High Achiever Paves Her Way
At the age of 53, I am a prime example of ‘you are never too old to learn new things!’
From delivering mail to working with aggregates, Coralee Panirau’s career journey is proof that it’s never too late to embrace new opportunities. After working as a Delivery Team Leader at NZ Post in Christchurch for 19 years, she made a bold career shift upon moving to Wellington. “A friend mentioned that the weighbridge operator at a quarry wasn’t showing up, and they asked if I’d be interested,” Coralee says. “I thought, why not? The bosses at the time allowed me to come in for a couple of hours to see if it was something I would be interested in doing.”
Now working as a Weighbridge Administrator and Health and Safety Representative at Winstone Aggregates, Coralee's role is dynamic and multifaceted. She manages truck weigh-ins and weigh-outs, processes dockets, and collaborates with the sales team, supervisors, and the quarry manager to ensure customer needs are met. “I am at the forefront of the company, therefore processing trucks in a quickly but friendly manner is a must.”
Her work also goes far beyond the weighbridge. She inducts new employees, setting them up with training plans and walking them through the process, from excavation to end product. She also gives health and safety briefings to new truck drivers and customers and keeps stockyard maps updated to reflect the ever-changing flow of materials.
Coralee praises the National Certificate in Extractive Industries (Mining Administration Surface Extraction B Grade) (Level 5) programme that she completed through MITO. “I learned so much about how a quarry functions, all the background work that goes on behind the scenes with resource consents, the environment, geotechnical planning, the list goes on.”
The programme didn’t just expand her technical knowledge—it also changed how she approaches her role. “I see more and ask more. I want to know why we are doing it, the purpose, and the expected outcome.”
Reflecting on the changes she’s seen in the industry, she notes that times have been tougher, but the product need remains. “Everyone’s feeling the pinch, but as long as there’s a need for housing and roading infrastructure, our future looks good.”
With her passion for growth and learning, Coralee is now determining her career’s next steps. “I have proven myself in wanting to progress to a supervisory role and greatly appreciate the support and encouragement I receive from management. I am currently awaiting acceptance for Women in Leadership, which is a mentoring programme developed to help women progress into leadership roles.”
Her advice for anyone starting out in the industry is simple: “Be a sponge and absorb as much information as you can! Ask a lot of questions—no question is a dumb question when you are first starting out. Be curious and want to know more. To this day, I am still learning a lot about this industry.
“At the age of 53, I am a prime example of ‘you are never too old to learn new things!’”
