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Support our communities

We are committed to building long-term partnerships based on respect, transparency and mutual value. 

We seek to understand the interests, concerns and aspirations of the communities where we operate and recognise our everyday interactions, activities, behaviours and decisions can impact positively and negatively on our long-term viability and the social and economic wellbeing of those communities.

Support our communities

  • What this means for you

    If you are responsible for working with our community stakeholders, community development projects or donations, you must read and understand the Community and Indigenous Peoples Global Standard.

     

    All communication with external stakeholders must be delivered honestly, respectfully and transparently. Engage with people impacted by operations and ensure their views (including vulnerable and disadvantaged groups) are taken into consideration when making business decisions.

     

    If you are engaging with Indigenous or First Nations stakeholders, complete the necessary culture awareness training and engage in a manner which respects the rights of Indigenous Peoples as set out in our Indigenous PeoplesPolicy Statement.

     

    If people raise concerns or complaints during your engagements with community stakeholders, record these in line with the relevant asset complaints and grievance process. If the concerns or complaints allege a violation of human rights or other conduct in breach of Our Code, record the concern in Integrity@BHP or the BHP Protected Disclosure Reporting Channel. If a community investment (donation, project or sponsorship) is being considered, undertake due diligence on the recipient organisation(s) and obtain pre-approval before confirming any partner or agency to implement a program as per the Community and Indigenous Peoples Global Standard.

     

    If you are working on our behalf, we expect the same level of respect in your interactions. Familiarise yourself with our requirements when engaging and working with host communities.

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Always

• Respect the cultures and customs of the communities and countries in which we operate, as long as they do not conflict with Our Code or the law.

• Engage with respect, honesty and transparency.

• Take the views and expectations of stakeholders into account in decision-making.

• Investigate concerns and complaints and report outcomes back to relevant stakeholders.

• Obtain any necessary compliance pre-approvals, in accordance with the Community and Indigenous Peoples Global Standard, before offering, promising or approving expenditure for a community project, sponsorship or donation on behalf of BHP.

• Contact Compliance for advice if you have any concerns about the legitimacy of a proposed community project, sponsorship or donation, or contact Ethics and Investigations if you have an undisclosed potential conflict of interest.

• Engage regularly with suppliers and partners to share Our Code and implement robust contract management processes to ensure the respectful behaviours and performance of vendors in the communities in which we do business.

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Never

• Intentionally favour individuals from one political, religious or ethnic group on the basis of their membership of that group. The exception is when such action supports a BHP approved or legally required program of positive discrimination (for example, to assist historically disadvantaged groups in the community).

• Contribute to any religious organisation for religious purposes on behalf of BHP.

• Implement a community development project that will intentionally, or likely replace, take over or destabilise the authority of any level of government.

Hypothetical Scenarios

  • Q: I work in the Supply team and am looking at a scope of work where one of the tenderers is an Indigenous business. I know we are about to commence negotiations related to heritage and land access in the near future. Is it ok to award this work to the business?
    A: Providing economic empowerment opportunities to Indigenous and traditional owner businesses is a priority for BHP under our Indigenous Peoples Strategy, and an important way to ensure our operations provide mutual benefit to communities within which we operate. Because we are commencing discussions on heritage and land access you should speak with Compliance to assess any actual or perceived connection between the upcoming heritage negotiations and the scope of work related to the contract we are looking to award. If the contracting opportunity does proceed it may be necessary to put measures in place that ensure any perceived conflict or undue benefit to the group is managed appropriately.
  • Q: A community member says they are unhappy with the level of noise from our operation at night. How do I respond to them?
    A: Understanding the concerns of host communities is important. Community concerns are raised in a range of different forums and our teams should respond appropriately as they arise. All our operations are required to have local mechanisms in place to record complaints and grievances and to address these in a timely and effective manner. In this instance you should acknowledge the concerns and direct the community member to the Asset’s complaints and grievance mechanism. Alternatively, gather the necessary information from the community member as per the complaints and grievance mechanism for the Asset.
  • View more Hypothetical Scenarios

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How to speak up

If you have questions about Our Code, speak to your line leader, 2Up leader, Ethics and Investigations, Compliance, or Legal. Employee Relations or a HR Business Partner can direct you to the relevant reporting options available. You can also seek further information and resources via BHP’s RespectChat.  Anyone who works with us, on our behalf, or is associated with us, can also raise misconduct concerns via Integrity@BHP or the BHP Protected Disclosure Reporting Channel.

Online: Make a report in either Integrity@BHP or the BHP Protected Disclosure Reporting Channel. 

Phone: You can also contact the BHP Protected Disclosure Reporting Channel by phone. 

Download Our Code