Tag Archives: Newman

BHP and Gallawinya agree on tyre agreement for WAIO operations

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A new contract with Pilbara Traditional Owner business Gallawinya Pty Ltd, will supply up to 4,000 tyres a year for light vehicles and light trucks across BHP WA Iron Ore’s central Pilbara mining operations, the mining company says.

Gallawinya is one of more than 80 Indigenous and Traditional Owner businesses engaged directly in the first half of BHP’s 2023 financial year – with a total spend of more than A$120 million ($82 million) – to Indigenous and Traditional Owner businesses through WAIO’s Project Rise initiative.

Chris Cowan, Head of Global Indigenous Procurement, said the Gallawinya contract represented a major step forward in a non-traditional supply area and would create social value opportunities including additional regional employment.

“We’re trying to find ongoing, longer term operational contracts to collaborate with Traditional Owner businesses, and this is a great example of that,” he explained.

“What I particularly like about this one is, it’s demonstrating a new category of supply by a Traditional Owner business that we haven’t seen before, and it’s going to create social value back into the communities in which we operate.

“We hope to collaborate with our maritime team to bring tyres directly into Port Hedland to reduce the need to transport the tyres by road from Perth to the Pilbara. This will improve our carbon footprint as well as safety risk and performance.”

Under the contract, Gallawinya will initially supply tyres to BHP’s central Pilbara operations (Mining Area C, South Flank and Yandi) before potentially expanding to other WAIO’s mining sites including Jimblebar, Newman and Port Hedland.

Gallawinya is a subsidiary of Nyamal owned and operated East West Pilbara Group, which employs more than 10 people in the Pilbara, through its facilities at Port Hedland and Karratha. The BHP supply contract will create more training and employment opportunities for Indigenous people.

Compared to the same period in FY22, to date WAIO has increased its year-to-date annual spend by around 62.5% and, thanks to Project Rise, is on track to deliver on its FY23 target of A$225 million spend with Indigenous and Traditional Owner businesses, which will extend to A$300 million in FY2024.

BHP engages Nyiyaparli-owned ROMS for mine rehab work at Newman

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Nyiyaparli Traditional Owner Business, Resource Operations and Maintenance Services (ROMS) has been awarded a A$2.8 million ($2 million) contract to help with mine rehabilitation at BHP’s Newman Operations, on Nyiyaparli Country, in Western Australia.

Work is underway on the eight-month contract for bulk earthworks and mine rehabilitation of two of the overburden stockpile areas at Newman West.

The works involve a fleet of Cat dozers to undertake the bulk regrade work, in conjunction with a fleet of ancillary equipment to undertake topsoil spreading, scarification and fauna habitat construction.

This is ROMS’ first mine rehabilitation contract with Newman Operations, however the company has worked across BHP since joining the South Flank project, also in Western Australia, in 2018.

ROMS Managing Director, Jason Bull, said: “BHP has continued to support our growth and we’re now onsite at South Flank, Whaleback, Jimblebar and Mining Area C delivering our services to operations, sustaining capital and engineering works.

“We have two fully trained and developed Indigenous supervisors at BHP sites, as well as nine young Indigenous people completing a Certificate II in civil construction. This has helped build a solid portfolio of tickets, with strong on-site learning and positive mentoring through our group’s strong culture.”

Newman Operations General Manager, Dan Heal, said the partnership with ROMS was just one of the many partnerships Newman Operations hopes to build upon into the future with Pilbara Aboriginal businesses.

“Supporting our community and working with Traditional Owners towards a common purpose is something I’m particularly excited about growing here in Newman,” he said. “Contracts like this encourage the growth of Indigenous business and create new opportunities for our Traditional Owners to support their own communities.”

Bull added: “We’re extremely appreciative of BHP’s support and look forward to making a positive impact on the local community through our continued partnership with BHP.”

New CORE Innovation Hub opens in Newman, Western Australia

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The CORE Innovation Hub Newman has officially opened its doors at Parnawarri, in Western Australia, becoming the first business innovation centre in Newman to support the local mining equipment technology and services (METS) industry.

The specialist METS business hub, co-working and education space supports start-ups, small and medium businesses and industry working across the mining sector, according to BHP, with the new satellite hub allowing businesses to take advantage of CORE Innovation Hub’s  national mining and resources ecosystem, where they will be able to connect with potential partners, work with industry experts and expand their business network.

The Newman facility comes on top of the original CORE Innovation Hub in Perth and a second one in Adelaide. The plans for Newman were announced last year.

Newman Innovation Hub Lead, Natalie Jones, said: “This initiative is a huge investment into the future of Newman and the surrounding Pilbara region. The hub will help drive our local regional businesses forward in Newman, across the Pilbara and beyond.”

BHP is a major sponsor of this hub along with the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation and METS Ignited Australia.

Aqura Technologies to improve connectivity at BHP WA iron ore accommodation sites

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Aqura Technologies has been awarded several work packages by BHP Western Australian Iron Ore (WAIO), which will see the Veris Ltd subsidiary pocket circa-A$3.7 million ($2.7 million).

The initial phase of work commenced late in the June quarter, with expected completion in November.

