Gold Industry Group Inks $5 Million Deal With Netball WA
Netball WA, along with West Coast Fever and Shooting Stars, has announced a three-year, $5 million partnership with Gold Industry Group.
The Gold Industry Group, a not-for-profit, member-based industry association set up to support the gold mining sector in Australia, will become the Principal Partner for Netball WA, an Elite Partner of the West Coast Fever, and the first Premier Partner of the Shooting Stars.
The partnership, which will become the largest investment in Netball WA’s 95-year history, will help to enable the Gold Industry Group to work with Netball WA to create a clear pathway for women to gain employment in the gold industry, pursue higher education opportunities and become leaders and role models in the sector.
Netball WA chief executive officer and West Coast Fever managing director, Simon Taylor, said the deal is exciting for all Western Australia netball participants and the future of women’s sport in WA.
“This is a landmark day for netball in our State,” he said.
“Never before has there been an investment of this level in women’s sport in our State, and we’re incredibly proud to walk side by side with the Gold Industry Group as we work toward making today’s vision tomorrow’s reality.
“This partnership will empower our 230,000 participants across Western Australia to take control of their netball destiny, shape their journey, and work together towards our common purpose of ‘Advancing Netball, Advancing Communities’.
“On behalf of every netball participant in our great State, I say with a heart of gold an immense thank you to the Gold Industry Group for its investment in netball,” Mr Taylor said.
West Coast Fever head coach, Stacey Marinkovich, said the investment is invaluable for netball.
“Each time we step out on the court, we are now doing so with the proud support of the Gold Industry Group,” Marinkovich said.
“The significance of this investment cannot be understated.
“There is no doubt in my mind that this partnership will directly relate to more Western Australians being involved with our great game across the State.
“On behalf of the West Coast Fever Netball Club, I would like to thank the Gold Industry Group for its investment in our club, and for its passion in advancing women’s sport,” she said.
Shooting Stars executive officer, Fran Haintz, said the partnership would have tangible results for the program’s participants.
“This partnership will continue to help us change the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls living in some of Western Australia’s most remote communities,” Haintz said.
“We could not be more proud to have the support of the Gold Industry Group.
“This investment will result in more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls in schools, furthering their education and helping them to realise their full potential.
“On behalf of the more than 350 participants in our program, I thank the Gold Industry Group for its investment in the Shooting Stars program as our first Premier Partner,” she said.
Gold Industry Group vice chairperson, Kelly Carter, said the partnership is one of a kind and the gold industry is extremely proud to support netball at all levels across Western Australia.
“We are delighted by the opportunity to support netball and women’s sport on a scale never before seen in Australia,” Carter said.
“This is an unprecedented project for the resources sector, with member companies of the Gold Industry Group working collectively to generate real benefit for our communities in both metropolitan Perth and the remote regions in which we operate.
“The Gold Industry Group, on behalf of its member companies, has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion and we see important parallels between supporting the netball stars of today and tomorrow and in developing our own pipeline of female industry leaders,” she said.
Gold Industry Group members supporting the partnership include Gold Fields, Northern Star Resources, Saracen Mineral Holdings, Newcrest Mining, St Barbara Limited, Newmont Australia, AngloGold Ashanti Australia, Gold Road Resources and Ramelius Resources.
