Support set up for FIFO families

With the number of fly-in fly-out workers in Albany increasing over the past year, a group has been set up to support families affected by the challenging lifestyle.

It comes after the release in February of the Regional Australia Committee report into the impact of the FIFO industry on regional communities across Australia.

Albany’s Hollie Durack leads the new group called Albany FIFO Families, which met for the first time on Saturday and is a social and support network for local FIFO employees and their families.

There are more than 100 FIFO oil, gas and mining workers in Albany. Rio Tinto began direct flights for its Brockman iron ore mines a year ago, a program which has now grown to include 40 workers.

Ms Durack’s husband Chris works at the Solomon Hub in the Pilbara for Lleyton Contractors and has been flying out for work for the past three years.

“There are 90,000 FIFO workers in WA alone and with Rio Tinto flying from here now, those numbers are only going to increase,” Ms Durack said.

“Having a FIFO partner does take its toll, it is hard, everyone has their low days, you don’t really understand the lifestyle until you experience it.”

Ms Durack said 13 mothers and one father turned up to the group’s first meeting with about 15 children. She said more than 60 FIFO partners had joined the Albany website.

“If ever someone got stuck and needed to go to the hospital during the night or needed help ... with her baby, that’s what it’s all about,” she said.

Group member Melissa said although she was looking after newborn Dylan, fly-in fly-out work had helped her family.

“It brings more money into the town — we bought a house last year and we wouldn’t have been able to afford it if he’d been working in town,” she said.

FIFO Families director Nicole Ashby set up the organisation in Perth three years ago, which has grown to include more than 50 branches across Australia.

City of Albany Mayor Dennis Wellington said a support group for the families of FIFO employees was important, and estimated the workers added about $4 million to the local economy a year. “FIFO workers are growing in number in Albany, the economy of it is good for the community, it’s something we’re hoping to foster,” he said.

For more information go to www.fifofamilies.com.au.