BMA Mitsubishi Alliance’s (BMA) Saraji Mine has been many things to many people over the last 50 years.

Embedding itself in the local community, Saraji has welcomed generations of families to Dysart.

For Glenn Kirkpatrick, General Manager of Saraji, it’s the people and culture that bring so much pride to the operation.

“Our people are the backbone of this operation, and that is why we come to work every day,” Glenn said.

Growing up in Dysart, Glenn has a strong connection to both the town and site. He understands what it means for families to become part of Team Saraji and the Dysart community.

“Saraji is an operation with a strong connection to Dysart. We have a number of families working here – brothers, sisters, aunties, uncles. We have had generations of families who are part of Team Saraji.”

The significance of Saraji’s first commissioning in 1973 and the increase in scale that the mine has seen over the last 50 years is something Glenn reflects on with pride.

“If I think about what we do now, and the change that this mine has undergone, it’s truly remarkable,” he said.

“The mine is now a 9.5 – 10 million tonne operation. 140 million cubes of overburden is moved to get those product tonnes out of the ground.”

50 years of operation has imprinted a certain resilience in the people and progress of the mine. Glenn describes Team Saraji as having a unique ability to overcome any obstacle, while always shaping and furthering productivity, safety, culture and the mine plan.

“We have a team here who can think outside of the box every single day and come up with really creative solutions to keep the mine sustainable and safe for the future generations to come.”

Thinking about the future of Saraji, the first thing that springs to mind for Glenn is the Smart Transformation Project, which brings together residents, community organisations and businesses to shape the future of Dysart.

“We’re really proud of the work that the mine and the community are doing together to get this region ready for the fourth industrial revolution.”

Glenn feels privileged to be involved in the next era of Saraji’s operation, with Team Saraji showing an excellent base for continued growth as a low-cost, safe producer of high-quality metallurgical coal.

This profile is part of a series celebrating 50 years since the commissioning of Saraji Mine.