Number 42/02

Following the demerger of BHP Steel and the consequent issue of bonus shares to shareholders of BHP Billiton Plc, BHP Billiton confirms that 113,799,025 new ordinary shares of US$0.50 each in BHP Billiton Plc have today been issued to holders of BHP Billiton Plc shares registered on the UK section of the register.  

The new shares will rank pari passu in all respects with existing ordinary BHP Billiton Plc shares.  A total of 2,432,946,910 ordinary shares are now in issue.

A further issue of approximately 35,200,505 shares will be made on 29 July 2002 to BHP Billiton Plc shareholders registered on the South African section of the register.  An announcement of the exact number of shares issued will be made at that date.

For further information, please contact:

Australia
Andrew Nairn, Investor Relations
Tel: +61 3 9609 3952 Mobile: +61 408 313 259
email: Andrew.W.Nairn@bhpbilliton.com


Mandy Frostick, Media Relations
Tel: +61 3 9609 4157 Mobile: +61 419 546 245
email: Mandy.J.Frostick@bhpbilliton.com


United Kingdom
Mark Lidiard, Investor & Media Relations
Tel: +44 20 7747 3956
email: Mark.Lidiard@bhpbilliton.com

South Africa
Michael Campbell, Investor & Media Relations
Tel: +27 11 376 3360 Mobile: +27 82 458 2587
email: Michael.J.Campbell@bhpbilliton.com

United States
Francis McAllister, Investor Relations
Tel: +1 713 961 8625 Mobile: +1 713 480 3699
email: Francis.R.McAllister@bhpbilliton.com