KEEPING COMMUNITIES SAFE
BHP has announced a new partnership with local health care providers to develop and service COVID-19 testing centres in Central Queensland.
It’s the latest initiative taken by the Australian resources sector as it acts to reassure communities that it’s putting into effect strict and comprehensive measures to protect workers, families and mining communities from COVID-19.
The centres are part of a $7.59m project developed in partnership with the Mackay Hospital and Health Services (MHHS) and private health provider Vanguard Health to ease the strain on regional health services and hospitals. The centres will be delivered in Moranbah and Proserpine and will operate seven days a week.
Integrated with the Queensland health system to provide a doctor-led service with nursing support staff, they will be available for anyone in the community to get assessed and tested for COVID-19.
They will run for an initial six months, with the opportunity to be extended. Once established, the centres have the capability of assessing 100 patients per day in each clinic site, and offer a mix of drive-through, walkin, tele-health and face-to-face clinician consultations.
The news comes as a national TV and digital campaign featuring the resources workforce was launched to show how the industry is taking action to implement the resource sector’s COVID-19 national protocol.
The campaign shows resource sector workers from across Australia demonstrating a range of anti-COVID protection measures including physical distancing during travel and at site, increased hygiene and cleaning, temperature testing, changes to shift start times and working arrangements.
These measures are being implemented as the resources sector across Australia continues safe operations – supporting jobs and economic stability and providing royalties to fund hospitals, nurses, doctors, police and other essential government services and infrastructure.
Developed jointly by the NSW Minerals Council, the Minerals Council of Australia and the South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy, the new campaign is further evidence of the industry’s practical commitment to safe workplaces and communities. NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee said this next phase of community information campaign shows first-hand some of the actions miners are taking each day to protect themselves, their families and their communities from COVID-19 while continuing to make a critical contribution to the economy.
MCA CEO Tania Constable said health and safety is the Australian minerals industry’s leading commitment, and the industry is proud to show Australians what the workforce is doing to keep everyone safe – including local communities – during the COVID-19 pandemic.
SACOME CEO Rebecca Knol said the resources sector underpins the economy and continued to meet the challenges of COVID-19 – showing leadership by significantly decreasing the movement of people and implementing strategies to protect workers, families and communities.
The industry’s community information campaign features people from operations across Australia working in a range of vital commodities from iron ore to coal, copper and gold.