BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) supports the Queensland Government’s efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by limiting interstate travel to those working in business critical roles in the mining sector, and will continue to implement measures to protect the health and safety of its people, their families and the communities in which it operates.
BMA Asset President James Palmer said: “We thank Minister Lynham and the Queensland Government for the practical approach they are taking to ensure the measures in place to protect Queenslanders will also enable our operations to continue in a safe, sustainable way.”
“We are all in this together, and BMA will continue to implement measures to keep our people and communities safe by reducing the risk of COVID-19 spread. In doing so, we hope to help keep Queensland strong by supporting jobs and local businesses as we work through this difficult period.”
BMA is actively considering further measures to meet the new restrictions on interstate travel while further protecting the community and facilitating the continuation of safe mining operations.
These measures include temporarily relocating workers, amending rosters to minimise travel to Queensland, increasing the use of charter flights and increasing the use of health screening such as temperature checks at mine sites and at Moranbah Airport, which is owned and operated by BMA.
These extra measures will be in addition to the many controls already implemented across BMA sites, accommodation camps and offices, which include social distancing practices, increased cleaning and sanitation, and strict hygiene protocols.
All controls are in line with advice from the Queensland Government, Queensland Health and the state’s Chief Medical Officer. BMA is conducting regular audits to confirm their effectiveness, obtain feedback and determine any improvements that can be made.
Across Australia, BHP has taken action in recent weeks to:
- Accelerate payment of all outstanding invoices to small, local and Indigenous suppliers, delivering ~$100 million quickly into those businesses. (BHP has reduced payment terms for small, local and Indigenous businesses to seven days from 30 days).
- Hire 1500 people to support its Australian operations, which will help to alleviate the impact of cross-border travel restrictions.
- Establish a $50 million fund to support local communities, e.g. through health services, community services, mental health and resilience, and indigenous programs.
- Establish a $6 million fund to support labour-hire companies and their employees.
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