• First steel is cut for the $532 million Gruyere Gold Project
• The next puzzle piece towards the first gold being produced from the Yamarna Belt
• 550 jobs created over the life of the mine project with another 350 generated once open

Sparks were flying at Civmec this morning as the first steel was cut for the State's biggest gold mining operations.

The $298 million engineering, procurement and construction contract with the Amec Foster Wheeler Civmec Joint Venture will see locally produced steel and other components developed for the Gruyere Gold Project's mine site in the eastern Goldfields.

Steel fabrication at Civmec's Henderson facility will keep more than 30 people employed on premises to fabricate, surface treat and manage the logistics to get the steel structures to the remote site to meet project quality and schedule requirements.

The project, located 200 kilometres east of Laverton, is operated by the Gruyere Joint Venture, a 50:50 Joint Venture between Gold Road and Gold Fields. It is expected to produce more than 270,000 ounces of gold each year once in operation. 

Comments attributed to Premier Mark McGowan:

"Today has been much more than just witnessing the first steel cut; it's also about bringing together a range of sectors looking to create a pipeline of jobs and new opportunities for Western Australians.

"Our Plan for Jobs is about broadening the economy to create jobs across a greater range of industries and I'm looking forward to seeing more WA projects like these come to fruition."