Published on Friday, 12 July 2024 at 2:02:38 PM

Yesterday afternoon, the Shire of Wiluna learned that BHP has announced its Nickel West operation would be temporarily suspended until the year 2027.

This decision is devastating news for the Shire of Wiluna and will have a significant impact on our Northern Goldfields community and our local economy.

The Shire of Wiluna wants to express its sympathy for the affected workers who we have welcomed to work in our region, alongside our residents, on Martu land, and who are now facing the uncertainties of redundancy or redeployment.

We are deeply concerned about the disruption this will cause to their families’ financial circumstances in already challenging and high cost-of-living conditions. Our thoughts are with the thousands of workers affected, particularly those of the Mt Keith operation.

While this decision has been coming like a slow train across our red desert landscape, we are still shocked and disappointed by it.

The Shire of Wiluna is particularly concerned for the small businesses, contractors and other suppliers to the mines, and how suspending the Nickel West operation will impact local investment decisions, such as whether to buy new equipment or employ an apprentice.

There is a knock-on effect with a decision like this - one that may get a small mention in a boardroom, but is as real as an oily, dusty, overdue invoice for some.

Sadly, it will also affect BHP’s Aboriginal partners engaged with this operation.

The Shire of Wiluna acknowledges that BHP must make commercial decisions in the interests of its shareholders, but I would also ask that, as operations wind-down, it commits to genuine face-to-face engagement with our community stakeholders, and re-invests in our local economy.

Our Shire is as resilient as they come, and experience has shaped the Council’s view that BHP has a corporate responsibility to keep Wiluna and neighboring towns informed of what it will be doing to engage and support the people of our community.

BHP has profited immensely from the nickel our region is abundant in, and it now must do the right thing.

Cr Peter Grundy
Shire President

Shire of Wiluna
PO Box 38
Wiluna WA 6646
Ph: (08) 9980 6011
Mob: 0474 280 874
Email: cr.grundy@wiluna.wa.gov.au

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