Rio Tinto has recently put a rebuilt Cat 777F Water Cart Truck to work after having it painted bright blue in support of Beyond Blue; a charity which helps Australians achieve their best possible mental health. To really make it stand out, the truck’s tank was decorated with indigenous artwork painted by local Traditional Owner Tuesday Lockyer who works at the mine and lives in the local community. WesTrac were responsible for both rebuilding the machine and painting it blue.
The Blue Water Cart is a beacon and reminder, communicating the importance of looking after your mental health and wellbeing. It has already started sparking conversations about mental health in the mining industry, around the local area and on-site. We’re sharing the story now to keep that conversation going as it’s one that deserves more attention.
WesTrac is committed to tackling mental health head on and helping those who are suffering. We support R U OK? Day and are a partner of MATES in Construction; a charity established to reduce the high level of suicide among Australian construction workers. In addition to supporting these charities, WesTrac also helps employees stay mentally healthy by partnering with AccessEAP; a not-for-profit organisation that provides free mental health counselling and support to those in need.
The safety and wellbeing of our employees remains a top priority for WesTrac – which is why ‘Safety’ is at the top of our SPARC values.
Over the last decade WesTrac has seen an increase in customers painting Cat machines all kinds of colours with the goal of raising funds and/or awareness for charities. Rebuilding a machine presents the perfect opportunity to turn an older machine into something special that can be used to do good in the community. A rebuilt machine needs to be painted, so why not do something that can help build a better future?
Our paint shop is one of the largest in Australia and is capable of painting any machine (regardless of make), any colour. With years of experience, and the latest facilities, our highly skilled technicians regularly paint both new and used machines. Just recently in 2020 we painted a Cat D11T Dozer pink for another customer to help them raise awareness for the McGrath Foundation. This service helps our customers to enact positive change in the community – something we care strongly about.
