BMA Community Partnerships 2004 REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES Partnerships between BMA, our employees and the local communities of Central Queensland CONTENTS Introduction 3 About BMA 4 About the Program 5 The Community Partnerships Program 1: Youth Support 6 2: Business & Skills Training 8 3: Community Welfare 10 4: Sport & Recreation 12 5: Arts & Entertainment 14 6: Environment 15 Other Local Initiatives 16 Our Communities 18 Map of the Region 19 Front cover: With BMA’s assistance, youth development workers play a pivotal role in improving services and options for teenagers in the Central Highlands communities. It is just over two years since BMA launched its We thank you for your comments and feedback Community Partnerships Program (CPP) as part which have resulted in improved community of our vision for the long term future for the engagement and have helped us to better business and, consequently, for the address areas of greatest need. communities in which we operate. By targeting those areas which residents This report provides CPP stakeholders with a themselves have identified, we are concise update of the various activities endeavouring to make a difference through the supported by BMA since the program’s Community Partnerships Program with a range inception in 2002, including activities funded of activities to enhance the ability of under Stage 2 of the CPP which was launched communities to shape their own futures. earlier this year. I also acknowledge the volunteering efforts of The projects highlighted within this brochure BMA employees and family members, whose cover the key activities we are conducting with special contributions have added significantly our partners in government, welfare more value to the CPP. organisations and community groups. Being a valued member of the community is One of the keys to the success of the program important to BMA, and we are pleased to play has been the strong link between the minesites, our part in promoting the health and wellbeing local Community Relations Coordinator, Ros of the Central Queensland region. Mann and the Brisbane office team which facilitates a co-ordinated approach to community partnerships. BMA’s commitment to the Central Queensland towns, where the majority of our employees and their families reside, is self evident. Working with local Councils, we invested $16 million last Dave Murray year, including sponsorship programs under the CPP, to help maintain the towns and their Chief Executive Officer lifestyle, meet local needs and realise local BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance opportunities. December 2004 PAGE-3 ABOUT BMA As Queensland’s largest coal producer and exporter, BMA is committed to ensuring that the communities in which we operate continue to share our success. Above: BMA mine managers ranging from high quality hard coking coals to Darryl Halliday and John high energy thermal coals. Blanning (at rear) with Dysart primary school students and In addition, the Alliance manages two mines international volunteer and markets coal production on behalf of Valentina Frison from Italy (at front) from Australian BHP Mitsui Coal Pty Ltd, who own the Central Conservation Volunteers. Queensland mines of Riverside and South Walker Creek. Participants are BHPB (80%) Right: Education Minister, the Hon. Anna Bligh and BMA’s and Mitsui and Co (20%). Vice President Commercial Relations, Ross Willims BMA is a major contributor to the economies (seated) with Dysart State of Central Queensland, the State as a whole School’s Shane Anderson and and the nation. Patricia Jaksic with the sponsorship agreement for The BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) BMA operations provide major benefits to the Learning Development was created in June 2001, as a strategic the communities in which they operate and Centre for Literacy. partnership between BHP Billiton (BHPB) the wider Central Queensland region, and Mitsubishi Development Pty Ltd under through local employment, support for which the two companies share equal local businesses and Government taxes ownership and management of seven Bowen and charges paid. Basin coal mines and the Hay Point coal export terminal near Mackay. Our production accounts for around a quarter of Australia’s annual coal exports The mines - Blackwater, Goonyella, Peak Downs, and 30 per cent of the world’s seaborne Saraji, Norwich Park, Gregory and Crinum - trade in hard coking coal for the produce a broad cross-section of products international steel industry. PAGE-4 ABOUT THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM In May 2004, BMA launched Stage 2 of the Community Partnerships Program, announcing a new range of activities which support self-help initiatives, building on the activities included in Stage 1 of the Program launched in September 2002. As the largest private employer in the The latest initiatives, valued at $275,000, Below: Queensland Premier Central Queensland region, BMA has for more have been added to a range of ongoing the Hon. Peter Beattie (left) than 30 years supported the communities activities