Project Rise

In 2021, following feedback from Traditional Owners in the Pilbara, we identified an opportunity to improve the way we engage with Traditional Owners and Indigenous businesses in the Pilbara to better facilitate enduring partnerships that support local communities and business growth. 

In January 2022, Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) initiated Project Rise to strengthen collaboration, alignment and support between BHP, Traditional Owner and Indigenous businesses across our Western Australian operations.  

The small multi-disciplinary Project Rise team focused on increasing WAIO’s direct spend with Indigenous businesses, while improving Traditional Owner business procurement outcomes, and strengthening relationships with Traditional Owner and Indigenous partners.  

Through initiatives such as building cultural competency across our workforce, embedding Indigenous procurement with the asset teams, and improving systems, routines and processes to better support Traditional Owner engagement, WAIO delivered a step change in how we partner with Indigenous businesses.  

From a FY2021 baseline of less than A$100 million, WAIO has increased spend to over A$615 million with 117 Indigenous businesses in FY2026, including A$375 million with 66 Traditional Owner businesses.  

Traditional Owner and Indigenous businesses are now engaged in a range of areas across our WAIO supply chain, including stemming, engineering, equipment hire, construction works, crushing and screening, land rehabilitation, road sweeping, project management, tyre supply, ballast, consumables, waste management, and labour hire.  

The learnings from Project Rise are now being applied across our global operations, supported by a dedicated social value procurement team, with a focus on seeking to embed these practices into business-as-usual procurement and supporting long-term, sustainable participation of Traditional Owner and Indigenous businesses in our supply chain. 

Project Rise underpins our commitment to reconciliation and contributes to the Indigenous partnerships and Thriving, empowered communities pillars of our social value framework. It reflects the impact of listening, learning and working in partnership with Traditional Owners to deliver meaningful and sustained outcomes for both communities and our business.