Just a 560 kilometre drive north of Adelaide, you’ll come across Olympic Dam. 

Olympic Dam is an underground and surface mine with some of the world’s largest deposits of copper, gold, and uranium. 

With 700 kilometres of underground roads and tunnels, it’s the fourth largest copper deposit, and largest single deposit of uranium in the world.

In other words, it’s big. Really big. 

And to operate it requires a workforce of approximately 4500 people, including employers and contractors.

It’s so large that there are daily flights from Adelaide to its own airport, and the nearby town of Roxby Downs was created to service the mine.

In fact, Roxby Downs has become its own town now, with plenty of jobs outside the mine and a strong community that has built itself up from the original mining foundation. 

It has its own cinema, shopping centre, several schools, cafes, sporting clubs and community and leisure centres. 

Which means there are plenty of jobs for residents. 

Despite mining being such a large and important industry in Australia, many people may be surprised to discover that for every direct mining job there is, there are two indirect jobs that support mining. 

Which leads us to RJ Engineering, an engineering and fabrication firm that started in July 2023 with 10 workers and has now grown to 25 workers. 

RJ Engineering specialises in fabrication and construction, with its main clients being not only Olympic Dam, but several of the other nearby mine sites owned by BHP. 

RJ Engineering received its contract with BHP through C-Res.

C-Res is a local buying program that ensures small businesses located within the communities BHP operates are given chances to bid on larger projects with BHP.

Since its inception in 2012, C-Res has been responsible for 1,739 suppliers receiving work with BHP, with $1.2 billion spent with small, local and Indigenous businesses so far.

This has led to companies like RJ Engineering getting contracts to work with BHP, and also expand and create more jobs for locals.

‘Well, it’s always good to have local jobs, isn’t it?’ says Travis Pycroft, RJ Engineering Manager.

‘Local jobs for local people just keeps the community of Roxby Downs strong.’

And it keeps the sporting communities alive, the shops alive and economy of Roxby Downs alive as well.

With so many Australians involved in some way with the mining industry, keeping the communities and economies resilient is important, especially in regional areas.

Companies like RJ Engineering and programs like C-Res ensure that the prosperity brought about by Australia’s resources are enjoyed by all.