and will take BMA’s investment in the with BMA’s General Manager Operations, Mick Madden and where our employees live. Community Partnerships Program to around CEO Dave Murray at the $2 million annually. launch of the Community BMA is committed to ensuring that the Partnerships Program. communities continue to share our success. In 2004/05, a social impact assessment will be To this end, we are working with governments, undertaken to help measure the impact of each Bottom: BMA’s Community Relations Coordinator, community groups and other organisations to of the activities under the program and to guide Ros Mann, meets regularly ensure resources are directed toward building its further development. with a range of community long term benefits. groups across the Bowen Basin. To reinforce this commitment, BMA launched the BMA Community Partnerships Program (CPP) in September 2002. The Program provides support through a range of initiatives and activities which promote partnerships with local and State government, training and welfare organisations and, most importantly, the communities themselves, with the aim of leaving a lasting and positive legacy for the Central Queensland region. The CPP represents a co-ordinated approach to community relations for BMA’s mines and Hay Point coal terminal. Since its inception, the Program has provided funding to address areas of greatest need in the Central Queensland towns where BMA’s employees and their families are located. The program extends across most of the Bowen Basin, as well as the port of Hay Point. The BMA CPP provides support within six broad Our Vital Link categories, namely, youth support, business and BMA’s Community Relations Co-ordinator, skills training, community welfare, sport and Ros Mann, based in Dysart, is responsible for recreation, arts and entertainment, and the co-ordinating the diverse community environment. partnerships and activities within the CPP. In May 2004, BMA launched Stage 2 of this In doing so, Ros is the point of contact on the program, announcing a new range of activities ground, for the Company’s community to support primarily self-help initiatives. activities, between local community groups, BMA site managers, BMA Brisbane Office and Thirteen local community organisations were the a range of local stakeholders, to ensure beneficiaries of the most recent round of effective implementation of the various CPP funding. Stage 2 support covers a diverse range elements and provide a local sounding board of initiatives from an engineering and robotics on community issues including suggestions on centre, to networking opportunities for youth new proposals. workers, and water safety for young children. Ros meets regularly with a range of BMA also contributed more than $60,000 to a community groups and individuals and zigzags feasibility study of a proposed ‘Miners Park’ across the Bowen Basin to attend to various coal interpretive and community centre in community interests. Blackwater. PAGE-5 1: YOUTH SUPPORT BMA supports projects which improve young people's well-being by developing skills and knowledge which will enhance opportunities for their participation in the social, cultural and economic life of the community, and individual job prospects in the future. Below: BMA’s Emerald CQ Youth Workers Living Works Training Pulse Centre was officially While smaller communities are considered ideal Youth suicide prevention is an important area of opened by the Minister for for bringing up young children, for a number of expertise required by rural and regional youth Police and Corrective reasons they are often unable to offer a full workers. BMA has funded attendance by a rural Services, the Hon. Judy Spence (front) pictured here range of opportunities when these children family support worker at a five day training with (l-r) Brian Swart, HR become teenagers. Youth Development Workers program to learn how to train other youth and Manager, BMA’s Gregory- play a pivotal role in improving services and community workers in suicide prevention. Crinum Mine, Police entertainment options available to teenagers in Comissioner Bob Atkinson, the Central Highlands communities. Police Citizens Youth Clubs and Sergeant Sean Lear, The Blackwater and Emerald Police Citizens Manager of the Emerald BMA provides $60,000 a year to enable the Youth Clubs provide important opportunities for PCYC. previously part-time youth workers in Moranbah, the development of young people in Central Bottom: Practicing at the Blackwater and Dysart to undertake their work Queensland. Moranbah skate park for on a full-time basis. competitions organised by The BMA Community Partnerships Program has the CQ youth workers. Activities organised by them during 2003/04 provided funding to establish an Emerald PCYC included participation by youth in leadership and refurbish the existing PCYC in Blackwater camps designed to develop self-esteem and and create a “BMA Pulse Centre” in each. confidence; movie nights, youth discos and skate park competitions. The BMA Pulse Centres are receiving funding of $225,000 over three years under the BMA CPP.