. My first role was underground in 1997. I think I was the second woman to ever go down there and you’re there, underground with hundreds of pairs of eyes on you. It’s pretty intimidating.”

Blunt spoke to ILN before the awards, and explained the importance of organisations like WIMARQ.

“I have been with WIMARQ for seven years and since then our membership has definitely expanded. Last year we held a four day conference, our first conference ever actually, and we had over 500 people attend. It really just showed us that there is a massive demand for events like that and women really want to get together and share their experiences.”

“It is really important to hear about how other women have made it through the glass ceiling, or overcome a challenge, or succeeded at work while having a family.

“I am currently on maternity leave and it was really important for me to know of how other women in the industry had gone about it, and be inspired by how successful they are. That’s what our members like and that’s why it is important.”

She believes it is inevitable that more women will hold senior roles in the near future.

“All COOs and CEOs are in their 50s and so it is inevitable as the generations move through that we will see women take on these higher roles. We just need to get them in the door initially and then ensure that they stay.”

Sabina Shugg is the head of mining at Momentum Partners and the founder of the Women in Mining WA group. She believes that awards ceremonies and networking events are essential support systems for women within a male-dominated industry.

“It is absolutely crucial that we get stories about women in mining out into the mainstream media. There are women doing all sorts of jobs and it’s important to get that out there so that women, at various levels of their career, know that there are doors open for them.”

“It is a male-dominated industry, but there are plenty of women in it doing really valuable things.”