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BHP has reported that it contributed a record $1.1 billion in community expenditure across Western Australia in the 2026 financial year, including $627 million spent with Indigenous and Traditional Owner businesses.
The figures were detailed in the miner’s 2026 Western Australia Community Development Report, which also outlined more than $850 million in payments to local WA suppliers and $65.8 million invested in community programs, initiatives and donations.
BHP said more than half of the $65.8 million community investment supported initiatives where the majority of participants or beneficiaries were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The report highlights investment across education, health, housing, community infrastructure, local business development and Indigenous economic participation, with projects spanning the Pilbara, Goldfields and Kwinana regions.
A key component is the Resources Community Investment Initiative (RCII), through which BHP is investing $250 million over 10 years in community infrastructure and initiatives in partnership with the Western Australian Government.
The initiative includes a $160 million commitment to Port Hedland community infrastructure, covering the redevelopment of Hedland Senior High School, a new South Hedland Aquatic Centre, service worker accommodation and additional housing for essential government employees.
The school redevelopment is backed by an $80 million investment and will provide upgraded science, technology and design facilities for more than 1200 students.
Hedland Senior High School principal Michael Ciccotosto said the funding would make a significant difference to the school and its students.
“This is going to change the whole complexion of the school, and given we are the only high school in town, it’s going to provide so many more opportunities for students here,” Ciccotosto said.
BHP has also committed $15 million to affordable housing in Newman to help attract and retain essential workers, while another $15 million has been invested in remote Pilbara community housing, with an additional $15 million to come.
In the Goldfields, BHP’s $20 million WA Nickel Community Fund, established in late 2024 following the temporary suspension of its nickel operations, has delivered $12.3 million across 15 initiatives in eight communities.
Projects include a $2 million mobile creative studio providing access to technology and equipment in regional communities, and a $3 million contribution to the Goldfields Community Pavilion in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
The report also highlighted BHP’s investment in local skills and employment. The company’s Made in the Pilbara grants program supported 11 businesses, with projects expected to create 38 jobs and 14 apprenticeships.
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