The focus of our Board and management team has always been on driving sustainable growth, and we have built our team safe in the knowledge that they are also committed to helping our small, local and Indigenous businesses build better, more economically sustainable communities.
Our team’s diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives are a source of innovation and competitive advantage, while Our Vision, Purpose and Values steer us in making sound, ethical decisions that shape our reputation. Through this diversity, we have been able to create success through innovative solutions, always being mindful of our suppliers and regional businesses.
The end of 2023 saw some impactful changes begin as the divestment of the Blackwater and Daunia mines in Queensland was announced. We thank BHP/BMA for their support of the Program through these operations and acknowledge the contributions they have made to the surrounding regional Queensland communities.
Together with a planned upgrade to BHP’s global SAP system, our team, alongside BHP, ensured our high quality service was maintained for our suppliers. Together with BHP, we successfully implemented strategies that provided temporary changes to our transactions. This provided measures to ensure the system outage did not impact our suppliers significantly.
The success of both changes within the Program is a testament to the strength of our systems, as well as the resilience of the teams behind the Program.
As one door closes, many more open, and CopperSA BHP operations expanded with the inclusion of BHP Carrapateena and BHP Prominent Hill sites. For us, these means many more exciting opportunities for our suppliers, local businesses and regional centres.
With the addition of these assets, we look ahead to not only ensure we are engaging new businesses on our Program, but promoting and supporting our already established businesses. This compliments our dedication to Indigenous business growth, which is reflected in our increasing network of suppliers and stakeholders. Launching the WA Trading Tracks was an important step towards supporting the sustainability of Traditional Owner and Indigenous business communities, and we are proud to be a part of this vital program.
Our IT team worked on the inclusion of Data Modelling, which indicated the direct increase of output of $280m corresponded to the creation of an estimated 362 jobs. From this direct expansion in the economy, flow-on supply-chain effects in terms of local purchases of goods and services are anticipated, and it is estimated that these indirect impacts would result in the gain of a further 229 jobs.
Together with the final piece of our local buying cycle, regional organisations funded by the Local Buying Foundation are achieving transformational change because of the opportunities they offer. The $1.39m invested in the people in our communities have seen success stories, such as the Industry Engagement Officer role in Port Augusta, South Australia, go from strength to strength. With an increase of spend in the region, facilitating business engagement and alliances has never been more important.
Together with BHP, we reflect on our achievements, as well as the hurdles of FY24, as we look towards a successful FY25.
To view our FY24 Annual Summary click >> Here
And the FY24 highlights video below