Whitehaven Coal Community Open Day

Around 1200 Queensland residents and families turned out to Blackwater’s May Day fairgrounds for Whitehaven Coal’s Community Open Day.

The event brought together people from as far as Emerald and Rockhampton to enjoy an exciting day of free activities, kid’s rides, market stalls and entertainment, as well as information stands for the community to learn more about the coal mining industry.

Whitehaven Coal’s chief operating officer Ian Humphris says it was a fantastic opportunity to say thank you to residents, local businesses and the broader community who have supported the company since it began operations in the region earlier this year.

“Whitehaven is incredibly proud to be a part of this community and we recognise the important role we have to play as one of largest employers in the region to support locals and local businesses,” he said.

“This is a responsibility we take very seriously.

“We’re especially proud to support communities like Blackwater, which is home to many of our people and contractors.

“But for us at Whitehaven, it’s not just about jobs and business opportunities — we want to leave a social legacy that outlives our mining operations through improvements in local education, health services, skills and training opportunities and infrastructure.

“We look forward to continuing to work closely with the local community for decades to come.”

The guided bus tours of the Blackwater mine were particularly popular, with the community jumping at the chance to get a behind the scenes look at how a working coal mine operates.

Attendees at the fairgrounds were also given an insight into Whitehaven’s mining processes, with a number of employees on hand to talk about different aspects of the operations and a range of machinery on display such as haulage trucks and excavator buckets.

The Community Open Day is an important part of Whitehaven’s broader efforts to build a strong connection with local communities across Central Queensland following its acquisition of the Blackwater and Daunia mines in April.

The first round of Whitehaven’s Queensland community grants program has seen it commit funding to 28 organisations and causes across the region, including Blackwater CWA, Moranbah State School, Emerald Neighbourhood Centre and CQU’s U-Beach Disability Support Program.

The next grant round opens on January 1, 2025, with the company set to extend the reach of its support even further.