A company set up by Banjima traditional owner Paula White has teamed up with ASX company Mineral Resources to win a major crushing contract with BHP.
A company set up by Banjima traditional owner Paula White has teamed up with ASX company Mineral Resources to win a major crushing contract with BHP.
The contract, understood to be worth $70 million, has been awarded to PMW Industries, which is solely owned by Ms White, and its “strategic partner”, MinRes subsidiary CSI Mining Services.
Ms White said PMW and CSI planned to establish a 51:49 joint venture, which would obtain Supply Nation accreditation as an Aboriginal business.
The aim of the joint venture was for CSI, which is the world’s largest crushing contractor with 23 operating plants, to empower and upskill Aboriginal employees.
“We want to build up our capacity so that in five or ten years’ time we can operate on our own,” Ms White told Business News.
“To replicate that at (BHP’s) South Flank (mine) is our goal.
“They (CSI) are using the joint venture to build their capability in working with Aboriginal businesses.”
The three-year contract, with options for an additional two years, is for the operation and maintenance of a semi-mobile crushing and screening plant at BHP’s Mining Area C operation, on Banjima country.
The contract followed a competitive tender that was restricted to Banjima companies, structured specifically to enable traditional owner businesses to work on-country.
BHP has described the contract as one of the largest and longest traditional owner opportunities to be awarded by its WA iron ore business.
The contract will create jobs for up to 30 people, with PMW planning to target Banjima people and Pilbara Aboriginal people.
Ms White said she had already commenced recruiting, with a particular focus on Aboriginal women.
She added that PMW already has 37 per cent female employees on its other projects.
“As a Banjima woman and business owner, I’m delighted to be creating opportunities for other Indigenous women and young girls to follow their dreams,” she said.
Ms White said the joint venture would provide training to people across all facets of the business, including leadership, operations, health & safety and administration.
She anticipated the proportion of Aboriginal employees would grow over time.
BHP said its relationship with PMW started more than three years ago through its Local Buying program, which helps small, local and Indigenous businesses engage with the mining giant.
PMW has been engaged to support shutdowns at Mining Area C, rail pad construction and artwork for its Yandi operations.
BHP WA Iron Ore Asset President Brandon Craig said the contract would support its drive to double its spend on indigenous procurement over the next two years.
In FY22, WAIO spent almost $160 million with 80 Indigenous businesses, of which $72.6 million was with 33 traditional owner businesses.
“We are working hard to create more opportunities for Indigenous businesses to support the growth of Indigenous enterprise, partnering for the future,” Mr Craig said.
BHP said the PMW contract was surpassed only by a five-year waste management contract its iron ore business awarded last year to the North West Alliance, valued at almost $100 million.
The North West Alliance is a 50:50 joint venture between global company Veolia and local partner Our Country, an entity founded by Palyku traditional owner Blaze Kwaymullina.