The contract awards will see Aqura upgrade and extend the technology and communications infrastructure at a range of accommodation sites surrounding the township of Newman in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

The scope of work involves the design, procurement and construction of new point-to-point microwave, DOCSIS and fibre-optic infrastructure to enable upgrades of in-room Wi-Fi for a number of BHP WAIO accommodation sites, Veris said.

These awards extend Aqura’s history of supporting BHP WAIO in upgrading its regional technology infrastructure to offer connectivity between its operational and support sites.

In addition to the new engagement, Aqura has secured an extension of the BHP Master Services Agreement for a further 12-month period.

Aqura Technologies CEO, Travis Young, said: “The upgrades will provide a solid foundation for current and future users to access reliable and high-quality communications whilst working for extended periods in very remote areas. These technologies are increasingly recognised by mine operators as critical to the health and wellbeing of the workforces that service these operations.”

BHP extends FIFO agreement with Alliance in Western Australia

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Alliance Aviation Services says it and BHP’s Western Australia Iron Ore division have agreed to extend their air charter services agreement for a further two years.

The extension solidifies a relationship that started with the first flight for BHP WA Iron Ore in 2009, Alliance said.

BHP’s WAIO division is an integrated system of four processing hubs and five mines connected by more than 1,000 km of rail infrastructure and port facilities in the Pilbara region of northern Western Australia. At each processing hub – Newman, Yandi, Mining Area C and Jimblebar – the ore is crushed, beneficiated (where necessary) and blended to create high-grade hematite lump and fines products. Iron ore products are then transported along the Port Hedland–Newman Rail Line to the Finucane Island and Nelson Point port facilities at Port Hedland.

Lee Schofield, Alliance’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Alliance is delighted to be continuing the provision of these charter services into Coondewanna and Barimunya. Our commitment to safety and providing our clients with industry leading on time performance has played a significant role in being awarded this extension.”

Schofield, added: “In May this year, BHP acknowledged Alliance’s exceptional safety and operational record when BHP presented Alliance with an Aviation Safety Award in recognition of the safe carriage of 3.5 million BHP staff and contractors on charter and scheduled services throughout Australia from April 2002 to April 2019.”

WA government, EPA approves BHP’s strategic 50- to 100-year Pilbara mining plan

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The Western Australia Government has approved a 50- to 100-year strategic mining proposal for the Pilbara by BHP, which outlines bold plans for new and existing mines, the state said.

BHP’s Pilbara Expansion Strategic Proposal details a cumulative picture of the miner’s planned and potential operations across the Pilbara, including mining operations, rail, storage areas, dams and associated mine infrastructure.

It mentioned new potential mining operations at Caramulla, Coondiner, Gurinbiddy, Jinidi, Marillana, Mindy, Ministers North, Mudlark, Munjina/Upper Marillana, Ophthalmia/Prairie Down, Rocklea, Roy Hill and Tandanya; alongside future expansions of existing mining operations at Jimblebar, Mining Area C, Newman and Yandi (pictured).

This type of “strategic proposal”, which the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has approved with conditions, “helps reduce red and green tape, allowing the EPA to consider the cumulative impacts of future proposals, rather than assessing impacts on a case-by-case basis, as individual mines or developments are proposed”, according to the government.

The EPA assessed the impacts to flora and vegetation, fauna, water quality and quantity, air quality as well as social surrounds, with the ministerial statement for BHP’s strategic proposal including conditions that may be applied to each development, including environmental management plans, a cultural heritage management plan, a mine closure plan and offsets through contributions to the Pilbara Environmental Offsets Fund where significant residual impacts remain.

“BHP is required to refer future individual proposals outlined in the ministerial statement to the EPA to determine if they meet the high environmental standards set by the strategic assessment,” the government said.

WA Premier, Mark McGowan, said BHP’s plan has the potential to deliver tens of thousands of jobs for Western Australians.

“We expect this Australian-first plan will reduce environmental approval times by up to 50%, while maintaining the highest environmental standards,” he said.

“Industry has been crying out for this type of plan. It recognises the need to reduce unnecessary ‘green tape’ to increase investor confidence, and pave the way for more jobs. It is another sign our economy is improving with the major miner taking a long-term view of its proposals in the state.”

Environment Minister, Stephen Dawson, meanwhile, said: “The Pilbara region holds immense environmental value and a key focus of the EPA assessment was to ensure the proposal did not significantly impact on important regional environmental values, including Karijini National Park and Fortescue Marsh.

“Strategic proposals allow the EPA to take a bigger picture view of the potential environmental impacts the proposals may have, considering the cumulative impacts rather than on a case-by-case basis, as individual mines or developments are proposed.”

BHP awards Central Systems Mount Newman iron ore contract

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Resource Development Group’s Central Systems subsidiary says it has been awarded a contract by BHP to undertake works at the company’s Mount Newman iron ore mine in Western Australia.

The works, to be undertaken for BHP Iron Ore, together with a further recent project award from BHP (through its framework agreement with the company) and a smaller award from Fortescue Metals Group yield combined contract values of around A$14 million ($9.8 million), Central Systems said.

Central Systems is a multi-discipline construction and remedial services contractor delivering civil, SMPT and E&I construction services.