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Cape legend looks back

Caitlyn WattsPilbara News
Trent Hodges, Peter Jacobs, Ivan Vella and Vanessa Forster from Rio Tinto's Cape Lambert.
Camera IconTrent Hodges, Peter Jacobs, Ivan Vella and Vanessa Forster from Rio Tinto's Cape Lambert.

A Rio Tinto employee reached a significant milestone this year as he celebrated 45 years working at a major port facility in the Pilbara.

Cape Lambert port operations supervisor Peter Jacobs began working at the site in 1975 and said he had seen billions of tonnes of iron ore loaded on to thousands of ships during his time.

“It has not felt like you would imagine 45 years should feel and although it is a long time, I have no regrets,” he said.

“I’ve met and worked with some great people over the years and made many lasting friendships. I worked mostly in ship-loading operations at Port Walcott, where I had the opportunity to learn from some very switched-on people about the processes and best practices for ship loading.”

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Mr Jacobs said the main reason he stayed working at the Cape was because he enjoyed the Pilbara lifestyle and its people.

“My children were born here and grew up in Wickham, which makes it a special place for me,” he said. “My hope for the future is that all my work mates will continue working at the Cape, enjoying the great lifestyle and opportunities that it offers.”

Mr Jacobs said he had seen a lot of changes during his time, most notably in the growth of iron ore production which has increased from 12 million tonnes per year to 200 million tonnes per year.

“To support the growth of our Cape Lambert operations, the town of Wickham has almost doubled in size,” he said.

“I have also seen some significant changes around our safety culture, where it has evolved over the years to the very regulated one that exists today.”

Rio Tinto Iron Ore managing director Rail, Ports and Core Services Ivan Vella congratulated Mr Jacob’s achievement. “Peter’s long-term commitment to the port and the town of Wickham makes him a local legend in the area and we wish him all the best for the future,” he said.

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